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Special Occasion Manicure: my wedding (guest) look!

July 7, 2012

Before you begin bombarding me with hisses & boos, let me just state for the record that I purchased this Ciaté Black Caviar Pearls set before I became aware of any attached controversy … then left it collecting dust on my desk, for fear of being viewed as unfeeling of all the goings-on. Last weekend, however, I was in the mood for a mani look that was completely out of the norm for me since, I would be attending my cousin’s wedding; when my eyes fell on this set, I really felt drawn to giving it a shot; after all, I had spent my hard-earned money on it, right? In order to accommodate my feelings of guilt, however, I decided to only use the “pearls” half of the kit and omitted the lacquer. So there!

Say what you will about this brand, but before all the nastiness began, people couldn’t wait for Ciaté products to cross the pond from the UK and land on North American shores. When the early whispers began about their upcoming “Caviar Manicure” sets that were set to launch at Sephora, I admit to being very curious about this concept and really wanted to see it done. Upon purchasing my set, I realized that instead of black, the caviar pearls reminded me more of a-england’s ‘Saint-George’ (previously reviewed here), the most stunning prismatic deep teal lacquer I have ever seen & worn, and knew without a doubt that that beauty just had to be the base for this look. buy zyprexa online viagra4pleasurerx.com/zyprexa.html no prescription

I began with base coat on all nails, followed by one coat of ‘Saint-George’
I then went and applied the second coat of lacquer on all nails EXCEPT my ring fingers, which were chosen as the accent nails for this look
allow this second coat of polish to dry for approximately 5 minutes
at this point, I had the tray that came with the set and the bottle of caviar pearls opened and ready to be used
working one hand at a time, I applied a second coat of polish to my ring finger and while it was still wet, I placed my finger over the tray and slowly but gently dispensed the caviar pearls over the nail, turning it slightly to ensure coverage over the entire surface
once the nail was completely covered, I then applied gentle pressure on the pearls to ensure that they had firmly adhered to the lacquer
I repeated this process on the ring finger of the other hand
waiting another 5 minutes, I finished by ensuring that the pearls looked fairly uniform along my nail, removing any “strays” and finished with a layer of top coat on all nails – the accent fingers each received top coat ONLY on the tips

NOTE: removal of the caviar pearls has about the same amount of difficulty and work involved as that of a glitter polish; expect to apply a bit more elbow grease than usual, but unlike glitters, the pearls don’t spread and/or stick to the surrounding skin.

Ciaté black & teal caviar pearls

in natural light

with flash

macro shot

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Final thoughts: I have stated often enough that I am a “colour purist” and how much I love my dark, murky, and moody shades; creating this type of nail art meshes perfectly with my style, as while there’s some drama & pizzazz in the look, it doesn’t venture into tacky territory – fun, age appropriate (for me, that is!) and creative. Using ‘Saint-George’ as the base made it so much more impressive, in my opinion, as the prismatic effect of the base colour seemed to enhance the teal-coloured pearls much more effectively than a black base would have. All in all, I really enjoyed creating this look, but more than that, I really had a riot with some of the comments I received, such as “did you stick each bead one by one?” — I won’t bother with how I responded!
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*Disclaimer: Some product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

From the heart: a loving “thank you” to a-england!

March 23, 2012

Now that the initial frenzy over Adina Bodana’s latest creation, ‘The Legend’ (full review here) from her immensely fabulous nail varnish line, a-england, has finally hit a more normal level, I wanted to take a few minutes and write a proper thank-you.

In January 2011, when Adina tentatively and with great hopes attached, launched a-england, I was hooked – and this was even before I actually got the chance to even look at her products, let alone try them out in person. Something about the entire concept – a nail lacquer line with personality & history, not to mention my passion for medieval England and all things Arthurian, and I was a goner … imagine my delight when this amazing woman sent me a few bottles to review, winding up eventually sending me the entire first collection, ‘The Mythicals’ – nail polish nirvana, I tell you!

Speaking of Adina, let me tell you what I’ve learned since I met her, slightly over a year ago: this is someone who is genuine, with a loving & sensitive soul, and the heart of a poet. And her creativity? It literally knows no bounds – just look at her collections, if you need proof.

When Adina contacted me last spring, and asked if I would be interested in lending a hand with her upcoming collection, I think I may have almost fainted. Seriously. What an honour! Naturally, it was just a vague idea she had in her head at the time, and over the course of the summer and with much back & forth between us, this idea began to fill out and this past January, ‘The Legend’ was released to an eagerly awaiting public. The colours, the formula, the story … I told her that it would be wildly successful. I so love it when I’m right! insert modest humility here
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The hardest part was in keeping everything under wraps, especially amongst my “blogging family” – I was almost bursting with the need to tell everyone about the awesomeness that was about to hit them … but so worth the wait, wouldn’t you agree?

Adina, this is my thank-you for asking me to participate in your dream and it was my greatest joy to be able to provide the text and descriptions for these beauties – easy to wax poetic when you’re staring at 7 glorious nail lacquers!

In case you’ve been off-planet this past year or have not yet had the pleasure of trying out these varnishes, I encourage you to stroll through my posts for more details:
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WARNING: LOOKING AT THESE IMAGES WILL INSPIRE MAJOR NAIL LACQUER LUST!

Please feel free to visit a-england for all your ordering needs and remember: free world-wide shipping! I know, right?!
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a-england: ‘The Legend’ (photos, swatches & review)

January 22, 2012

The much anticipated collection from a-england has finally arrived: my beauties, allow me to introduce you to ‘The Legend’ – seven incredibly complex and ephemeral lacquers, filled with such wonder, that they almost defy description. All swatches are with a-england’s ‘The Knight’ Base Coat, two coats of lacquer each, and ‘The Shield’ Top Coat (previously reviewed here).

The epic tale of St. George and the dragon is shrouded in much mystery, but at its core it is a tale of incredible bravery and honour. The story begins with a prosperous kingdom, a king and his lovely daughter, and a tyrannical dragon that terrorizes the land unless he is appeased by a sacrificial maiden. In the name of fairness, the king devised a lottery system where the names of all eligible girls are added; It was a terrible day when the king drew his own daughter’s name to be sacrificed, the pure of heart Princess Sabra, but she faced her fate stoically. Along came the sainted knight George, and upon viewing the doomed maiden tied to a tree, took it upon himself to challenge and ultimately slay the dragon, thereby freeing the land from its thrall and restoring peace to the kingdom.

– Saint George by Edward Burne-Jones (1873-77)

‘Saint George’ is teal perfection; a deep true melange of blue and green, it bears ultra-fine scattered holographic particles throughout which cast various golden glints in the light. Much like the saint himself and his valiant heart, this shade seems to literally glow with an inner fire. The formula was utterly sublime, flowing exceptionally well and being intensely colour saturated – almost a one-coater if applied thickly enough, with a wonderful self-levelling finish and beautiful glossy shine at the end. I was pleased to note that with a lacquer as pigmented as this, that there was basically no staining left behind, although I would definitely recommend that you do not skip the base coat.

Sunlight displays every nuance of this shade, in all its profound depth.

A closeup photo reveals the beautiful interplay of ‘Saint George’s’ various hues.

While slightly subdued, even indoor lighting cannot tamp down this shade’s viridian beauty.

Seen in a darker light, indoors.

A deliberately blurred photo, in order to emphasize each and every colour.

A final view taken with flash, continues to impress by spotlighting the intensity of ‘Saint George’.

– Princess Sabra (The King’s Daughter) by Edward Burne-Jones (1865-66)

‘Princess Sabra’ (‘Tristam Eyes’ – in homage to Adina’s incredibly handsome & regal cat!), is everything you want a pale gold-leaning shade to be – giving a nod to its royal pedigree, as well as also bearing an exceptional scattered holographic effect to add to its richness. With olive undercurrents at its base and glints of green, pink & pale blue shimmering within, the formula once more was a dream to work with, applying completely self-levelling and remaining quite glossy at the finish. It must be noted that each and every one of these shades was utterly smooth to the touch when dry, and removal was incredibly easy as well.

Sunlight shows off every stunning facet of this shade, fairly thrumming with life.

A second view in sunlight, emphasizing a slightly deeper tone.

A closeup photo displays ‘Princess Sabra’s’ intricate dance of each colour.

Seen indoors, more of the antique gold tone is visible, but with still visible glints of the other hues.

A deliberately blurred photo, in order to emphasize each and every colour.

A final view taken with flash highlights the burnished beauty of ‘Princess Sabra’, and reveals her inner complex nature.

– Dragon Head by Bob Eggleton

‘Dragon’, a luxuriant verdant green hue with an incredibly fine holographic mix, sends off deep bronze-like flashes in the light, much like the scales of a dragon would as he basks in the sun’s warmth. The formula was beyond superb, applying so easily and being densely pigmented enough to pass for a one-coater, if desired. A beautifully self-levelling surface and glass-like finish, staring into this ‘Dragon’s’ depths can be as dangerous as the beast itself … utterly mesmerizing!

This sunlight view displays a deep greener side to ‘Dragon’, with a paler core in the center that almost seems alive.

In this second sunlight view, the blue holographic particles within are clearly seen at the surface level.

A last sunlight photo highlights the true grassy-green colour of ‘Dragon’s’ base hue.

This closeup photo serves to show every delicate nuance that make up this shade.

Seen indoors, a deeper tone is achieved, but no less beautiful for its intensity.

A deliberately blurred photo, in order to emphasize each and every colour.

A final view taken with flash brings out the blue, pink and golden highlights that make up the heart of this shade.

– Saint George And The Dragon Series: Princess Sabra Drawing The Lot by Edward Burne-Jones (1865-66)

‘Princess Tears’ is a divine yet subtle collection of colours, being at once dove-grey, some lilac leanings, as well as pink and blue holographic pieces thrown in to round it out. Like the glistening twin tracks falling sorrowfully from Princess Sabra’s eyes, the crystalline reflections of this shade are truly ethereal to behold. Continuing with the same stellar formula, application was easy – reaching perfect opacity with two coats, self-levelling, and ended in an excellent gloss at the finish.

This sunlight angle appears to pull out more of the lavender/pink nature of ‘Princess Tears’…

… however a secondary sunlight photo now draws upon the silvery grey tones of this shade’s base hue.

In this closeup photo, note how its holographic beauty plays along the nail edges.

Indoor lighting works some magic on ‘Princess Tears’, by gently calling forth the lilac tones to take center stage.

Once more, a deliberately blurred photo to truly give the clearest indication of the myriad hues that make up this colour.

A final view taken with flash does everything right for this lacquer, seeming to spotlight every tone at the same time, yet still showing each separately – an intriguing contradiction!

– Saint George And The Dragon: The Princess Tied To The Tree by Edward Burne-Jones (1866)

‘Ascalon’, is nothing short of “majestic”; the legendary title of St. George’s sword, this name was later used by Sir Winston Churchill for his personal aircraft during WWII. This is that particular shade that literally dares you to try and pin it down; at once steely grey, then morphing into a lavender/green/aqua/pink/gunmetal duochrome wonder before your very eyes, I was instantly CAPTIVATED! Following in the footsteps of the rest of this collection, the formula was once more flawless, flowing smoothly from the perfect density brush, leaving a gorgeous shine at the end.

Note how in this sunlight photo the deep steel tones form the background on which the holographic particles play.

In this secondary sunlight view, I love how the tips seem kissed by a pale lavender hue, while further up the nail, some golden tones seem to peek through.

This final photo taken in sunlight, now emphasizes ‘Ascalon’s’ more tungsten side.

This closeup photo taken indoors, gives the clearest view how each colour of this shade harmonizes so well.

In this indoor photo, a transformation is on display, with a violet core and verdigris tips adding to the illusion that is ‘Ascalon’.

A deliberately blurred photo to show how complex this shade truly is … and how intensely colourful at heart!

A final view taken with flash tones down this shade’s greyer nature, and seems to pull forth more of its lavender leanings, with the shimmering particles adding visual depth.

– Order Of The Garter symbol

Known as the oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in England to this day, The Order of the Garter was founded in 1348 by King Edward III. Claiming St. George as the country’s patron saint and based upon the sainted knight’s many brave & chivalrous acts, The Order remains one of the monarch’s truly personal, executive prerogatives – bestowed rarely and only to those most deserving of this honour. The origins of the use of a garter here are a touch obscure, but probably reference the “garters” soldiers used to apply their battle armor, while the motto of the Order is: “Honi soit qui may y pense” which translates to “shamed be the person who thinks evil on it”, most likely referencing “accursed be a cowardly and covetous heart” – qualities that are anathema to a true hero.

‘Order Of The Garter’ is a richly regal shade of blue, filled with an incredible amount of glass-like flecks, adding such an intense depth to this shade. Like the aristocratic heritage of The Order itself, this colour is to be worn with heroic pride! A slight departure in the formula here from the rest of this collection, it was just a touch more sheer, yet two coats were all that were needed to achieve perfect and full opacity. Bearing the same self-levelling properties of the rest, along with a beautiful shine at the finish, I was so pleased to find that there was absolutely NO staining left behind.

Seen in sunlight, the deeply aquatic tones of this shade are complimented by the faint magenta flecks in its base.

In this secondary sunlight photo, the glass flecks appear like microscopic stars trapped under the surface … stunning!

This closeup view displays the luxuriously rich blue core of ‘Order Of The Garter’.

This first photo taken indoors, does nothing to detract from this shade’s shimmering beauty.

While obviously deeper in tone, this second indoor view still maintains this shade’s true depth of hue.

A deliberately blurred photo, to perfectly emphasize the glimmering effect of ‘Order Of The Garter’.

A final view taken with flash reveals the intricate depth of tone that the glass flecks add to this deeply cerulean shade.

– Saint George And The Dragon Series: The Return by Edward Burne-Jones (1866)

‘Bridal Veil’, is that truly indefinable colour; a deep black base plays host to a multitude of holographic particles, displaying an almost surreal flash of prismatic colours. Representative of the dark veil of mourning Princess Sabra wore to attend her doom, the glimmering flashes within portray that hope is never to be forgotten. The formula here was in a word: INSANE!! So highly pigmented, it can definitely and easily be applied as a one-coater, flowing so well and ultra-creamy. A perfect black hue for today’s woman, it is modern, edgy, urban, and so incredibly sensuous – almost a tactile experience! Bonus: absolutely zero staining.

Seen in sunlight, this shade is almost unbelievable in its complexity.

A second sunlight view reveals ‘Bridal Veil’s’ truly luminous look, with all the holographic pieces on full display.

This closeup view spotlights not only the many hues of this shade, but how well the deep onyx background shows them off to perfection.

The lustrous nature of ‘Bridal Veil’ is beautifully shown in this photo taken indoors.

Another angle (indoors), takes you more towards this shade’s darkly brooding side.

A deliberately blurred photo gives the best indication of the complex array of colour.

A final view taken with flash, and you have a galaxy splashed across your nails … hypnotically beautiful!

Final thoughts: If you haven’t figured it out by now, this collection has not only blown me away, it has made me fall in love with nail lacquer all over again on a whole new level. Once more, Adina Bodana, one of the most beautiful souls it is my absolute pleasure to know, and über-creative genius/founder of a-england lacquers, not only transports us to a world we can only imagine, but allows us to physically indulge in it, with these seven sure-to-be cult shades. The formula on each was of such a superior grade, almost applying themselves, while the brush is that perfect mix of dense fibres and flexibility, allowing for a flawless application. A unique range of colours, these shades are made that much more special by the addition of ultra-fine holographic particles (with the exception of ‘Order Of The Garter’ – bearing glass flecks instead), they will become available soon on a-england’s site, but for now, they can be ordered through email at hello@a-england.co.uk. The bar has been set high with this collection, my beauties – your only dilemma will be in which shade to choose, a task I envy no one!

*Image credits 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

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