Product Testing

Worth it? Formula X :: Update

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My first impression of the Formula X System was not fantastic. Despite this, I resolved to give it another shot, and did. Last Saturday (January 3), I slapped the Formula X System and the color Obsessed on the nails of my left hand. A friend of mine had tried whichever red Formula X shade was included with the Sephora VIB Rouge gift this year and had warned me that it stained her nails a bit, so I didn’t want to commit both hands.

I used the whole Formula X system – cleanse, prime, two coats of color, topcoat and took my time. Like before, the polish dried swiftly, which would be nice if the formula is cooperative. Normally, with gel or regular nail polish, I can speed through it pretty decently – but the consistency of the color polish, even after gently rolling it in my hands five minutes prior to use (and then letting it “settle”), was still thick and awkward.

After only three days, this is what my nails look like. Obsessed shows up lighter than it is in flash, but look – sure, there’s a sheen but they aren’t mind-blowingly shiny like they would have you think. The color is uneven; with the flash you can see my “smile” lines and the streaks very evenly:

DSC_0110

There is already noticeable tip wear despite capping the free edge. The corners of my thumb and ringfingers are noticeably chipped. I don’t use my nails as tools, I wear gloves when washing dishes, and this is my left hand – not my right, which I am far harder on considering it is my dominant hand.

Here’s a close up of my thumb. Ooh, that chip, tip wear, and smile line. Real nice for polish this damn expensive. Granted, you can’t see the smile line in regular lighting… but still, I’m really not impressed.

DSC_0111Formula X Obsessed – Chipped in only 3 Days

Disappointed, I removed it the following day – if it is already looking that rough after three days, it isn’t going to get much better. Fortunately, the Formula X polish removed easily with acetone. I didn’t have major staining but my nails did have a pink cast to them, which I don’t dig. I believe my friend only had the polish, not the whole system, though – I’m not sure what she used for a base coat and such. The Formula X system Shine Top Coat was very underwhelming; basically, Seche Vite would kick its arse in a cage fight. Or chess. Or…you know, being shiny and durable and awesome.

My initial opinion isn’t far off. For how much the Formula X polishes and their, “system,” costs, I expected far better. Perhaps it would behave better for someone who has more time (and more patience) to sit there and labor over ever single nail, but I don’t have that kind of time, nor do I want to spend that long painting my nails with regular polish…only to have them chip in 2-3 days.

The colors in the Formula X collection are amazing-looking (their holos collection looks awesome!) but given my experience? I’m definitely glad I got this free or else it would be returned. Unfortunately, the Formula X System is not worth it.

Formula X Polish First Impression

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Sorry for the delay in today’s content – I didn’t have my photos uploaded (I thought I did), so it had to wait until I could access that SD card.

Last week I shared that I received a Formula X Polish System due to winning a giveaway. I broke it out on Saturday before our Christmas party to get festive.

After shaping and gently etching the surface of your nails with a fine-grit buffer, reach for you break out the left-most bottle in the Formula X Polish System kit. This bottle contains a thin, light blue liquid – this is the Cleanse step. It is basically just a nail dehydrator similar to those used on you at the nail salon before enhancements or with in-home DIY gel nails. I twisted the cap open and heard/felt a, “snap!” only to find the squared off caps on the Formula X Polish bottles are vanity caps. You have to pull it off before you can unscrew the simpler, cylindrical cap beneath. The snap was a piece of the interior to the vanity cap snapping off. Boo.

After that, continue to the clear pink – this is your base coat; the, “Prime,” step. The Formula X Polish Prime is pretty normal base-coat as thickness goes. Here, though, the brush started to annoy me. I expected cheap bristles in the brush-on cleanser, but these bristles remind me of the thick-stranded, cheap ones that resided in Wet n Wild nailpolishes of the early-to-mid 90’s. With a base coat, it wasn’t too much of a deal, but getting my nails fully covered wasn’t as easy (and as you can see, I don’t have large nails).

Formula X Polish - CleanseFormula X Polish System

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Worth it? Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

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I ran out of my beloved Psssst! Dry Shampoo. No matter, my local Walgreens carries it! Or, they did, at least. I spent at least five minutes scouring my location’s tiny hair aisle for it. Not wanting to leave empty-handed and not wanting to make a special trip elsewhere, I picked up this can: Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo.

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry ShampooPantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo is one of three of Pantene’s dry shampoo offerings. They also have one called, “Original Fresh,” in a similar can with a green band and one called, “Root Reboot,” packaged the same but with a purple band. Along with the stand-to-Pantene vitamin boasting, Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo contains tapioca as an ingredient. Why? I really couldn’t begin to tell you.

Because I do not live in a fictitious world in which people actually do get regular biweekly salon blowouts, I’m testing this against the conditions my hair normally faces. Typically, I wash my hair every other day (e.g., Mon, Wed, Fri). I don’t usually need dry shampoo on that second day, but sometimes use it anyway to stay ahead. Sometimes, I want to push it another day – so, wash hair Monday and then again on Thursday, for example. Last week was one such week.

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ck one mascara by Calvin Klein – First Impression

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ck one mascarack one mascara

The Ulta Rewards member birthday gift for 2014 was a full-sized tube of Calvin Klein’s ck one mascara. I ran through my last test subject, Guerlain Maxi-Lash pretty quickly and this one was next in line.

ck one mascara wand

Available exclusively at Ulta, ck one mascara features a wand that can be adjusted via a twist of the cap depending on what effect you wish for your lashes – definition or volume. Before actually opening it, I was under the impression that when the cap was twisted that an additional set of bristles would protrude from the wand; I was intrigued by what I perceived to be a cool meetup of engineering and beauty. When I opened it, it was the first thing I examined.

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Protein Treatments (Hair) – Revisited

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Neutrogena Triple Repair - Protein Treatments

Because I have yet to find my unicorn when it comes to shampoo and conditioner, I am on the hunt. I decided to try an offering from Neutrogena, recently, their Triple Repair line.

I am a fool, though, because when I skimmed the ingredients list I somehow missed that this line does include protein treatments. The clue-in should’ve been right in the name, “repair.” Alas, many, “repairing,” products fortify the hair with protein…but as I mentioned before, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Things were smooth sailing for two weeks and then took a dive; my tresses went psycho again, rife with dryness and tangles and rage.

When your hair is lower-ribcage length angry snarls are seriously no fun. I’d brush my hair our before bed, wake up with a horrific knotted mass (that is not normally the case for me).

The lightbulb flashes, I went to the bathroom and scoured the labels of the shampoo and conditioner, already realizing what I’d done. The conditioner…

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dimethylpabamidopropyl Laurdimonium Tosylate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Hydrolyzed Lupine Seed Extract, Amodimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance

Noooooo. My suspicions were confirmed; I made a mistake. My unreasonably protein-sensitive hair was having a tantrum again due to this innocuous-seeming ingredient. Not even halfway through the tubes!

The shampoo contains some oat and wheat components, which typically do indicate protein. As far as I know it is okay with wheat stuff (I really loved the Aveeno Nourish and Soothe [now discontinued]), unsure about oat though.

No sass about the products – they cleaned well, and were kind to my scalp. My hair was shiny, soft, and had an almost, “fluffy,” quality before it decided it was over the protein. Just a heads-up in case your hair is sassy like mine and doesn’t care for protein – pass this one up.

Worth it? Guerlain Maxi-Lash

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Like many semi-frequent shoppers of Ulta and Sephora, I have amassed a wee collection. It is kind of nice in that it enables me to try products I wouldn’t try as soon or, for that matter, at all, as well as preventing me from needing to decide what mascara I want to try next. Knowing I had a weekend away coming up, when it was time to reach for a new tube to try, I plucked Guerlain Maxi-Lash from my stash. The mascara claims to create volume and sculpt curls.

Also, apologies for low-quality images – it was a busy weekend.

Guerlain Maxi-Lash Sample TubeGuerlain Maxi-Lash sample tube

The sample tube (which I received from Sephora), which is just under three inches from end-to-end, is free of adornments unlike its full-sized sister. The full-sized tube is considerably more luxe-looking, and for $30 a tube? It better be.

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