Hi folks! I've been a little under the weather so sorry for the lull in posting. Today I want to show you a new-to-me brand called
a-england. Adina Bodana from Italy, now residing in London, is the owner and creator of the company. A little blurb from her
website tells us "Painting her nails through the bitter sweet stages in life has been a
constant moment of enjoyment and empowerment. Sometimes a way to start a
conversation, then share an impression, a smile, a story." I love that and what the brand as a whole represents, the touch of regal in everyone. The polishes I have are from her first collection, called
The Mythicals. These are named for Arthurian legends, LOVE!
First is
Guinevere, a pale antique mauve. I always thought mauve was more of a pinker shade, but it is decidedly on the purple spectrum. I love the legends of England and who doesn't adore the queen, the wife of King Arthur and the lover of Lancelot? I got this opaque in one coat, but shown here is two.
Next is
Morgan Le Fay, half sister to Arthur, sorceress and healer. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Morgan, I first heard of her in the film Merlin and she was played by Helena Bonham Carter, whom I adore. This is a luminescent silvery white sparkler. It lends itself well to layering, and I did a glitter sandwich with it that I adored, but here it is by itself in all its glory. I wasn't sure I was going to like this at first, it seemed a bit ordinary, but now I see how foolish that was because it's brilliant! This is three coats.
Iseult is another polish I wasn't sure I was going to like but it too won my heart after I put it on. This is a pale romantic pink with a pearlized shimmer. I find this to be ridiculously delicate and dainty. I dare say this may be my favorite pale pink ever. The story of Iseult isn't as familiar to me as the rest of the mythicals, but learning about her love potion induced eternal affair with Tristam was enjoyable. This is three coats.
King Arthur is a tungsten steel grey with a powerful metallic shimmer. In no need of introduction, Arthur is a legend and hero of folklore and literary tale. This polish is as authoritative as his tradition. I have to say while this is a beautiful polish, it's not my favorite on me. This is two coats.
And last is my favorite,
Perceval. This gorgeous resplendent red truly glows it is so radiant! I love how it's metallic but not a foil, it still retains its smooth shimmer finish. The knight who witnessed the Grail and pledged allegiance to Arthur on a chance meeting, this bold ruby color truly represents the hero that was Perceval. I used this in a half moon mani à la Dita Von Teese once and it was breathtaking. This is two coats.
These are the first a-england polishes I've tried and I'm impressed. I love the ideas and stories behind all of Adina's lacquers and her attention to detail really shows her passion. I love the square bottles and the brushes are of superior quality, however I don't like the mirrored silver handles, as we all know my distaste for fingerprints.
You can buy a-england polishes from their site
http://www.a-england.co.uk based in the UK or from US distributor
Llarowe, whom I got mine from. They retail for $12 and there are many more than these to choose from, including some beautiful holographic shades. Do you have any a-england lacquers? Do you love them as much as I adore these?
Products provided for review.
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