Review: Hard Candy Flat to Fab Mascara

Hard Candy's Flat to Fab Mascara is a new release for 2012. I was given this mascara a while back for review, but a girl can only test so many new mascaras at a time, so now that I've used this product off and one for about two months, I'm ready to share my opinions with you!

Hard Candy products are sold exclusively at Walmart (both online and in-store). For more information on this product, or any other product from Hard Candy, click here.

 Hard Candy Flat to Fab Mascara in Blackest Black

(retail: $7, 0.48 oz)

Note: this is not a waterproof mascara. According the package, it is "smudge-proof" but it is a washable mascara, not a waterproof mascara.

I tried about a hundred times to photograph the ingredients printed on the outer tube of this product. Since the font is so small, and it's printed on shiny paper, this (incomplete) photo was the best I could do. I could not read the ingredients with my naked eye (even with my glasses on!) or else I would have just typed them out for you:

The mascara itself:

I love the big, purple metallic tube, with its signature Hard Candy graphic on the lid (you can kind of see the graphic in the above pic)

 The wand is made of traditional nylon bristles. It's sort of a dumbbell shape. It's fatter on either end, and dips to a narrow center.

Here are some before-and-afters. (Note: if these pictures look familiar to you, it's because I used them for an eyeshadow review I did earlier this week. Hey, I'm resourceful!).

NO MASCARA:

AFTER TWO COATS OF HARD CANDY FLAT TO FAB MASCARA:

I always say that mascara reviews are the most difficult to write, because there are just SO MANY variables that can make one person love a product, and another person hate a product. So the best thing I can do is once again tell you what MY lashes are like, and what MY requirements are for a good mascara. Hopefully, after I do this, you can determine, based on your OWN needs, whether or not this product might be a good fit for you.

I have fine, short, straight lashes that are pretty much nonexistent without mascara (see evidence of this above). My number one priority for a good mascara is volume. I need tons of volume in my mascara or you literally won't be able to see my lashes. I've used countless mascaras that provide separation and definition and they NEVER work for me, because I just can't see my lashes unless I have good volume.

Now that you know what I like to see in a mascara, it will probably make sense to you when I tell you that I LOVE this product. After two coats, you can definitely see my lashes! This product provides fantastic volume, and I love that it only takes two coats to get me there.

Consistency: This is a drier mascara (along the lines of Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express, L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber, CoverGirl LashBlast Length). As with most drier mascaras, it takes a bit of effort to build for volume. After one coat, the volume is not where I want it to be, but two coats is perfect for me, giving me the thick, visible lashes you see above. What I really love about this mascara is that it doesn't clump during application. It's thick, sure, but it's not clumpy in a way that makes my lashes stick together to form one giant uni-lash.

Staying power and removal: This product lasts all day and into the night on my oily skin, with NO fading, transferring, smudging or flaking. I can remove this product with my standard facial cleanser, but of course makeup remover makes the process a bit faster.

But is this mascara perfect? No. The main claim that this mascara makes is that it will curl your lashes. I'd say that the curl is visible, but on my stick-straight lashes, it's not the same type of curl I'd get from a curler. Also, I'd say the biggest obstacle that I needed to overcome with this product was the brush. It's big, and the two ends of the "dumbbell" are even bigger. When I apply this mascara holding the brush in a horizontal position, it feels like the center of the brush is not even touching my lashes, if that makes sense. Therefore, I've sort of had to adjust my technique, and I find that using just the first "weight" in the "dumbbell" works best for me. I love applying my mascara by holding the wand in a vertical position anyway (especially for my lower lashes) so this is not bothersome for me in the slightest. Sure, I do use this brush in the traditional way at first, but I find that I always eventually go back to just using that first "weight".

As for length, I wouldn't consider this product to be a true lengthening mascara. It does provide some extra length to my puny lashes, but what it REALLY does, and what it's BEST at, is providing tons of volume.

FINAL VERDICT: If your main priorities for a good mascara are separation and definition and you're NOT looking for extra volume, this one's not for you. But if you are a volume lover who favors volume even over length, you might love this one. I find that this product truly delivers on volume, and even though it's touted as a curling mascara, the volumizing capabilities of this product are where it truly shines. This is a drier mascara that doesn't transfer, flake or smear for me, and I can remover it with my regular facial cleanser. If you're a volume junkie and you're willing to work with its unique brush, I think you might be pleasantly surprised by Hard Candy Flat to Fab. It's not perfect, but I've been finding myself reaching for it whenever I want extra volume and it never lets me down in that department.

Do you own Hard Candy Flat to Fab? If so, what do you think of it? If not, do you think it might be a good match for your mascara needs?

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.