**Press sample**
Today I have a collection from a brand that is completely new to me. Annette of Rainbow Connection very kindly sent me 7 of the 8 polishes from the new Daedric Prince Collection by Bee’s Knees Lacquer. BKL is a new brand at Rainbow Connection so I had only just started seeing swatches of pretty polishes but I was adamant that I couldn’t afford to start buying from another brand. Well, after swatching this new collection I’m going to have to change my mind! I really loved these polishes and already have my eye on a few more! 😀
This collection is based on the Daedric Princes from The Elder Scrolls games. There are 17 Daedric Princes and Sarah (BKL maker) has chosen her favourite 8 and made them very fitting polishes.
Daedric Princes are powerful beings who try (and succeed) to either help or hinder the races of mortals. Although genderless, they are often portrayed in either male or female form and worshipped by their devout followers, with shrines and statues to the Daedra littering the mortal lands.
I LOVE The Elder Scrolls games so this was a massive nerd-out session for me. My first experience of The Elder Scrolls was watching my husband playing Skyrim. It was very quickly stolen from him and I began a six month adventure of magic, smithing and dragons ❤
Anyway, I realise you may know nothing of the games and *actually* came here for the polish so I’ll stop waffling and get on with it!
The first in the collection is called “Peryite” (PARRY-ite) and is named for the Lord of Pestilence. It is an acid green jelly base with gold to green to pink shimmer. This was the first one I swatched as when I unwrapped it I was instantly wowed. I love a good green and this is eye-searingly bright and the shimmer is just stunning. 
This shows three thin coats and top coat. I could have added another coat to hide the nail line but it didn’t bother me so I stuck with three.
Isn’t it beautiful with matte top coat? It really makes that shimmer glow.
Next up is “Vaermina”, the Daedric Prince of dreams and nightmares. She is known for stealing the memories of mortals as well as subjecting them to psychological terror and bringing evil omens. Vaermina is a pale lilac crelly with gold to green flakes. When I photographed this it brought out a pinky-lilac tone but a truer colour can be seen in the macros.
Shown is two coats and top coat. This is a beautiful polish and the flakes stand out so well against the pale lilac.
The matte top coat looks fab with the flakes!
The next polish is “Sanguine” (SAN-gween). Sanguine is the Lord of Debauchery and is often tempting mortals to do low and sinful things. He like to play practical jokes too, like casting spells that removes the clothing of everyone in the spell-area!
This gorgeous blood-orange crelly has linear holo and pink to gold to green flakies. I love this polish as it’s unlike anything else that I have in my collection.
I used two coats and top coat and it just covers so beautifully.
This shows the flakes with a matte top coat. It’s such a beautiful colour!
Next up is “Boethiah” (bow-EETH-ee-ah), named for the Daedric Prince of deceit and treachery. Going by many names such as The Lord of Plots, The Queen of Shadows and He-Who-Destroys, Boethiah enjoys tormenting mortals and his followers stage large tournaments to the death to win his favour.
Boethiah is a deep cherry crelly packed full of flakies in just about every single colour imaginable. This stained my cuticles, but with such a pigmented polish that is to be expected. Clean up carefully!
The flakies in this are amazing! I used three coats but that was only to get as many flakies as possible! You could quite easily cover in two coats.
Boethiah looks just as amazing matte. You can really see all of those rainbow flakies. It’s such a stunner!
“Malacath” is named after one of the most evil Daedric Princes. Technically not a Daedra (he was created by Boethiah) he is revered by the Orsimer as their patron. He revels in the fighting between mortals and bases his teachings on conflict.
Malacath is an olive-grey creme containing gold to green shimmer and orange flecks.
I used two coats and top coat for this polish, look how the gold really shines through in these pics.
A matte top coat lets you see all of the colours in the shimmer and flecks. This is a good match for orc skin, minus the shimmer of course!
The next polish that I was sent is called “Hermaeus Mora”. Named after the Daedric Prince of fate, knowledge and memory, he is responsible for the Black Books of Knowledge.
Hermaeus Mora is a deep inky turquoise with linear holo and opalescent shimmer. I absolutely adore this colour! I love turqouise and teal so this is right up my street!
Again, I used two coats and top coat. The turquoise is so vivid and the shimmer just makes it light up!
I adore this with a matte top coat as it makes the shimmer shine and changes the colour. It looks like it’s glowing!
The last polish I received is “Azura”, named for the Daedric Prince of dusk and dawn, also known as the Mother Soul and Queen of the Night Sky. She is known as one of the “good” Daedra, and is associated with mystery and magic.
Azura is an inky blue crelly base with pink to green shimmer and glowing iridescent flakies. This makes the polish look a little purple or green at times.
This photo shows two coats and top coat. I love the way the base makes the flakies glow blue in these pics.
Matte top coat gives it such a gorgeous glow!
Ok then, my thoughts:
I absolutely love this collection and each and every polish in it. I’m so impressed with my first try of Bee’s Knees, the formulas are perfect, each is unique to the others and they just look stunning.
I would normally do a spot of nail art with my swatches but I don’t have any themed stamping plates that would fit with an Elder Scrolls collection and I honestly could not bring myself to deface such gorgeous polishes with random flowers and stripes. Plus, in my opinion, they don’t need anything adding. They are such gorgeous polishes all on their own; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
**I will be updating this post with the remaining polish from the collection, Nocturnal, when that arrives, so please check back for the completed set!**
The Daedric Prince Collection will release tonight at 8pm (UK) at Rainbow Connection and Bee’s Knees Lacquer at Noon (EST).
I LOVED this collection! Which are your favourites? And more importantly, how much do you love Elder Scrolls?!?! Ha! Let me know in the comments below 😀
Thanks for reading! ‘Til next time… x
***The polishes in this post were sent to me for the purposes of swatching. All thoughts on those polishes are my own.
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