A-England Gloriana

Gloriana was released by indie polish maker A-England as part of the new Elizabeth and Mary collection a little over a month ago. This collection was inspired by the British monarchs, Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. New collections from Adina, the owner and creative force behind A-England, are always met with intense anticipation and curiosity by her fans and collectors, and this one is especially exciting for the range of hues and finishes it includes. The day I found out about it I went to Llarowe and recklessly ordered all of the polishes but one, which was already out of stock.

Although I've seen it described elsewhere as red, to me Gloriana is pure flame, a medium red-orange foil bearing abundant small shardy metallic flake shimmers in gold and even smaller particulate shimmers in red. It is a perfect tribute to the Tudor red-gold of Elizabeth's hair. On the nail, it takes on a particularly beautiful rosy quality in certain lights as fleeting sunset shades of pink mingle with the auburn color of the base. In the sun, the foily flakes emit a shower of scintillating sparks while in the shade they speckle the red-orange with a golden mosaic of flaky goodness. This is one stunning orange polish.

Application was delightful, as it almost always is with an A-England polish. The consistency of Gloriana is a bit more full-bodied than usual for this brand, but still fluid and silky smooth with an excellent balance of fluidity and viscosity for painting. Easily manipulated with A-England's round flexible brush, it has a velvety, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is outstanding; with a generous hand and the proper mojo, this could be a one coater. I used two coats for this manicure. This is the sort of polish that releases its foily flakes hither and yon at the touch of acetone, so cleanup is mostly a matter of chasing them down. Gloriana dries naturally in very good time to a finish with some visual texture to it from the flake shimmers but is smooth to the touch. Topcoat adds gloss and pops the color of the polish and its components.

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

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

A-England Gloriana

Are you loving the rich colors and beautiful foily finish of this polish as much as I am? It's marvelous! 

Gloriana was the name given by the 16th century poet Edmund Spenser to the character representing Elizabeth I in his epic poem, The Faerie Queen. It became a designation of Elizabeth during her reign and afterward, symbolizing a golden era in British culture. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, she was hailed by her troops at Tilbury with cries of "Gloriana, Gloriana, Gloriana!"

Elizabeth as Gloriana: portrait of Elizabeth I to commemorate the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth's hand rests on a globe, symbolizing her international power. Note the rich red and gold tapestries!

One thing I love about Adina's polishes is the creative inspiration drawn from the culture and history of Great Britain. In a polish like Gloriana, you can see how carefully each detail is informed by a deep knowledge of and love for her subject matter. From the colors to the components to the finish to the name, each contributes literally to a well-envisioned metaphorical construct. It's awesome to contemplate and fills me with admiration for this amazing artisanal polish maker. 

love,
Liz