ALU’s 365 of Untrieds – LCN Blue Laguna Nail Polish
365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.
Untried Day #117: I’m already declaring magnetic nail polish to be the new crackle and with LCN being the first out of the gate in the US, I’m sure it will put them on the map with consumers in the States. I met with the owners of LCN USA at Cosmoprof and I had no clue that the brand has been in the US for 20 years. What’s funny about that is I placed an order with a German e-tailer years ago and picked up a LCN polish not knowing it was available here. I didn’t even swatch or blog about it at the time because I know how hard it can be to get nail polishes from overseas outside of swapping. So now that I know that this color is accessible to both my US and European Fanatics, I figured it was time to crack it open. That brings us to today’s untried, LCN Blue Laguna. |
Formula & Application: I’m still not clear about the ingredients in LCN nail polish but I will investigate further. The polishes come in both a 8ml size and 16ml size. I have the smaller of the two. The square bottles have a smooth cap with rounded edges and a long, full-size brush.
The brush is thin and round with bristles that have an average firmness but enough give to allow the brush to flatten and fan across the nail. The brush is top notch and allows you to complete a perfectly smooth stroke along the cuticle line.
The formula is nice and thin but well pigmented. I only needed two coats to get the polish opaque. I must be on some kind of kick at the moment because the finish and formula both remind me a LOT of Nubar Indigo Ocean. The only difference is that the metallic/pearl shimmer is a bit stronger in this one so you can end up with some brush lines if you aren’t careful.
LCN Blue Laguna is a deep aquamarine shade that borders on teal. Another similarity between it and Nubar Indigo Ocean is that the depth and intensity of the color just doesn’t translate. That’s true for almost every nail polish but this color has a fire behind it that the camera just can’t capture.
In looking for comparisons I pulled a few shades hoping to find a match. The glorious MAC Whirlwind is way too dark and duo-chromatic to play in this pool but China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic and Icing Deep Pool can definitely hang.
Ignoring the difference in finish between Rodeo Fanatic and Blue Laguna, which I keep wanting to call Blue Iguana btw, the base colors are actually very similar however RF dries quite a bit darker. Deep Sea on the other hand has the same finish but it has a lighter, greener hue to it.
Bottom Line: I’m not like over the moon for Blue Laguna but it has a solid formula and a great depth of color. It will definitely cause me to try more LCN polishes in the future. In all reality, even though they are different, any polish looks flat next to Rodeo Fanatic. It’s almost unfair to Blue Laguna that I even compared the two because it’s clouding my judgement.
365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: Since I don’t have a dead-on dupe for it, I’m STASHing it.
LCN Blue Laguna is available online to consumers at LCNBoutique.com and licensed professionals at LCNUSA.com. LCN nail polish retails for$7.50/ea for a 8ml bottle or $9.90/ea for a 16ml bottle.
Thoughts on Blue Laguna? Have you tried LCN’s nail polish before? Any favorite shades from the line? Do you plan to pick up either the magnetic or regular nail polishes from the brand?
Disclosure: I purchased this nail polish. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I’m only sad that all the magnetic polishes are so expensive! Well, sometimes the polish prices are okay, but they charge an arm and a leg for the actual magnets! I really do hope magnetic polishes are the new crackle!
OHMYGODSOBEAUTIFUL
I just bought RF from a blog sale, and I’m so glad I did! I’ve been lemming it for two years. Blue Laguna doesn’t wow me the way RF does, so I think I’ll just stick with RF.
I would really like to try this polish brand…I’m always looking for something new! I got on their website and I really couldn’t find out whether these polishes are big 3 free. I think I will wait to find out.
Love these photos and comparisons, thanks!
I’m waiting on MSDS sheets from the brand and as soon as I know what’s in the formula, I will update the post.
That is very cool of you- I had the same question! Thank you for sleuthing!
Of all the shades you posted, Rodeo Fanatic is my fave! You’re right… it really does have such depth/richness that it makes other similarly-hued polishes look flat.
I think I will have more fun with magnetic than crackle. I don’t even have one crackle polish. I’ve been rocking the glitter.
You always have the most amazing posts on new polishes, and awesome swatches!
I’ve awarded you with the Sunshine Award because I love when I see that you have a new post up!
Check out my blog and pass along the award to blogs that you love, if you wish =)
xx
Bethany
That’s so sweet, thank you!
This looks a LOT like Nubar Earth (with a glossy topcoat, since Earth dries…semi-matte? kinda?), though this is a little lighter and a little more blue. Great, *another* teal polish I need.
I am in NO way judging but I’m just curious, how many polishes have you gotten rid of? I tend to acquire a lot of dark gray / black polishes and when I decide it’s time to go through them I find it hard to get rid of those I’ve only worn once or twice.
Not nearly enough. The point was to weed out dupes or colors I hate and I think I keep purposely putting off going through the colors I know I won’t like because I don’t want to wear them. Which is the exact opposite of my purpose, ha!
That’s the second time I’ve seen Rodeo Fanatic today and the other blogger only had praise for it as well. I added it to my wish list
The LCN color is really great, too, but I’d prefer the China Glaze color even though it looks darker.
Hi,
I really like those close-up pictures. The variation of colour is clearly visible between the different products.
Btw, LCN is not only available in the US.
Best regards, Mary Jane K
Oh I wasn’t suggesting that it is only available in the US. It’s a German based brand. What I meant was, that I thought it wasn’t sold or carried here so I was surprised that the brand had a US arm for over 20 years.
Hi, was not meant like that.
I met with Tina of LCN USA at the HQ in Germany during Easter time. We had a great time and exchange.
“Not only in the US” refers to my website…
Best regards, Mary Jane K
So did you use the magnet on this manicure? I am just not sure what exactly magnetic nail polish is. Can you use any magnet? Sorry to be so lame, just want to be current on the trend!
btw love your site sooo much! You do a great job!
xoxo, ashley
Hi Ashley! You’re not lame at all. This is not magnetic nail polish so I didn’t use a magnet on it. LCN makes magnetic and traditional nail polishes and this is one of their traditional colors. To see what the magnet polishes look like and how they work, read this: http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2011/07/alus-365-untrieds-lcn-magnetic-nail-polish.html
Thank you so much! very helpful, didn’t see that link before!
These types of colors remind me of mermaids and the sea. What’s not to love about that?
Love these colors! I guess I have to agree with most of the other comments, I like the Rodeo Fanatic the best. Thanks for the post!
Love your blog, leaving a comment to say that I am also someone who is interested in knowing if LCN is a B3F brand. Looking forward to your update on that, thanks! =D