Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops

Product:  Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops.  Don’t want to spend the money for Cover FX Custom Cover Drops?  With this Hard Candy dupe (almost), you don’t have to!

Overall Rating = 4 stars 4 Stars – Excellent

Cost: $7.00 (.5 fl. oz.) ($14.00 per fluid ounce)  Price Category: Inexpensive

Sold By:  HardCandy; Walmart.

Container:  Glass bottle, twist-off cap with attached dropper.  As with the Cover FX product, the packaging is not ideal.  A squeeze tube would have been better.

Description:  I previously reviewed Cover FX Custom Cover Drops.  Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops is almost a duplicate product.  This is a small bottle of pure pigment in liquid form.  The concentrated drops allow you to increase the coverage or alter the color of any liquid or cream foundation.  You can also add color and/or coverage to a colorless sunscreen or moisturizer.

Formula:  Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops is a thin liquid.  This formula is slightly thinner and less pigmented than the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops.  The tinted liquid is not intended to be used by itself.  It must be mixed with another product.  On its own, the formula has a matte finish, but not as matte as the Cover FX drops.  Shockingly, I actually prefer this formula to the more expensive Cover FX drops, as it blends easier.

Vegan Friendly:  Yes.  This product is free from animal ingredients.

Cruelty Free:  Yes.  Hard Candy does not test on animals.  This product is made in the USA.  Despite the fact that the brand is now exclusively sold at Walmart, I have not found any evidence that the brand is sold in China.

Sensitivity:  Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops is free of fragrance, alcohol, gluten, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sulfates and talc and is appropriate for those with sensitive skin.  ALLERGY WARNING:  This does contain a small amount of mushroom extract, so stay away from this if you are allergic to mushrooms.

Company Claims:

“Highly concentrated liquid pigments that  allow you to customize any face product for coverage or shade.

Squeeze the dropper and add drops to any daily moisturizer or primer to create a custom foundation.

The more drops you add, the higher the coverage. You can also add light or dark drops to any liquid makeup to custom match your skin tone.”

Discussion:  If you haven’t tried this brand that is exclusively sold at Walmart, you may be pleasantly surprised by some of their products.  The quality and performance of many of their products rival other brands that cost significantly more.  I’m looking forward to exploring this line further.  I picked up several different items and will be reviewing more of them soon.

The only downside to Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops is that Hard Candy developed these to compete with Cover FX.  It is a shame Hard Candy chose to copy the FX bottle because it is the bottle that is the worst characteristic of the product.  Hard Candy could have produced a far superior product had they not copied the inferior bottle and dropper delivery system.

If you have a bit of mad scientist in you, then you will have fun custom mixing these drops into many different products.  For clients, they afford me customization in mixing foundations for superior matching.  For personal use, I can make my own BB and CC creams with these drops.

Colors:  Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops comes in ten colors: Fair 1, Fair 2, Light 1, Light 2, Light 3, Light 4, Medium 1, Medium 2, Medium 3, and Deep 1.  I have fair skin and usually buy the lightest or second lightest shade in any foundation.  In this product, I bought Light 1.  Fair 1 and Fair 2 were too light for me.  Light 1 corresponds to N25 in the Cover FX drops.  For all of you porcelain girls that can’t ever find anything light enough, Fair 1 may be just what you need to lighten up all of the foundations that are too dark.  For professional makeup artists, buy a Fair 1 and a Deep 1 to customize perfect matches for your clients.

Finishes:  Hard Candy also makes Liquid Radiant Turn Me Bronze, Turn Me Radiant, Turn Me Matte and Look Pro! Illuminate and Strobing drops to compete with the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops.  With all of these choices, you can completely customize your products to suit your needs.

Daily Review:  The wear that you will achieve from using Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops depends purely upon the medium that the drops are mixed with.  I do have to use more of the Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops to achieve the same tint or coverage that I would get with the Cover FX drops.  If I normally use one drop of Cover FX, I will use two drops with Hard Candy.

Application Tips:

  • Shake the bottle well to mix the contents as separation will occur.
  • Load the dropper while the cap is still on the bottle.
  • Begin with two drops and add more as needed.
  • Mix the drops with whatever you are tinting on a small sterilized palette or something similar.
  • Mix the drops with whatever you are tinting before applying to the face.  If you try to blend these on the face, they will streak.
  • To avoid air bubbles, don’t empty the dropper back into the bottle prior to replacing the cap.
  • Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.
  • If the product gets too thick, it is time for a new one. It is not a good idea to add water to these.  If you need to dilute them, add a drop of sterile eyedrops.

Overall Review:  I was pleasantly surprised that the Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops performed as well as the Cover FX Custom Cover drops.  This is a useful product at a great price.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops serve many purposes:

  • Correct foundations that are too light or too dark
  • Add color to a ghostly-white sunscreen
  • Allow you to make your own tinted moisturizer
  • Achieve a match for hard-to-match skin tones
  • Add coverage to a foundation that is too sheer

Pros:

  • Mixes well with a variety of products
  • Provides customization for many skin tones

Cons:

  • Not as many colors available as the Cover FX drops
  • The bottle and dropper are messy, expose the contents to air and potential bacteria,  and cause the product to dry out faster.  A squeeze tube would have been a superior delivery system.

Suitability:  Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops is suitable for the following users:

  • All users

RATINGS REPORT:

Daily Rating = 4 stars4 Stars;

Average from Other Testers = 4 stars4 Stars;

Value Rating = 4 stars4 Stars;

Overall Rating = 4 stars4 Stars = Excellent.

Would Buy Again?  Yes.

(Please review the About 365 Cosmetic Reviews page for the rating info.)

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment DropsHard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment DropsCover FX Custom Cover Drops Hard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment DropsHard Candy Glamoflauge Pigment Drops Swatch

Ingredients:  Dimethicone, Water, Isododecane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polymethyl Methacrylate, HDL/Trimethylol, Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica Silyate, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Carbonate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fomes Officinalis (Mushroom Extract), Silica.  May contain:  Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

Important:  Please read our full Disclaimer before using this or any product.

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

Product:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops.  Is your foundation too light, dark, warm, cool or too sheer?  This product actually changes the color and the coverage!

Overall Rating = 3+ stars3.33 Stars – Good

Cost: $42.00 (.5 fl. oz.) ($84.00 per fluid ounce)  Price Category: Expensive

Sold By:  Cover FX; Sephora.

Container:  Glass bottle, twist-off cap with attached dropper, outer carton.  (The container is not ideal.  Please see Cons below.)

Description:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops is a small bottle of pure pigments in liquid form.  The concentrated drops allow you to tint or change the color of any lotion or cream makeup.  You can also add color and/or coverage to any mixing medium such as colorless primer, sunscreen or moisturizer.

Formula:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops is a pigmented liquid.  The formula is not intended to be used by itself.  It must be mixed with another product which I am referring to as the mixing medium.  The finish is more of a matte finish than a dewy finish.

Sensitivity:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops is free of fragrance, gluten, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sulfates and talc and is appropriate for those with sensitive skin.  The product contains a small amount of alcohol and the scent dissipates once the alcohol evaporates.

Company Claims:

“Create your ideal foundation or tinted moisturizer by mixing these revolutionary drops of pure pigment with your favorite liquid beauty products.

What it Does:

These award winning, revolutionary drops of pure pigment were not designed to be worn alone but instead allow you to transform all of your favorite liquid beauty products into your ideal foundation or tinted moisturizer.  With this breakthrough formula you can customize both your level of coverage and desired finish.  What you choose to mix Custom Cover Drops with will determine your finish.  For a radiant finish, add to products like oils, serums, or creams.  For a matte finish, mix with a mattifying primer or lightweight lotion.  The possibilities are endless!  Then, simply adjust your coverage by the number of drops you add.

1 Drop = Sheer Coverage

2 Drops = Medium Coverage

3 Drops = Full Coverage

4 Drops = Extra Full Coverage

Custom Cover Drops are NOT designed to be used alone. Failure to shake well before adding drops to your favorite product will distort the coverage and result in less than desirable results.”

Discussion:  There was a lot of buzz in the beauty industry when these were introduced a couple of years ago.  People seem to have a love/hate relationship with them.  If used properly, they are a wonderful product that allow you to customize colors and achieve perfect matches to almost every skin tone.  When they haven’t worked for people it is probably because they used too much.  The pigments are highly concentrated, so more is not better with these drops.

I have always custom mixed foundations to achieve the proper color for clients, so when these came out I was hoping they would make the matching process easier and they have.  If you don’t want to fuss with blending and mixing products together, you won’t like these.

Colors:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops comes in twenty-four colors.  I won’t list all of them here.  I will explain their color system for this product:  There are four colors that begin with “P” for Pink undertones; there are 13 colors that begin with “N” for Neutral undertones; and there are 7 colors that begin with “G” for Golden undertones.  It is important that you know your undertone before purchasing this product.  There is a shade for everyone from very fair to deep.

Finishes:  Cover FX also makes a product called Custom Enhancer Drops that comes in two bronzing shades and four illuminating or highlighting shades.  Those drops will add a glow and a pearlescent finish to any foundation, moisturizer or primer.

Daily Review:  The hours of wear that you will achieve from using Cover FX Custom Cover Drops depends purely upon the mixing medium that the drops are combined with.  I really like to add one drop to sunscreen to turn the sunscreen from a ghostly white product to a nice natural tint.  Also, one drop is all it takes to completely change the color of an airbrush foundation.  A little goes a long way with this product and it works the best if you use the least amount possible.  If a foundation is too light and needs to be darkened or warmed up, one or two drops is all that is required for an entire face.

Application Tips:

  • Shake the bottle well to mix the contents as separation will occur.
  • Fill the dropper while the cap is still on the bottle.
  • Begin with one drop.  I never use more than two drops.
  • Combine the drops and mixing medium on a small sterilized palette or something similar.  Mix with a clean makeup spatula or small brush.
  • Make sure the drops and mixing medium are completely blended prior to applying them to the face.
  • If you apply the drops full strength to the face, the finish will be thick and unnatural due to the concentration of pigment.
  • Don’t empty the dropper back into the bottle prior to replacing the cap to avoid air bubbles.
  • Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.
  • Using 4 drops to achieve full coverage is simply too much and the finish will not look natural.
  • I cannot tell you what application method works best, i.e. brush, fingers, or sponge because I don’t know what you will be mixing it with.

Overall Review:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops perform very well for their intended purpose.  The drops sound gimmicky, but they actually do serve a very useful purpose.  If you have a bunch of expensive bottles of foundation that you have only used once because they were too light or too dark, you can change the color with these drops.  If you don’t like to wear foundation and only wear sunscreen or tinted moisturizer, you can get a little better coverage or color by adding a drop or two.  As a makeup artist, they really help with custom matching and offer a lot of versatility.

If you like the idea of this product, but not the cost, I’m going to review similar products (one is supposedly a dupe) from Clinique, Hard Candy and NYX in the coming weeks.  The Hard Candy and NYX products are only $7 and $10, respectively.  We’ll see if they perform as well and if so, I will definitely let you know.  Please sign up so you don’t miss the future posts.

Pros:

  • Mixes well with a variety of products
  • Provides customization for hard-to-match skin tones
  • Wide range of colors will match all skin tones

Cons:

  • Price
  • Product dries out quickly once exposed to air
  • The bottle with dropper delivery system is messy, exposes the liquid to bacteria, and reduces the longevity of the product.  A squeeze tube would have been far superior.

Suitability:  Cover FX Custom Cover Drops is suitable for the following users:

  • All users

RATINGS REPORT:

Daily Rating = 4 stars4 Stars;

Average from Other Testers = 4 Stars;

Value Rating = 2 stars2 Stars;

Overall Rating = 3+ stars3.33 Stars = Good.

Would Buy Again?  Yes.

(Please review the About 365 Cosmetic Reviews page for the rating info.)

Cover FX Custom Cover DropsCover FX Custom Cover Drops BoxCover FX Custom Cover Drops IngredientsCover FX Custom Cover Drops ShadesIngredients:  Ethyl Trisiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Mica, Jojoba Esters, Triethylhexanoin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Silica, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Water (Aqua, Eau), Alcohol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyglycerin-3. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Important:  Please read our full Disclaimer before using this or any product.