I don’t know if any of you know this, but Hard Candy actually used to be a mid-range brand, sold at department stores like Sephora and Nordstrom, but in 2009 they decided to partner up with Walmart to bring their product to the masses; all that without sacrificing the quality. In 2011 Hard Candy released four Fox in a Box blush quads and two bronzer duos as part of their Spring Collection, but for some reason I was never interested in trying them, since I rarely shop at Walmart, which happens to be the only place they’re currently sold at. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a snob, it’s just that I have another regional Supercenter within walking distance, and closest Walmart is 15 minutes away. I was driving by the other day and decided to walk in to check out if they have anything new, and of course I ended up walking out with a few makeup goodies! 🙂
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| Hard Candy Fox in a Box blush palette in “Spicy & Sweet” |
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| Hard Candy Fox in a Box blush palette in “Spicy & Sweet” |
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| Hard Candy Fox in a Box blush palette in “Spicy & Sweet” |
Fox in a Box quads are described by Hard Candy as “highly pigmented, multi-color powder compact” that “blend[s] … perfectly for a sweet and sassy flush look”. This palette comes in a pretty hard cardboard box, which is environmentally-conscious, but can also be inconvenient if you are rough on your makeup. Each box is also supposed to be equipped with a magnet closure, but for some reason mine doesn’t seem to have one, so it actually doesn’t close at all [I put a temporary adhesive dot on the inside of the box to take pictures]. On the inside of the lid Hard Candy included a tiny brush, which looks very cute, but also sheds a lot and really doesn’t work too well to begin with.
Spicy & Sweet features four wearable shades, that can [and should!] be blended together to create a healthy flush look.
The peachy coral quadrant provides a good amount of pigment with minimal fallout, that sets with a true matte finish.
The muted bronze quadrant experienced a little fallout when I tried to swatch it, which might be due to the subtle fine shimmery flecks in the formula. It had good pigmentation and staying power, and blended well.
The watermelon pink quadrant is highly pigmented and sets with a true matte finish. It felt a bit chalkier than other three quadrants, but it was also the most pigmented shade of the four.
The rosy pink quadrant is a little chalky, but that chalkiness blends out quite well, setting with a subtle shimmery finish.
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| Arm swatches of Hard Candy Fox in a Box blush palette in “Spicy & Sweet” |
When blended together, these shades create a very natural color, that looks like a healthy flush. Even though two out of four quadrants featured shimmery particles, after blending with the matte quadrants they created a lovely sateen sheen effect.
I wore this blush on top of my regular foundation, and it lasted a full day with minimal fading. Overall, the formula felt soft and buttery, with a hint of slight chemical scent. I normally dislike products that smell too much like chemicals, but this one is subtle enough, so I’m going to let it slide.
My personal problem with this product [which I am not going to include in the rating] is Mineral Oil in the formula. I try to be very careful with products that contain it, because my skin can be really sensitive to it. So far this blush didn’t give me any trouble, and I think as long as I don’t wear it too often and remove it properly at the end of the day, I should be fine.
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| On the cheeks – “Spicy & Sweet”. It looks very subtle and natural. |
THE VERDICT
The pigmentation and staying power are nearly unbeatable for the price. The formula is highly blendable and feels buttery soft on the cheeks, providing hours of comfortable wear. From the negatives I should mention the flimsy cardboard packaging that can also be hard to get into with a regular brush, as well as a slight chemical fragrance, and minor fallout. When blended together, Spicy & Sweet combination provides a dewy glow to the cheeks for a natural healthy flushed look. This color will show up the best on people with Fair to Light complexions.
PRODUCT RATING
86%, B
Formula 8/10 | Application 8/10 | Pigmentation 10/10 | Longevity 9/10 | Product 8/10
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
$6.00, 0.2oz. Available exclusively at Walmart.
Ingredients:
Talc, petrolatum, mineral oil/paraffinum liquidum/huile minerale, polybutene, propylparaben, methylparaben, tocopherol acetate, fragrance/parfum, coumarin, linalool. May contain: Mica (CI 77891), iron oxides (CI 77491; CI 77499), titanium dioxide (CI 77891), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140)
