Today's manicure has been stuck in my head since the very first time I laid eyes on Beauty Never Fails and the newly reformulated Holy Grail. I love nail art, but lately I have been leaning toward more subtle and elegant looking nail art versus my usual over the top manis. This manicure, to me anyway, is elegant and chic, while being utterly sexy at the same time. Before I show you the nails, let's delve into the base color...
“Only this is true: that beauty is very beautiful, and softens, and comforts, and inspires, and rouses and lifts up, and never fails”
Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1894)
One of my favorite aspects of A-England (besides the perfect formula and unique and breathtaking colors) is that every single polish is named for something special. The Legends and The Mythicals are inspired by Sir Arthur and Camelot, each polish truly embodying the essence of its namesake. Adina's latest collection, Heavenly Quotes, are all based on beautiful and uplifting quotes from artists, writers, and poets. Not only do we benefit from Adina's stunning polish, but we get some education at the same time! I am a huge fan of English Legends due to my family on my Mother's side Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk. I've loved England since I lived there as a child, and every time I have visited I have fallen in love all over again. I am especially fond of England's rich History - the Monarchy, old, crumbling castles and their History, Historical sites. I am especially fond of Elizabeth I and of course, Camelot. I'm also a huge fan of classic literature and poetry, so Adina's collections appeal to so much more than just the nail polish fanatic in me (I wonder if there could ever be a polish inspired by my favorite poem - "Never Give All The Heart" by W.B. Yeats).
But I digress! Beauty Never Fails was inspired by the above quote, written in a letter to a friend of Edward Burne-Jones. I love this quote - it's simple, yet complex, uplifting and thought provoking. Little Known Fact: Adina has this quote permanently etched on her body (very cool! The more I learn about Adina, the more I admire and am inspired by her.).
Beauty Never Fails, the polish, is an utterly amazing combination of emerald green, olive green, antique gold and subtle bronze fleck in a blackened olive toned green base. In the bottle, Beauty simply glows, and once on the nail, the effect is mesmerizing. Dark yet not black, this polish appeals to those of us that love dark colors but aren't always in the mood for an entirely black (or mostly black) polish. If you're thinking that BNF looks similar to some other Olive toned/golden flecked polishes out there, I have to say that BNF is not like any other. You really need to see her in person to appreciate her beauty and her inner glow.
Beauty Never Fails was released along with the newly revamped Holy Grail (review and swatches to come), and once I saw those bottles side by side, I decided that I wanted to show this polish with Holy Grail.
I started with a base of A-England The Knight base coat (review forthcoming, but let me say that this is simply the best base coat I have ever used). I applied two coats of Beauty Never Fails and allowed them to dry. Then I grabbed my striping tape and laid out the pattern, sponging Holy Grail over the tips in a gradient fashion. I topped it all off with a coat of The Shield (review forthcoming - but I will say that you NEED this topcoat. Especially if you're an SV fan). The result is one of my favorite manicures yet. Subtle yet eye-catching, vampy yet bright, sexy yet chic. In fact, this is what is on my nails right now.
I am in love with Beauty Never Fails...and this manicure. The olive undertones in this girl are just lovely, and the gold, green and bronze fleck really bring this polish to life. Combined with the new Holy Grail, well let's just say that this is one of my favorite polish combinations to date. Beauty and Holy Grail are meant for each other, and I have seen many manicures using this combintation - all of which are just beautiful.
Formula:
Beauty Never Fails has the signature A-England formula - thick, yet not too thick to use. Never goopy or gloppy, and no thickening during use. I've said it before and I stand by it: A-England's formula is sheer perfection.
Application:
This lovely applied smooth as silk, flowing like butter onto the nail and staying exactly where I placed it. Little o no clean-up required. Although nearly opaque in one coat, Two coats ensure complete opacity and depth of color. Due to the glass fleck, Beauty is slightly textured when dry, yet not gritty. It has a beautiful shine to it, only needing topcoat to smooth out the texture and add extra shine. Combined with The Shield, A-England's top coat, this polish shines like a polished diamond (my pictures don' show the shine well - my lighting tends to wash out the shine). I experienced no streaking, although this polish dries very fast, and if you go over the same spot more than once or twice it does drag slightly. This only occurred on the first coat, the second coat evening out nicely. Entirely self-leveling, no need to worry about uneven application.
Once again, I am deeply impressed by Adina's creation. The only thing I can really say that hasn't been said before is this : There is nothng like an A-England polish!
What do you think of Beauy Never Fails? Are you looking forward to seeing the new Heavenly Quotes as well?
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber
