REVIEW of Orly Lucky Duck With SWATCHES

Hello my little cygnets,

I'm still trying out the new endearments and that one seems appropriate given the fact that today I'm reviewing Orly's Lucky Duck. I picked this up at an Ulta during my trip to California when I was still mad about green polishes. My fervor has diminished but I'm happy with the purchase as I think I've finally found a good standard green creme polish.

Color: Orly Lucky Duck is a standard green creme polish. It's the kind of green you pull out of the crayon box. Arguably, it leans a bit more blue unless you're indoors and the lighting is yellow but I would say that this green is a very nice balance between blue and yellow. It doesn't demand that you take notice, but it's not exactly quiet either. I think it provides a nice pop of color for your nails that isn't overly bright or aggressive. The color strikes me as very Kate Spade. It seems like the perfect green for a boxy, simple handbag that you would carry everyday if you mostly favor black or neutrals in your wardrobe.
Formula: The formula is on the thinner side and the consistency is a little bit watery and runny, though that doesn't affect how strong the color is.
Application: The brush seemed a bit on the thinner side but application was very smooth. It was a massive difference from all the trouble I had with Orly Gumdrop. I needed 3 coats to get the polish opaque.

CONCLUSION: If you're looking for a nice basic green for your collection, I would definitely suggest picking up Orly Lucky Duck. Application is easy and I think it'll be a good color to have, especially if you like doing nail art.

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REVIEW of Orly Rage with SWATCHES

Hello, my dears!

This polish is nothing new and I'm sure you've already heard people raving about it so I won't spend any more time blathering on. Let's just get into the review, shall we?

Color: Orly Rage is a very interesting polish because although it isn't a duochrome, it does look very different in different lighting. I would call it a copper and silver glitter polish. But sometimes it can look like a champagne gold, and other times it will be rose gold, and other times it will look more like a gritty mix of copper and silver and maybe a little pink. The finish can also look very smooth, where it's just a shiny surface, or you can see the individual pieces of glitter. This made it difficult for me to love the polish unconditionally because sometimes it would clash with my skintone and sometimes it wouldn't, and sometimes I would hate the finish and sometimes I would love it.
Formula: I was actually pleasantly surprised by the formula. You would expect a glitter/foil polish to be thicker and difficult to work with but the formula was actually a nice consistency. It feels a little thicker than you're average creme polish but that doesn't affect ease of application.
Application: Application was very smooth. You have to even out your brushstrokes a bit but there were no real issues. I think my biggest problem was that it looked opaque in 2 coats but in 3 coats, my nails still didn't really stand up to the light test. This isn't a major problem and I'm sure you won't even notice it as you go through your day but I like to judge all polishes on the same criteria and I'd have to count this as a mark against Orly Rage.

CONCLUSION: I don't love the way this polish looks on my nails all of the time but I like it enough of the time for me to recommend it. The polish applies very smoothly and while it's not perfectly opaque, you probably won't notice because it is a glitter/foil polish.

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REVIEW of Orly Gumdrop with SWATCHES

Hi chickadees!
I realize this won't be terribly exciting for some of you since this isn't a new release and it's kind of in the same color family as the China Glaze "For Audrey" polish everyone loves so much. Still, I wanted something fresh and fun for my week off (Spring Break) before I have to go back to nude nails for another week of exams. Anyway, I'm going to try and keep this short since you've probably already read the reviews and seen swatches.

Color: As I said, this color is in that turquoise/Tiffany blue family that is very close to "For Audrey". I find the color very pretty and flattering against my pale, yellow-toned Asian skin. I would caution against this color if these types of colors bring out the redness in your hands as this happens in certain (dimmer) lighting with this polish. Oddly, I find this polish both bright and fun and demure and understated. I think it might have something to do with the association with Tiffany blue. There's something ladylike about it even as it remains a bright spring color.

Application: Application was fairly smooth. Not as perfect as my most perfect Essie polishes but I didn't have major problems. The formula is a little watery but as long as you get the right amount on the brush it's easy to control. It kind of takes a little longer than I'm used to for the layers to dry and I'm impatient so try not to rush as much as I did or the brush may drag through the last layer of polish. It was pretty much opaque in 2 coats. So far I'm impressed with Orly's formula and I really like the grip on the cap of the brush.

CONCLUSION: I would feel comfortable recommending this polish if you like the color. While I think the best Essie formulas work for everyone, this polish might require a bit of skill to get a handle on. Just a warning. If I couldn't find a better dupe (since there are a lot of them) I would probably repurchase this polish.

  

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