Review: Hard Candy CC Correction Créme SPF15 in Medium

Back in January, I posted info giving you the heads-up that Hard Candy was releasing a CC Créme at Walmart in February. I'm not sure if this has hit stores just yet, but I received an advance sample from Hard Candy a little while ago for review. Now that I've used this product several times, I'm ready to share my thoughts with you.

New Hard Candy CC Correction Créme SPF15 in Medium
(retail: $8 at Walmart, in stores and online, 1.5 oz)

From Hard Candy:  CC creams are the next generation of BB creams that are an all-in-one product designed to moisturize, prime, color correct, brighten, and even skins complexion.  The point of difference in the CC cream is that they have additional coverage properties and color correcting benefits.  Essentially, they are a merge of skin care and cosmetics.  

The multi-functional CC crème aims to provide better skin coverage to treat and cover uneven skin tones more effectively than a BB Cream - plus the benefit of daily skin protection of broad spectrum SPF 15.  

What does it do?

Hard Candy’s CC Crème provides five flawless functions:

1. Color corrects undertone with unique light reflecting optical pearls

2. Neutralizes skin tone by blurring blemishes, discolorations and dark spots

3. Brightens complexions with glowing air brushed finish

4. Evens skins texture for a smooth flawless appearance

5. Oil free crème moisturizes skin all day without clogging pores 

Innovative Technology:

Hand Candy's CC Crème is infused with inorganic pigments that neutralizes the under tone of skin resulting in a balanced complexion. The technology is further enhanced by the incorporation of complimentary titanated micas, which deliver a light reflection of color correcting properties, creating the appearance of even and flawless skin tone. 

Special Ingredients:

Isostearyl Neopentanoate – A light, silky ester that improves product playtime for a more natural looking finish.

Polymethyl Methacrylate – A texture enhancer and soft focus powder that give a soft skin feel and matte application.

Micronized Pigments – Provide a tint of color to even out skin tone.

Color Correcting Pearls – Help even out skin tone and add radiance.

D-Panthenol – Hydrates and nourishes the skin.

Prorevive Blemish Balm Complex – An all-in-one product consisting of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus/White Willow Bark Extract Ferment Filtrate that provides anti-aging, conditioning, moisturizing, anti-wrinkle, protecting, and antioxidant properties. 

Hard Candy’s CC Crème will be available in February 2013 exclusively at Walmart and walmart.com for $8 (1.5 oz) and comes in 4 shades: Fair, Light, Medium and Dark.

Keep reading for my full review...

This product comes with safety seals on both ends of the box:

I think the tube itself is adorable, with a cute pink heart and lid.

There is also a foil safety seal on the opening of the tube:

The shade I received for review, Medium, is much too dark for my NC20 skintone. Again, there are four shades in this range: Fair, Light, Medium and Dark. I'm willing to bet that Light would probably be a much better match for me. 

The consistency of this product is on the thinner side, so you need to be careful about accidentally squeezing out too much product from the tube:

Before (clean, bare skin):

After (one application of Hard Candy CC Correction Créme in Medium, applied with fingers):

Even though the color of the shade Medium is too dark for me, I think you can still see how this product covers my skin's imperfections. It does a good job of evening out my skintone and redness, and it doesn't pool into my (giant) pores near my nose, or settle into the fine lines under my eyes. It doesn't completely cover my skin's major imperfections (dark circles, broken capillaries on my cheeks, etc. are still visible, although they do appear diminished).

Texture and consistency: This product has a thin consistency, so it spreads across the skin quite easily. I wouldn't call it full-blown watery, but it's thinner than some of the drugstore BB creams and tinted moisturizers I've used. The texture is not sticky at all; it feels light, smooth and creamy on the skin.

Moisturization: I can easily skip my daytime moisturizer when I wear this product. It provides good moisturization all day long for my oily skin--quite comparable to a tinted moisturizer.

Coverage and finish: This product leaves my skin with a natural, dewy finish, but it's not so dewy that my skin turns into a big grease ball within an hour or two. I was scared when I read in the product description that this product contained "unique light reflecting optical pearls" that this product might have a shimmery or sparkly finish. I don't detect any shimmer or sparkle to this product though, so the pearls must be ground to an extremely fine consistency because the overall effect is just a very slight dewy look on the skin. In comparison to the drugstore BB creams I've tried (Maybelline, L'Oreal, Revlon), I think this product provides better coverage than those products. It feels a bit like Maybelline Dream Fresh on my skin, but with better coverage. I haven't noticed any oxidation from this product but, for the record, the shade I received for review was too dark for me to begin with, so I probably wouldn't have noticed oxidation if it occurred. 

Staying power: With setting powder (recommended after application), I can get about four hours of wear from this product on my oily skin before I start to notice slight fading and breakthrough shine in my T-Zone. After eight hours, I can definitely see my skin's imperfections peeking through. If you have normal or dry skin, your results could be dramatically different, of course. 

Fragrance: The fragrance of this product has a standard "foundation" note, mixed with a "suntan lotion" note, which is probably there due to the sunscreen in this formula. There's nothing heavy, floral, fruity, etc. to the fragrance, and I don't think it's strong at all. It shouldn't bother you unless you're extremely sensitive to fragrance in general.

FINAL VERDICT:  If you love drugstore BB creams such as Maybelline Dream Fresh, but crave more coverage, this could be a nice option for you. In terms of texture and how this product feels on the skin, I would best compare it to Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, but with more coverage. So if you like drugstore BB Creams such as Dream Fresh, I'm willing to bet that you might enjoy this one as well--especially if you're looking for more coverage. I wouldn't call this a full-coverage product though--it's just got more coverage than a tinted moisturizer or some of the drugstore BB Creams I've used. If you have normal or dry skin, I'm not sure if you'll be able to skip moisturizer before applying this product but, for my oily skin, I can easily skip moisturizer and not notice any dryness or tightness to my skin throughout the day. As suggested, you'll get better staying power if you set this product with powder (recommended by Hard Candy). I personally can get about 4 hours of wear before I start to notice slight fading and breakthrough shine, but keep in mind that I have oily skin. All in all, I think this might be a good option if you love the natural finish of tinted moisturizers but need more coverage. 

Hard Candy’s CC Crème will be available in February 2013 exclusively at Walmart and walmart.com for $8 (1.5 oz) and comes in 4 shades: Fair, Light, Medium and Dark.

Do you think this new product from Hard Candy might be good fit for you and your needs? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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.