The polish is a lightly blackened deep saturated violet with lush purple overtones bearing ultrafine metallic microshimmers in magenta and bright blue. The microshimmers give The Blessed Damozel a gleaming semi-metallic finish and create a luxurious, velvety depth to the color, which drapes itself sumptously over the nail like heavy silk satin. Although very dark, it never looks black -- even in dim light it retains its violet soul. I found it to be at its richest and most glorious under incandescent lighting, the warmth of which is most sympathetic to the glowing purple overtones. In bright, natural light it has a slightly blue lean to my eye.
Application was delicious. The consistency of The Blessed Damozel is fluid, smooth and dense, with a silky glide over the nail and excellent self-leveling properties. It's a fast-drying polish and for me went on best with a generously loaded brush and as little overstroking as possible. Pigmentation is outstanding with wearable coverage available in one generous coat, although I think two medium coats provides a richer look. It can display brushstrokes while wet but they disappear for the most part as the polish dries. Cleanup was much less hair-raising than I expected from such a profoundly-saturated shade, with a little pigment travel but no residual staining. The Blessed Damozel dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish that wants a glossy topcoat to realize the full potential of its smoldering beauty.
Photos show two coats of The Blessed Damozel over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
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| A-England The Blessed Damozel |
There's a fleeting, enigmatic sense to this dark, plush polish that is quite seductive. The radiant glow where light hits delivers a tantalizing glimpse of color that escapes you just as you find yourself wishing you could see more, and the old school, silky, "creme rinse" effect of the shimmers has an unexpectedly modern and voluptuous feel. Beautifully constructed with an exquisite balance between pigment and shimmer, it seems simultaneously decadent and pristine. Classic!
If you're wondering how this compares to A-England Avalon, The Nailista Post has a swatch palette comparison of the two here. Though they share similarities in construction, Avalon is lighter, brighter and more of a purple, while The Blessed Damozel has a violet base and is a darker polish overall.
love,
Liz
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