Saturday, August 23, 2014

A-England Perceval

Perceval was released by British indie polish maker A-England as part of the Mythicals collection in 2011. This is a stunning medium-dark cool-toned rich ruby red polish with finely milled tone-on-tone shimmers that give a molten semi-metallic aspect to its finish. It has that distinctive lit from within quality, with the center of the nail a fiery glowing red deepening to an almost blackened appearance along the edges. Many polish enthusiasts declare that Perceval numbers among their favorite reds, and it is a truly sumptuous example of the glamour and mysterious, powerful femininity that characterizes red nail polish.

Today was a very shaky hands day so I did make kind of a mess getting this manicure on. That said, Perceval applies like liquid velvet. It has the fluid, creamy, dense, eminently paintable consistency that distinguishes so many of Adina's lacquers. Perfectly balanced between fluidity and viscosity, this polish glides over the nail and self-levels like a dream. Pigmentation is outstanding with completely opaque even coverage attainable in one coat. But two coats brings an added richness and depth to the color, and that's what I recommend. Cleanup, as you can imagine with a polish as well-pigmented as this, needs to be thorough lest you leave trace stains of red on the skin and cuticles. But with a steady hand very little cleanup will be required. Perceval dries in very good time to a smooth glossy finish that looks almost like it has topcoat built into it. Exquisite!

Photos show two coats of Perceval over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval


A-England Perceval

Words can only do so much justice to this siren polish. I love reds and have plenty of red creams, shimmers, holos and glitters, but none of them holds a candle to this glowing ruby masterpiece. The burnished opulence of the semi-metallic finish puts it in a class of its own. Add to its beauty the superb formula and you've got a rare jewel indeed. 

love,
Liz

2 comments:

  1. Wow, this is absolutely stunning. It makes me want to pull out my "holiday" polishes - berries, rich, metallic reds, smoky jewel tones...

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    1. Do it, do it! ;) I agree, this is a stunning red. The photos turned out well, but if you can believe it, it's even more beautiful in person. Such a mood lifter! I can't recommend it enough.

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