Hard Candy Archives - Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

I can’t lie, I’m a little “vanilla” when it comes to mascara. When I was getting a new one a few weeks back, I accidentally picked up one in “brown/black” and recoiled the instant I recognized my gaffe. I’ve just always been more of a “blackest black” kind of chick when it comes to these lashes, and I don’t deviate that often.

Not long ago NYX released an immense range of vibrant, affordable colorful mascaras that seem lovely, and the world of glittery mascaras is vast, but I just haven’t been able to part with my precious carbon black hues…

Enter Hard Candy Lash Tinsel Chrome Mascara (about $6 at Walmart), a different, also affordable take on the brand’s already popular glitter mascaras.

Graphite, a metallic aluminum silver, and Sapphire, a deep, luminous gemstone blue, have me changing my tune about shimmery, colorful mascara.

They’re both new shade additions to the existing range, all of which are about $6 each.

“Create futuristic chrome lashes that are fun and flirty with Lash Tinsel Chrome Mascara. The pearl packed formula evenly coats lashes and the comb-like applicator removes any clumps for a professional look every time! Layer over black or a tonal mascara for a more vivid, multi-dimensional look.”

— hardcandy.com

Hard Candy Lash Tinsel Mascara in Sapphire

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Hard Candy Cheeky Tints in Geisha, Surfer Babe and Goddess

Anything with the phrase “cheeky” in it is particularly nostalgic to this beauty lover, given the name of my blog, Getting Cheeky, which I nurtured for several years before “retiring.” So, of course, when I heard that Hard Candy had released a cheek product for spring 2016 called the Cheeky Tints, I was all ears.

Hard Candy was the cool girl makeup brand that I couldn’t get enough of as a tween, and it’s been fun to watch the brand’s style evolve over time.

I remember treating myself to their nail polishes with babysitting money (I won’t tell you when that was…because it will make me feel ancient) and lovingly collecting the rings that came with the polishes in a coordinated hue.

Hard Candy’s Cheeky Tints are part of the “new wave” of high quality makeup that’s fun, but doesn’t break the bank. These tints are available in six shades and, at only $6 each, you can definitely treat yourself to a fair few of them without dipping into your spring break fund.

I tested the Cheeky Tints both with a brush and with my fingers, and while the brush application looked lovely, I suppose I just like finger painting for grownups and favor my god-given applicators.

To avoid letting the product dry down too quickly and ending up with one splotch on each cheek that’s darker than the rest (liquid blush and stain, ladies; we’ve all been there), I make sure to dispense the product onto my hand before picking up the color with my finger and blending into my cheek. I’ve found that with all of the shades, this works best to control the pigment.

Hard Candy’s Cheeky Tints are water based with a thick gel formula that’s easy to control, both when squeezing the product out of the tube and applying. The consistency is incredibly easy to blend and lasts (I kid you not) all day.

I’ve been favoring Goddess applied heavily underneath my foundation to warm up my overall appearance, or on top of foundation for a lasting bronze that helps me look a bit less like I’ve just spent the entire winter in the “arctic tundra.”

But Geisha has been my favorite blush of late. It’s an incredibly natural flush that reminds me a bit of Benefit’s classic Benetint.. It’s perfect and so natural for spring.