Filed In: a england

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!
free viagra
cheap acipex
cheap amitriptyline

*Disclosure: Product samples provided for my unbiased consideration

New! a-england Roses Jewelry Line

June 5, 2013

I imagine that there are very few nail polish lovers who have NOT heard of a-england lacquers by now; if you fall into that category, I suggest you take a stroll through my many detailed posts on the entire range from this brand that I am totally obsessed with (see sidebar), to understand the reason behind said obsession. Adina Bodana, founder of a-england lacquers and a woman whose creativity seems to know no bounds, has now found another outlet for her love of beauty, with her new Roses line of jewelry – inspired by the national flower of England as well as being the focus of her latest varnish collection, Burne-Jones Dream (full swatches & post coming soon).

Collaborating with KristinM London, a jewelry designer who caught Adina’s eye after spotting one of her pieces worn by Kate Middleton, was a match meant to be; each piece is lovingly hand made and available in either sterling silver as well as sterling silver plated with either 18k yellow or rose gold, with no detail left overlooked – from the lifelike petal of each rose, to the delicately tiny thorns on the stems.

Following the unique aesthetic introduced by Adina with her bijoux range of lacquers, this jewelry collection is as timeless in its appeal as it is fresh & modern; I absolutely love the juxtaposition of such an ethereal symbol cast in something as solid as sterling silver, while the pieces themselves can be worn individually for emphasis, or layered with your other favourite jewelry for a completely new look.

a-england Roses (source)

a-england Roses

a-england Roses – Rose with Thorn sterling silver necklace (£65.00)

a-england Roses – sterling silver Rose with Thorn necklace (detail)

a-england Roses sterling silver earrings (£47.00 9mm)

a-england Roses sterling silver earrings

a-england Rose with Thorn sterling silver necklace – adore!

cheap amoxicillin
cheap amoxil
cheap ampicillin
cheap celebrex

Last word: Refined yet quirky, fun yet sophisticated, traditional yet modern … this is exactly what a-england’s new Roses somehow manage to be. Like a rose garden that you can carry with you everywhere, the pieces are made of the finest materials and created with the same love and care that has gone into each and every bottle of the eponymously names lacquers. In packing for my recent holiday, there was only one necklace I wanted to bring along: my a-england Rose with Thorn, a piece that seemed to inspire compliments from everyone who gazed upon it. Something tells me that these pieces are poised to become coveted collector pieces … take these words as fair warning!

a-england’s new Rose range of jewelry is now available online here

*Disclosure: Product samples provided for my unbiased consideration

New! a-england – First Look of Burne-Jones Dream

May 21, 2013

If you follow me on any of my social media feeds, you’ll have seen the first look I posted of a-england’s upcoming new collection ‘Byrne-Jones Dream’ – a series of 5 prismatic/holographic lacquers inspired by the Sleeping Beauty series of paintings created by the artist Edward Burne-Jones. Until I get proper swatches up, here’s a closer look at these lovelies.

Note: all shades swatches on a nail wheel, shown in natural light (left) and with flash (right). More detailed swatch photos to follow.

a-england Burne-Jones Dream (natural light)

a-england Burne-Jones Dream (with flash)

a-engand Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)

a-england Rose Bower

a-england Briarwood (*coming later)

a-england Sleeping Palace

a-england Fated Prince

Last word: The nail wheel swatches shown here, while a good indicator, do NOT do these shades justice, believe me. Still, it gives everyone a pretty good visual of this upcoming collection – and if you’re familiar with the a-england brand, you already know about the stellar quality of the formula. Stay tuned for my own personal swatches, which will dive into each gorgeous shade in intimate depth.

*Disclosure: Product samples provided by the company/PR

Cirque – Fleur est Belle … a Valentine beauty!

February 14, 2013

When I first discovered Cirque Colors (previously reviewed here and here), I knew immediately that there was something rather extraordinary about this line; from the evocative brand title, the almost impossibly unique range of colours & avant-garde names of each shade, to the fine detailing of the packaging, creator Annie Pham has truly elevated nail varnish to an art form.

Fleur est Belle was born, when Annie was asked to create an exclusive shade for Singaporean online e-tailer Mei Mei’s Signatures; according to Cirque, the inspiration was drawn from “images of the warm tropics and pink flowers that emanate whimsical femininity”.

Fleur est Belle – (SGD $17.00) a ballerina pink jelly-esque base with slight coral overtones, filled with: gold & pink glitter dust and glitter threads, pink large -medium & small hexagonal glitter, pink square glitter, gold small – medium & large hexagonal glitter, gold square glitter, and matte white large hexagonal glitter. With an effortless flow to the formula, there is also an excellent amount of glitter dispersal per brush stroke, with no additional “fishing” or placement needed for an equal application, and the finish is a glossy natural shine. Two coats gives adequate – although not full – coverage, and leaves a more ethereal impression (my favourite way to wear it), whereas three coats is surprisingly opaque for a shade as delicate looking as this. Coats applied on Fleur est Belle swatches: 3 (thin)

There’s a unique versatility to Fleur est Belle as it can be worn alone – managing to come across as both dainty (the pink tone & fine glitter) and fiercely feminine (the larger glitter & juxtaposition of the matte white pieces), layered over a similarly hued base for an added intensity, or applied over a contrasting base shade for an entirely new colour combination. You can even play with how you layer, as in the swatches below; over a-england’s ‘Camelot’ (reviewed here), I created a gradient look at the tips – I loved the murky overall vibe. Applying Fleur est Belle over OPI’s ‘My Vampire Is Buff’ (reviewed here) in a shredded manner along the cuticle line, lent more of an “I-don’t-care” element … and also reminded me of a strawberry sundae (don’t ask!).
buy zofran online buybloinfo.com/zofran.html no prescription

The formula is superb, an unexpected bonus when dealing with glitter lacquers, especially one as chock-full as this shade happens to be, but the absolute icing on the cake, is the essential oils of lavender and clary sage added into all of Cirque Colors’ range, which makes their subtle presence known once the polish dries and smells absolutely DIVINE!

Cirque – Fleur est Belle

Cirque – Fleur est Belle (ingredients)

Cirque – Fleur est Belle, closeup detail

Cirque – Fleur est Belle

Cirque – Fleur est Belle gradient over a-england ‘Camelot’

Cirque – Fleur est Belle over OPI ‘My Vampire Is Buff’

Final thoughts: I will be perfectly honest and say that the first glitter polish I absolutely EVER fell in love with, was Cirque’s ‘XX’, but it may have competition now with ‘Fleur est Belle’. There is that certain something extra going on with this shade, that you can’t help but want to wear it, play with it, and eventually stockpile bottles of it, because Fleur est Belle is both exclusive to one place only & limited edition, and seems to sell out at the speed of light. Unique, sophisticated, modern, edgy, girly – it’s all that and more, and so definitely worth adding to one’s collection. Plus, I couldn’t think of a more original way to say:

Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥

buy zoloft online buybloinfo.com/zoloft.html no prescription

Available exclusive through Mei Mei’s Signatures, it is presently sold out but I was informed that it will be stocked again soon. You’ve been warned.

Feel free to visit Cirque Colors to learn more about this brand and view the entire range.

buy zyloprim online buybloinfo.com/zyloprim.html no prescription

*Disclosure: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

nails inc. – Leather Effect ‘Bling it on Rebel’

January 14, 2013

First we had large hexagonal glitters, then crackle/shatters came along, quickly followed by the crocodile look, and even quicker with a veritable explosion of glitters in a huge plethora of shapes & colours. For some of you already groaning at the thought of yet another “new” effects polish, you should accept that these types of unique finishes in our nail lacquers have no intention of going anywhere soon, but I must confess to a bit of eye-rolling on my part when I came across this little gem. Didn’t stop me from picking it up though …

The inspiration: lustrous black leather (source)

nails inc. Leather Effect

nails inc. Leather Effect (complete instructions on the back of the box)

contents of the Leather Effect kit

closeup detail of the included Swarovski embellishments

nails inc. Leather Effect ‘Bling it on Rebel’ – (CAD $30.00 10 ml/0.33 fl.oz for the kit) a black top coat that gives a simulated “leather” finish when layered over a base hue. Quite unique when worn without any adornment, it takes nail art to a whole new 3D level when embellished with the Swarovski elements included in this kit. Full instructions for how to apply both the lacquer and the studs/rhinestones can be found on the back of the box.

My findings: I initially thought that this was perhaps a (transparent) top coat that would give the leather look to whatever shade it was layered over – it’s not. In fact, it’s coloured black and is therefore best when applied over either a black or very dark hue, in order to properly appreciate its effect. Once your chosen base hue is on, apply an exceptionally thin layer of the Leather Effect polish – the thicker the coat, the less defined the pattern will appear. For the embellishments, I was disappointed that the makers didn’t think to lightly curve the ends of the skull element; its straight lines means that it will not fit on the nail snugly and its ends will catch on things – namely your hair & clothing. Also, the instruction state to apply more glue to this element along the protruding ends, once its been placed on the nail – don’t (see the last paragraph for why).
buy Premarin online noprescriptionrxbuyonline.com no prescription

The included plastic liner was very useful as a work area for the glue – which, by the way, you should avoid letting touch your skin and it is fast-bonding (Crazy Glue type of adherence). I would take a tiny dab of glue with the pointy end of the orange stick & apply it on the nail where I wanted the element to go, which I would then pick up with the tweezers and set in place, lightly holding it down with the tweezers for a few seconds.

The actual adorning of the nails is rather fast, providing you have an idea of where you want them to go – feel free to play around with patterns BEFORE applying any glue.

For removal, the polish came off quickly and left no staining behind, although the glue remnants were another matter. The more glue you use (ie: for the skull), the more will remain behind on the nail and will need some minor scraping to remove – something I didn’t care for, as it does lightly damage your nail’s surface. I suggest you soak any stubborn glue traces in acetone for an easier removal.

a-england ‘Camelot’ & nails inc. Leather Effect

To get the look:

after my base coat was on, I began by applying one coat of ‘Camelot’ (previously reviewed here)
followed by two successive coats of the Leather Effect polish

It’s important to note that your Leather Effect brush needs to have the barest amount of product on it, or the effect will not be defined.

For the embellishments:

The only changes I made to the instructions, was that I used a pointy-tipped tweezer to pick up and place the desired elements.

nails inc. Leather Effect

Leather Effect – skull element

Leather Effect – square stud elements

Leather Effect – large rhinestone element

Leather Effect – raised smoked rhinestone elements

Leather Effect – small rhinestone elements

buy nolvadex online noprescriptionrxbuyonline.com/nolvadex.html no prescription

Final thoughts: Undeniably, this is a unique and rather understated effect to sport on one’s nails – especially when worn on its own. When accessorized with the included elements, it definitely takes on a whole rocker-chic vibe and guarantees that your nails will draw the lion’s share of attention. Initially, I believed that wearing more than one of the embellishments at a time would come across as tacky but with every addition, I found myself loving the look more & more. After all, this is meant to look deliberately exaggerated – intended to bring out that biker babe lurking in us all!
buy isotretinoin online noprescriptionrxbuyonline.com/isotretinoin.html no prescription