a-england Burne-Jones Dream

From the day a-england lacquers burst onto the nail polish landscape (and our beauty consciousness), each collection has been feverishly anticipated, and with good reason, as the ‘Burne-Jones Dream’ proves; merging complex and lusciously rich colours with her love of art, founder and creator Adina Bodana has once again brought us “wearable history” in the form of 5 decadent nail varnish shades, based on the story of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’, as interpreted by one of her favourite pre-Raphaelite artists.

The four paintings of The Briar Rose series created by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) which were 30 years in the making and finally completed in 1890, were inspired by the beloved fairy tale of the Sleeping Beauty, and focus on one pivotal scene in the story – where the prince battles the obstacles of the enchanted garden to finally gaze upon the face of the slumbering princess. His good friend William Morris created 4 verses of prose to be read in conjunction with each painting, thus taking the viewer seamlessly from one panel to the next and adding a new dimension to the entire experience. Deliberately omitting the final scene where the princess awakes, leaves us with a lingering sense of anticipation — but we can certainly fill in the blanks as intended.

*Please note that the 5th shade, Briarwood, is not shown – but is coming soon.

Edward Burne-Jones (1833 – 1898)

Burne-Jones in front of his Star of Bethlehem – 1890 (source)

a-england ♦ Burne-Jones Dream

The Briar Rose: The Prince Entering the Briar Wood, Edward Burne-Jones (1869), source

The fateful slumber floats and flows
About the tangle of the rose.
But lo the fated hand and heart
To rend the slumberous curse apart

Fated Prince “The tempered steel of a hero’s blade” – this shade is a quasi-sheer grey base with a dark olive undertone that mysteriously becomes completely opaque by the second coat. The tightly bound prismatic particles fall in a more scattered than linear pattern, and refract beautifully when light hits them. Superb flow and application to the formula, laying down completely self-levelling and coming to a natural shiny finish. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

a-england ♦ Fated Prince

The Briar Rose: The Council Chamber, Edward Burne-Jones (1872-1892) source

The threat of war, the hope of peace
The Kingdom’s peril and increase.
Sleep on, and bide the latter day
When fate shall take her chains away

Sleeping Palace “An unnatural twilight has fallen upon the land” – this shade bears a prune base with hints of copper in the undertones, and filled with an abundance of prismatic particles that come vividly to life in direct light. The outstanding formula almost makes this a 1-coater, as it falls with perfect coverage from the start, but does wind up closer to a satin finish. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

a-england ♦ Sleeping Palace

The Briar Rose: The Garden Court, Edward Burne-Jones (1890), source

The maiden pleasance of the land
Knoweth no stir of voice or hand,
No cup the sleeping waters fill,
The restless shuttle lieth still

Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty “Her lips a ruby glow of life while she lays lost in time” – a complex shade that is a true paradox; what appears as a rather milky and faded cranberry hue in dimmer lighting, comes to brilliant crimson life when full sun hits it, as well as casting out a subtle prismatic presence. Perfect flow, coverage and density to the formula, as well as a glossy natural finish. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

a-england ♦ Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty

The Briar Rose: The Rose Bower, Edward Burne-Jones (1893), source

Here lies the hoarded love the key
To all the treasure that shall be.
Come, fated hand, the gift to take
And smite the sleeping world awake

a-england – Rose Bower “Asleep in a bed of roses, her beauty still calls true” – a lustrous and true dark rose shade that holds an incredible luminosity albeit with the mildest prismatic effect of the four. The formula seemed the thickest of the group as well, but applies in a very easy manner and you barely need more than 1 coat for full coverage. Bonus: absolutely no staining left behind upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

a-england ♦ Rose Bower

Sleeping Beauty by Edward Burne-Jones (1871), source

*This painting was created many years earlier by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and not part of The Briar Rose series

Last word: Even were I not a fan of a-engand Lacquers (which we all know I totally am), I would still fall helplessly & madly in love with this new collection; apart from the stunningly gorgeous as well as season-transcending colours of each, the story of the Sleeping Beauty has always struck a chord in me from the time I was a little girl – the overt romanticism of the tale also holds ominous undertones and speaks to the duality of human nature. The shades themselves perfectly capture every moment of the fable, from their names to their colours, while the formula is in the a-england inimitable style: superb.

Briar Rose, Aurora, Sleeping Beauty … a rose by any other name definitely still smells as sweet, especially when interpreted by a-england, be it with this sublime collection of lacquers or Adina’s new Roses line of jewelry (reviewed here).

The collection is available now – check the a-england website for stockists, and feel free to follow via twitter/facebook for all updates

*Many thanks to Nikki and the amazing folks at Nail Polish Canada for their tireless help in getting this collection to me, despite all obstacles!
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