A blog about a girl, her nail polish, and some delicious noms.
Posts tagged A-England
Review: Kolt Dual Chrome Swatches and Review
7
Morning Everyone!
I’m sorry for falling off the face of the polish earth. I’ve been around, just not around on the blog so much. I’m quite a few days behind on the 31 Day Challenge but I will work on getting caught up. Thanksgiving had me SUPER busy (if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you know how much I had to cook!), and afterward I’ve just been going through a blah phase I think. I actually hadn’t repainted my nails after Day 22, and my Gangnam style nails didn’t get removed until 2 days ago!
But anyway, I’m getting back into it because I’m WAY behind on things I need to show you guys. Today I’ve got a Brazilian brand that’s completely new to me, Kolt Dual Chromes! When I received these from Harlow & Co. I decided right away that I was going to layer them. I used A England Camelot (my faaaaaaaavorite black nail polish) as my base for each polish.
This post is SUPER picture heavy so I’m putting it behind a cut. I used 2 coats of each polish over one coat of black. I’ll go over application and formula in my final thoughts since it was similar for all 7 polishes.
31 Day Challenge 2012: Day 18 – Half Moon Nails!
36 months ago
Hey Everyone!
I’m back again with Sam and Cris today for Day 18 of the 31 Day Challenge 2012! I wanted to do something a little different from your typical Half Moon mani, so I attempted Peter Pan Collar nails for the first time. BIG FLOP. 
I was a bit rushed on these (trying to get them done before work) so I’m not entirely happy with how they turned out. Ah well, I can’t hit every ball out of the park, eh? 
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 18 – Half Moon Nails
NAILED IT. I started with A England Camelot as my base polish. Then I used a white nail art polish for the shitty collars, and finished it off with the gold microbeads. I’d like to try this look again when I have more time to take my time and get it perfect. ^_^
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That’s it for today! I know these could have turned out a lot worse, but I’m bummed that I didn’t have something to really wow you guys today. There’s always Sunday! 
* Some of the product(s) in this post were sent to me for unbiased review consideration.
For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.
31 Day Challenge 2012: Day 15 – Delicate Print!
46 months ago
Hey Everyone!
I apologize for this post being WAY late, but this past weekend I got absolutely SWAMPED with work and I simply had no time to do my nails! I powered through Monday night to catch up to Sam and Cris and cranked out designs for Days 13-15 of the 31 Day Challenge 2012 that I’d missed last week. I’m posting them all for you today! ^_^
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 15 – Delicate Print
I used my all time favorite red, A England Perceval and layered A England Camelot over it with my Bundle Monster stamp BM-201. My boyfriend really loved how this one looked. ^_^
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That’s it for now! Next up is Day 16 later this morning!
* Some of the product(s) in this post were sent to me for unbiased review consideration.
For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.
31 Day Challenge 2012: Day 12 – Stripes!!
86 months ago
Morning Everyone!
We’re at Day 12 of the 31 Day Challenge 2012, and today’s prompt is stripes! I decided to keep it simple today and busted out my first set of MASH nail plates for this one. ^_^
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 12 – Stripes!
I think this one turned out kinda Halloween-ish, don’t cha think? 
I used A England Beauty Never Fails and the New Holy Grail with my mash-10 stamp. Pictures don’t do this manicure justice, it’s absolutely gorgeous in person! I plan on swatching these two beauties individually in the near future.
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Short and sweet post for today folks, I hope you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to check out Sam and Cris on their blogs to see what they’ve come up for their striped looks!
* Some of the product(s) in this post were sent to me for unbiased review consideration.
For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.
31 Day Challenge 2012: Day 10 – Gradient Nails!!
96 months ago
Morning!
Today is Day 10 of the 31 Day Challenge 2012, and the prompt is gradient nails! I ended up doing two looks today because I wasn’t completely satisfied with the first one. I’m gonna keep this short and sweet because I’m off to see Silent Hill Revelation in 3D with my boyfriend and my pal Sarah! I loooooove the games and I’m pretty curious to see how this second movie compares to the first movie and how closely it relates to the game it’s based on, Silent Hill 3.
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 10 – Gradient Nails!
I took my inspiration for both of these manicures from my Pinterest boards. Whoever pinned this one didn’t link it properly so I unfortunately don’t know where the original idea came from. If anyone can point me to the creator of this mani, let me know!
I’m not super happy with my results on this one. The sponges I bought for my gradients were too squishy and not the same ones I’d bought last time. I think I still need to learn how to make them work best for me. -_-
Nail Polishes Used:
OPI Jade Is The New Black
A England Camelot
This second look comes from the amazing Madeline Poole! My attempt is nowhere near as gorgeous as hers but I tried! ^_^
Nail Polishes I Used:
Essie Penny Talk
OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips
A England Camelot
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Well that’s all she wrote for today everyone! Tomorrow we’re back with polka dot nails! Don’t forget to check out Sam and Cris’s blogs to see their Day 10 gradient nails too.
* Some of the product(s) in this post were sent to me for unbiased review consideration.
For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.
31 Day Challenge 2012: Day 8 – Metallic Nails!!
336 months ago
Morning!
Sorry for the late start you guys! My friend Sarah, my boyfriend and I made sooooo much good food last night. We had my beef tips with rice and pan gravy, which is my boyfriends’s favorite thing that I make. ANNnnnnd acorn squash fritters (recipe coming soon!!).
*drools*
And I may have had a pretty potent adult beverage with FRICKEN’ PUMPKIN PIE FLAVORED VODKA!!! This combination of awesome-sauce made me a weeeee bit sleepy. And I may have passed out before doing my Day 8 metallic nails for the 31 Day Challenge 2012. Oopsies!
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 8 Metallic Nails – Splatter Style!
So what kind of manicure can I do that takes a short amount of time, but with awesome results? A splatter mani, that’s what!! I don’t think I’ve done one of these since the first one I did last year during the challenge, but I always love the end results. ^_^
Nail Polishes I Used:
A England Camelot
Barry M Gold Foil Effects
Barry M Silver Foil Effects
Essie Penny Talk
I topped everything off with a coat of Gelous and China Glaze Fast Forward top coat. Then I added Butter London Matte Finish top coat. I absolutely looove how this looks mattified! ^_^
Here’s a few photos of it before I added the matte top coat. I love it this way too!
There’s a reason why I rarely do splatter manicures, they are messy as @*%#!! Even though I taped around my fingers I still had a heck of a cleanup job to deal with to get all of the nail polish out of my cuticles. The things we do for glorious nails, hehe. -_-
And here’s a snapshot of my “canvas”. It looks like King Midas has an upper respiratory infection.
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That’s it for today everyone! The Guild Wars 2 Shadow of the Mad King Halloween Event started yesterday so that’s where you’ll find me today! Oh, and swatching the OPI Skyfall collection if I can drag myself away from my desktop.
Don’t forget to check out Sam and Cris’s blogs to see their Day 8 metallic nails (though I think Cris is running late like me today, haha)!
31 Day Challenge 2012: Day 7 – Black and White Nails!!
297 months ago
Good Morning Everyone!
Sam, Cris and I are back again with Day 7 of the 31 Day Challenge 2012 with our black & white nails! I honestly had no clue what I was going to do for this prompt until the last possible minute. And even then I ended up doing it over again… And then doing something over my second attempt! What can I say, insomnia apparently breeds indecisiveness.
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 7 Black & White Nails – Dry Brush Flames!!
This was the one where my perfectionist issues came into place. I swear I did this mani over about 4 times before I was semi-happy with it. And even still I think it could have been better.
I used Neverland Nail Blog’s Dry Brush Nail Art Tutorial. I think I just need to do it more and experiment with colors because I like the end result, or at least how it looked on her blog. 
Polishes I Used:
Milani White On The Spot
Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy
A England Camelot
Then I decided that it wasn’t enough, that I wasn’t completely satisfied with it. So I decided to stamp over it with the reverse sequence of colors…
31 Day Challenge 2012 Day 7 Black & White Nails – Stamped Gradient
Ahhhhh, now that’s more like it! I love the swirlies in this stamp and the reverse gradient effect with the dry brush flame background! I was worried that it would look too busy but it works out somehow. I kinda want to see what it looks like mattified now!
I ended up using Milani White On The Spot and A England Camelot with the MASH-49 stamp. ^_^
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Well that’s it for today! I’m hoping that I’ll feel a bit more prepared and inspired for Day 8 on Tuesday!
Don’t forget to check out Sam and Cris’s blogs to see their Day 7 black & white nails!
* Some of the product(s) in this post were sent to me for unbiased review consideration.
For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.
Guest Post For LTHP… Lightning Strike Nails!!
67 months ago
Allo Everyone!!
I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be taking over for the evening post on Let Them Have Polish today! Head on over to Cris’s blog so see more of this awesome manicure that I whipped out for her.
Lightning Strike Nails
Review: A England Gothic Beauties Collection Swatches!!
10
Happy Friday Everyone!
I’ve got a jam-packed weekend ahead of me folks so I might be a little MIA for the next day or so. It’s my roommate Brenda’s birthday today AND my friend Chad (not to be confused with my boyfriend who is also named Chad… I actually know 6 Chads 
) is up visiting from Texas. I haven’t seen him in over a year so I’m excited to do some gaming and nerd out with him while he’s in town. Did I mention that today is his birthday too?! Like a said, it’s gonna be a busy weekend! ^_^
I’m super excited to share the A England Gothic Beauties collection with you all today. A England nail polishes are among the brands at the top of my polish fangirl list, and Adina (the lady behind the lacquer) is such a sweetheart! The Gothic Beauties are smaller collection of 5 shimmering blackened shades that are great for the fall. Or really any time of the year if you’re a fan of black polish! Let’s check ‘em out!
Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray is a dark pewter metallic that is filled with golden shimmer. In some lighting I even get a small glint of lavender, but I wasn’t able to capture it on camera. This one was the “lightest” shade of the collection but it still has that grungy gothic feel to it. I used 2 coats here, but you could get away with 1 coat if you’re careful with application. My brush on this one was a little wonky so I think that kept me from having a 1-coat wonder with Dorian Gray.
Lady of Shalott
Lady of Shalott has a blackened base filled with sapphire blue shimmer. I looooove this one. There is a little bit of a purple duo chrome shift in the shimmer but the blue is definitely prominent here. This is 2 easy coats.
Here’s a shot of Lady of Shalott with camera flash. I can only imagine what this baby would look like in natural sunlight (something I rarely see working midnights)!
Tess D’Urbervilles
Tess D’Urbervilles has a blackened base filled with emerald shimmer. This one is by far my favorite of the bunch. The shimmer is highly visible here in most light settings and I love the deep emerald hue! I can see myself wearing this one a lot. Again, 2 easy coats. ^_^
Here’s Tess D’Urbervilles with camera flash. ^_^
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre has duo chrome red/orange shimmer in a blackened base. This is one of the harder ones to appreciate in low lighting as the shimmer is not very prominent. You can just see glimpses of the color shift in these first few photos.
Only with the help of my camera flash can you see the true beauty in Jane Eyre. This is 2 coats, no application issues.
Ophelia
I have to say that I was a little sad that the beautiful blue/violet shimmer in the bottle for Ophelia did not really translate to the nail. I mean it did, but you just can’t see it! Not unless you’re in direct sunlight or have the aid of a camera flash. It’s still a beautiful polish, I just wish the shimmer was more evident. 2 coats again.
Here’s Ophelia with camera flash. The shimmer shows up a lot more this way.
One more group shot of the A England Gothic Beauties collection. For science.
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Final Thoughts:
The A England Gothic Beauties collection is really a must-have if you’re a lover of black and vampy/gothic nail polish. If you are not a black polish fanatic, you might be disappointed with a few shades. Jane Eyre and Ophelia definitely look more packed with shimmer in the bottle than they do on your nails. Dorian Gray, Lady of Shalott and Tess D’Urbervilles are my top picks if you’re looking for the best color payoff in regards to “true to bottle” translation to your nails.
With that being said, all five nail polishes in this collection had amazing formulas! They were all 2 coaters, and other than the slightly bent brush on Dorian Gray I had no application issues. All five of them dried very quickly too!
Purchase Info:
You can take any polish from The Gothic Beauties collection home by visiting the A-England official website at www.a-england.co.uk. They retail at £9.00 per 13ml bottle of polish and free international shipping is offered.
A-England polishes can also be purchased for through their other stockists: Overall Beauty, Llarowe, and Mei Mei’s Signatures. (check each site for their individual shipping & handling stipulations). They’ll also be available soon at Ninja Polish, so check their site for updates!
You can also follow A England on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates.
* The product(s) in this post were sent to me for unbiased review consideration.
For more information, check out my Disclosure Policy.
Black And White Challenge Day 9: Water Marble!
231 year ago
Morning Everyone!
We’re almost done with our Black and White Challenge, man this month has flown by! For our Day 9 challenge we had to create a water marble manicure. This manicure is notorious for being a royal pain in the ass for most, and it’s definitely tedious no matter what. But I generally love the results I get after hours of swearing and muttering to myself.
I did both of my hands and kinda forgot a few steps in the process, thus making most of my nails a muddled marble mess (alliteration high-five!). But by the time I realized what I was doing wrong (not removing the layer of polish around my finger before I took it out of the water) I really didn’t feel like doing my nails over again. So it is what it is, and at least 3 out of 10 fingers turned out how I wanted them to!
Black And White Challenge Day 9: Water Marble!
I started out with 2 coats of Sally Hansen White On for my base. Then for the water marble I kinda alternated between using the following polishes in a mad scientist sort of way :
Wet n Wild – French White Creme and Black Creme
Sally Hansen – White On
A England – Camelot
As you can tell, my pinky and my ring finger look a bit murky since I hadn’t figured out what I was doing wrong until I got to my middle finger on my left hand. Whoops. I still like it though, it kinda reminds me of dirty marble counter tops.
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Check out the rest of the Sexy6 and their take on the Day 9 Challenge ^_^
1. White base with black (Apr. 1st 2012)
2. Black base with white (Apr. 4th 2012)
3. Black base with color (Apr. 7th 2012)
4. White base with color (Apr. 10th 2012)
5. Color base with black (Apr. 13th 2012)
6. Color base with white (Apr. 16th 2012)
7. Black & white with glitters (Apr. 19th 2012)
8. Sponging (Apr. 22nd 2012)
9. Water marble (Apr. 25th 2012)
10. Manicure of your choice with black and white (Apr. 28th 2012)
