I’ve had my eye on ‘The System’ from Formula X
for longer than I can remember. It’s been featured on lots of blogs and in
loads of videos, so I was desperate to give it a go. The main issue was that
it’s hard to ship nail polish in the US, as it’s considered Hazmat, so I had to
wait to I could pop into an actual store. Whilst in the Times Square store in
New York, I caved and added it to my basket. You’ll be pleased to hear that I
have no regrets!
The System
is a four-piece manicure kit, which is designed to give you everything you need
for an at-home manicure. In the box you get three nail bottles and then you get
to choose any colour you like to complete the set. I spent way too long
debating what colour I wanted, but in the end I settled on ‘Outrageous’, which
is a gorgeous lilac shade – more on that another time.
The first bottle in the
kit is the ‘CLEANSE’ nail cleaner, which is essentially a nail polish remover.
It’s infused with witch hazel, vitamin E and cucumber extract. It’s designed to
remove any residue from your nail. It’s pretty easy to use, you just brush it
on and wait for it to dry, which is basically instantaneous. It leaves your
nails squeaky clean, my only issue is that my nails looked really dry and
brittle after using it. So I’m not sure if I’m going to follow this step every
time!
Next you have PRIME, which
is the base coat! Formula X say that it’s a multi-tasking base coat, as it’s
preventing staining, protecting the nail and then adding as an adhesive layer.
Again, the base coat meets all of its claims! At the weekend I tested this with
a bright blue polish and it left no staining or colour on the nail. It also
dries really quickly, which allows you to speed through your manicure, which is
a must for me!
Last but not least, we
have SHINE, which is the top coat. I will say now that it takes a lot for a top
coat to impress me. Most I’ve tried really full short of what I think a top
coat should do, but this is fabulous! It applies like a dream and it dries so
quickly, it also leaves a high-shine glossy finish, which is beautiful. Once it’s
dried the colour doesn’t smudge and I don’t get any push back on my nails
either.
All in all this is an
impressive little kit! It retails for $32, which includes the free nail colour
(which is worth $12 alone). With the exchange rate and all, it’s very
reasonable and not too pricey at all. I highly recommend picking a set up if
you have the chance!
