Review & Video: SONAX Brilliant Shine Detailer

[Loach]

SONAX Brilliant Shine Detailer - Review & Water Test Video - YouTube



Price: $16.99
Size: 750ml (25.36oz)
Scent: Coconut

Directions:




Prep: The surface was prepped using Meguiar's M205, followed up with an IPA wipedown. For the video, I allowed BSD to cure for 24 hours before wetting.

Review: Sonax advertises this product as a spray detailer that you can use when the car is slightly soiled, giving you an opportunity to safely wipe it down without marring the paint. But in my experience I prefer to use it more as a spray sealant when the car is already clean. This product works incredible without any base layer product underneath of it. But you can also use it as a weekly/biweekly topper for your base layer LSP, or use it as a drying aid when the car is wet. The hydrophobic behavior is one of the best I've ever seen on paint. And this behavior is also durable, it's not something that's going to be quickly altered after the first wash or by extended rinsing.



The tradeoff with this amazing water behavior is the lack of the super slick feeling of the paint that you'll get with other spray detailers/waxes/sealants. It's certainly still a smooth surface, but you will definitely notice where this product has been applied by it's unique feeling on the paint. This might be a deal breaker for some, but it's not something that bothers me as much.

Another thing I noticed was just how cleanly BSD flashes off of the paint when spreading with a microfiber towel. Using a light source above, I can see no residual oils left behind that require multiple microfiber towels for removal. So if you're short on time, BSD is a great product to use quickly that should not give you any problems with streaking. I also tested it in 90° Florida weather in the sun on metallic black paint and had no issues, although Sonax does not recommend it for this use. This is also safe to apply to the trim.

The product seems to be slightly thicker than others. If you lightly pull the trigger it will come out in more of a stream pattern, and pulling the trigger quickly will spread it across the panel better. Don't expect to see a super fine mist. The shine and gloss is excellent as well. I'm not usually one to be able to tell the minor differences in gloss levels between products, but I have no problem with how it makes the paint look viewing the car in the sun. And the coconut scent is absolutely heavenly, one of the best scented products I've used.

Here in the U.S. we tend to have specific definitions to differentiate between spray detailers and spray waxes/sealants. Sonax BSD seems to combine all of those uses into one product. But don't mistake this for a mere spray detailer. I would consider this as a spray sealant leaving you with water beading behavior that is on serious steroids. As I said in the video, Sonax has a product overseas called Turbo LackSchutz (Turbo Paint Protection) that is supposed to give you that super slick feeling on the paint while maintaining a high surface tension (more of a spray detailer product). I feel that Brilliant Shine Detailer would be better marketed in the U.S. with the name Turbo Paint Protection because that's what I'm seeing out of this product, excellent protection and beading in a turbo fast spray application process, but that's just my opinion. Many have compared BSD to Polymer Net Shield in a spray sealant form. It seems that Sonax has designed BSD to be that perfect complement to boost the behavior of Polymer Net Shield to extend its life. Certainly a great duo of products, but BSD is a spray sealant that deserves recognition outside of a mere topper during weekly washes. Many have reported that this is also great at self cleaning, being able to shed a lot of grime from the paint with just rinsing.

I also do not see this as a product that requires a strict cure period. As soon as I apply it to the paint I can immediately rinse it and notice that amazing water behavior. I have not tested long-term durability at this point. The longest I've had it on the test car was two weeks under intense Florida heat and almost daily rainstorms, and the beading was still outstanding. I'm constantly cycling products for short-term testing, but I plan to also try long-term testing in the future.

Definitely one of my favorite products, if you're a fan of incredible water beading then Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer is a must buy! And with 750ml at $17, this is very competitively priced in the market.

[Mask]

Thank you for sharing
I prefer SBSD over SPNS for ease of application and scent Lol
i witnessed it's durability and withstand asia harsh weather for months...
It's currently my personal top of the list LSP choice ^^

[JSou]

Awesome review.

Thanks for sharing. Love BSD and Net Shield.

[d33p]

Since i have so many paint related toppers I now use BSD on my wheels and the dirt comes off so much easier the next wash.

[swanicyouth]

Great review and BSD is a great product.

My rhetorical question is: Does Beading = Protection?

I dunno. That's why I don't use this product alone. Quite frankly, if this where proven to be the case - there are a lot of waxes I could toss in the garbage in favor of BSD.

But, something in the back of my head says "it's too good/easy to be true". So, I'll keep using it as a topper. Same with Prima HydroMax.

[Rsurfer]

Great review and BSD is a great product.

My rhetorical question is: Does Beading = Protection?

I dunno. That's why I don't use this product alone. Quite frankly, if this where proven to be the case - there are a lot of waxes I could toss in the garbage in favor of BSD.

But, something in the back of my head says "it's too good/easy to be true". So, I'll keep using it as a topper. Same with Prima HydroMax.

If you use spns as your base and bsd as a topper you will be good to go.

[CDot]

Great review (and nice spread); BSD is an amazing product!

[trekkeruss]

By chance just yesterday I happened to watch your other video, comparing it and CarPro Reload. I will stick with Reload since I am using CQUK. Regardless, nice review.

[tenblade2001]

Thanks for the great review. I watched some of the the other videos on your channel and have one question: would you still use UQW as your weekly topper i.e. use this product as your base, then UQW for maintenance?

[CDot]

would you still use UQW as your weekly topper i.e. use this product as your base, then UQW for maintenance?

I'm not the OP, but I own both and I would not use UQW over BSD--use one or the other.