LAQA & Co Nail Polish Pens, Nail Polish and Fat Lip Pencil Swatches, Review

Products in this post were provided by PR/the brand

LAQA & Co Profile

LAQA & Co is a New York based cosmetic company that produces polish and lip products. Their products are easily recognizable by their colorfully printed boxes, which feature actual artwork by young artists. They have developed an interesting nail polish pen, meant to provide optimum convenience and portability. 

Where to Buy

LAQA & Co products can be purchased through their site HERE. 

LAQA & Co Squid Ink Nail Polish Swatch and Review

Product Type

This is a traditional polish.

Shade

LAQA & Co Squid Ink

On the Nail

This formula was great! The first coat was a tiny bit uneven on a few nails, but the second coat evened it out perfectly. I love, love the color! Because the bottle is so long, the wand on the brush is as well, so it took a minute to get used to it, but I found it easy to work with overall. 

Price

This retail for $11 (9 mL/.29 fl oz)

My Thoughts

I really like this color and the formula was great! I love that the boxes on LAQA & Co products are so unique--you guys know me and packaging. If you like colors like this, definitely consider giving this one a shot!

LAQA & Co Nail Polish Pen Swatches and Review

Product Type

These are click pens filled with polish meant to make applying polish convenient regardless of where you are.

Shades

LAQA & Co Blurple - deep purple, fairly glossy finish

LAQA & Co Bounty Hunter - neon pink, wax-like finish

LAQA & Co WTF - sheer latte tan with semi-glossy finish

On the Nail

I think applying these may have a learning curve and I unfortunately haven't mastered it yet. The actual pen is very similar to a lip gloss click pen, including the brush. The brush is fairly stiff, so it made applying these without streaks a bit challenging.

The pen itself is actually very comfortable to hold and because you can hold it so close to where the brush is, you have maximum control. In order to get the polish to dispense, you click the end. For those with longer nails, keep in mind only part of the end clicks down, so I did find I caught my nail a couple of times on the edge that remains stationary when I clicked the first pen. Also, I found that each polish formula was very different. According to the instructions, you shake the pen then click the end a handful of times to get the polish going the first time (not necessary after the first time I'm assuming). Then you apply 3 thin coats. They suggest using one of their polish removing pads (sold separately through LAQA & Co) if the brush gets stiff with polish.

I found that some of these pens dispensed more polish than others with a single click once you got them going, largely due to the difference in formulas I'd assume. Here's a quick breakdown by shade:

• Blurple - For some reason, too much dispensed with each click. So much in fact, that I had to allow it to drip off the brush with each click before using what was left on the brush to coat my nail. The formula was neither super thin nor thick and was somewhat self-leveling.
• Bounty Hunter - This had a slightly thicker formula--typical of what I see in a lot of neon polishes I review. I found this to be a little less self-leveling than the others. I actually had a hard time getting the polish out of this pen, often having to click multiple times before coating each nail (this was after the initial clicking in the beginning to get it started). I think with a less stiff brush this would actually be a great polish to work with, but the stiff brush and quick-dry formula made application a little difficult for me.
• WTF - This was a super thin formula and unfortunately, it was fairly streaky with the brush. This also dispensed enough with each push that I had to allow some to drip off before applying it to my nail.

Price

These retail for $14 (5 mL/.17 fl oz)

Where to Buy

These can be purchased directly through LAQA & Co's site HERE. 

My Thoughts

I think the concept behind these polish pens is fabulous and I did find the control was amazing, but unfortunately these formulas didn't seem to work well with the brush and some dispensed too much or too little. If you're at home and can easily wipe off excess polish, these may be workable, but I can't recommend these as a convenient alternative to traditional polishes based on my experience. I think it's also important to note that while these retail for $14, the actual polish volume is only 5 mL, which is just over half of the volume in LAQA & Co's polish bottles.

LAQA & Co Fat Lip Pencil in Lambchop Swatch

Product Type

This is a cross between a balm and lipstick in pencil form. It has a semi-glossy finish.

Shade

LAQA & Co Lambchop - bright pink

On the Lips

This is a semi-sheer formula that nicely coats the lips. It feels great--very light. It is fairly firm consistency-wise, so I think each pencil will last a long time before needing to be replaced. Because this is a light color, I strongly suggest having exfoliated, hydrated lips prior to applying. 

Price

This retails for $18 (4 g/.13 oz)

Where to Buy

This can be purchased directly through LAQA & Co's site HERE. 

My Thoughts

This is the type of lip product you can throw in your bag and apply no matter where you are. It's convenient and feels super light on the lips, but provides a nice pop of color. Personally, I love lip pencils and this one has just joined the ranks of the many that inhabit my handbag!

What do you think? Have you tried LAQA & Co products? Which of these are you most interested in?

Note: Products in this post were provided by PR/the brand. All opinions stated above are my own based on my personal experience and have not been influenced by PR/the brand.