Hard Candy and I have a past that involves a lot of love and a lot of glitter. I remember becoming enamoured with their products at the ripe old age of 15. I was turned on to their nail polishes by Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame who wore their peach polish. Of course, I wasn’t into nail polish really (and still am not to this day), but I was *OBSESSED* with BtVS. And whatever SMG/Buffy liked, I therefore LOVED.
And so, my Hard Candy obsession started. I have vague memories of the Hard Candy counter at Sears in the Rideau Centre in Ottawa and spending my hard earned babysitting money (keep in mine I was 14 years old) on a 20 dollar eyeliner. (I’m 33 years old and spending $20 on an eyeliner freaks me out NOW and it’s almost 20 years later!)
So anyway, this eyeliner. It was called Cyber and it was a black base shot through with silver glitter. It was my life blood at that age. It lined my eyes and the glitter splashed all over my cheeks due to fallout. I loved it so, so much. I went through that entire eyeliner and even repurchased another when Hard Candy was dying out as a high end brand during my first year of university. I have a very strong memory of going to the Hard Candy counter at Yorkdale mall (in Toronto where I was attending York University) and buying my very last Cyber eyeliner liner (still priced around $20). They dissolved within a few months of that purchase.
And here we are now. It’s 2016 and Hard Candy has morphed into a drugstore brand sold at Walmart. It’s a weird twist of fate that one of the first brands that made me fall in love with makeup has since turned into a brand that I actually have to spend less to obtain now even though it’s 20 years later.
Since I’ve always had a whole lot of love for Hard Candy, I put together a soft romantic look with two different lip choices that, while appropriate for Valentine’s Day, would also be great for any kind of date. I hope you enjoy. 🙂
For the face, I used the All Matte Up Hydrating Lip Stain in Mattely in Love as a blush (I rubbed it on the back of my hand first and then used a small stippling brush to apply it to my cheeks) and then applied the blush in Honeymoon as a highlighter to bring out the glow on my cheeks. I also applied the Mattely in Love lip stain to my lips as well (that colour is incredible!).
I primed my eyes with the Eye Def Metallic Eyeshadow in Golden Earth and then applied the soft lavender duochrome shade from the Pinking of You palette all over the lid, I put the deeper pink through my crease and on my lower lash line and used the shimmery white on my inner corner. On my outer corner I used the Fierce Effects eyeshadow in Heart & Soul (the black shade) and blended that in to deepen everything up. Pop on your favourite mascara and some false lashes, and your eyes are set!
If you’re looking for something a bit softer on the lips, try using their Beloved lipstick instead. It’s creamy and hydrating and will add a bit of shine to your lips.
Thanks for listening to my Hard Candy story and I hope you enjoyed the looks! And please, please let me know if you have any experiences with Hard Candy as a brand (both old and new). 🙂
The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.
YES!!!! I love how budget friendly this line is now (I remember seeing their ads in my teen magazines YEARS ago and never being able to buy them/find them) I die for their gel formula lipstick. It’s one of my favourite formulas by far. Love your look!
The prices are incredible for Hard Candy! I’ve been using one of their baked bronzers for years now and that stuff is just freaking incredible. Although I do prefer matte lipstick for longevity, I did love the feel of the gel lipstick. Is there a particular shade that you really love?
I’m so glad you have memories of the old branding too! It’s a lot of fun to see how they’ve evolved over the years and it seems fans of the brand back then are still fans to this day!
NEMO(?) WANTS TO BE YOUR DATE.
I love that you used the lip stain as a blush too, it looks gorgeous in both uses and that eye look is gorgeous!
Zoë recently posted…Demeter Fragrance Chipotle Pepper
lol this one was Kolme! Nemo’s allllways my date! 😉
Yeah the lip product worked out so well on the cheeks – I was so happy with the pigmentation!
Chelle this look is so gorgeous!! It’s so soft yet colourful and just so so pretty. Great idea on using the lipstick as blush!!
Jodi recently posted…Give Love this Valentines Day
Thanks Jodi! I do like how it came out colourful enough to make me happy, but I think it’s also wearable enough for people who tend to shy away from colour too!
LOVE!! That soft lavender duochrome is everything. I need you to tell me what duochromes to buy cause I need to make an order! 😉
Chelsea recently posted…Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly Palette | Swatches & Look
Yeah that particular shade took me by surprise in the Hard Candy palette – there’s far more dimension to it than I otherwise expected.
You mean MUG duochromes? I learn more towards reds, so I’d recommend Hologram pigment. Kaleidoscope pigment is a must have for everyone though. And I really love Sugar Rush!
I had no idea that Hard Candy was such a big brand, throughout my time wearing makeup I’ve only ever seen them as a drugstore brand. It’s interesting to see the history and how they’ve evolved! Even though I was young when Buffy was on I was a huuuge fan! I was never allowed to watch it alone, so my Dad was forced to watch with me (I’m sure he didn’t mind because of the eye candy.) When it came out on Netflix I binged watched it for days…
These looks are gorgeous, I really do like the Beloved Lipstick!
Lindsey Elyse recently posted…Fruits & Passion Face Masks
I know right?? Most people have no idea about Hard Candy’s older iteration!
And yessss another Buffy fan! 😀 My parents were overly keen on it when I was younger, but they kind of gave up trying to prevent me from watching it as time passed because I was soooo gungho on it. lol
Wow, I had no idea that Hard Candy used to be a high end brand! Thanks for sharing the story, it was fun to see what got you into makeup. I love both looks you put together, and I’m swooning over that highlighter! I love the cat photo, btw. 🙂
Natalie Heather recently posted…H&M High Impact Eye Colour
Oh you younguns! 😉 Yeah, it was expensive back then, but hey, it was worth it to me! I’m glad the story is really resonating with people. I’ve never really had a “storytime” with my posts so I wasn’t sure how this one would be received. So far so good though! <3
Those hard candy palettes are amazing! I have two of them, not a huge fan of the packaging but pigmentation is SO good! And so pretty!
whitney recently posted…The Urban Tea Merchant Lunar New Year Tea Service 2016
My god you’re not kidding on the packaging. I can’t even open open with my own fingers/nails. I have to use a tweezer or something else to pry it open!
This Pinking of You one worked out okay for the look, but there’s a lot of shades in the palette itself that lack strong pigmentation. Which ones do you have?
OMG, I was looking for a powder highlighter and was thinking of purchasing Mary-Lou Manizer but somehow ended up getting Hard Candy Bronzer in shade Tiki and it’s stunning! One of the best highlighter!
Shireen L. Platt recently posted…The Perfect Valentine’s Day Pout with Arbonne Smoothed Over Lipsticks
Totally with you – Hard Candy’s Tiki has been in my collection for a while and it’s one of the absolute best highlighters you can get at the drugstore (if not THE best)!
dude your EYES!! (as always…)
its so funny, i remember spending a lot of money on a lot of stuff when i was high school and wouldn’t even blink (well not really but i was def more spendy then) but now i’m way more careful. it makes sense right, worse case scenario when you’re a kid is you can’t buy something but you’ve still got a roof and a meal from your parents. if i bought everything and anything nowadays…. lol.
i didn’t konw that hard candy used to be a higher end brand. it is pretty interesting how they’ve rebranded themselves and successfully too. i wonder if they’re still using the same formulas.
Haha thanks! <3
Isn't it crazy what we'd spend money on without thinking about it? And I definitely NEVER felt buyer's remorse back then either!
And yep, yep! Hard Candy was one of the more exciting high end brands at the time (alongside Urban Decay) because they were doing totally different things than the norm. Since I only ever used the eyeliner from the old version of HC, I haven't a clue of the formula is the same anymore for the rest of their products (and I haven't seen an identical eyeliner since then either).
GORGEOUS! LOVE the eyes!!!
I wasn’t into makeup in my teens/early 20s so I don’t remember when Hard Candy was a high-end brand. It’s good that they were able to reinvent themselves, and at a lower price!
Chantal recently posted…Luxe Box: Spring 2016 Limited Editions
Thanks Chantal! <3
It was incredibly smart of them to reinvent themselves with more affordable pricing. I definitely feel like they're more widely known now that they're a drugstore brand.
Oooo I love LOVE that sparkle and the gradient! I’m not sure exactly what I might do for my eyes around this time of year but I’ve been using soooo much neutrals recently I need to dig into my colors more often again! The lashes are gorgeous too Chelle!
Sharlynn Ng recently posted…Special: Year End Collective Haul 2015! (Chanel, Shiseido, Clinique, Bourjois, Etude House)
Thanks Sharlynn! I fully support the use of colour! Go for it!
My first-ever trip to Sephora in 2000 involved purchasing a Hard Candy Eye Shadow palette in “Disco 2000”- a pretty mix of ivory, purple, and brown glittery shades. Will always have a soft spot for it and am so glad the new drugstore incarnation of Hard Candy is so nice! I especially loved their So Baked Hula Hula bronzer and their All Glossed Up lip pencils.
This is such a pretty look on you- you wear the shades of pink and purple so well! I actually really like the soft pink lip shade on you- very romantic! And yay for a kitty cameo 🙂
Jen recently posted…Two New Boys in My Life: Tom Ford Stavros and Tony Lip Colours
I love that you had this story regarding high end Hard Candy! Like I mentioned last night, so few people seemed to be aware of the brand back then and it’s even less common now that it’s been rebranded as a drugstore brand!
I’m ALSO in love with the Hula Hula bronzer! I tried to hit pan this past year and could barely even make a dent in that sucker! I think it’ll last forever!
Haha, yes- I’m pretty sure my Hula Hula is immortal!
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