How to use the Beaut Beads paste wax

What is it?

Beaut Beads is a modern, super hydrophobic paste wax for car fanatics. It's been blended with the finest waxes and other wanky ingredients, to create a wax that is exceptionally easy to use, gives a stunning shine and depth to your paint, and offers relentless water beading and protection.

We have heard many say that wax is a dead medium in car care, which we don't quite agree with, as we worked away on eliminating many key issues that we felt were detrimental to the overall experience of using them, as well as excel in the attributes of what the higher quality paste waxes are still much loved for.

Stand out features of Beaut Beads:

  • Exceptionally easy to apply and remove.
  • Amazing depth and shine.
  • For all paint types; old and new.
  • Super hydrophobic beading and protection - no "ceramic" BS.
  • No ghosting/hazing.
  • Works with our other super hydrophobic products Bead Machine, Wet Dreams & Happy Ending as an ideal base layer.
  • Smells amazingly enticing.
  • Proudly 100% Australian made and hand crafted in house.

Preparation is important

Paint preparation is critical with waxes and sealants, and Beaut Beads is no different in this respect. The better prepared and clean the paint is, the better your waxes and sealants will bond and work, and the longer they will last. Beaut Beads works well on all paint types, but will work best on new, good quality paint work, so preparing your paint with the correct products and processes will let Beaut Beads work at its very best to protect your paint for longer.

These steps below are not 100% necessary every time, but we found in our testing, that the better the paint is prepared, the better the wax will work and the longer it will last.

In this article we'll run through a full preparation process to best prepare your paint for Beaut Beads, how to use it, what to use to maintain it, how often to use it, plus many other questions.

The pre wash

The Snow Job pre wash is an important start to any detail. This step is vitally important in helping to reduce the chance of putting swirls and scratches in your paint by laying a thick blanket of foam over your vehicle, helping to break down heavier dirt and grit, before pressure washing it off.

Start foaming at the back of the car, on the dirtier lower sections first, moving up to the roof last to allow the foam the longest dwell time on the dirtier sections of the car.

You can use our Mega Snow Job foam if your car is extra dirty or has an oily residue on it, as this will also help to remove older waxes and sealants in preparation for the Beaut Beads paste wax.

For a detailed how-to guide on using the Snow Blow Cannon and our Snow Job, see the guide below:

For more information on our Mega Snow Job, see the guide below:

Safe washing

Now that you've removed the heavier dirt and grit from the car, it's time for a 2 bucket hand wash with Auto Body Gel. We use this wash as its a more pure wash and won't leave any extra elements on the paint after its use. Grab your Wash and Rinse buckets with Great Barrier Thingy's in them, and your favourite wash tool (we love The Wash Pillow). Put 1 capful of the Auto Body Gel wash into the Wash bucket with approx 10-12L of water, and froth it up with your pressure washer or hose.

Wash sections of the vehicle at a time, starting at the top, and working your way down to the dirtier lower sections last. After each section (quarter of a roof, bonnet etc), dip your wash tool into the Rinse bucket to get any dirt and grit out of it, then go back into your clean wash suds bucket and continue around the rest of the car, doing small sections at a time.

Once you're done, empty the buckets and give them a good rinse out. You don't want to be storing any wash water for use later!

For a detailed look at washing and the 2 bucket wash method, check out our guide below:

Safe drying

With the pre wash and wash now done, it's time to dry the car. At this stage, for this process, we can use the Twisted Pro Sucker or The Big Green Sucker. Normally we would use Boss Gloss for this as it will help the cloth to absorb water a bit better, but today we don't want anything extra left on the paint, so use it without Boss Gloss for this step. Because we're going to do a deep clean in the steps below, we won't be using After Glow either, as its shine creating quality would also be wasted for this particular process.

Start by drying the glass first to avoid getting water spots. After doing the glass, start from the top and work your way down to the lower sections of the car last. 

For more information about the Twisted Pro Sucker and The Big Green Sucker and how to use them, see our guide below:

Paint Decontamination

As mentioned earlier, preparation is critical for laying down Beaut Beads, and the decontamination step is vitally important in this process, for new and old cars alike. 

Three Way + Claying Rubber does 2 jobs in 1 - it chemically decontaminates the paint by removing iron particles + older waxes and sealants with Three Way, and it also mechanically decontaminates the paint by removing surface bonded contamination with the Claying Rubber. This process does both of these jobs safely and easily, without marking your paint or causing any marring, provided you follow our instructions and rinse the Claying Rubber pad out as you go. It's able to do this because Three Way is a highly lubricating liquid that turns iron particles into a water soluble solution that can be washed away - the Claying Rubber uses a specialised rubber polymer surface that's very gentle, even on delicate paint systems and when used in conjunction with the Three Way for lubrication, will not mar paint.

To see our detailed guide on Three Way and Claying Rubber, click the link below:

 

After you've completed the Three Way + Claying Rubber on the entire car, re-wash the car to remove any remaining residue left by the Three Way.

After you have washed and rinsed the vehicle after using Three Way, dry the whole vehicle. It's good practice to run around the vehicle with a small battery powered blower if you have one, and blow all of the water out of the nooks and crannies like around the wing mirrors, behind door handles, wheels and tyres etc. It's also a good idea to quickly dry the door jambs, wheels and tyres with a couple of Dirty Deeds cloths.

You could also use our Fine Clay Bar and Boss Gloss for this step, which is more suitable for older or garaged cars that you want to avoid getting full of water. You can read the full guide below if you're going to use the Boss Gloss + Fine Clay Bar, instead of the Three Way + Claying Rubber.
 

Paint Cleanse & Restore

With the claying step done, now you want to deep clean the pores of the paint to prepare the surface for the Beaut Beads wax. Paint Cleanse & Restore gets deep into the undulations of the paint and cleans deep embedded dirt, leaving a perfectly clean finish, ready for waxes and sealants.

Grab the Paint Cleanse & Restore and a Circle Work applicator pad. Shake the bottle well and add a 50c sized dollop of the Paint Cleanse & Restore to the centre of the pad, and wipe it into the surface of the pad with your finger, to ensure there are no dry spots for starting the process.

Working on smaller sections at a time (similar to the clay bar - break the bonnet up into 4 parts, for example). Using some gentle pressure, work the product into the paint with the pad in an up and down motion, then side to side over the same section, to ensure you don't miss any bits. You'll notice the Paint Cleanse & Restore will begin to go opaque, before going clear after a short work time. Once it's gone clear, it's done all the cleaning it's going to do, so it's time to wipe off.

Using a clean, dry and folded Big Softie cloth (folded to the low pile side), gently buff off the remaining Paint Cleanse & Restore residue, flipping the cloth to a fresh side as needed.

For the next section, and subsequent sections, only add a small amount more of the Paint Cleanse & Restore as needed (usually a smaller 5c or 10c sized dollop will be needed for each new section).

If you have any problems removing the Paint Cleanse & Restore with the cloth after application, spray 1-2 sprays of Boss Gloss straight onto the part that is difficult to remove, then buff off immediately with a Big Softie cloth.

Click the link below for a fully detailed guide on Paint Cleanse & Restore, including a helpful how-to video:

Paint preparation spray with Flash Prep

Flash Prep is our paint preparation spray that removes polishing oils, light dirt and grime and flashes off for an extremely nice and clean surface. If the paint is completely clean and bare, free from dirt, grime, contamination and oils, the Beaut Beads will work a lot better, and last longer.

On one section at a time (1/4 of a bonnet or so, the same as before), spray Flash Prep liberally, directly onto the surface, then immediately wipe it into the surface with a folded Big Softie cloth, folded to the low pile side.

Once it's been wiped in enough to remove any remaining residue, use a separate dry and clean Big Softie cloth to remove any remaining trailing residue. Flash Prep will flash off to leave a beautiful finish and is a very forgiving product to use. Continue around the entire car using this method, but spray less product onto the paint as you go around the car, to avoid saturating your lead application cloth. Change to a fresh secondary cloth if needed.

Beaut Beads application

With the car now totally clean and free from contamination and oils, it's time to seal the paint. 

Beaut Beads is a high end paste wax that is super easy to apply and remove, creates a fantastic glow and if you missed it above, gives remarkable depth and shine to your paint, as well as excellent water beading and self cleaning properties.

Grab your Beaut Beads jar and 2 applicators. Place the larger applicator into the jar with the soft foam side facing down (this will be your application side). Gently twist the applicator side to side a few times, to get some wax on the applicator. Start on the bonnet if it's preferred, then use the applicator in an up and down direction in a small section, then go over the same section in a side to side motion (the opposite way) to ensure complete coverage of the area with the wax. When you apply the Beaut Beads paste wax, less is often times more - the thinner and more evenly you can apply the product, the better the result you will get, and your overall experience will be a lot nicer (having said that, even if you pile it on thick, this wax is still an absolute dream to remove).

For any more intricate areas like around door handles, wing mirrors, grills, badges etc, there is a smaller foam applicator in the Beaut Beads box that is perfect for these areas.

Avoid getting Beaut Beads on any exterior plastics, as it can leave white marks. If you notice this, use the Flash Prep and a cloth straight away to remove it. If you miss any bits and need to clean it up later, use our Orange Agent all purpose cleaner and a brush like our Plush Brush, then use some Vinyl Revival to help protect the plastics if they're in good condition, or use our Mr Black trim restorer if they're faded and need some more attention.

Go around and apply Beaut Beads to the entire car, then leave it on the car to cure and bond for 20 minutes. After this cure time, gently buff off the remaining residue with a Drop Bear cloth, flipping and turning the cloth often as you go. If you notice the cloth start to fill up with wax, switch to a fresh cloth. We found that the Drop Bear was the nicest cloth from our range to use for the final removal of the Beaut Beads paste wax - it's a 960 GSM, super plush cloth, perfect for this job.

Leave the wax now to cure and harden for at least 4 to 5 hours before getting it wet or applying any other products over the wax. Ideally it should cure and harden for 12 hours (overnight) at least before washing the car again.

Beaut Beads is safe to use on chrome, fibreglass, caravans, jet skis, boats, gel coat and gloss PPF. We don't recommend to use it on glass.

Future maintenance

If you have used Beaut Beads on that special car that doesn't get driven very often, and spends most of its life undercover, you can expect it to last 6-8 months.

We've found in our testing, that using Mega Snow Job can be detrimental to Beaut Beads, so stick to one of our pH neutral snow foams for regular maintenance.

On a daily driven car that sees more of the elements, you can apply our synthetic super hydrophobic sealant Bead Machine, which shares a similar base polymer to allow Bead Machine to bond to the Beaut Beads without the use of Flash Prep. In our testing, we have found this combination is very durable and can last up to 4-6 months - the Bead Machine boosts the longevity of the Beaut Beads significantly. Note that this is not an essential step. We never recommend applying the Bead Machine first, because the solvents required to spread the wax will affect the Bead Machine layer, making it a fruitless task. 

In between applications, you can also use Happy Ending or Wet Dreams as quick maintenance top up products if you wish, for lower sections of doors where the protection might have taken a hit. Only use these as needed - they're not necessary for Beaut Beads to work well, but all of these products share a similar chemistry, so they will all play nicely together.

Have a look at our flow chart here which breaks down the order of use we recommend for these products. 

Applicator care

When you've finished waxing your car, don't throw the applicators out! These applicators are a high quality German foam and can be used many times.

Simply grab a small amount of Microfibre Wash (10mL or so should be plenty), and pour it straight into the applicator, then rub it in with your fingers under some warm water to loosen the wax from the foam. Rinse thoroughly until all the wax and Microfibre Wash is gone from the applicator, then rest them on a shelf somewhere, away from dust and dirt, on an old microfibre cloth to absorb any left over water in the foam. Lay the bigger applicator foam side down so that the cloth absorbs as much water from it as possible.

Next time you go to use the applicators, make sure they're dry, and give them a quick brush off so that there's no dirt or grit in them before using them.

 

Keep it cool

Store the Beaut Beads tub in a cooler location, out of the direct sun.

If you are fanatical you can store it in the "butter" section of the beer fridge, or in a wine fridge, but its not 100% necessary, especially if it means one less bottle being kept in either area.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

  • Can I use Bead Machine or other sealants over the top of Beaut Beads? - Yes, and no. Our super hydrophobic range of sealants; Bead Machine, Happy Ending & Wet Dreams can be used as toppers and put on top of Beaut Beads and will work no problems. Avoid using Carnauba Body Wax, Lazy Wax or Fully Slick, as these products may inhibit the super hydrophobic nature of the Beaut Beads wax.
  • How often should I re-apply Beaut Beads? - Re-apply the Beaut Beads paste wax as needed. We have found that on cars that are not daily drivers, and garaged, it can last up to 1 year. On a daily driven car, you will find you should need to re-apply every few months just as needed. Bead Machine and our other super hydrophobic sealants will increase the longevity of the wax.
  • Can I layer Beaut Beads? - We don't recommend that you do. Because of the solvents in the wax, layering it over itself can cause the second layer to affect the first layer, so we recommend not to. As mentioned above, Bead Machine is a great one to layer on top of Beaut Beads.
  • Do I need to go through the whole process every time I apply Beaut Beads? - No. We find that usually once year is sufficient to go through the entire preparation process. For the in between applications, just be sure to wash and dry the car, clay if it's contaminated, and always use Flash Prep prior to application.
  • Can I use Beaut Beads on plastic/glass/rubber? - We don't recommend it. Beaut Beads can leave marks on plastic trim and rubber, and isn't suitable to use on glass. Use After Glow for all glass for good beading action. If you do get Beaut Beads on rubber or plastics, remove it straight away with a cloth and some Orange Agent or Flash Prep.
  • Can I use Beaut Beads on a paint protection coating or ceramic coating? - We don't recommend this. While it may not affect all coatings, it might affect yours. Stick to our other super hydrophobic sealants; Bead Machine, Happy Ending, Wet Dreams to put on your ceramic coating.
  • Will Mega Snow Job remove Beaut Beads? - It will affect it, yes, so we recommend to stick to using our pH neutral foams for regular maintenance.
  • Can I use Beaut Beads in direct sun? - Yes! It will work in direct sunlight and still be super easy to remove.
  • What do I do if I notice my cloths are smearing? - Make sure you're using clean, fresh and dry high quality microfibre cloths like our Drop Bear. If you notice smearing, change out your cloth for a fresh one.
  • Can I use Beaut Beads on my wheels? - We don't recommend to use Beaut Beads on your wheels - higher temperature resistant sealants like Bead Machine and Wet Dreams are more suited.

Any questions?

Beaut Beads is available at your local autObarn, Supercheap Auto or Repco, as well as many of our other supporting stores nationwide. Part code is BOBBW.

To find your local Bowden's Own stockist, click this link HERE.

If you would like more information about Beaut BeadsFlash Prep or any of our other products, shoot our team an email to info@bowdensown.com.au, or FREECALL our office on 1800 351 308.

Happy detailing,

Brett Hobbs


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