Black Magic BM48016 Wet Shine Liquid Car Wax

I've been using Black Magic liquid wax for awhile now. Overall, I recommend it, because of it's great shine and it's durability.

Pros:

- Great shine! I've tried this product on numerous black cars including my own. It really gives the vehicle that wet look.
- Very long lasting. Some waxes claim 6 months and last nowhere near that long. I've found Black Magic to provide a very durable, long lasting finish.
- Low cost. It's a great bargain!

Cons:

- Extremely difficult to remove by hand. This product takes a lot of elbow grease, but I've found that a microfiber towel can generally remove it if given enough time. If you're a serious detailer, then just take it off with an orbital buffer. The terry cloth pad on mine does a good job...even if it does take a few passes!

- Water beads are too large. In my opinion, the wax creates very large beads that turn into large, unsightly water spots after it rains. Currently, I like to wax the car with Black Magic and then immediately add a layer of synthetic wax on top. The Black Magic creates an excellent shine and lasts a long time, while the synthetic wax (Meguiars NXT) creates smaller water beads when it rains, meaning fewer water spots.

I have used various car waxes over the years, but wanted a good quality wax for my sports car. I applied black magic on a cool fall day, 52 deg outside. It never really dried enough to buff. I let it haze over, but when I went to remove it, it was still soft underneath and left swirl marks. It took a lot of time and a lot of effort to get this stuff off the car. It still may need buffing tomorrow. Perhaps it needs to be applied at higher temperatures. I won't purchase this product again.

If you are looking for a good wax that's easy to use, look elsewhere.

wax on is easy but it never seems to dry to a haze, making it very hard to wax off. to i will admit it looks nice if you have a lot of time and many towels to polish it.
it was a humid day and maybe that had something to do with it.
to review, i would say this wax is too much trouble for me.

Bought this at Menards after using the paste waxes for years. Very happy with it so far and seems to last a long time.

I decided to wax my wife's new, always garaged, all black, always clean, car. Consumer Reports rated Black Magic Liquid Wax, #48016 as the best in their 2006 report but gave it just the middle rating for removal. Easy on but not so easy to remove. How, oh so true that is. Washed the car twice. First time I used the BM recommended car wash product, the second time using just cold water. Dried the car with 100% cotton towels. In the shade on a 74 degree afternoon, 55% relative humidity, no wind, and a cool car exterior, I applied the wax, per the manufacturers written directions printed on the bottle's label. The directions state, "Shake bottle well....wax your vehicle in the shade while the vehicle surface is cool. Wash vehicle with Black Magic Wet Shine Car Wash. Dry thoroughly." The directions also state the wax is, "Formulated for easy-to-use application by hand or buffer/polisher." More about this later. Anyway, I did all the above. When the car is clean and cooled off, ready to be waxed, there are three printed steps for application and removal. They are: "1. Pour a small amount of .... wax on a 100% cotton pad or foam applicator.
2. Apply a thin layer of wax in a firm circular motion. Do one section at a time, covering evenly and thoroughly. LET DRY TO A HAZE. 3. Wipe to a deep, brilliant shine with a clean, dry 100% cotton cloth or microfiber towel, turning cloth frequently to prevent residue build-up."

NOTICE that the directions state the wax is "Formulated for easy-to-use application...." NOTHING IS INDICATED ABOUT EASE OF REMOVAL.
This is because it is NOT EASY TO REMOVE. It is, in fact, the most difficult wax I have ever tried to remove. This wax will NOT dry. Never. The sun will fade away and the earth will turn to a frozen rock and this wax will still be wet. Cold, but still wet. Try to remove it with a dry 100% cotton towel or a microfiber cloth and you will buff until you have biceps the current Governor of California would have envied in his glory days, or advanced arthritis before your time.

If you, like me, follow the manufacturer's directions printed on the back of the bottle, you will come to hate this wax and your shoulder's will torture you in the morning. I decided to give this red and black, almost full bottle, to our neighbor for use on his target range. A police officer, I thought he might be able to make better use of it then I was able to. On the way over to his house and thinking about the satisfaction I was going to obtain, I had a flash back to what another reviewer has shared.

If you use the following procedure, his, you will in fact enjoy a nice easy application, an easy removal and a deep, glossy shine. You might even come to like this wax. It is unfortunate that the original directions were obviously writen by a Washington politician and we all know what they say is relevant only to what they think you want to hear. Never mind the truth.

So, for an easier time of it, do the following.
1. Shake the bottle for 1-2 minutes.
2. Thoroughly wet a clean 100% cotton pad or a clean foam applicator pad. Wring it out so it is wet but not dripping.
3. Pour a small amount of wax on the pad. Immediately apply with a firm circular motion to a cool, clean, surface. Cover a large enough area that you have a thin, consistent, glaze over the surface. Avoid heavy deposits that leave thick streaks of polish.
3. Immediately use a clean, dry, soft, 100% cotton cloth or a microfiber towel and buff the wax off. It will dry and come off fairly rapidly and easily and you will have a very nice shine.

This does work. Whether or not this procedure will allow the wax to last any longer than the excellent carnuaba paste Kit Wax shine, super easy to appply and buff out, is not known. But, the above will work with the Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax wax and give very nice results with modest effort. If the manufacturer's directions were worth reading I would have given it four stars. Maybe even five.