Sephora Formula X was launched last October which includes a full lineup of nail care, treatment, removers, lacquers and effect nail products. I discovered the Delete Nail Polish Remover several months ago after reading rave reviews which I found to perform extremely well – super effective in removing polish easily (you don’t have to rub a lot) yet gentle enough on the nails and hands (a must since I frequently change and swatch nail polishes).
For those new to the line, you may find the number of options a bit overwhelming. They break down the options into four main categories:
The Colors – there are currently around 100 different nail polish colors in Neutrals and Classic shades, these range from nudes to dark reds to bright edgy options
The Treatments – includes cuticle treatments, ridge fillers, polish remover, base/top coats
The Effects – for the creative types or those looking for layering effects they have a multitude of nail polishes that have unique finishes or colors for layering such as glitters, crystals, transluscents, holograms
The System – four piece starter set with a nail cleanser, base coat and top coat (you get to pick the fourth shade if you purchase the set)
Delete Nail Polish Remover ($10.50 for 160 ml/5.4 fl oz) comes with a convenient no-spill push pump dispenser. The cap twists to lock the top after use. I like that’s compact with a simple easy to use bottle. I read reviews on my phone while in the Sephora store before buying (317 reviews with an average rating is 4.6 out of 5 stars right now). The reasonable price plus rave reviews convinced me to buy. I’ve found it to be everything reviewers have gushed. It’s gentle yet effective. I don’t usually wear a lot of glitters so I can’t comment on how it removes those hard to remove glittery colors. But for regular polish I’ve found it removes all traces of nail color with one to two swipes per nail. If you don’t use a base coat and end up with stained nails from darker shades or intense brights you may need to use a bit more rubbing or soaking, but it’s still very effective but gentle.
Sephora sent their treatment set The System ($32) which is a steal. It includes a 0.4 oz Nail Cleanser, 0.4 oz Base Coat, 0.4 oz Top Coat and a nail color of your choice (both online and in stores). Each item is also available individually.
It’s an easy to use set. I’ve been testing this set with various brands (Chanel, Dior, and Formula X) and the items all work well with other brands. The Nail Cleanser is a good gentle, non-drying product to prep the nails and make sure they are free of any oil or lotion remnants. Per It’s infused with witch hazel extract (a naturally effective ingredient that
purifies the surface of the nail), Vitamin E (to condition nails), and
invigorating cucumber extract. The Base Coat is a shiny sticky base coat designed to help polish adhere longer than regular base coats. It has a smooth finish. The Top Coat is high shine top coat. I found it to be a bit thick so you need a decent amount loaded up on the brush to get an even application but it dries to a high shine smooth finish.
Overall I’ve found The System works really well with Formula X polishes and Dior. For Chanel I prefer to use other top coats such as Chanel, Rescue Beauty Lounge or CND, but the base/cleanse Formula X performed really well. When I’ve used the Formula X System + Color together I’ve had manicures last over five days without any tip wear or chipping.
I’ll show you Push The Limits a bright red tomato cream color. The coverage is phenomenal with two coats you get full opaque rich coverage. I’m on day 5 of the manicure with no signs of tip wear or chipping. Here it is with two coats plus The System products applied.
More on Sephora’s Formula X Line.
Overall a huge thumbs up for Formula X. I’ve been really pleased with the results and find the price points very reasonable. I’m on my second bottle of Delete Nail Polish remover and can see myself repurchasing over and over again. I found the Cleanser and Base Coats to be of excellent quality and I do believe these help extend the wear of nail polish. The Top Coat performed well but since it is on the thicker side, I found it took a bit more work for it to run smoothly over Chanel nail lacquers (which I wear a lot). It’s not uneven or goopy – I just needed to make sure my brush was loaded with more top coat than I’m normally used to and it took a few brush overs to make it apply smoothly.
The Formula X line is exclusive to Sephora online and in stores. If you have time to visit their stores I highly recommend you spend some time playing at their nail stations. They are equipped with clear nail sleeves you can paint to test colors with a layover type of product without having to ruin your current nail polish or make a mess of your fingers.
Have you tried Sephora’s Formula X? What did you think?
Sephora provided The System and Push the Limits for review. Delete Remover purchased on my own. For more information refer to my Disclosures.
Sephora is having a 15% off sale on all beauty for beauty insiders through the 10th/11th. Beauty Insiders should have already received their shopping pass in the mail (or check your e-mail for a printable pass).
Beauty Insiders can use code TICKET online through the 10th.
VIB members can use code VIBTICKET online through the 11th.
VIB Rouge members can use ROUGETICKET online until the 11th.
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil ($20) is a must for me, I use it regularly to keep my cuticles from peeling or cracking
Sephora FormulaX Delete Nail Polish Remover ($10.50) has impressed me with it’s ability to remove nail polish well without being too harsh on my sensitive nails, plus it has a great pump dispenser which makes it easy to apply to a cotton pad
NARS Matte Multiples ($39 each) perfect multi-tasker with rich blendable pigment that lasts all day long (Altai is my must-have for natural contouring)
Drybar The Chaser Shine Pomade ($28) is my holy grail hair product, I use it before or after blow drying and it works wonders on the hair for a sleek and healthy shine, my husband steals this from me all the time
Drybar Texas Tea Collection ($23-25) I’ve had such great experiences
with their Happy Hour Shampoo/Conditioner, I’m so excited to see a few
new additions to Sephora
Have you already purchased anything from the Sephora sale? I’m all ears!
Marc Jacobs Beauty items from Sephora, accessories Marc Jacobs Sharpies, Heart Notebook and Postcard from Bookmarc located in Los Angeles on Melrose
I’ve recently fallen in love with a few more items from Marc Jacobs Beauty. I’ve been a huge fan of the Hi-Shine Nail Lacquers which I really like for the packaging, color pigment, and price. Today I am featuring three new items I’ve discovered.
Lola Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer ($18 for 13 ml) is a flawless bright jelly red, it’s a one-coat wonder nail color that covers the entire nail with one swipe, I’ve only tested for a couple days now but in my experience, Marc Jacobs nail lacquers have decent lasting power with no tip wear or chipping through day 5 or 6 (I use with Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat and Dior Gel Top Coat).
Role Play Lip Gel ($30 for 3.6g) is my new holy grail nude pink lip, it’s an interesting formula, not quite like a traditional lipstick, it is a gel lipstick with full coverage and a cushy moisturizing feel. This covered my lip entirely, it’s like a lighter modern version of what I wanted MAC Twig/Spirit to be, it’s a neutral rose pink nude that isn’t too light and not too dark.
Kissability Lust for Lacquer ($28 for 5 ml) is a sheer rose with gold and pink shimmers. It comes with a sponge tip applicator. The formula is very sheer so I recommend using this on top of lipsticks for more color, it has a vanilla scent with a cool tingley finish (thank goodness it did not irritate or numb my super sensitive lips).
I’m overall impressed with the lip products. I don’t know why it took me so long to try them. I am already looking to try more of the lipsticks. Now that Marc Jacobs Beauty has been out on the market for a while, I’d love to hear what your thoughts are. What have you fallen in love with? What would you recommend passing on? Yays or nays are all welcome.
You can find Marc Jacobs Beauty at select Marc Jacobs boutiques and at all Sephora stores. Online at Sephora.com and MarcJacobsBeauty.com.
I’ve been saving up my Sephora Beauty Insider points for months (I had accumulated around 780 points to be exact). I received an email alert about this 500 Point Reward with five L’Occitane minis. I decided to redeem my points with a recent order of the NARS Matte Multiples and added the Beauty Insider 500 Point set to my basket at checkout. It arrived last week and the minis are adorable. I’ve never seen such cute hand creams (they are 0.3 oz versus the full sized 1 oz tubes). I haven’t seen this set in stores near me but it’s still online while supplies last (if you’ve spotted it in store please share in the comments). The set that is available online comes with:
Shea Butter Hand Cream 0.3 oz/10 ml
Amande Delicious Hand Cream 0.3 oz/10 ml
Amande Shower Oil 1.18 fl oz/35 ml
Amande Supple Skin Oil 0.5 fl oz/15 ml
Verbena Body Lotion 1 oz/30 ml
Small canvas pouch
I’ve tried all the items before except the face oil. All are classic staples and the sizes are perfect for your purse, to store in your work desk or small enough for travel. I get a bit nervous when it comes to trying face oils so if you’ve tried this one I’d love your input. Have you seen any good Sephora Beauty Insider minis lately? I find it’s hit or miss but I love that Sephora stores and tracks your points for you and allows you to save them. Any other deals you’ve spotted?
My latest from Marc Jacobs Beauty is the Nail Lacquer in Daisy #102 ($18 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz). It’s been on my radar for months and I finally caved and purchased it. Daisy is a pearly ivory pink. It’s a shimmery color that is slightly transparent for a soft pearly finish. The formula requires two coats. The first coat will apply a bit streaky but it evens out with the second. Note you need to let the first one dry completely before applying the second. The result is a pearly color that brightens the skin. Lasting power is extremely impressive with this color. I saw no chips, tip wear or peeling by day 5 and only removed it to play with other shades. I give this polish a huge thumbs up for quality, wear and price.
The bottles have a removeable cap:
Closeups to show the soft pearlescent quality:
Here it is swatched with two coats, in sunlight it glows:
I pulled Chanel Island (discontinued), Chanel Django (discontinued), Rescue Beauty Lounge Pink Shimmer and Deborah Lippmann Sarah Smile to compare. All shades with two coats except for the Deborah Lippmann which has 4 coats to achieve full coverage.
In low light the colors look very similar so I hope these descriptions will help highlight the differences. Chanel Django is more beige/yellow. Rescue Beauty Pink Shimmer is more beige. Deborah Lippmann requires at least 4 coats to get the same coverage as 2 coats of the Marc Jacobs.
You can find Marc Jacobs Daisy online at Sephora and Marc Jacobs (also in stores). I’m really impressed with this color. It’s polished, demure, feminine and subtle enough for everyday wear but contrasts with the skin enough to be visible on the hands. It gives a lovely polished look. For other features on Marc Jacobs Nail Lacquers you can see the posts from August for Petra here, Gatsby here, and Le Charm here.
Have you tried Marc Jacobs beauty yet? What are your favorite nail colors? I’m still eyeing a few more colors! Any rants or raves on any of the other products? I just bought my first lip gel (still testing) but haven’t bought anything else yet.
The Sephora VIB 20% off sale is here from November 7th to the 11th! Instores and online for V.I.B.s only (online code is VIBTOPIA). I’m starting to look for gifts, stocking stuffers and small add-ons as the holidays are approaching. Here are a few gift ideas of what’s sparked my interest, also some staples I love that you might want to save on.
Gifts and Stocking Stuffers Under $30
Caudalie Hand and Body Duo $15 – mini set of their Divine Oil and Hand Cuticle cream, perfect to carry in your purse or for a stocking stuffer
Drybar Happy Hour Shampoo $23 – this is my clarifying shampoo I use 1-2x per week (alternating with others), when I use this it makes the hair bouncy and shiny, love the scent as well
For my husband, he loves the Tom Ford Noir and Jack Black Products. I know I’m getting him the Tom Ford Noir and Jack Black Turbo Wash. Contemplating the other items. Do you have any recommendations for him?
What’s on your shopping list? I’ll be playing around with my FF cart today. Trying to limit my purchases in anticipation for upcoming sales from other stores and brands as well. Are you splurging on anything for yourself or stocking up on any gifts? I’m all ears for your recommendations before I hit SUBMIT!
Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer: Le Charm #112 ($18 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz, Sephora) is a glitzy warm coppery pink. Le Charm is loaded with tons of sparkle in gold, pink, silver, copper – it has a similar complex finish to Petra (reviewed here). The formula for this one seemed to be slightly thinner than the other two I purchased, but still thicker than most polishes I own. Out of the three shades I bought from Sephora, Le Charm had the best application. It goes on smoothly and covers the nail entirely with just one coat. Dry time seemed to be very quick. I’ve worn this color for a few days now – you definitely need a good top coat to extend the wear. I’ve tested it with Chanel’s Top Coat on one hand and no top coat on the other. Without a good layer on top, tip wear and chipping happens within one day. The complexity of the color makes it look pinkish at some angles. In different lighting it flashes more copper. This one is my favorite out of the three I purchased.
Here are swatches with two coats, no top coat. You can see how it looks slightly pink in some photos while in others it’s more coppery/peach:
I found it unique compared to other shades. I don’t have anything that comes close in undertone or complexity. For a glitzy pink, I love that it has just enough coppery/peach that it doesn’t look too metallic with the silvery glitters. The balance of color is perfect. Compared below to Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle, Shu Uemura P996 (old discontinued shade) and MAC Soiree.
Bottom line: love. Marc Jacobs Beauty is available at Sephora as an exclusive. Have you checked out the Marc Jacobs line?
