I was very excited to try the Formula X nail polish set. Getting a gel manicure once every 4 to 6 weeks to pamper myself adds up quickly. I spend $35-$40 plus tip each trip so $50 x 12 is....holy cow...I never did the math before and writing this review has given me a huge wake up call! I spend about $600 a year JUST ON MY FREAKIN' NAILS!!! I used to think products or sets that costs up to $100 was just too expensive and always passed them up, but now that I realize how much I spend a year for someone else to do my nails, I will think twice about my purchases from now on. Plus, doing them at home will not only be cheaper, but I won't have to inhale all the fumes from the salon, I won't have anyone but myself to blame when I get nicked and hurt, and I won't feel uncomfortable when people rudely speak in another language right in front of me. (I am not being mean, I just know we all think of this, LOL). Only downfall is that I can't just kick back and relax while feeling like a princess. I will have to do the work myself.
I want to say upfront that I have only painted my nails once with this set. So this is more a first impression than a full review. I'm sure through trial and error I will be able to use the product to it's full potential. Like any product you use, you become more experienced the more you use it. I am also not a pro at doing my nails, so this review is geared more toward beginners like myself. I think reviews would be more beneficial for people like me. It says that the polish will last up to 10 days. I saw the tips of my nails start to chip by the third day. It slowly started to chip more and more and the picture is after day 10. But I worked all week. I did housework, and I also did manual labor all week ( ripping apart and putting 100 or so chairs together, which is probably more than most women would do in a week, so keep that in mind)
On to the products.
First the cleanser.
I've never heard, nor seen a nail cleanser before so I was excited to try it for the first time. I was shocked to see that it lived up to the name. I could literally see my nails become matte, clean and free of oil. The only thing I didn't like was that the brush started to clump into pieces. At first it divided into two parts, and as the more I used it it divided more and more until it was into at least 6 different parts. I tried pressing it onto a towel, shaking it in the bottle, and pressing differently on my nail to no avail. I will keep working with it and see if I can find a solution.
The primer, I believe, is like a normal base coat. It helps keep the polish adhere to your nails and help it stay on longer. I like that it is infused with keratin. It says that it helps prevent staining and I absolutely believe that. I say that because I am a cigarette smoker, and whenever my nails are done, by the end of the week my index and middle finger is typically stained yellow (YUCK!!) from the smoke. I examined my nails and you really can't tell that it is stained. If I look VERY closely I can tell it is a TAD more yellow, but not much. That speaks volumes of this primer because any and all polish stains on those fingers, even polish from the salon. I am in awe of this and has sold me on this set.
When I got to the polish named "TGIF" which is a beautiful coral pink color. I didn't think it would look good on my light/pale skin, but I was pleasantly surprised that it looked wonderful on me.
I at first used a thin layer as my first coat to test it out. It was streaky and because of the formula it is not ideal to go over the same spot, because your nails will just become a mess. Just wait for the second coat to fix bald spots. For my second coat I added a more thicker coat. My biggest suggestion, and even the booklet says to do this, is to use ONLY the three stroke method. Start with the middle, then each side, then finish with the tip of you nail. (The name should really be the 4 stroke method, shouldn't it?) My nails looked amazingly thick, smooth, even and plump. It really looked like I just left the salon! I was so surprised and happy!
Finally I used the top coat. It made my polish a bit more glossy but not by much, and finished the look.
Besides the cleanser, I really like the design of all the other brushes.
I was surprised after all those layers that my nails dried faster than any polish products that I've ever used. I even left the house 15 min later and drove to get food and had no accidents or indents. That was also one of my favorite things about this set.
My normal routine is that I use a base coat, then I use alternating coats of Gelous Nail Gel Base Coat and whatever polish I want to use. I usually add 4 very thin coats of each product to build and make it look thick like a salon gel polish (8 total coats), and then a top coat. So I spend a really long time on my nails. Using my method really works and was the best thing in comparison to a salon manicure until I tried the Formula X set. This compares to my normal routine (yes, my routine takes a really long time and is a pain to do) but it works just as well as Formula X and I only need to do 4 steps instead of 10. I think most women will think 4 steps is going to be a pain, but like I said, this takes less time for me.
I recommended Formula X The System XCEL™ -Customizable Gel-Like Nail Polish Set for beginners and pros alike. My nails looked like I just came out of the salon when in actuality I did them myself while watching Netflix. Many MANY products promise this but yet I haven't found any other products that actually work the way they promise besides this new manicure set. The best thing I like about it is that all the coats are fast drying and I can go about my day in about 15 minutes MAX. They have tons of beautiful colors, it's only 4 steps,, it's for beginners and pros alike, and it's actually easier than my normal routine. If you do the 3 (really 4) stroke method correctly, your nails will look amazing.
The Delete All polish remover is like some sort of witchcraft. The tub has 5 holes so you can clean your whole hand at once. I put in all five fingers and moved them around for no more than five seconds and when I pulled them out, they were 98% clean. It was amazing. I am sold on this product and this is absolutely my new favorite polish cleaner.
I received the Formula X products complimentary from Influenster, but all opinions are my own. and in no way influenced my review.
