Back in March, I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive Hard Candy Spring/Summer Preview, which was located at The Richmond in Toronto’s Fashion District.
If you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Snapchat (username: swatchandlearn), you got to see a few photos and/or videos that I published in real time.
This blog post contains many more photos that I snapped with my phone, so you can feast your eyes on all the makeup goodies.
The displays show a sprinkling of older and newer products from editorial lip colours to strobing kits.
Thanks to PR, not only did I have a great time checking out the latest Hard Candy products, but I was excited to receive a swag bag from them that was filled with makeup!
Before I get into the Hard Candy products, I want to give a special shoutout to Tami (@tamielsombati on Instagram), a makeup artist who I met at the event. She’s the gorgeous woman standing next to me in the above photo. (She shows lots of her work on her Instagram.)
Tami was extremely sweet and helpful, answering my questions and giving me loads of valuable tips and tricks. I always find it refreshing when I meet talented people who are still down-to-earth and nice. (She even complimented me on my skin and my makeup, which made me feel on top of the world!)
Hard Candy is available exclusively at Walmart, and if you want to read up on more specific information on each item, check out the Hard Candy website.
The Hard Candy Velvet Mousse Matte Lip Color is available in a variety of shades from vampy to demure with great colour payoff.
It comes housed in a beautiful tin case featuring a spring-floral design, and I thought it was clever that when you open the lid, the underside has a mirror. This is a thoughtful touch!
The Velvet Mousse Matte Lip Color is like a liquid lipstick in that it comes in a tube and you apply it with a doe-foot applicator. When I tried it during the event, I noticed how soft and lightweight the texture was on my lips – very comfortable and not drying like some liquid lipsticks can be.
(This was pretty amazing because that particular day, my lips were really dry. If I had put on any other liquid lipstick, it would’ve been like plastering the Sahara Desert on my pout. I was surprised that the Velvet Mousse didn’t leave my lips feeling parched.)
Also, it smelled like delicious sweet caramel candy, which I loved! But don’t worry – it wasn’t cloying, so even if you aren’t a fan of your lip products having a scent, you won’t be bothered by it. The mild scent is only noticeable for a few minutes during and after you apply it.
The Velvet Mousse dried down quickly to a matte finish, and when Tami applied it on me, the lip colour went on evenly.
Here are the Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lipsticks that drew me in.
You can use them solo (if you’re daring enough!), or you can blend them with lip colours you already own to create new ones and expand your collection. I think this is a great way to play with colour. Also, the Fierce Effects Lipsticks contain Argan Oil, which adds moisture and shine to your lips.
Of course, being a nail junkie, I couldn’t help but think of nail polishes when I saw all those pretty colours. 😉
It should come as no surprise that I had to open up and photograph the green one, right?
(That would make a gorgeous nail polish…)
On my nails: Essie Nama-stay the Night from the Resort 2016 Collection.
Hard Candy Brow Ink is a brow stain that promises to keep your brows looking great all day and all night! It has a tiny wand, so you can apply the product with greater precision.
The Hard Candy Ginormous Biggest Fan Mascara has a chubby wand designed to deliver dramatic lashes that say go big or go home!
Hard Candy Glamoflauge is pretty popular for its high pigmentation.
Emphasize your cheekbones with the Hard Candy Look Pro! Illuminate & Strobing Face Duo Stick. Its compact, dual-ended design makes it travel-friendly, while the chubby pencil ends allow you to dot it on exactly where you want it before blending it in or dabbing over it with a Beauty Blender.
Hard Candy or eye candy? Hehe, it’s both! 😉
A closer look at the eyeshadow palettes:
Many of the new products focused on the strobing trend and how to define your bone structure while illuminating the high points of the cheekbones to create more dimension.
They also had the Hard Candy Look Pro! Ultimate Contour & Sculpt Kit to help give you defined cheekbones. It even included a brush for all-in-one convenience.
Tucked away were these Hard Candy Nail Polishes in the same rectangular bottle with a wearable ring around the handle like the ones that came out in the 1990s. (Hands up if you’re also feeling nostalgic!)
The Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer family keeps expanding. I remember back in the day, I used the original clear one. Now they have ones that colour-correct, help your foundation last up to 12 hours, help with dark spots, and even address aging skin! There’s something for everyone.
At the preview event, there was food to snack on and drinks to enjoy.
My eyes lit up when I found a whole table at the back with candies and bags, so that you could take some home. Trick or treat in March!
Although all the treats were yummy, I especially loved the white-chocolate-covered pretzels. It took all my will power to not run off with the entire container!
While asking the bartender for a glass of white wine and briefly chit chatting, I spied an entire platter of cheesecake pops!
Almost too eagerly, I devoured two in record time. (I ate the chocolate one on the bottom corner and the white one next to it with pretzel bits.)
Both were so good, and I was surprised that the cake pops survived this long without succumbing to their demise sooner.
A huge thank you to PR for the invitation and for walking me through all the different Hard Candy makeup at the event. I had a great time. My eyes feasted on fun new cosmetics and my belly got to indulge in sweet treats, too! 🙂
Which cake pop would you have reached for first? Do you use any Hard Candy makeup in your everyday routine? Are there any products in this post that you’d like to see me do an in-depth review on?
What a cool event! I’m glad you had a chance to attend and that you took the time to share it with us. All of the new products look exciting, but you know my heart lies with nail polish. I’ve always been a fan of Hard Candy and I even still have some of the original polishes with the matching rings. I’m glad to see that they’re going back to the rings so a whole new generation of nail addicts can get the thrill of buying a great polish and being able to match their “jewelry”. Thanks again for sharing with us!
Hey Melissa!
That’s so cool that you still have the original nail polishes! Back in the day when they first came out, I remember Sky (the light blue) was popular, especially when Alicia Silverstone (the “It” girl) wore it. Sadly, I wasn’t quite as big of a lacquerhead as I am now, so I missed out on it. However, when I have the 20th anniversary issue of the polish that also came with the ring, so it’s all good! 🙂
Do you have the original Hard Candy Beetle? That one is so stunning!
I’d love to see some of these new products, but our closest Walmarts don’t stock many of their items. It’s already too hot to ship cosmetics too (my mailbox needs a parasol!), so I’m making a note to hit their site once the weather cools down. I do have a few of their products, but my fave is a glossy lip stain (in fair lady); it’s such a great swipe and go color when my lips are too dry for anything else.
I’d personally love to see more about the lipsticks and primers.
It sounds like you had a lot of fun! Thanks for taking lots of pictures and sharing your experience. Those cheesecake pops look so delicious! I think I would’ve gone for the white pop with the cocoa powder on top first.
As a side note, I stumbled across your review for Nyx high def eyeshadow base/primer at some point, and remembered that when I saw the product somewhere recently (Ulta, I think?). I bought it, and I’m so glad that I did! It’s been the first eyeshadow primer I tried that actually worked for me. No more creasing, no more eyeshadow fading, didn’t irritate my eyes, and it even somehow manages to keep any excess oil away. So thankful to you for that review!
-Brynn
Hey Brynn!
Haha, yeah, good idea. You don’t want melted makeup to arrive!
I’ve been thinking about reviewing the Velvet Mousse, since my swag bag contained one of the beautiful colours. As for the lipsticks in green, blue, etc., I’m also curious about them. Never tried any, but if I get my hands on them, I’ll take them for a spin and see how well they can be used for layering (as I don’t quite have the guts to wear full-on blue or green lips when it’s not Hallowe’en).
Oh my gosh! I’m SO HAPPY to hear that the NYX base worked out for you, too. It’s still my favourite eyeshadow primer because it’s lightweight, yet it really lasts and keeps the shadows vibrant and in place all day and night. I think it’s one of the most underrated eyeshadow primers.
Thanks for letting me know. I love helping out readers and sharing my reviews. So nice that one of my old reviews is still helpful! 🙂