Review: Hard Candy Glamoflauge Invisible Camouflage Foundation

Purchased by Me 

I've mentioned a few times here on the blog that I've really been enjoying this new Hard Candy Glamoflauge Foundation, which I bought over a month ago at Walmart when all of the new 2015 products first started hitting stores (if you'd like to see my review of one of the new eyeshadow palettes, CLICK HERE).

So today I'd like to tell you exactly why I've been reaching for this product so often these days...

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Invisible Camouflage Foundation in 933 Light

(retail: $7, 1.1 oz)

This foundation comes in eight shades, which you can purchase either in-store at Walmart or on the Walmart website. I purchased the shade Light, which is the fourth lightest shade in the range (preceded by Porcelain, Fair and Ivory). After looking at all of the shades in the display, I remember thinking that Light may be a tad too dark for my NC20 skintone, since I usually go with the second-lightest shade in any given drugstore foundation range. However, the tone of Light looked closest to my skin, so I figured that even if it was a tad too dark, I could blend some lighter powder on top and fix that. 

Keep reading for my full review...

As most of you probably know, this foundation is an extension of the very popular Glamoflauge Concealer line (which I reviewed here several years ago). I liked that concealer but, truth be told, I was half expecting the foundation to be just a thinned-out version of the concealer (not true, but we'll get to that in a moment).

Keep in mind that I purchased this foundation before there were any reviews online, so I really had no information to color my opinion other than my assumptions about it possibly being like the concealer. I remember hearing people say that they were hoping that this might be a good drugstore alternative to Kat Von D Lock-It foundation, and to that I say: try CoverGirl Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation if you want crazy intense coverage from the drugstore that doesn't budge. Because, in my opinion, this foundation is not similar to Kat Von D Lock-It at all. 

But that said, I love this stuff and I want to tell you why...

pump applicator

This bottle comes with a pump (yay) that you can unscrew to get the last drops out when the bottle's almost empty. The bottle itself is made of plastic, not glass, making it nice for travel.

Made in USA

Notice that kaolin (white clay) is pretty high up in the ingredients. This is a real selling-point for me personally, since my oily skin reacts very well to kaolin when it comes to oil control. It's the main reason why I still adore the Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Face Primer that I reviewed many years ago (kaolin is the third ingredient in that primer).

As you can see, this is a thin foundation, but it's not watery and it doesn't immediately start dripping when you apply a bit to the back of your hand. The consistency is very similar to Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Spotless Foundation (the Armani Maestro "dupe") that I reviewed last year. In fact, the first time I applied the Hard Candy foundation, I immediately thought, "Is this the exact same formula as PF Spotless?" They're that close in texture, viscosity and the way they feel when you're applying and blending into the skin. Both foundations also look similar on the skin--more of a "second skin" type of look rather than the heavier look you get with a full-coverage foundation. There are other differences as well, which I'll get to in a second.

To give you an idea of how this foundation covers some of my imperfections:

Left: bare skin

Middle: after foundation

Right: after foundation + powder

I took these photos late at night (which explains why my circles are extra-dark) but I just wanted to give you an idea of how this looks in action. I have large pores on my cheeks, old acne scars, sun spots, redness, you name it. By itself, this foundation does a great job at evening out my skintone and concealing many of my imperfections. It does not mask everything, but I love the way my skin still looks like skin after application. I applied this using nothing but my fingers, which is my favorite way to apply. Due to the thinner consistency of this foundation, I find that it does not work well with a sponge, or even a foundation brush. A brush is better than a sponge, but I think it really works best with fingers (for me, at least).

On its own, shade 933 Light is a tad too dark for me (as predicted), but with the right powder, I think it looks just fine (in this case, I used an old Physicians Formula Powder Palette in Creamy Natural which I got on clearance a while back but only recently opened).

For my more significant flaws such as under-eye darkness and sun spots, I still need to apply concealer after using this foundation, but I find that I don't need to use a lot of concealer to get the job done. And on days when I'm in a hurry, I feel confident enough, with just the foundation, to be able to leave my house and not feel "undone."

As for staying power, I'm highly impressed with how this wears throughout the day. I have very oily skin, and it's been warm here in San Diego while I've been testing this (on a few days it was 90+ degrees). What I find amazing is that I've tested this product without any setting powder (just moisturizer + this foundation on my skin for the whole day) and it lasts on me even without powder for 8+ hours. I'm guessing that it's the kaolin, which I mentioned above works great for oily skin, combined with the cyclopentasiloxane, which is the first ingredient in many face primers such as Smashbox Photo Finish, Benefit The POREfessional, etc. If I use a makeup towelette at night, I can still see plenty of this foundation on the towelette, even at midnight. No primer, no setting powder, and it's still there from morning to bedtime.

Also, this formula does not oxidize on me at all. When I apply a bit of concealer and setting power on top of this foundation, I am seriously good to go for 12+ hours with just the need for an oil-blotting sheet on my nose at about 2PM (and that's only on really warm days). And that is the biggest difference, for me personally, between this and the PF Youthful Wear Spotless foundation. As I mentioned above, both foundations look and feel almost identical on the skin, and they pretty much provide the same amount of coverage (Hard Candy is a tad better), but the staying power is what really sets these two products apart, as well as the applicator (I prefer Hard Candy's pump to PF's dropper style applicator). The PF foundation doesn't fare so well in warm weather, while the Hard Candy foundation is absolutely fan-freaking-tastic in warm weather for me.

The finish is described by Hard Candy as "velvet" and I would say that's pretty accurate. It's definitely not a matte finish, but it's also not dewy. It just looks like "skin" to me. Also, I don't really get a liquid-to-powder feel with this (as described on the bottle). To me, it's a liquid that melts into the skin and leaves a soft, velvet-like finish behind. It's not powdery at all to me in look or feel once it sets.

There is no added fragrance to this formula and to me it smells similar to other fragrance-free foundations and primers (sort of a light "chemical" scent but nothing strong or obnoxious). I have not experienced any unusual irritation, dryness or breakouts while using this product.

FINAL VERDICT:  If you like thin foundations that provide more of "second-skin" look but still manage to even out skintone and provide nice coverage, I think you might want to consider Hard Candy Glamoflauge Invisible Camouflage Foundation. I would especially recommend this if you have oily skin and/or you already like Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Spotless foundation. The coverage is a bit better than the PF foundation to me, and the staying power is absolutely exceptional on my oily skin. I think that if you were hoping this might be a dupe for Kat Von D Lock-It, then you'll probably be disappointed since this is in no way a thick, full-coverage foundation. Now I love my thicker, full-coverage foundations (CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 is my holy grail after all) but sometimes I just want something lighter, easier to apply, and more natural-looking. And that's exactly why I'm loving this foundation. I can apply it very quickly, I can skip concealer (and powder!) on lazy days, and I know it's going to last, and last. What more could you want when you're in a hurry and don't have a lot of time to devote to makeup application, right?

Do you already own Hard Candy Glamoflauge Invisible Camouflage Foundation? If so, you know I would absolutely love to hear how it's been working for you. Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? And if you don't own it, do you think it might be a good fit for you based on my experience?

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.