Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Hard Candy Just Nails

You may have recently heard me complaining about having to go to Wal-Mart to find these and leaving empty handed every time. While the hunt for these polishes was not the least bit pleasant, the reward was worth the ordeal.

I didn't pick up all the shades- I left the cremes behind. I'm more interested in glitter, but there was a yellow creme and a light teal creme that looked pretty good, I may go back and get them at some point.

Here's what I got from Hard Candy Just Nails:

Breakup. A clear-ish base with very large particle opalescent hexagonal glitter. I say that the base is clear-ish because it's speckled with little shimmer particles, smaller than glitter but large enough to make the base a little milky and sparkly. On me, mostly the orange-yellow-red side of the opal glitter shows. In the bottle it has a blue-purple-green side that I just adore and wish it showed more on me. This might be best as a topcoat because it's not the most opaque glitter in the world.


Date Night. Light medium warm pink glitter. Remember when I was posting about the new Zoya UltraGlitters and I said that all the pink glitters on the market were the same color? They're this color. This is pretty, don't get me wrong, but I wish the shade was more unique.



Envy. Vampy blue-green shimmer. This is the color I used for my Depression Awareness ribbon manicure- you didn't forget that it's still Depression Awareness Month, did you? This is a gorgeous color, blackened and still shimmery. It does look mostly black indoors and in sunlight the shimmer catches the light and it's just really pretty to look at. I wish it was a little less blue-based and a touch more yellow-toned. Lots of blue-greens out there lately.


Hot Pants. Ick. I mean.... Murky mauve-pink sheer base with large holo hex glitter and small holo round glitter. This is a really weak version of China Glaze Carnival Lights or Nubar Sugar or something. I do like the look of sheer colored base with hexagonal holo glitter, I just wish the base color wasn't so muddy and ew. It looks terrible on me. It should have been pinker or brighter, this base shade looks kind of lifeless to me. Works great as a topcoat, though.


Lava. HOTNESS. Bright red shimmer base with gold-orange iridescent metallic flecks. It's not really glitter... More like tiny little broken flakes. I love this. A lot. I've been a red-hater for a long time (to me it's boring, uninspired and overdone) and within the past year my taste has changed so much. Now I'm craving bright reds like this. But enough about me... Lava has a very iridescent, almost duochrome look to it. It flickers and changes in the light, like it's filled with little glowing embers or tiny flames. Lots of red, orange and gold flakes.


Mr. Right. Vampy dark blue shimmer. Whoa mama. Blue velvet. Gorgeous. Probably not the least bit unique, but still... very pretty to look at, isn't it? Like Envy, it does look mostly black with a hint of blue shimmer indoors, but outside when the sun catches it just right... perfection.



Mr. Wrong. If this is wrong, I don't wanna be right. It's a steel blue, grey, silver, gold and taupe metal flake fusion. This is probably the coolest polish in the whole line. Gahhh, it's so awesome!! It's a bunch of tiny little flecks of metallic shimmer- not really glitter like in Date Night or Sweet P. The particles are very thin and light. The overall effect is mesmerizing.



Sweet P. Cause everyone needs a mother.... Er, sorry. I hate that song. But I do like it when polish names make me think of music. Aaaaaaaanyway, Sweet P is a pea-soup glitter. Okay, it's not as murky-swampy as pea soup, it's more like fresh peas. Bright springy green glitter. A little muted. Kind of a retro-70's avocado refrigerator look. Or like the paint on one of those carnival rides. I'm digging it. Green, glitter, what's not to love? It's not as bright or complex as NYX Lime Sparkle, though.


The formula on these was okay. A little thick on a few, sort of watery on the others. Kinda sheer. Took a long time to dry. Not horrible, but it's not going to win any awards. I did three coats in all these pictures and they needed all three. Maybe Lava and Mr. Right could get away with two. Also worth noting: these are mini sized. .35 fluid ounces. Standard polish size is .5 fluid ounces. These also come with little plastic rings that fall off easily, do not try to pick up the bottle by the rings. The old Hard Candy jelly rings stayed on much better.

I have a few thoughts on these. One, I'm happy to see Hard Candy back with interesting colors, but I'm also a little disappointed that they're not as cool as they used to be. There's still hope- these colors aren't boring, but they're not the edgy, unique shades Hard Candy was known for.

Second, I'm kinda irked that I have to go to Wal-Mart to get these. It's kind of like shopping at the circus. Stuff hanging off of shelves in narrow, dirty, dimly lit aisles, nail polish covering the floor and all displays within a ten foot radius, dozens of unsupervised children running around screaming... (Sorry, Wal-Mart lovers, I just can't do it!) I also feel that being sold only at Wal-Mart cheapens the already devalued image of Hard Candy. The Hard Candy line really went downhill in the last few years, offering chalky makeup in standard shades and four boring polish colors. I'd love to see this brand restored to its former self. I still have my first two Hard Candy lipsticks- Piglet and Skitzo- even though they are totally rancid and unwearable, as a relic of good days gone by.

Third, what's up with the price?? $5.00 for a mini? From Wal-Mart? You've got to be kidding me. I guess I'm just so used to paying $4.48 for OPI and $3.20 for China Glaze, which are full-sized AND pro/salon brands (not drugstore brands). I have nothing against drugstore polish at all, but I do think $5.00 for .35fl oz of Wal-Mart polish is a little steep. Hard Candy, you're no longer a high-end brand, you don't need the prestige price tag.

But... overall... I really like most of the colors I got, I would actually wear almost all of them and I'm happy that they're at least available to everyone who wants them. The makeup line looked kinda cool, if I see some good reviews I might actually venture back to that place to try some of it.

51 comments:

  1. Some of these are really pretty (Lava!), but I am such a Wal-Mart hater, I am not likely to pick them up.

    Thanks for braving the ickiness that is WalMart to show these to us!

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  2. I hate Wal-Mart too. It's depressing to shop there, both the environment and the people. I never go unless I absolutely have to. Having said this, I might have to venture out to check out Lava, Envy, and Mr. Wrong. Loved Envy from your previous picture and it's almost Philadelphia Eagles green (yes, I'm a fan.)

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  3. Ugh, I hate Wal-Mart too and never shop there. The environment and the people are both depressing. Having said that, I may have to go to check out Lava, Envy, and Mr. Wrong. Thanks for posting these!

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  4. I might pick up the glitters, they look pretty!

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  5. I hate and despise WalMart too. I went there only for the polish and left. I bought Lava and a pink shimmer (can't remember the name) that you didn't review. The pink is ok. But Lava is STUNNING. I've worn it twice and got huge compliments on it. It's on fire! Now if Hard Candy would pretty please bring back the pastels, I can die happy!

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  6. I agree 100%! I love Mr. Wrong, but at the price (and the risk of going into Wal-Mart to get it) I don't think I can go back for other colors. (Although the green is tempting.)

    I feel like I would catch swine flu there!

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  7. OMG I love all of these!! :O For all it's hate, I wish we had Walmart in the UK now. Just so I could get these polishes... :)

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  8. oh- mr right and mr wrong look really gorgeous on you- too bad they don't sell them here :(

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  9. I don't have too much of a problem with WalMart, but I wonder if the Canadian ones are not as bad? (or maybe my chaos-tolerance is weirdly high or something)

    Ventured into NY to get my hands on these, and was also dismayed to see the prices! I guess even Sally Hansens are selling for $6 CAD these days, but at least that's full sized. I ended up only getting Envy, couldn't justify buying more at that price. I do love Envy a whole lot though, so I may have to pick up more on my next jaunt down south.

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  10. they are available for purchase on WALMART.COM

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  11. They're pretty, but seriously don't think they are worth $5 and a scary Wal-Mart adventure to obtain.... gonna stick to OPI, China Glaze, etc.

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  12. When Sarada and I went on a Wal-Mart pilgrimage this weekend, two men were shouting at each other and on the verge of a fist fight in the aisle. Another reason I don't like Wal-Mart!

    I wish I had gotten Lava! It's beautiful on you. I think I am going to use the glitters for my funky french addiction. I cannot stop painting glitter on my tips. I need an intervention.

    Envy is dark and foresty. Sweet P makes me insane. I could wear it as a funky...yep.

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  13. thanks for the swatches. i only found out last week that hard candy was back but at walmart (ew). my friend works right by walmart (surprisingly they're hard to find in la) and i had her pick me up 7 of them. i am sad now that i didn't get lava because it looks amazing. haven't tried any of the polish yet. i hope this is just the beginning for hard candy and that they expand with cooler colors because i loved their old line.

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  14. I just got some of these today in a swap! Loving the look of Mr Wrong and Envy and can't wait to try them out. And I must thank my swap partner again for venturing into "that place" to get them for me :)

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  15. You may like http://www.peopleofwalmart.com if you haven't already heard about it or seen it ;)

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  16. Envy, Lava, Mr. Right... wow! Very nice colours, but I agree with you about the price. Outrageous, really.

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  17. Haha, I really don't have a problem with Wal-mart except for the huge crowds that are there even at 8 pm on weekdays. Love 3 of these though and will probably walk down to walmart and get some.

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  18. I live in a city and had to drive to three different Walmarts before I tracked these down. I am happy because I couldn't afford Hard Candy the first time around (middle school). But, do think they are a touch steep. But, the nostalgia is working for me.

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  19. I'm always disgusted when I go to Wal-Mart. Even the relatively new store in the suburbs of my town is horrible. I just want to take a shower as soon a I leave.

    But I went yesterday to check these out and I was so happy to see the display relatively unharmed and generally looking awesome that I almost forgot I was at Wal-Mart! I picked up Mr. Wrong and I'm wearing (and loving) it right now. But it looks like I'll have to go back for some more.

    Oh, if only they had released these at Target. I wonder if the people behind Hard Candy realize they're losing customers by releasing the line at Wal-Mart only.

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  20. Lava, in my opinion, is pretty right on!

    http://www.explorevolcanoes.com/volcanoimages/aa%20aa%20usgs.jpg

    I dig it. :)

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  21. I love Mr. Wrong! I hesitate to think of what that implies about my taste in men.

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  22. Thank you for the review. I was hardcore lemming the HC stuff, but since it's not carried anywhere close to me, I was actually debating a road trip stateside.

    Insanity averted.

    On another note - where the heck do you get opi and china glaze so cheap??

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  23. I have seen Lava on other blogs but this photo made me go WOW! Do you know of any dupes for this? As far as I'm aware this brand doesn't exist in Australia atm...

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  24. I think they are charging way to much for these..i have bought 2 so far..Mr.Wrong and Frenzy...i think they should only charge maybe $2.50!

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  25. Ya know... I was just in a WAL*MART today and discovered these; they aren't carried in every store. I liked the dark green and lime green glitter polishes, but also felt that five bucks for each was a bit steep considering the size.

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  26. Mr. Wrong is about the only one I have that I like, I've got the first one, Break Up, but there are a number of milky/glitters around, the only difference here is the glitter.

    I do love Mr. Wrong. It's unique to have a purple dichroic feel to it, very nice!

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  27. I LOVE Lava! I picked it and Mr. Wrong up last weekend and wore Lava as my mani for about 4 days before it finally chipped enough that I had to remove it. It was so pretty and glowy. I may actually need a backup, and I don't do backups! But these are small and I don't want to have to use it sparingly.

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  28. i HATE wal-mart too. it's never worth the hassle/mess/chaos.

    but more importantly, where/ how do you get opi and china glaze for so cheap!?

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  29. I love the hologram films in the first polish! I have a Pa just like it. Looks really cool under a matte topcoat: http://nailsbyasami.blogspot.com/2009/08/essies-matte-about-you-matte-finisher.html

    Otherwise I just wear it like you said, as a topcoat: http://nailsbyasami.blogspot.com/2009/10/winter-snowflakes.html

    I think I'll have to pick up "Breakup" just in case they're slightly different. How many coats are you wearing in that picture? I think my Pa one has less holograms.

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  30. Never been to a Wal-Mart (I think the closest one is half an hour or so away). Kind of afraid to go to one, to be honest. Anyway, I like the looks of most of these, but $5 for a mini? Yikes.

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  31. I am wearing Lava now and loving it. I also got Mr. Wrong and Sweet P. I haven't worn Sweet P, but Mr. Wrong is awesome. I didn't have any issues with application (a tad thick) and it seemed to dry quick enough for me. However, I noticed these had a distinct plastic-y smell that my other polishes don't have. Weird, huh?

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  32. the only ones I might get are Breakup and Mr. Wrong...yum! Perhaps Lava might sneak in...but it''ll be a long time before I get them, ew Walmart

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  33. I actually really loved Hot Pants from your swatches and went to go pick it up tonight because I happened to be going to Wally World. I really like it and if you haven't yet, you should put a matte top coat over it because it is AWESOME matte.
    I also got Frenzy, which is the teal. Which was really difficult to remove. I had blue fingers for a day.
    But you're right, way too expensive.

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  34. I agree with you exactly that having this line only available at wal-mart cheapens the brand considerably. And I think in the long run it will definitely hurt it and they will lose customers. I for one don't shop at wal-mart, and even though some of these polishes are nice looking, I won't go to wal-mart for them. :( Too bad, I've been jonesing for a red with gold flash.

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  35. I too ventured to Wal-Mart to find these. Envy is definitely my favorite! It was kind of goopy, but not nearly as bad as the cremes, which were pretty annoying to apply...but...they're VERY pigmented, which is nice! You only need two coats for them to be opaque.

    Downside: I put on 'frenzy', the turquoise/aqua color, and put 'breakup' on top. It was really pretty, but when I took it off, everywhere there had been a piece of glitter, my nails were stained the color of 'frenzy'! I'm wary to try 'frenzy' by itself, now, because of the horrible stains that I had for weeks! This was even WITH a base coat!

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  36. Some of these are very cute. I like Mr. Wrong a lot, looks fab on you! Ugh, I know what you mean about Wal-Mart though...it's not a fun place to be, especially since I usually only get there around 9-10 PM. Sometimes I find random Nic Sticks on clearance, which is neat, but otherwise my experiences there are usually negative.

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  37. Mr. Wrong is the best. I was so thrilled when i got my hands on it. I really dislike Walmart but sometimes I have to go there.
    The one in my town is really clean but the clientele not so much. Then again, I live in a town with a rep for being trashy.

    That said, I agree the price isn't so hot but was worth it for me because my local Walmart doesn't offer much in the way of cool polish. I normally go to Walgreens, Fred Meyer and Rite-Aid for drugstore brands.

    I didn't have issues with dry time and wear was good for me. Yet again, my job is rough on the nails anyway so two day wear is pretty spectacular for me!

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  39. I go to Wal Mart at midnight or so. Lessens the heinosity.

    I can say that the eyeshadow sticks, lip plumping gloss, and liquid glitter eyeliner are excellent. The colored mascaras kind of suck the hind one, though.

    For $6 for most products I'll probably work my way through the rest of their stuff. Why the hell not, right?

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  40. I'm not a fan of Walmart. But with a steep pay cut, I do shop there more. (And I've tried to cut back on material items overall.)

    I've never seen nail polish all over the aisles . Just screaming kids (at Squall-Mart) But I notice that in Target, the NP area is messier (& the kids are almost as loud)!

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  41. Oh, Wal-Mart is worth Lava! The $5, however, is kind of surprising, Thanks for the posts!

    And where do you find OPI and China GLaze so cheap?

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  42. Hard Candy is available online at Walmart. I never go into the place. I don't like it because they aren't Union. If I want them bad enough I will use online ordering. I love Lava, Envy and Mr. Wrong. I won't die if I don't have these.

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  43. I did a major double-take when I saw Hard Candy at my local Wally World. I tried a blue mascara (I think the name of the color was Peacock?), and wasn't terribly impressed. Envy looks like the color I had hoped Sephora by OPI's Dark Room would be. Thank you for posting about Depression Awareness Month! I have battled the stuff for years, so it's always refreshing to see others spreading the word.

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  44. I really like Breakup! That's the image I get when I think of a mermaid's tail

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  45. I love Mr. Wrong and Mr. Right. Envy is pretty but I think I have than exact color since I have that Wet N Wild Morbid in the craze line.

    I agree that the make-up area at Wal-mart is usually disorganized. The great thing about irregular work hours is that Wal-mart is fairly deserted at eight or nine in the morning on weekdays.

    To get the Wet N Wild craze line, I had to venture into K-mart. I was really impressed with how clean and organized their nail polish area was and also empty at nine on weekday morning. They even carry OPI though it's just red/pink colors.

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  46. Oh wow! Just gorgeous. I'm not sure if we can get Hard Candy in the UK though.

    xoxo

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  47. you made me...(yes I said made!) go out and get three of these! Wearing Mr. Wrong right now and I am so in love with these...WOW! and I love wal mart so it's not a problem for me....Thanks!!!!

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  48. Hmm, yesterday I was at walmart and was considering getting sweet P., and breakup. I didn't get them, but after reading your review, I think i'm going to have to go back and get them! Great swatches!

    http://caitlinbananas.blogspot.com/

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  49. dude i could never agree more about Hard Candy.. I used to have some pretty awesome makeup/polishes from them, but then everything changed, and in the worst way possible =( cheap crappy makeup. lava really is beautiful though.

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  50. Where are you getting OPI and China Glaze for less than $5??? I bought OPI's for $6.95 last week (Canadian dollars that is) and thought that was a steal! Please share!

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  51. Ms. Scrangie I hope ya don't mind me linking to you on my tiny, humble blog (http://sarajean-glitter1.blogspot.com/). I reviewed some Hard Candy makeup and also the polish in Frenzy. Love your blog! Thanks for all the hard work! You're my go-to for all thing nail polish. :)

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