a-england: Morgan Le Fay, Galahad & Lancelot (swatches/review)

If you haven’t already fallen head over heels for a-england’s amazing polishes (reviewed here, here and here), then I bring you three more reasons to do so: ‘Morgan Le Fay’ – a pearly gossamer veil, ‘Galahad’ – a youthfully exuberant blue, and ‘Lancelot’ – a brooding blackened garnet. The rich tapestry of colour that embodies King Arthur’s England, are perfectly & artistically captured by this young line and what a pleasant bonus that the formula is so sublime with each and every one! All swatches (except when layered) are with Sèche Clear base coat, two coats of lacquer and Poshé top coat.

Known as King Arthur’s ambitious half sister, who then went on to seduce him, I half expected ‘Morgan Le Fay’ to be a sombre and Vampy shade; how I love her crystalline representation instead! This polish, while meant for layering, is quite stunning on its own as well. A true pearly hue, this has magical fairy dust strewn throughout, giving your nails an almost living ‘glow’. This was the only lacquer of them all, where I applied three coats, but two gives basically the same look – the formula is that rich. The glittering particles lie flat upon application and offer up a smooth surface, while a layer of top coat only adds to the incredible brilliance of the overall look. Notice how sunlight (top photo) brings out a whiter hue, while shaded light (bottom photo) lends the polish a silvery sheen….bewitching!

How appropriate that ‘Galahad’, one of three Arthurian knights found worthy enough to enter the presence of the Holy Grail, would be represented by the purity of this cerulean blue. Seen in full sun (top photo), I find myself mesmerized by it’s creamy azure depth and even shaded light (bottom photo) does not detract from that. With the first coat, I achieved perfect coverage, with an easily spreading and self-leveling formula. The brush is tapered, neither too thick nor thin, making it so easy to not only apply, but reach all edges clearly. The resulting end shine was absolutely brilliant, even before a top coat was added.

‘Lancelot’…that tortured knight, whose love for his king and queen, tore him apart, is so perfectly encapsulated in this deeply mysterious blackened ruby shade. Never reaching the deep ebony of a true black, you can still see near the top of the nail bed the blood red influences behind its inky depths. Practically fully opaque at one coat, I applied two here for swatching purposes, and could not believe how the polish seemed to glide onto my nails, and the sheer brilliance of the resulting end shine. In the middle photo, note how flash displays the shade’s deep red base. There is something so sophisticated and noble about this polish which just goes to show you that this knight had his ‘dark’ side as well.

When I layered ‘Morgan Le Fay’ over ‘Galahad’, the new hybrid colour that emerged was an ethereal shade straight out of a fairytale. A sparkling blue, this combination reminded me of the sunlight dancing off the surface of the ocean.

Layering ‘Morgan Le Fay’ over ‘Lancelot’ produced a most startling effect: I now had the cosmos arrayed on my fingertips. The hypnotic pull of this combination needs to be experienced, as well as seen!

Final thoughts: This is a range of products that has exceeded all my expectations, starting with the names, the bottle shape with wonderful brushes, to the colours themselves and exceptional formula. I love how the shades all work synergistically with each other, and the layering combinations using ‘Morgan’Le Fay’ are basically limitless. As if you needed another reason to indulge in these beauties, know that a-england lacquers are free from all harmful toxins and completely cruelty-free as well. Please feel free to visit a-england’s site for purchase or more information (the even offer international shipping!).