There is absolutely nothing I hate more than doing my nails. I am so terrible at it, that it’s almost not worth doing. The nail polish always turns out streaked, bubbly, incomplete, uneven or some other sort of bad. However, I know that a) having polished nails is a necessary evil and b) I am not of the financial class that can afford to get their nails professionally done.

Well, I discovered something that has made my manicure life SO much easier! It doesn’t magically make me able to paint my nails neatly (alas), BUT it makes my manicure last so long that I’m down to once a week from every other day!

This magic beauty product is called Formula X“The System XCEL.? Well, actually it’s four beauty products (plus a special nail polish remover) that work together in a system for a professional manicure at home.

Allow me to tell you more.

First, you start with Formula X’s insanely genius “Delete All” nail polish remover. I’m seriously blown away by why someone didn’t think of this sooner. When was the last time you needed to remove your nail polish, so you carefully balanced a large bottle of acetone nail polish remover, trying not to spill it, as you searched around your house for cotton balls, paper towels or Q-tips to remove the polish? If you’re me, this is 2-3x a week and it’s exhausting.

WHAT IF there was a tub of nail polish and a foam insert with five finger holes, and all you did was put your fingers in the holes, wait a few seconds, and pull them back out again?? WHAT IF??? Well, it exists and it’s amazing.

I no longer dread taking off my nail polish because it literally takes seconds. The holes surprisingly remove the nail polish incredibly efficiently. And if you do have a smidge here and there left over, just wipe it off on the top of the foam insert, which also has been soaked in nail polish remover!

My only problem with Delete All is that it is NOT portable. For some reason, the lid is not airtight. So every time I take it with me when I travel or go away for the weekend, the nail polish in the tub just ends up spilling all over the other things in my bag – so annoying! It’s also a waste of product. Since the remover inside is running low, I’m going to try pouring more liquid nail polish remover in the tin and see if that works.

Once your nails are clean and dry, it’s time to start the System. First up is a cleanser. Simply brush on the cleanser to remove nail polish remover residue, dust and oils from your nails. This magic formula dries instantly and is super easy to apply.

Step two is a primer. This clear polish creates a tacky surface to help nail polish color take hold.

Step three: add color! I used”TGIF, which is a bright pink shade in honor of long summer days and warm summer nights. I usually go for even warmer colors than this pink, but I didn’t hate the shade, and it was fun to mix it up. Also, Formula X makes dozens of other shades, so you’re not stuck with any one color!

The brush honestly didn’t make the polish the easiest to apply. I’m used to at-home salon nail polish like Sally Hansen that comes with a huge wide brush so that you can apply nail polish in one stroke. Here, the brush is thin so I had to paint slowly and methodically to avoid brush strokes. I’m not the best at this, but I think it turned out alright:

Finally, let the color dry and move on to step 4, a clear topcoat. We all know that clear topcoats are crucial to a long-lasting mani, but how many of you skip this step? (*Raises Hand*). I’m glad I didn’t skip the step here, because my manicure literally lasted ALMOST A WEEK. Yes, that’s right. Below are pics from Day 6 and Day 7 of my manicure. It only started getting iffy on Day 6 and was pretty crappy by Day 7. But this is in contrast to my normal manicure process, which means that my nails pretty much always look like Day 7 and require constant upkeep.

I’m not the only one who saw long-lasting results: in a 10-day clinical study of 32 women, The System XCEL showed over 2x more days of superior wear than any Formula X nail polish alone, with less chipping. After trying it out for myself, I’m sold! I’m going to stick to The System from now on for my manicures.

What shade would you choose? Click HERE to browse, and let me know your choice in the comments! (Revved Up: Rose Gold Metallic is in my shopping cart right now!)

Disclosure: I received this product complimentary for testing purposes. All opnions are my own.