Once in a while, I will temporarily get sucked into a historical TV series, almost always due to a good-looking, charismatic lead actor. One such series was Showtime's The Tudors, starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. While not historically correct (Henry the VIII was not a looker IRL), I would get drawn to the dramatic storylines. Similarly, Ji Baek of Rescue Beauty Lounge was taken in by a historical novel set in Henry the VIII's England, especially by the descriptions of the attire.
“I fell in love with the Tudor dynasty in the novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel,” says Baek. “The more I learned of the queens’ wardrobes—the layers of embroidery, embellishments of pearls and fur and rich jewel toned fabrics—the more I saw a parallel with what’s going on in fashion this fall. Givenchy’s intricate brocades, Lanvin’s feather-festooned metallics, and the strong, powerful neutrals at Celine all served as starting points for Rescue Beauty Lounge’s Autumn/Winter color collection. Each color has micro particles of pink, blue, green, gold, and silver to add iridescence similar the tiny colored threaded that give brocade fabrics their depth of color.”
The polishes are named after 4 of Henry VIII's 6 wives, Anne (Boleyn), Catherine (of Aragon), Catherine H(oward), and Jane (Seymour).
Anne (two coats): dark olive green with gold shimmer and pink/gold glass flecks
Catherine (two coats): deep purple with pewter shimmer and blue/pink glass flecks
Catherine H (two coats): Wedgewood blue with gold shimmer and blue/pink glass flecks
Jane (two coats): grayish nude with gold shimmer and pink/green/gold glass flecks
All of the polishes applied smoothly and were opaque in two coats. I adore the richness of color in Anne, Catherine and Catherine H. Jane is the outlier of the set, with its neutral subtlety. The glass flecks give the polishes a sparkly dimension, similar to the brocade fabric that inspired Ji Baek. I adore the whole collection due to the dedication and cohesiveness of the theme, but my personal favorites are Catherine H and surprisingly, Jane.