Filed In: a england
First Look: a-england Ballerina
Through my social media channels, late last week I previewed the first look at a-england’s latest collection: Ballerina, inspired by the legendary dancer Margot Fonteyn and her timeless grace. This latest offering from the cult brand features four prismatic shades that speak of light & shadows, with the holographic nature representing the complexities of the dance, while the airy colours call to mind the delicate tulle found on tutus.
A full review with detailed swatches will be coming to the blog soon, but for now, enjoy the nail wheel swatches. Note that the swatch photos show the shades in direct sunlight (left) and with flash (right).
a-england ♦ Ballerina
a-england ♦ Ballerina (with flash)
a-england ♦ Fonteyn
a-england ♦ Her Rose Adagio
a-england ♦ Encore Margot
a-england ♦ Dancing with Nureyev
For those of you already familiar with the perfection that is a-england, then I don’t need to say any more. Founder & creator Adina Bodana, continues to wow us with her incredibly refined tastes and keen eye for composition, and the best part? Every collection comes with a storied pedigree, inspired from either great works of art, literature, and history … such as this lovely quartet.
Visit the a-england website to view all products. To order the Ballerina collection, send an email to hello@a-england.co.uk (soon to be available on the website as well).
*Disclosure: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
a-england ‘Love Is Enough’ – Heavenly Quotes Series
Today, I bring you the latest chapter in the ‘Heavenly Quotes’ Series from a-england (previous swatches of this series found here & here), ‘Love Is Enough’, a complex shade inspired by a poem of the same name written by William Morris – an English textile designer, artist, writer and libertarian socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Originally published in 1873 and dedicated to Morris’ wife Jane, this story while based on the intense power of love, also holds tragically dark undertones, all of which are perfectly captured in this bottle of lacquer – observe how the the deeply brooding base hue becomes almost transcendent, as its brilliant shimmer rises to the surface. Love is never one-dimensional, so why should a lacquer born of that sentiment, be any different?
LOVE is enough: though the World be a-waning,
And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining,
Though the sky be too dark for dim eyes to discover
The gold-cups and daisies fair blooming thereunder,
Though the hills be held shadows, and the sea a dark wonder,
And this day draw a veil over all deeds pass’d over,
Yet their hands shall not tremble, their feet shall not falter;
The void shall not weary, the fear shall not alter
These lips and these eyes of the loved and the lover.
William Morris (excerpt)
Love Is Enough – a semi sheer greyed-out olive base hue filled with an intricate shimmer dance, consisting of copper, silver, gold & bronze glitter particles. Totally self-levelling and providing excellent coverage along the nail without either pooling to towards the cuticle line or shrinking from the nail tips, there appears to be an odd elasticity to the formula, although it still applies with ease just the same. Mysterious, moody, alluring, intriguing and totally captivating – just some of the adjectives that begin to describe this complex shade, the natural finish at the end, is nothing short of brilliant. Bonus: non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough, indirect light
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough, with flash
Last word: A worthy addition to the ‘Heavenly Quotes’ Series, ‘Love Is Enough’ has enough drama going on with its multi-hued shimmer to satisfy a desire to stand out, yet the deeper undertones of the base colour adds a refining grounding element for an overall sexy & sophisticated gleam. Every angle of light seems to capture yet another facet to this unique shade, and I absolutely love how the entire look is both utterly romantic and totally edgy at the same time. Love may be enough, but my desire for complex lacquers will never be …
Available now, visit the a-england site for a complete list of products and stockists or follow via twitter/facebook for all updates.
*Disclosure: Product sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
a-england Excalibur – Reborn
Born out of legend and forged by magic, the fable of King Arthur’s gleaming sword Excalibur, remains vividly alive to this very day. As part of a-england’s première nail lacquer collection, ‘The Mythicals’, the original version of this shade (reviewed here) came in a metallic steely hue – perfectly capturing the allure of that heroic blade. This updated version, however, takes that a step further by way of an infusion of gold pieces and a brilliant shimmer finish, which elevates this shade to true mythical proportions.
Excalibur – an aged silvery/pewter metallic and shimmery hue, with irregularly shaped golden pieces throughout for added depth & impact, imparting an air of regal patina. The formula was a mystery as well: while the first coat applies somewhat sheer, the second layer provides complete opacity, leaving behind a richly luxurious-looking finish. Self-levelling, no brush strokes in sight, and relatively quick-drying, this is a universally flattering shade for all skin tones, made so by balancing its icy silver tone with specks of gold. Coats applied: 2, plus ‘The Shield’ top coat from the same brand.
a-england ♦ Excalibur
a-england ♦ Excalibur
a-england ♦ Excalibur
a-england ♦ Excalibur
a-england ♦ Excalibur
a-england Excalibur, original version on index & pinkie fingers – silver metallic, blueish undertones, cool leaning
a-england Excalibur, new version on middle & ring fingers – silver foil shimmer, with irregularly shaped gold glitter flakes throughout, star shine
a-england ♦ Excalibur, old vs. new
a-england ♦ Excalibur, old vs. new
Last word: When Adina Bodana, creative mind and founder of a-england, debuted ‘The Mythicals’ nail lacquer collection, polish lovers everywhere were blown away – as much for the shades & incredible formula, as for the inspiration behind it all. It hasn’t taken long for this bijoux brand to reach cult status amongst varnish aficionados the world over, and with good reason: you can almost feel the passion that goes into each and every bottle. Since then, every subsequent collection has been consistently highly anticipated – so why change a good thing? The answer is simple: to make it better, and this revamped version of ‘Excalibur’ accomplishes all that … and more. A shade worthy of a legendary blade, this version is a triumph … and so incredibly brilliant that it should come with a warning. Or sunglasses.
For a full list of stockists and more information about a-england, visit the brand’s website and/or follow via twitter & facebook for all updates.
(source)
*Disclosure: Product sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideraton
a-england Briarwood, Burne-Jones Dream
When I debuted the a-england Burne-Jones Dream collection (reviewed here), there was one lacquer yet to be shown – Briarwood, but I can honestly say that in this case, the best was definitely saved for last. Describing this shade is almost impossible, as it seems to pulsate with a life all its own – much like the fabled rose bushes that guarded Sleeping Beauty and the castle’s inhabitants. At once warm & cool, vibrant & muted, edgy & elegant, this vampy hue is like none other seen before by this brand … and completes the collection just so perfectly.
a-england ♦ Briarwood (Burne-Jones Dream)
a-england Briarwood – a burgundy port wine base colour, filled with ultra-fine prismatic particles that reflect every facet of light, in a formula that literally defines perfection: completely opaque at 1 coat, self-levelling, and with just the right density of flow that it applies exactly where placed, without any pooling or running. In full sunlight, the holographic flashes are truly hypnotic and depending on the angle, may appear either at the cuticle line, the nail tips, or along the sides. Shaded light brings out another deeper, more mysterious allure to this beauty, as well as adding a unique almost “clouded-over” effect to its overall tone. Shiny at the finish, top coat enhances every single nuance to the nth degree. Coats applied: 2 (although one is actually plenty) and all swatches are with a-england’s ‘The Knight’ base coat and ‘The Shield’ top coat (both previously reviewed here).
a-england ♦ Briarwood
a-england ♦ Briarwood
a-england ♦ Briarwood
a-england ♦ Briarwood
a-england ♦ Briarwood (in shaded light)
a-england ♦ Briarwood (with flash)
a-england ♦ Burne-Jones Dream
a-england ♦ Burne-Jones Dream
Last word: The five shades of a-england’s ‘Burne-Jones Dream’ collection are nothing short of spectacular, but ‘Briarwood’ is in a word: MAGICAL. Creating a unique colour in the world of nail lacquers is no easy feat, and yet somehow Adina Bodana – the brand’s creative genius & founder – has managed to do exactly that. The fact that ‘Briarwood’ also boasts a stellar formula and application, is just icing on the cake, in my opinion, and if you pick up nothing else from this collection (as IF), you absolutely NEED this shade. I’d run to order it, if I were you … fair warning!
Find more information on a-england via twitter & facebook – all products are available for purchase through the brand’s website, where you can also find a complete list of international stockists.
*Disclosure: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
a-england ‘Excalibur’ (revamped) & new Heavenly Quote: ‘Love Is Enough’
Disclosure: Press sample
William Morris ‘Love Is Enough’ (source)
If you follow me on my various social media platforms, then you may have seen the initial black & white preview of 2 new a-england shades; here they now are, in all their colourful splendour!
Having captured our hearts – as well as our imagination – with ‘The Mythicals’ introductory collection, founder Adina Bodina is constantly looking to create and improve upon her range; case in point, the revamped version of ‘Excalibur’ (see original swatch review here). This new incarnation takes the original steely hue and infuses it with multi-dimensional shimmer, creating a unique fusion of a wearable metallic.
In between the core collections, a-england has also introduced a running theme titled “Heavenly Quotes”, with new shades/chapters continuously included in this story. The latest addition, ‘Love Is Enough’ is a shade inspired by the artist, poet, textile designer and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, William Morris (1834 – 1896) – an intricate and almost moody deep olive hue, overlaid by a complex golden shimmer.
Please note that full nail swatches are coming soon. You can find more images and swatches of the entire range by clicking on the a-england tab on the right.
a-england ♦ Excalibur (revamped)
a-england ♦ Love Is Enough – Heavenly Quote
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Last Word: As expected, these shades are done in true inimitable a-england style: with complete attention to detail, and in total perfection. I’ll have more details for you as soon as my post is up — stay tuned!
You can check out the a-england website for more information, or feel free to follow via twitter/facebook for the latest updates.
William Morris – Acanthus Leaf wallpaper c. 1875 (source)
