I love nail polish - I always have and I always will. I used to spend hours playing with colors and when I was young, it didn't matter that it would chip after 10 minute because I'd already be on to the next color. Flash forward 20 years though, and for me to spend the time to do my nails, I'm looking for them to last.
With that in mind, I halted all nail polish action for a long time - I just couldn't walk away chip-free within those same damn 10 minutes. I did try to use only light colors to avoid any chips and smudges from being noticeable but then I just got bored and missed my bold, and dark rich colors.
One rainy day, wandering Sephora, I saw 'The System' by Formula X. It had been so many years since I looked into nail polish that I just decided - why not? It boasted gel like nails without any of the equipment and difficulties. I bought the kit and 2 neutral light colors (in the event the kit wasn't all it was made out to be, I could still get by with the light colors) and made my way home.
That night, I applied "Nude for You", a limited edition color by Aimee Song, an LA fashion and interior design blogger. I let 10 minutes pass, no chipping... we were off to a great start! I started to do things and get ready for bed - still nothing. I'm holding my breath here.
The next morning I woke up and I was AMAZED. Yes, there was a little bit of smudging and one chip on my index finger, but to be fair, that was my fault because since it had been a while and I was testing out a new brand of polish, I wasn't use to its consistency and had applied a little too much and likely did not let it set long enough before I went to bed. BUT, overall, it had been the best set of nails I had done in a long time!
I took day-by-day shots over 7 days to show it's decline. You'll notice that you don't start to see major change until the last 2 days, and that's ONLY because I got bored and started to actively chip away at it. It took effort, haha. To give some perspective, over the 7 days, I had packed, traveled to Vegas for 4 days, shot some guns, typed daily, and was constantly playing with poker chips.
As an additional test, I tried it with an OPI polish on my toes, as I was advised that it only works with Formula X polishes, and contrary to advise, IT WORKS! I am still wearing the same polish I had 3 weeks ago - smudge- and chip-free. I think it's safe to say, it completely works and I'm looking forward to replenishing my polish collection and having a lot of fun!
Getting down to the steps: (1) the cleanse - amazing, simple and straightforward alcohol you brush on to remove any oils; (2) prime - a base coat that is suuuper easy to apply. I use one layer and it dries very fast; (3) color! - I use 2 coats and the saturation is awesome. Also dries fast compared to most polishes; and (4) shine - I have difficulties with this right now. I find the consistency or texture, or the brush, is something I can't consistently get right so sometimes I don't apply enough and there are streaks or bubbles (mostly when I use my left hand since I have less control over it). Overall though, I'm not complaining. Dries fast.
Overall score: I LOVE IT. I've been telling anyone that will listen haha. It is super solid with high shine, and I had to put a lot of effort into creating cracks, as well as actually peeling the polish off. When I use a remover though, it comes off without any problems.
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