A-England Elizabeth & Mary
Because I refuse to grow up, my DVR looks like it was programmed by a teen. The CW has my number and one of my fave shows is Reign, a fictionalized account of the early years of Mary, Queen of Scots. While I have no fascination with the modern day royals, I do enjoy shows/movies like The Tudors and Elizabeth, so the a-england Elizabeth and Mary collection intrigues me as much for its historical references as its gorgeous colors.
Formula & Application
a-england nail polish is at least 3-Free (Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP) but I don’t have an ingredient list so I can’t speak to its make-up past that. The rectangular bottles have a slender, chrome, cylindrical cap that houses a round brush of medium length and girth with flexible bristles that easily fan out on the nail.
The consistency of the formula is thick with pigment and the first coat goes on a bit streaky but evens out with two coats. It feels as though you are pulling it on to the nail. You also have to be careful about how thick you apply it because the polish doesn’t easily self-level so you can end up with lumps. And what I’ve noticed with this set is that they dry a bit satin but come to life with a glossy top coat.
a-england Crown of Thistles is a pink-y, amethyst with holographic shimmer. The holo isn’t truly linear and prismatic, it’s more scattered, like dancing lights on the nails.
a-england Crown of Thistles
a-england Fortheringhay Castle is a warm, mossy green with an overall golden shimmer and hints of bronze and green peeking through.
a-england Fortheringhay Castle
a-england Gloriana is a rich, scarlet red shimmer with golden foil flecks.
a-england Gloriana
a-england Queen of Scots is a dark sapphire blue with pearlized shimmer. This was the thickest to apply of all the shades and gave me the most issues achieving an even finish, thus the lumpiness at my tips. Despite that, my esthetician freaked over it at my brow appointment this week.
a-england Queen of Scots
a-england Virgin Queen is a mixed metal amalgamation that has an overall pewter tone. In the mix, gold, bronze, silver, graphite that give it a holo-esque appearance. It’s quite captivating.
a-england Virgin Queen
a-england Elizabeth & Mary collection
Bottom Line: I’ve always been impressed with the quality and uniqueness of a-england’s polishes. The formula can be a bit cranky to work with but the finished look is worth the effort. In this collection, I’m most smitten with Fotheringhay Castle and Virgin Queen. And while blues are normally my thing, the application of Queen of Scots was too much of a bummer for me.
The a-england Elizabeth & Mary collection is available online at various stockists worldwide. In North America, visit Color4Nails.com, Llarowe.com and NailPolishCanada.com. Visit a-england.co.uk for more info. a-england retails for $10 in the US, $12.95 in Canada.
Are you an a-england fan? What are your must-have a-england shades? Saint George is definitely one of mine. Thoughts on the Elizabeth & Mary collection?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for a-england. Affiliate links appear in this post. When you purchase through an affiliate link, you help support this site. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
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