A-England — Return to Manderley collection

Alice 24.12.2018 No Comments

I was over the moon when I heard the news that there was going to be a new A-England collection. I was even more excited when I learned that the inspiration this time came from one of my favourite books — Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. There are seven shades (*), all of which are so beautiful! Okay, I’m biased every time it comes to A-England and literature together but they are gorgeous shades indeed. Let’s have a look 🙂

 

Manderley

This is the country estate of Maxim De Winter, core of the novel. Set on the Cornish coast, it surrounded by a luxuriant landscape fronting the sea, sometimes idyllic, at other times pervaded by a ghostly atmosphere.

This shade is described as a lush green with a blue accent. I see it as a very dark teal, a bit muted in natural light and oh so fabulous the second light touches the polish. That holo is ah-mazing!

 

Mrs De Winter

The narrator. A timid, naive, young woman never referred to by her first name. Since  marrying Maxim she’s known as the second Mrs De Winter and lives at his estate under the overwhelming and haunting personality of Rebecca, the first wife.
This shade is described as a neutral, soft, muted grey taupe. Sometimes it looks brighter and more on the purple side because of the holo but no, noting purple in there. I thought the base would be more striking in terms of colour but then I thought about the character from the book and actually this shade is perfect for her. It sums her up perfectly.

Maxim

Wealthy, mature, secretive and unemotional owner of Manderley. Still scarred by the death of his first wife Rebecca, marries for the second time.

It is described as a very sophisticated cayenne brownish red. I was really excited about this colour and it didn’t disappoint me. It’s rich, beautiful and lives up to its fine description. Love it!

 

Rebecca

Unseen, deceased for less than a year, her memory is still haunting people and places. A stunning beauty, known for being  a perfect hostess and wife.

This shade is described as a refined, dusty magenta with inner bold intense fire of hot Schiaparelli pink. This polish looks poised and calm and it bursts into flames under any type of light. It’s a wonder to watch!

 

Mrs Danvers

The sinister housekeeper in a black frock, antagonist of the second Mrs De Winter. Completely devoted to the first Mrs De Winter, Rebecca, nurtures an unhealthy obsession for her while trying to keep her memory alive.
I really love dark polishes so there wasn’t even a chance I wouldn’t like this shade. It is described as a black dissolved in a myriad of reflections. Couldn’t be any better! Just look at it 🙂

The Scent of Azaleas

The pervasive, mystifying scent that lingers on as a constant reminder of Rebecca.

It is described as an intense blue violet. I fall for this type of shades way too easily these days so of course I like Azaleas a lot 🙂 It looks fabulous every time I look at it — with or without holo and that hint of blue that is there sometimes, oh my, I love it!

Je Reviens

The name of Rebecca’s boat that means «I will return». A compelling symbol of the power of memory with a chilling promise; the ultimate ghost.

It is a mystical, subtle pale lilac. The holo is a bit more subtle here and it goes so well with the softness of the shade.

 

I used to dislike linear holo very strongly, to tell you the truth. I avoided polishes with potentially beautiful base colours because there was linear holo added. Especially if it was very strong. I had a lovely royal blue that was ruined by that type of holo and that made me stay away from such polishes for a year or two. Then one day I felt really adventurous (for an NPA) and ordered something with linear holo again. I don’t really remember what polish it was but I have been grateful ever since because now I love a lot of linear holo polishes, I just pay attention to the base colours. Yeah, it took me a while to figure out my tastes but no regrets 🙂

Thanks to that little story I am now able to enjoy these A-England beauties. The rainbow effect is immensely beautiful and it’s really fascinating to watch. I spent way more time swatching this collection simply because I couldn’t stop marveling at the flames on my nails.

As usual there is a favourite that I am going to choose. Since there are seven shades, I can even choose two (better be seven out of seven but we’re trying to be fair here, right?). I would go for Maxim and Manderley, although I’ll be keeping all the other shades from this collection close to me because there is no way I can part with any of them 🙂

 

*provided by the brand