Hard Candy Glamoflage Concealer in 488 Medium Light

The concealer with a cult following, the Hard Candy Glamoflage Concealer ($5.98, exclusively at Walmart) is known to cover everything from tattoos to minor imperfections like blemishes, dark circles and freckles. 

The pencil concealer that comes as a freebie with the liquid doesn't currently suit me, as it's a bit too warm for my current skin. However, it works great as a lower waterline eyeliner to brighten the eyes. 

The Hard Candy Glamoflage Concealer in 488 Medium Light is a good shade match for my winter-to-spring transition shade, however in the winter months I'd definitely go for 978 Medium Warm. At 7 shades, the range is much more impressive than other drugstore concealers. There's ultra-light, fair, light, medium light, medium warm, medium and tan.

Being a super high coverage concealer, the texture is a bit thick and potentially cakey, but both the product and the coverage are easily thinned out with delicate patting motions of a damp beauty blender. Above, I only used the teeniest drop, which is enough product for a little more than for both sides of my under eye area. Surprisingly, the product dries to an almost skin-like consistency but will settle into fine lines if you over apply. Without powder, the concealer lasts all day long and then some. However, if you choose to set with powder it may end up looking a bit cakey. 

Can you spot the difference?

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Hard Candy Eye Def Glitter Eyeshadow in Sequin & Walk the Line Eyeliner in Black Light

Pretty swatches, not so great products. Lately, I've been pretty on board with Hard Candy products but these are two purple products that I was very disappointed with - the Hard Candy Eye Def Glitter Eyeshadow in 327 Sequin and the Walk the Line Eyeliner in 790 Black Light ($5.98 each, exclusively at Walmart). 

Hard Candy Eye Def Glitter Cream Eyeshadow in 327 Sequin 

The glittery deep purple hue of Sequin looks like it will make the perfect addition to a purple smokey eye. It's not. For one, the texture is hard to blend. While the doe foot applicator is handy, every time I attempted to layer the product (be it with the doe foot or my fingertips), it would wipe away the layer before leaving a "bald" patch on my eyelid. This made it impossible to build colour. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Furthermore, Hard Candy says this is a long-wearing product. Well, it most certainly is...to the point that it stained my lids. 

Hard Candy Walk the Line Eyeliner in 790 Black Light

This bright purple liner looks so wonderful in the tube. The colour isn't the issue - it's slightly sheer when applied but a second layer makes it fully opaque. The brush tip is flared and it's almost impossible to create a sharp line. It's almost fixable. I could dip a finer brush into the tube, but the tube is too small... 

Not surprisingly, every brand has great, so-so, and not so great products. That being said, if you're at your local Walmart and think these look cool, I suggest you skip them. There are much better products available from Hard Candy. Keep in mind that I've only tested out a single colour for each of these products, so other colours may differ. 

 Is there anything you've tried lately that you weren't happy with? 

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Hard Candy Top Ten Trendsetter Eyeshadow Palette in 890 Birthday Suit

A few months ago, I reviewed the Hard Candy Top Ten Classics Eyeshadow Palettes in Smoke Out and Feelin' Blue. Hard Candy also has a Top Ten Trendsetters Eyeshadow Palettes Line which features "fashion forward colours with matte, shimmer, glitter and metallic finishes. What might seem to be the most boring to some is the most interesting for me - the Top Ten Trendsetters Eyeshadow Palette in 890 Birthday Suit ($5.98, exclusively at Walmart). It's all matte, mostly neutrals with a few pops of colour... not something you see often at the drugstore. 

Swatched over Hard Candy Eye's the Limit Smokey Eyeshadow Primer

On a daily basis, I don't work with mattes because I haven't found a formula that I love. While I don't love the Hard Candy matte eyeshadow formula, they're not bad. The lighter shades are a little chalky but nothing but the medium-toned and darker shades are quite nice. With the help of a little primer, all the shades look pretty great. In terms of workability, the mattes in 890 Birthday Suit are fairly easy to blend and build and stay on my lids for 6-7 hours before fading away. 

Overall, not the best or the worst eyeshadows but this palette is great if you're looking for some affordable mattes. 

Do you have a favourite drugstore matte palette? 

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Hard Candy Smokey Eyes Look Pro! Tin Palette

The Hard Candy Smokey Eyes Look Pro! Tin Palette ($7.98, exclusively at Walmart) is a new, fun little number for your eyes. The one stop eye look shop includes nine of the eyeshadows, Eyes the Limit Eye Shadow Primer, a dual ended foam applicator, a mini Take Me Out Eyeliner in Soy, and an instructional card for three looks. 

The Look Pro! Tin palettes are also available in 927 Natural Eyes and 926 Sassy Eyes - which include the same primer and eyeliner but different variations of eyeshadows. 

Seem familiar? If you haven't already guessed, the tin packaging seems to be an affordable take on the Too Faced eyeshadow palettes. While the Hard Candy Eyeshadow formula isn't quite on par with the buttery, softness of Too Faced, Hard Candy's offerings are of decent quality if you can handle a little fallout. 

Each row of three represents a look - day (warm neutrals), evening (cool neutrals), and drama (purples). For all three rows, there's a definite pattern. the first shade is shimmery, the second is a satin shimmer, and the third is a deep matte. As aforementioned, there's a bit of fallout with all of the shades. Furthermore, the lightest shades seem to be a little chalky and hard to work with. For the most part, everything else in the palette is pigmented yet easy to work with. 

The primer is good but a little silicone-feeling and slippy for my liking. I prefer a primer that's more tacky. As for the eyeliner, it's pretty standard - ultra-black and creamy, fairly long-wearing (5-6 hours).

I was slightly disappointed to see that all three looks in the instruction card were variations on the exactly the same look - the lightest shade up to the brow, the medium shade all over the lid, and the darkest shade in the outer corner and the crease. The instructions are good for a beginner but pretty useless otherwise. Here's how the looks turned out: 

Day Look

Evening Look

Drama Look

Overall, I'd say that this is a really, really good beginner neutral palette. It's got some neutrals, darks, and a little colour - with the addition of a primer and liner. My favourite look is definitely the Day Look, as this is what's most similar to my daily makeup. 

Have you tried the Hard Candy Look Pro! Tins?  What's your favourite smokey look - day, evening, or drama? 

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Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lip Gloss in 972 Plum Diva & 967 Skyfall // Spring 2015

HURAH! Blue and purple lip glosses are now available at drugstore prices! I can finally get my fierce on.  Recently launched are the Hard Candy Fierce Effects Argan Oil Lip Glosses ($4.98, exclusively at Walmart). Available in 8 intense shades and 4 sheer shades, the Fierce Effects Lip Glosses are quite a daring pop of colour. 

Pictured above are 972 Plum Diva and 967 Skyfall, both intense shades. In addition to the dark plum and baby blue, there's an orange, black and red that are both unique and eye-catching. Even if crazy colour isn't your thing there's also 962 Nude Plunge and 963 Make Blush. 

Both colours require a couple coats over the lips for full opacity. The glosses are enriched with citrus and argan oils, making the product hydrating and a bit slippy/sticky. Both colours will easily get on your teeth, so be careful! Lasting power is so-so at 2-3 hours. Plum Diva leaves a nice stain after it wears away, while Skyfall fully wears off (all over you're face if you haven't been good at checking in the mirror often).

972 Plum Diva

967 Skyfall

Overall, these Fierce Effects Lip Glosses are very, very cool. While Plum Diva is surprisingly wearable on its own, it would also look amazing under a purple lipstick (maybe Revlon's Matte Balm in Shameless). Skyfall is a stunning colour but can't really be worn alone, as it's a bit patchy and hard to make fully opaque. I would recommend wearing Skyfall over a white or blue lipstick for better application. A few issues with with product formula but a must-have if you want bold colour at drugstore prices. 

Have you ever tried a blue lip gloss? 

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Hard Candy Glow All the Way Ombre Baked Blush in 994 Punch

I never thought I would see the day. Ombre blush has arrived for less than a $10 bill. Pricier brands like MAC, IT Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, Lise Watier all have beautiful limited edition ombre blushes in their line. Now available at Wal-Mart is the Hard Candy Glow All the Way Ombre Baked Blush in 994 Punch ($6.98). 

According to Hard Candy... Baked ombre blush gives your cheeks all over warmth and glow. The ultra-light, micronized pigments are infused with radiance enhancing pearls and blend effortlessly into the skin to enhance skin tone and give you a natural looking finish. 

First thing I noticed, the packaging is utterly bleh - not a fan of white plastic. Good thing the look of the product inside makes up for everything that is aesthetically wrong with white plastic. 

994 Punch is a combination of a pinky-white (far left) and a bright fuchsia pink (far right). Everything mixed together (centre) yields a light pearly pink. The blush as a whole is quite pearly but not a chunky glitter. To the touch the blush is quite smooth and soft but not as finely milled as the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. I prefer not to mix the blush before applying it on my face because the colour is a bit too pale and only shows up as shimmer this way. Instead, tap my brush in a couple times and apply directly to my face. The result is a gradient from fuchsia up into the highlight shade. It's a pretty glow and multi-tasks as both highlighter and blush in one. Furthermore, it lasts about 6-7 hours before fading away. 

Overall, a blush that's pretty in the packaging AND pretty on the face. Such a shame that 994 Punch is the one and only colour of the Hard Candy Glow All the Way Ombre Baked Blush, as it's such a beautiful blush. I can see a lot of people appreciating peaches, reds and everything in between in ombre form and hope that Hard Candy will expand its Ombre Baked Blush range. 

Have you tried the Hard Candy Ombre Baked Blush? 

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Hard Candy Nail Lacquers in 984 Lace Me Up, 987 Fairy Godmother & 988 Wild Child // Spring 2015

In late February, I attended the celebration of Hard Candy's 20th Birthday (and preview of Spring 2015 launches) - see a few photos on my Instagram. Let me tell you. If you're into bold, bright, fun, and unique makeup, there is so much to look forward to! First up, there's 8 new polishes (a range of now 45). Expect to see reviews of some of Hard Candy's latest and greatest in the coming weeks. 

The Hard Candy Nail Lacquers retail for a fair $3.98 and are available exclusively at Walmart. If you're not familiar with Hard Candy's polishes, the range is a mix of ultra-cool topcoats, unique metallic, and less of the more toned-down shades. Generally, the formulas are good. I find the metallics are opaque in 2 quick coats and stay on my nails for 2-3 days. Even better, the top coats are super concentrated so you can get a good amount of product on your nail without needing to dip back into the bottle. 

984 Lace Me Up 

hexagonal and round pink and black glitter top coat - zero qualms here. This is a great topper! 

987 Fairy Godmother

silver-purple metallic // slightly streaky but not noticeable unless up-close

988 Wild Child

metallic purple with slight green duo chrome // the duo chrome is much more prominent in the bottle, a little disappointing but still a nice colour. 

Overall, three impressively pretty polishes for spring. My favourite is 987 Fairy Godmother which you most certainly will catch me wearing. 

What's your favourite of these three polishes? 

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Hard Candy 1000 Lashes Fiberized Mascara in Indigo Blue

Hey, Stephanie. Something's different about your eyelashes. And brows. They're blue! It's all thanks to the Hard Candy 1000 Lashes Fiberized Mascara in Indigo Blue ($6, exclusively at Walmart). It's also available in other fun colours like Divine Purple, Mermaid Teal, White, Lush Green, and your standard Midnight Black. 

I think I'm obsessed. What's not to love about coloured mascara? The brush is pretty standard, straight with natural bristles. Other than the colour, what's different about the Hard Candy 1000 Lashes is the formula. If you look very, very closely at the wand, there's thousands of tiny little hairs. The tiny fibers make for very volumized lashes. 

I used the Hard Candy 1000 Lashes in Indigo Blue atop the CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara for some extra volume and colour. It's ridiculous how vibrant and voluminous the blue looks on my naturally sparse lashes. 

Under my standard mascara evaluation it does pretty well. --> Does it lengthen? Yes. Does it volumize? Definitely. Does it clump? No. Does it smudge? No. Does it droop? No. 

If you're in the market for a coloured mascara, I would 1000% recommend the Hard Candy Fiberized Mascara. Given the performance of Indigo Blue, I'd love to eventually try the regular, old black colour. 

Have you tried any Hard Candy mascaras? 

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Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Collections in Smoke Out and Feelin' Blue?

The name of Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Collections in Smoke Out and Feelin' Blue (~$6, available exclusively at Walmart) describes exactly what it is. A set of 10 eyeshadows in one handy dandy palette. The Top Ten Eyeshadow Collections are available in 5 colour combinations, the other three being Pinking of You, Green with Envy, and Naturally Gorgeous. 

First off, I do not condone this packaging. I like that through the clear plastic I can see the colours of the eyeshadows. However the lacy overlay over shiny fabric on anything and anywhere should be illegal. What I do like is the extra-long mirror on the inside, though I wish it was the full height of cover instead of the half behind the fabric/lace combo. 

Secondly, the eyeshadows throughout both palettes are consistent in quality. They're good but not great. On one hand, the colours are true to the pan and quite soft, pigmented, and easy to blend. On the other hand, there's a ton of fallout (because who doesn't love blue glitters all over their face? Ke$ha for one...) and despite being soft to the touch the shadows appear slightly gritty and clumpy when applied. 

Feelin' Blue

Feelin' Blue contains 7 blue shades from pastel to brights to dark navy. The other three shades are "neutrals" of sorts - a shimmering white, satin true grey, and a slightly blue-leaning grey. While the Hard Candy website indicates that there is a combination glitters, shimmers and mattes, I disagree. Every colour has a slight sheen and therefor the palette contains no true mattes. As for the combination of shades, nobody ever wore blue eyeshadow for a "natural" look but the greys and the white shimmer are helpful for toning down the colour if you don't feel like going all out. 

Smoke Out   

Smoke Out feels like quint palettes in one rather than one cohesive palette of 10 (a purple palette and a grey palette) especially because they're not organized from darkest to lightest to the likeness of Feelin' Blue. Similar to the aforementioned, there are no true matte colours, mostly satin shades and glitters. The colours in this palette are a bit more subdued as half is colour and the other half is smokey grey neutrals. I actually prefer Smoke Out over Feelin' Blue because there's more room for versatility. The purples and greys can be used separately or together for a "smoked out" look. 

Overall, I'm kind of on the fence about the Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Collections. While they offer a variety of coloured eyeshadows for a very reasonable price, the packaging is slightly off-putting. If you can put up with a bit of cheap lace and some fallout, then you'll definitely be satisfied by these drugstore eyeshadows. 

What do you think of the Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Collections? Smoke Out or Feelin' Blue? 

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HALLOWEEN: Nails

Even if you're not one for the extravagant costumes (or makeup), you can still celebrate Halloween. Nails and nail art are the perfect way to be festive with minimal effort. Here's two easy ways to get your nails Halloween-ready! 

Dazzle Me, Pucker Up, Hollywood Satin, Treasure Island, Kiss Me Cupid 

Press-on Nail Art Designs. I've already expressed my feelings about the Broadway Nails Press-On Manicures ($8 each, see previous reviews here). In a nutshell, they're quick and easy to apply and come in awesome designs. This year,  Broadway Nails has launched six Halloween designs. From cute and festive to dark and spooky, whether you want cute nails or you're in a pinch for a Halloween party, these are designs are a great way to spice up your nails. 

The Basic Orange and Black Mani. A manicure that's totally appropriate for the entire week leading up to Halloween is a vaguely-related-by-colour manicure incorporating orange and black on the nails. I used the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in 150 Sunkissed as a base and topped it off with the Hard Candy Nail Color in 651 Black Tie Optional. I think the Hard Candy top coat adds dimension and interest to the solid orange. Orange and black nails are subtle but celebratory. 

Are you playing dress up this Halloween or will you only be dressing up your nails?

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