Terminology: Glow, Wet, Shiny?

M

miataman

New member
I've noticed that when discussing the final results of a given polish, wax, QD, etc. that often people use the terms glow, wet or shiny.



Is there any way of knowing exactly what people mean by that terminology....or is one man's "glow" another man's "shiny"?



I once had a pro detail my car and when I picked it up it was ultra-reflective and almost had a plastic look to it....nothing subdued or deep at all. I'm assuming the term "glow" would not apply to that look? Unfortunately that detailer has disappeared and I still am not able to duplicate that look.
 
miataman said:
I've noticed that when discussing the final results of a given polish, wax, QD, etc. that often people use the terms glow, wet or shiny.



Is there any way of knowing exactly what people mean by that terminology....or is one man's "glow" another man's "shiny"?



I once had a pro detail my car and when I picked it up it was ultra-reflective and almost had a plastic look to it....nothing subdued or deep at all. I'm assuming the term "glow" would not apply to that look? Unfortunately that detailer has disappeared and I still am not able to duplicate that look.
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Sounds like you had Zanio used on your car. And no, it had no glow to it, glow comes from Carnauba wax, it's hard to explain but after you have a high quality carnauba wax you'll see what everyone means by "glow".



Shiny, just means shiny. Wet, refers to the look as if your car is coated in water like during a wash, Just real smooth, wet and reflective.
 
Wet means that it looks as if it has a coat of water or oil on the surface. Sometimes shiny is referred to as reflective. As for glow, Zaino has a glow at dusk like no other product I've used.
 
Darkstar752 said:
Sounds like you had Zanio used on your car. And no, it had no glow to it, glow comes from Carnauba wax, it's hard to explain but after you have a high quality carnauba wax you'll see what everyone means by "glow".



Shiny, just means shiny. Wet, refers to the look as if your car is coated in water like during a wash, Just real smooth, wet and reflective.
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Why do you assume it was Zaino? Are there no other shiny, reflective sealants?
 
Usually synthetics have a crisp shine ( think of the candy coating on an M&M), whereas Carnubas impart a warm glow to the paint. Wet is just that, it looks like the paint is covered in water. What you like on your paint is entirely a personal choice. There are also some Synthetics that come close to the glow of a pure Carnuba, so even that line blurs a little.
 
Bigpoppa3346 said:
Why do you assume it was Zaino? Are there no other shiny, reflective sealants?
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No, because Zanio used to have a reputation of having the paint look like plastic, that's how most people described it. It's the only sealant I've ever heard described that way.
 
Darkstar752 said:
No, because Zanio used to have a reputation of having the paint look like plastic, that's how most people described it. It's the only sealant I've ever heard described that way.
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Have you used it personally?



I don't think plastic is the best word to describe the Zaino look. It's more like you are looking at the paint in High Definition, an amplification of the look you got from polishing.
 
Seeing all the zanio sealant pics on here I would say "Plastic" is the absoulte perfect way to describe it. Maybe it looks different in real life but the pics posted don't look high def at all they look like it's coated in plastic. darkstar752 nailed it right on the money on that comment.. hard to argue with it.
 
Thanks for the input guys...I'm still looking for "the look". Had a pro do my car last week and while it looks great....but it doesn't have that "plastic" look. Interestingly, he used all Zaino products.
 
Advertisers have coined the term "wet-look" to describe a liquid-like shimmer on the surface; 'nubas replicate this look. Sealants *in general* do have a more reflective look about them. I can attest that on a prepped finish Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish followed by Blackfire Wet Diamond gives me that "wet-look" on black I'm looking for. DG 111 comes close as well.
 
I never understood the whole "plastic wrapped" Zaino comments. I, personally, have never experienced it. Perhaps it was from back in the days before Z2 Pro, I don't know. What I do know is, I had never seen my car shine like Zaino made it shine. It made my silver Accord pop. Not too terribly wet, but like one poster said, there was nothing that could compare to the glow on silver at dusk. I've stopped using Zaino for other reasons, but, man, I sure miss that shine.
 
mborner said:
I never understood the whole "plastic wrapped" Zaino comments. I, personally, have never experienced it. Perhaps it was from back in the days before Z2 Pro, I don't know. What I do know is, I had never seen my car shine like Zaino made it shine. It made my silver Accord pop. Not too terribly wet, but like one poster said, there was nothing that could compare to the glow on silver at dusk. I've stopped using Zaino for other reasons, but, man, I sure miss that shine.
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+1



I also love when people comment on the "look" of a product by pictures they are looking at on a computer screen...come on, what is this, autogeekonline?
 
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