China Glaze Magnetix Instant Attraction

I am the proud owner of a new China Glaze Magnetix polish, a China Glaze magnet and slightly stained fingers. Find out more about China Glaze Magnetix, how the magnet works and my thoughts after the jump!

I went by my regular nail supply place on Monday looking for the Zoya True or China Glaze Electropop collection. When I asked about the latter, the clerk told me that Electropop and Magnetix would be arriving on Wednesday. Because I was super excited to try an affordable magnetic nail polish, I was on the scene on Wednesday afternoon, as they were unpacking the displays and polishes.

Other colors in the Magnetix collection with different magnet effects

Other colors in the Magnetix collection with different magnet effects

As I looked at the display, I was struck by how unappealing the colors were to me. If they weren't magnetic, I really doubt I would even consider buying any of them. Because of that, I only purchased the purplish color that I found most interesting, Instant Chemistry. 

China Glaze special magnet for its Magnetix line

I was originally not even going to buy the magnet, since it cost as much as the polish and I only planned to have the 1 polish. However, I was informed that regular magnets don't work with this polish. You basically have to have the China Glaze magnet to get a design. I imagine that the magnets from other (more expensive ) polishes would work as well. However, I don't have the audacity to sit at the Sephora sample section to use a Nails Inc. magnet for a whole manicure,so that wasn't an option for me. 

China Glaze Instant Chemistry, no magnetic effect

Here is a swatch stick of Instant Chemistry, with no magnetic effect. In my opinion, an okay color but definitely nothing special.  The polish is pretty thick at 1 coat and dries within minutes. 

China Glaze Instant Chemistry, different magnetic effect on the ring, middle and pointer fingers.

The way the magnetic effect works depends on the China Glaze magnet. The magnet has 3 different designs to choose from.  It has to be held as close as possible to the wet polish without actually touching the nail so that the magnetic particles in the polish are drawn to the shape you choose. Because the polish dries so fast, you must polish and magnetize one nail at a time. The magnet does have a slight ridge near each of the designs, so I think the intent is for you to rest that tip on the cuticle while you hold the magnet. That way it will get close to the polish without touching it.  You can also orient the magnet in different directions, so that your lines can be vertical or horizontal versus just horizontal. I found the stripes and the star easy to work with, but I had a hard time getting the chevron shape to work as well. I just feel like the V's aren't very defined. Maybe it's a learning curve and I will improve with time.  

My stained nails after removing polish. Sorry for their gross state, I'm always in a race against the sun for pics and I didn't stop to wash my hands. 

A definite negative of my dark polish is the staining effect it has. I don't know if it shows very well in the pictures, but be prepared for a lot of staining when you take this color off. Another downside of the polish is the price. The suggested price is $10 for the polish, plus another $10 for the magnet. It's definitely a fun effect, but I really wish it wasn't such an expensive one!

Overall, I am feeling meh about this polish. I'm happy to finally try a magnetic effect polish for myself, but not thrilled with the color options. I'm concerned that magnetic polish will be a gimmick that I will eventually tire of. That's part of the reason I only bought one. I don't want to waste a lot of money on a fad polish that will end up as unused as my crackles are now.  For the moment, it's very cool. I'm not sure how I'll feel later.  Feel free to comment with your thoughts about China Glaze's entry into the world of magnetic nail polish.