# Detailingworld™ Review - Waxaddict Quartz



## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

*Introduction*

I think you guys better get comfy for this review, I reckon it will be a long one, probably the reason I have put off writing it for a while now  So this review came about as I used to buy the monthly Waxybox offering from Waxaddict before it was discontinued. Some of the members here will likely remember this as the original detailing sample box, containing a least 5 quality sample products, along with (usually) a Waxaddict blend wax, cloths, stickers & gloves etc.

Well Waxaddict used this Waxybox system to not only create revenue but also used it as a means of producing, testing & perfecting most of their wax blends before bringing them to the market under the Waxaddict name, a very clever way of operating I must say. Since Waxybox, Waxaddict have gone from strength to strength, expanding on their excellent range of waxes to now include the Slickrims & Magi-glaze range of products, this includes products like wheel sealants, tyre dressings, spray waxes & interior detailers, even a bike frame coating is offered now, covering a lot of different detailing areas.

The company recently obtained a contract with Halfords & sells its range worldwide through the Halfords website as far as I am aware. Despite the increase in size & sales of the company they still have the same strenuous routine to producing new products. The small company feel & development thankfully hasn't been lost. A lot of custom touches are still available with any of their wax blends.

For a look at the full Waxaddict range, please follow the link: http://www.waxaddicteurope.com/.

*The Product*



Within one of those Waxybox's I obtained, I opted to pay extra for the Quartz signature wax sample, which at the time was Waxaddicts top of the range signature blend containing Si02 technology, a ingredient usually reserved for sealant products. With the purchase of this wax I researched it online to find very little was available in the way of reviews with regards to it & at that moment decided I would carry out not only an application review but also a durability test. The review isn't perfect I admit, there was an initial QD application on the first maintenance wash & the durability testing was cut short. At the time I didn't expect to be doing the review under the DW banner but hopefully it gives a good indication of what can be expected from Quartz & the rest of the Waxaddict range.

So Waxaddict Quartz, what makes it different from other waxes on the market? The wax description from the Waxaddict site is as follows:

"Using the latest coating technology to bring you an innovative and unique wax blend. We have balanced the finest grade hard and soft waxes together with Si02 Crystal Quartz technology. Applying the quartz via wax is extremely effective, wrapping your painted surface in a wax/nano coating, bonding effectively into a super protective and durable barrier. Until now paint protection with Si02 technology has only been associated with liquid sealant products, however our breakthrough to integrate crystal quartz with wax has resulted in a very unique blend. The signature wax formula gives you the honest results you'd expect from a luxury wax; lustre, gloss, reflection, hydrophobic water beading and tough durability. Now the Si02 structure locks this with a chemical structure that is resistant to detergents (even pH 14!) & contaminants."

So quite the pitch from Waxaddict there & definitely something completely different to your usual blend of wax. What exactly is Si02 Quartz though?

Well… Si02 'Quartz', also known as Silicon Dioxide is a chemical compound which belongs to the silicon chemical family. The material itself has been known about for hundreds of years, commonly found in nature as Quartz (hence the name!). The material itself can be both natural or synthetically modified & is found in everyday materials from structural supports to electronic components, even within the food we eat. Silica or 'Quartz' has a very high temperature resistance & melting point, making it popular in the use of metallic components within the engineering industry.

So that is just a quick spule of info on Si02, going on the internet reveals pages upon pages of uses, applications, different chemical blends etc. Looking around it certainly looks like the first time it has been used within a wax blend, don't quote me on that but I wasn't able to find another company that blends such a wax at the time Waxaddict created Quartz. What is clear though is this is no ordinary wax & actually brings something new to the table.

The pot I have here is a 15ml sample and comes in a sturdy little plastic pot. The wax itself is a creamy colour, a hard wax but also very oily when finger tested. The scent for me I think is coconut, pretty generic scent but it smells nice all the same.

*The Method*

So the car was actually brand new at the time of this test, it was the day after I picked it up from the dealership so would have been the 5th of September. I spent the full day fully decontaminating the paint work so pre-rinsed, snowfoamed, rinsed, 2BM wash, fall out remover, de-tarred, clay mitt then hand polished prior to the Quartz application.

So onto the application of Quartz. Having used premium waxes before, I assumed Quartz being an expensive wax would have a full car application & this is how I used it on my first coat. Daylight was quickly fading after spending the full day fully prepping the paint so no pictures were really taken on the 1st coat. The wax was extremely oily despite being hard, making loading the applicator, even with a small sample tub a breeze.

As soon as I felt just how easily the foam applicator glided across the bonnet during application, I knew this would be a dream to use. It spread for ¾ of the full bonnet on a single half turn within the pot, it really did spread so far from a little amount, meaning thin layers were also very easy to obtain. With another quarter twist within the sample pot, the bonnet was complete.

Amazed at how easy this was to apply, I set about completing the full car before buffing off so the bumper was next, followed by the front wings and so on working my way from front to back until the car was complete.

With the rest of the application taking around 10 minutes or so, I assumed that was the perfect length of time for curing so grabbed a MF buffing towel and set about removing the cured layer in the same order I applied it in. I knew I had made an error as soon as I tried removing it from the bonnet. The cloth grabbed at every opportunity, thick or thin layers, taking several passes with more pressure than I would like to remove the haze.

Removal of this took me at least an hour, day light had gone by the time I finished so no pictures could be taken right after buffing. I was very disappointed with regards to the buffing stage but kept an open mind that it may have been my own application error. The next morning I got a photo of her.



There was a definite darkening of the paintwork which came with a glossy, wet looking, mirror like sharp reflection finish. There was also some added depth to the finish but not quite as much as some of the natural wax based blends. Certainly no complaints though with the finish having traits coming from both a natural and synthetic product.

With the first coat having bonded overnight & the weather looking to be dry, I set about applying my 2nd coat. I always apply two coats of wax for a nice even layer of protection & usually with 2 coats you do get slightly better durability. But with the absolute nightmare I had removing it the night before in the back of my mind, I decided to try a different method this time. You usually have two types of waxes, long curing which allow you to do the full car before buffing & quick curing which usually only take a few minutes to cure. This time I would do a 2 panels & buff application to see if this improved usability.

So with daylight present this time, the wax was again applied in circular motions to the bonnet. As you can see from the photo it left a nice, clear to see haze on the paintwork which made it easy to tell where it had been applied.



The wax was then applied to the front bumper in the same fashion, taking around 1-2 mins to apply. This gave the layer on the bonnet sufficient time to cure. Hoping for a better experience this time, I set about removing it with my thick pile buffing cloth with my fingers crossed. To my relief this was SO MUCH easier to remove, the cloth moved across the paintwork with minimal drag & lifted the haze effortlessly.

With this method the wax buffed as easily as any other high quality wax I have used, confirming user error was the reason for my nightmare experience before. The bumper buffed up just as easily & I continued the same 2 panel method, regardless of panel size to complete the rest of the car, experiencing no removal difficulties at all. I haven't bothered with any further photographs with a second coat applied as in all honesty, visually I cannot notice a difference to the levels of gloss. To the eye the car looks exactly the same as it did with only 1 coat.

I did however take a photo of my little sample pot to show how little is needed. The 15ml sample pot has a very small dent in it & on this basis I reckon the little pot is good for another 6-8 coats minimum, confirming just how far this wax spreads.



Now for the purposes of this review I have decided I will add in one additional heading, this being durability.

*Durability*

So I have no photos of the initial beading after application of the 2nd coat. Instead the date was saved & monthly photos of the resulting beading after an maintenance wash was used as the basis for this test. The shampoo used was PH neutral & solely a shampoo, no gloss enhancers or wax contained within it.

1 month update

So the beading after 1 month can be seen in the photo's below. I should add that I also washed the car every 2 weeks after application of Quarts. The first maintenance wash I used a quick detailer during drying. It wasn't any sort of QD that offers serious protection (1 week or so) but still for the integrity of the review, best to disclose it. The car would be washed as close to every 2 weeks as possible.

The beading is truly stunning. I don't think I have ever had beading so tight & perfectly uniform from any wax. Even between testing & writing this review I still haven't come across anything like it from another wax. I was very impressed with the beading of Quartz.





2 month update

Again, the same as before. This would be the cars 4th maintenance wash & since the first wash, no QD has been used since the error made using it on the first wash. No drop in performance going by the photos, still very uniform, round & closely packed together. Impressive results so far.





3 month update

3 months & 6 washes in, still the beading is looking superb. I do think there is a slight drop off in tightness/height of the beads but not a lot, the wax was still going strong it seems.







4 month update

Now at the 4 months/8 washes mark I would expect the wax, especially with the winter weather to start failing. Not at all, I didn't get a photo of the beading on the car in water form but do have a nice little shot of some frozen beads in pitch black darkness going to work in the morning 



5 month update

After 5 months/10 washes of cold, wet, salty/grit covered roads the beading was still going strong. As you can see in both photos in my work carpark, the beading isn't quite as high or tight but still look as if the wax was only just applied. I couldn't really believe it was still beading as nicely after 5 months in such an harsh climate.





I am afraid to say at this point the testing was stopped as near the end of February I had a pair Scuderia vinyl stripes fitted along the full length of my Abarth 595 bonnet, roof, spoiler & boot.

All panels were wiped down with harsh chemicals prior to fitment & without thinking I self-destructed my own review with the fitment of these stripes. Regardless of this, the wax was still beading even when wiped down but the beading had clearly been effected. After 5 months with the Quartz still going strong, I think another 2-3 months would be a very conservative estimate for remaining durability but likely more.

The durability test is in the end an accurate estimate but I reckon from 2 coats of Waxaddict Quartz you can comfortably expect 8+ months out of it on your daily going by how little drop off in performance there was over the course of 5 months.

*Price*

A full 200ml pot of Quartz will set you back £95 direct from Waxaddict http://www.waxaddicteurope.com/#!quartz/gg394. This certainly isn't a cheap wax & personally for me at the more premium spectrum with regards to wax price. Regardless of this, it is fabulous wax.

It definitely justifies the price & if you look at the level of performance, how little I used for 2 coats, a full pot will last years with how well it spreads mixed with the impressive durability.

*Would I use it again?*

Possibly my favourite wax used so far in terms of all round performance. I will be using the little 15ml sample again this coming winter as my main LSP. With how little is requied for 2x coats this little pot will get me another 2-3 years of winter protection out of a 15ml sample.

*Conclusion*

A stunning wax really, it doesn't give the best finish, nor does it apply in my favored way but that is irrelevant when everything is considered. Application takes a little longer due to 2 panels/buff but when done right is simple to apply & remove. The finish isn't jaw dropping but it has a good mix of depth/glass like, crisp reflections. The performance & water behavior is the best I have encountered by far. Durability again is the best I have come across, the durability test isn't conclusive as it was cut short but looking at the beading after 5 months, I don't think anyone would argue it has another 3+ months, likely more left in it.


_DW has followed the Manufacturer's Instructions and accepts no responsibility to any circumstances arising from any member using these products or following this test._


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