a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (Heavenly Quotes)

Inspired by the words written by English poet Christina Georgina Rossetti (sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti – poet, painter, illustrator and founder of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood), Hurt No Living Thing is the latest addition to the a-england collection of Heavenly Quotes (click on the a-england category tab at right for swatches of all shades), a mysterious colour-shifting topper shade that can be worn along, or layered over any other hue to create a truly unique finish.

Hurt No Living Thing
Hurt no living thing:
Ladybird, nor butterfly,
Nor moth with dusty wing,
Nor cricket chirping cheerily,
Nor grasshopper so light of leap,
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
Nor harmless worms that creep.
– Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894)

Hurt No Living Thing (CAN $12.95) | A semi-sheer and somewhat murky dove grey base hue with mauve/pink finely ground shimmer, in a formula that is absolute perfection – self levelling, with an excellent flow, and ultra glossy at the finish. Its gossamer-like nature means it can definitely be worn alone – perfect for those who appreciate a subtle look, but the transformative properties of Hurt No Living Thing are all magnified when it gets layered over any other colour – giving anything it touches a fey & ethereal appearance, shrouded and even a little mysterious. Top Coat only on final swatches

Worn alone: at 1 coat, the pink shimmer is obvious, but goes deeper into the background with each subsequent coat (2 & 3 respectively) – leaving the grey hue dominant with the pink shimmer at the core. Full opacity, even at 3 coats, is not reached when worn this way.

Layered: with just 1 coat of Hurt No Living Thing applied over 2 coats of Sleeping Palace (previously reviewed here), a deep eggplant purple holographic hue, the newly created tone is incredibly difficult to capture in words – it’s as though a veil was thrown over the entire look, and something completely unique has emerged. Almost surreal, actually. (Note that for these swatches shown further below, Hurt No Living Thing was applied to all nails except the index finger).

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (1 coat)

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (2 coats)

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (3 coats)

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (1 coat, in sunlight)

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (2 coats, in sunlight)

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing (3 coats, in sunlight)

a-england | Sleeping Palace, Hurt No Living Thing

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing, Sleeping Palace

a-england | Hurt No Living Thing over Sleeping Palace (on all nails except index finger)

a-england | Heavenly Quotes

There’s nothing I love more, than a nail lacquer shade that makes me stop and stare in wonder; Hurt No Living Thing not only manages to do that, but continues to surprise me with every colour I layer it over. True to the quality that a-england polishes have become known for, this shade is a beautiful addition to the inspiring Heavenly Quotes series and a must-have for any a-england ~~addict~~ fan. The possibilities are endless, and the colour combinations you can create with Hurt No Living Thing are only limited by your imagination … then there’s the name; there is something so poignant and beautiful about the simple little message on this shade. Gives the phrase ‘make the world a better place’ a whole new (and drop-dead gorgeous) meaning.

Find more information on a-england lacquers via: