HARD CANDY Fox In a BOX Review+ swatches

What initially attracted me to these box powders from Hard Candy is that they resemble Benefit box face powders. I absolutely adore every single one of the Benefit box face powders, so in my haste to also love the Hardy Candy versions of them, I didn't hesitate in purchasing all three of the Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Smooth Talker, Truth or Dare, and Skinny Dipping. Another attraction to these products is of course the price: they cost a fraction of the Benefit box face powders!

But of course with lower price, the quality is expected to go down, and this is pretty evident just by observing the packaging of Hard Candy Fox in a box face powders. These boxes look and feel "cheaper" than the Benefit box face powders. They are a lot lighter in weight as well.

These box face powders also come with brushes just like the Benefit products. Very small and thin brushes with plastic handles that are about the size of my thumb. I'm not a huge fan of the Benefit box face powder brushes but these ones are worse! These brushes are useless. They look and feel like fake makeup brushes for little girls or dolls...

The actual products, the face powders, were just as disappointing. None of the three powders had pleasant scent like the Benefit ones do. They just smell like makeup powders. Pigmentations/color pay-offs were also nothing impressive.

Pigmentations of Smooth Talker (above) were very faint. I had to reapply multiple times for the colors to barely appear. This one resembles Benefit Sugarbomb. When I looked at Benefit Sugarbomb and Hard Candy Smooth Talker side by side, the four colors from each products did appear to be very similar. And Benefit Sugarbomb also doesn't boast intense pigmentations, it's more of a sheer face powder/blush. The colors of Hard Candy Smooth Talker is comparable to Benefit Sugarbomb but lighter in pigmentation/ color pay off and also less shimmery. And Benefit Sugarbomb lasts a lot longer on the skin than Hard Candy Smooth Talker. Overall, I do not recommend this one at all. The box is cheap, colors are faint and doesn't last long AND it doesn't even smell good!

There is not much of difference with Truth or Dare (above). Colors are faint, they barely show on the skin. The colors are a lot more visible on the finger swatches but once they are blended the colors seem to disappear. The pink may offer faint glow on the cheeks but definitely not intense enough to be used as blush if you want noticeable cheeks.

Skinny Dipping (above) is my favourite Hard Candy Fox In a Box product. Pigmentations are better for this one compare to Smooth Talker and Truth or Dare. I especially like the bright coral side of Skinny Dipping. It's such a pretty color! But it is super bright so toning it down by mixing it with the light bronze color beside it is a good idea. I wish the lasting power was better or that it smelled better... or that it has better packaging with better brush. Ah well, I might as well just wish for the Benefit box face powders to go on sale! :P

All three powder products have finishes with different sheen, they are not super shimmery and definitely not matte finishes. I can see Skinny Dipping being used as actual blush but as for the other two products, they will be more suitable as products to offer subtle glow on days you don't want much color on the face.