Hard Candy Fox in a Box blush in Spicy & Sweet

Finally!  I've been wanting to try this Hard Candy Fox in a Box blush ever since they came out with the new products, but living in Chicago we don't have Walmart in the city.  Once I got home for the summer, I knew it was time to try it out (so I'm sure you all have read plenty of reviews on these already- I know I have!- but I hope it isn't too overkill yet!).  Next on my list is Smooth Talker, which is another four-color blush that closely resembles Benefit Sugarbomb, but for today I'm reviewing this one called Spicy & Sweet!  It's a blend of four shades that come together to deliver a nice pop of peachy-pink to the cheeks.  

The packaging instantly reminds me of the Benefit boxed blushes, although the way they're presented in the plastic (see picture above) is kind of funky.  The box is opened so you can see the powder inside, which makes sense, but mine doesn't stay closed very well because of it (the top is magnetic).  I sat mine upside down for a few minutes which did the trick.  All problems aside, it definitely has that "cute factor" and I'm totally willing to pay for it. ;)  The brush is useless like I expected, but I'm fine using my own.

This picture is color accurate- I took a picture a ways back and then cropped it so the flash wouldn't wash it out

Spicy & Sweet consists of four shades that you can either use individually or all together.  I personally never think to use them individually and just swirl my blush in the pan, but it's up to you.  Clockwise from the top left you have a peach, tan with brown undertones, deep rose, and pink.  Together they leave a gorgeous flush of peachy-pink behind.  From the pan it looks sparkly, but I would call the finish more of a satin- no shimmer or glitter translates to my face.  This is my ideal finish for blushes, as I can still use a highlighter of choice and not look "frosty".  

First four swatches are individual, far right is all together

Pigmentation is great!- I was worried because when swatching them on my arm, it took two swipes of my finger to get the payoff shown below (see picture).  It's much better when used on your face.  The blush gets a little powdery, but not bad- kind of like the ELF Studio blushes in my opinion.  I find I only have to dab my brush in the powder a couple times in order to get sufficient color payoff (and that's more than enough for my cheeks!  I like to buff this in with my EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer brush to make sure it's even).

One thing I like best about this blush is how long it lasts.  When I got home from work at 6pm a few days ago, it was still going strong (I applied it around 9am).  Typically blushes don't last longer than 5-6 hours on me so this was a welcomed surprise.  

Overall, I'm really happy about this new purchase.  If you can access Hard Candy where you live I'd definitely recommend trying one or two!  They're affordable ($6), pigmented, and fun.

Hope you all are having a great Thursday!