I got great news last Monday – a slip from the post office had arrived for me at work. There was a package for me waiting to be picked up.
Instantly, I knew what it was – my bottles of a-england.
I planned to pick it up on Tuesday, after my lunch meeting, but a storm hit and government offices closed early – yes, including the post office.
On Wednesday, I was too busy rushing a story for the front page to even think about the post office. That’s okay, I thought, I can wait one more day.
On Thursday, I had a great plan. While at a shoot, I will ask my driver to pick up the package for me. But my stupidity struck – while I gave my driver an authorization letter with my ID, I forgot to sign the back of the post office slip. They refused to give him the package.
By the time I had signed the slip and he had dropped me off at my interview, the post office was closed.
Arrgh, I thought. Getting a package shouldn’t be this hard.
I finally got the package on Friday. And I’m glad I didn’t get it earlier. Maybe the nail polish fairies and the post office gods knew that I needed to get my package on the most exhausting day of a really exhausting week.
This sweet little package just lit up an insane afternoon that made me feel like collapsing.
I swear, a-england (and the fabulous Adina Bodana) really saved the day.
The arrival of this sexy package means one thing – I now have all the lovely colors of The Mythicals in my collection. I just need a-england’s base coat and top coat and I’ll be all set.
I celebrated the end of a crazy week by spending Saturday swatching polish nonstop.
This is Guinevere.
This polish was named after the queen of King Arthur who had a passionate love affair with the knight Lancelot.
Adina describes this color as “beautiful elegant antique pale mauve.”
If the queen was anywhere near as pretty as this sweet lavender-lilac, it’s no surprise men found her irresistible.
Guinevere is just beautiful.
And the formula, as we’ve come to expect from a-england, was lovely.
Thick and opaque and self-leveling.
I used two coats.
You know I like seeing my a-englands matte. And it’s no different this time.
This is Guinevere with Essie Matte About You on top.
I love how smooth it is.
It doesn’t matter if it’s matte or glossy.
Guinevere is pretty pretty pretty.
This is King Arthur.
This polish was named after the legendary British leader whose adventures inspired magical tales and folklore.
Adina describes King Arthur as “tungsten, steel gray with subtle diamond shimmer.”
I normally don’t crazy over gunmetal shades but King Arthur is just gorgeous.
I love it.
I love how smooth and shiny the finish is.
No brushstrokes.
I used two coats.
Love.
This is King Arthur mattified.
I like King Arthur glossy but it’s pretty sexy matte too.
I love how you can see the micro-shimmer.
Super smooth.
This is Elaine.
Elaine is named after the fair maid who died of her unrequited love for Lancelot.
Adina describes this polish as “smoky violet amethyst.”
Elaine may have died of heartbreak but there is nothing tragic about this nail polish shade.
It’s gorgeous.
I have twenty million and one purple creams in my collection but I still couldn’t help but fall in love with Elaine.
And I know you can’t blame me.
And it didn’t hurt that the formula was perfect. I used two coats.
I’m in love with matte Elaine too.
And again, how can you blame me?
I love how deep and vibrant the color is.
It was super smooth and satiny.
And now, Lancelot.
Lancelot was named after the greatest of King Arthur’s knights.
Adina describes Lancelot as “intriguing mysterious black red garnet.”
The first coat of this color will show you that the base is indeed a very deep red.
But add another coat and it becomes a sexy, mysterious black.
I know some people hate almost-black colors but I don’t.
One, I love black nail polish.
And two, it’s like you and your nails have a sexy little secret.
The formula was perfect – super opaque and glossy.
Matte Lancelot is hot.
I love how smooth it is.
It looks rock ‘n’ roll.
This is Merlin, a sweet gift from Adina.
Merlin was named after the wizard who was King Arthur’s prophet and adviser.
Adina describes Merlin as “spectacular scintillating silver.”
It’s the perfect description.
Merlin is pretty silver glitter set in a clear base.
I love how packed the glitter is – even one coat isn’t sparse.
I would never wear it this way but for swatching purposes, I used four coats to try and get it opaque. It’s really meant for layering.
This is Merlin with Matte About You on top.
The matte top coat made it look more white than silver.
I don’t know why but this makes me think of Christmas.
So pretty.
And I can’t wait to see Merlin perform his magic when layered over a-england’s other colors. I can’t wait to see Morgan Le Fay’s magic too.
You’ll see more of Merlin and Morgan Le Fay in another post.
This didn’t come with the package – I purchased it from Nail Spa in Shangri-La – but I thought it was time I showed you Holy Grail too.
Holy Grail was named after the divine vessel that has been the subject of endless pursuit.
Adina describes it as “glorious gold.”
Here’s the thing. Out of all the colors from a-england’s gorgeous collection, it was only Holy Grail that I was worried about.
I wasn’t sure I’d like it. I rarely find wearable yellow polish, I don’t have a lot of gold shades I’d willingly wear – so a really yellow gold didn’t sound promising to me.
But Holy Grail surprised me.
I love how happy this color is. It’s jewelry for the nails.
Fantastic formula. I used two super smooth coats.
I like Holy Grail matte too.
It’s a pretty honey yellow color.
Bright and not boring.
Pretty pretty pretty.
I can totally rock this.
Check out my review of other a-england colors HERE and HERE.
Adina is giving away bottles of a-england until August 26. Joining is really easy – all you have to do is tag yourself in a-england’s Facebook competition. Adina has given away King Arthur, Holy Grail and Perceval. There are a lot more colors left. Go go go!
Visit a-england’s website. You can also find a-england on Facebook and follow the brand on Twitter. If you live in the Philippines, you can visit Nail Spa to try the brand. You may use a-england for free with Nail Spa’s Bliss services or for a small upgrade fee with other services. Some bottles are available for sale – they’re ₱700 each. Nail Spa has branches at Unit 106 1st Midland Building 109 Gamboa St. Legaspi Village Makati (8173128, 8300702), The Block @ SM City North Edsa (441-0323), Shangri-La Mall (687-4991, 687-7011) and Level 5 Rustan’s Makati (813-3739, 819-1610).
Lovely polishes and I they all look so nice on you matte and shiny! I only have a few left to complete my Mythicals collection too
x
Hey Rebecca! That’s so awesome! I really think everyone should have the full set of a-england’s colors
they’re all so lovely
Pam, they’re all so pretty!!! I want to shoot myself in the head for getting only 1 color! haha
Sheena!
I wish you got more colors too! I know you’d love them! Join the Facebook contest – you might win a new bottle to add to your collection!
I will!
Do you know if there are stocks available at Nail Spa?
I will find out
The last time I went to Shang, the stocks they had weren’t for sale anymore – they were for spa use. I just asked them now, waiting for a reply 
Sheena! They have stocks – but not of all colors! Call the Gamboa branch to find out which shades they have
Makati? oh my, I dont know my way around pero bahala na. I have to buy! haha. Naku Pam! contagious tlaga addiction mo to polish. Even my sister who never wears nail polish is going crazy na rin.
Sheena! When will you get here ba? I can give you instructions!
It’s near Greenbelt 1!
Unit 106 First Midland Bldg.
109 Gamboa st.
Legaspi Village,
Makati City
8173128 or 8300702
Or, if you don’t want to wait til you get to Manila, I can pick up bottles for you and ship them to you in Cebu, you can pay me na lang through bank deposit
let met know, e-mail me at pajammy at gmail dot com 
Sunday. Yay! Im going to try Nail Spa’s service din. Thanks for the offer. I’ll email you. Thank you Pam!
Haha Pam! I was just supposed to send you an email! Good thing I checked your blog first! I was gonna thank you for the awesomeness that is a-england! I probably would not have known of the brand without you!:) I was counting down the days till I got my package. Good thing it only took a week to reach the Phils!
Anyway, I got four bottles online- Perceval, Camelot, Tristam and Lady of the Lake. I love them! I understand how you kept going on about a-england’s formula! It really is amazing! If only I’m a master of applying my own polish, I feel like I can totally get away with just one coat!
Another surprise I experienced- besides its A+ formula- were the colors themselves! Honestly I wasn’t supposed to order Lady of the Lake but I said, “Hey, the reviews ought to mean something right?”. I was kinda iffy to get it because I have a dark complexion and I felt like it would just look weird on my nails. I envy you for having a fairer color, almost all colors would look nice on you! Anyway, I’m totally grateful I got it cause it’s my favorite of the bunch! Finally found a purple I can work with. Can’t wait to wear it to the party I’m going to this Friday (I currently have Chanel Fantastic on my nails and what you said was true, it truly is Fantastic!).
There I was just sharing. Most of all, I really am grateful I found your blog. Thanks Pam!
Haha! Cathy that’s great! I’m so happy I helped you discover a-england. That’s what this blog is here for – to help polish fans find brands and shades to love. I love your choices! They’re all gorgeous! And a-england’s formula really is amazing!
I’m so happy you love Fantastic too! I have more Chanel colors to show you soon.
And hey, so many shades look fab on tan skin! They just pop!
Pam, you have rendered me *almost* speechless (lol…you know enough about me by now, to know that I’m never fully silent!!)….your review of these AWESOME, INCREDIBLE, FANTASTICAL polishes was not only so complete, but girlfriend, you did them proud! While I had only mattified Camelot, I will now go and try the rest as well. Elaine mattified blew me away…love, love, love this!! As to the base & top coats, I tell you now, that once you try them, you will never want to try anything else! Like everything else Adina does, they are perfection!! Impressive post, awesome swatches, captivating text!! Hugs!!
Hahahah! Don’t worry, I am never fully silent either, haha! <3 a-england is perfection! and i feel like jumping up and down every time I remember that a new collection is coming out in a few months.. I cannot wait!!! Thank you so much!!! And yes, I will try the top coat and base coat soon!!
Goodness gracious! BRAVO! Complete set…..love them on you!
I am craaaaaaaaaazy. But you already know that! Haha! Thanks so much Kitty! They’re so pretty!
And here I am kicking myself for not ordering while a-england had their free shipping promo. (I was saving up for the RBL pre-fall collection.) At least there’s Nail Spa.
I really wish you had ordered too! They’re really lovely! But I totally understand – RBL holds a major place in my heart. Love love love it. And it is my dream to complete the colors of RBL too.
And yes, there’s always Nail Spa.
Hi Pam, I’ve been a follower of your blog for months. I’ve recently decided to start my own nail blog, but I really have no idea how to take pictures of my mani in a way that the colors would be accurate. Can you give me tips on how you photograph your nails? I’d appreciate it. Thank you!
Hi Nicia! A lot of bloggers prefer to shoot their swatches in natural light – if you can swatch while the sun is up, that would be great. Shooting in daylight is much easier.
I usually swatch at night though – so I use a ringlight. Others use light boxes, lamps, etc. You have to figure out a setup that works for you
Here’s a link that might help too:
http://www.lacquerized.com/2010/07/how-to-photograph-your-nails.html
Hi Pam,
Off topic. Been reading your blog (the old one, I forget what it’s called and don’t know if it’s still around…) for a number of years now but have never left you a message until now. Read Garance Dore’s latest post and thought I’d share it with you in case you don’t follow her. Check out the clever biz card and “Miss Hipp”. http://www.garancedore.fr/en/
Also thought about you when I recently had my pedicure done at Jin Soon (it’s the other Korean nail salon in NYC that has made a name for itself) and I chose Particuliere because I read about it here. Just curious- do you do your own nails? Because if you do, I’m impressed!
Hi Aggie! You mean Nocturnal Angel? That blog is dead now
I still maintain a personal blog Snap Crackle Pop but haven’t been updating as often as I did before…
Thanks for sending me the link, you’ve just given me a new blog to read
I love the post about Jenna Hipp. How was your pedicure at Jin Soon? I love the colors she created for MAC – I just checked now, I actually have all of them!
Did you love Particuliere?
I hope you did!
And yes, I paint my own nails! I still go to nail salons for pedicures and manicures but I’ve learned to paint my own nails for swatching.. It’s easier than you think! I never thought I could do it but practice really made a huge difference!
Yes, Nocturnal Angel! I forgot how I stumbled on it. Congrats by the way on the success of Paper Cuts!
It’s such a treat to go to Jin Soon. Their salon in the upper east side accommodates only 4 clients for pedicures. Instead of the ubiquitous massage chairs and “whirlpool” foot baths, they have elevated benches with cushions/pillows upholstered in chinoiserie fabric and round clay foot baths. The nail technician brings out the instruments from a black velvet bag for each client and I assume that means they’re freshly washed/sterilized. I think I’ve been there only thrice in the past year and I only ask for the “basic” pedicure because it can get pricey (about $40 with tip; in other places you can get a mani+pedi for $25) but obviously you get what you pay for. All the designer polishes are at the back of the salon and I never know which one to get (it’s usually a toss up between Chanel and D&G) but because I saw Particuliere here, that’s what I chose. By the way, supposedly Jin Soon is known for the “Jin Soon” nail shape, i.e. squarish round (or is it roundish square?) and her technique of doing nails from left little toe to right little toe (or vice versa) but never from big toe to little toe of each foot. I really don’t know what difference that makes. Oh & they offer you this wonderful warm citrus tea.
Can I tell you something weird – I don’t like the feeling of nail polish on my finger nails because they feel “warm/hot/suffocated” that’s why I never get manicures.
Garance Dore is the girlfriend of Scott Schumann aka The Sartorialist. Powerhouse style blogger couple!
Hey Aggie! Thanks so much! And thanks so much for telling me about your Jin Soon experience!
It sounds wonderful! They also call Jin Soon’s shape squoval 
I think it’s super interesting that they don’t go from big toe to little toe like most salons do.
I should try D&G’s polish, I’ve never tried it before.
I’ve had a number of women tell me that – some even say it feels heavy… But a lot of these women end up loving getting manicures! You might too!
Garance is interesting, I will bookmark her blog!
Interesting colors! I like the Holy Grail..:)
Holy Grail is pretty pretty pretty! <3
Prettiness!!! Holy grail is soooooo fab sister!
It really is!!! Can’t wait to see you wear Holy Grail, Smile! It rocks!
King arthur is pretty specially when you mattified it…..But anyways so far all the a england you showed are all pretty…..
I’ve tried every polish a-england has released so far – and I can honestly say Adina is incapable of creating a bad color. They’re all gorgeous! And yes, I love King Arthur!
Wow you’re finished acquiring the whole collection while I am just waiting on my very first A-England lol. I don’t think I have read one bad review about this brand, and I have read many.