Urban Decay vs. Hard Candy

As I was trolling the makeup isle at Walmart I stumbled upon one of those drugstore gems.  Anytime I run into any of those I feel it's my duty to let everyone know because we all know those gems are very rare.

Hard Candy Naturally Gorgeous Palette

The Swatches

I couldn't help but notice that this palette was very similar to the Urban Decay Naked Palette.  But how does it compare to it?  Well, first off, it's $6!  While the color pay off may not be exactly as the UD Palette, for $6 it's not bad at all!  I honestly was expecting them to be either a super glitter bomb or super chalky.  It was neither.  While you do have to work your brush a little more to get some pigment on there, it's still worth picking up.  The wearablity isn't so bad either.  I tested them last night on my arm and went to bed (what I do for the sake of makeup ha!).  While most of the lighter colors faded, the darker colors lasted throughout the night.  But since I'm going to assume that no one goes to sleep with their makeup on (you better not - you guys know better), I'd say the wearability is pretty stable.  The only downside to this palette is that there are absolutely NO mattes at all.

That's where I'd say the UD Naked takes the cake because you get a little bit of everything - shimmers, glitters and mattes. The color pay off is better, you don't have to work as hard to get pigment on the brush and a little goes a long way.  But remember, the UD is also way more expensive at $50 a pop!  Still worth it if you ask me and a definite staple in my kit.

If your just starting out in the makeup industry and don't have much money to start your kit, the Hard Candy Palette is a good starter.  Key word: Starter.  As you get more jobs and clients, your kit should only get better.  You can always get a separate palette of mattes or get them in singles.  Yaby, Face Atelier, Lorac and Urban Decay make really beautiful mattes that aren't chalky.  Though, for me, the best matte neutral palette EVER is the Viseart.  Just hands down amazing!  Every pro I know has one in their kit.  The price isn't pocket friendly but it's worth every single penny.  And if you see it available, buy it!  The availablity doesn't last long and sells out very quickly.

So, in the end, is the Hard Candy Palette a dupe or replacement? No!  If you have the cash, go with the Urban Decay palette.  Would I put the Hard Candy Palette in my pro kit? Yes!  Though I find that this palette is better for consumers, if in a pinch, I would totally use this for Bridal, Catalog, Corporate and Clean Beauty.  Plus, um, hellooooo? $6!  Really can't beat that.

Note: This palette is only available at Walmart.