I remember the first time I saw someone wearing sky blue nail polish. The year was 1995 and it was Alicia Silverstone who was promoting her movie Clueless on The David Letterman Show. Alicia Silverstone was the girl of the moment and after that appearance, nothing was ever the same. While sky blue and mint green nails were originally the provenance of middle school-age kids, it wasn’t long before everyone, it seemed, began to sport nail polish in hues that were reminiscent of Dots candies. It didn’t matter your age, economic status or lifestyle. Candy colored digits were in.
And who do we have to credit for this revolution in nail color? That would be Hard Candy, the beauty giant that is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a Limited Edition of color cosmetics and nail colors that are sure to bring out your inner Cher Horowitz.
Shortly after Alicia Silverstone’s Letterman appearance, I began to see Hard Candy nail polish everywhere. I remember having to push my way through a crowd of women at the Hard Candy display in Bloomingdales. These women weren’t buying for their kids; they were scooping up handsful of Hard Candy for themselves. And so did I. The colors were revolutionary, in-your-face, unique – and so were the ad campaigns that helped launch the brand. Before long, Hard Candy evolved to include a full line of cosmetics with displays in every major and upscale department store in the U.S. And then, as quickly as it appeared on the scene, Hard Candy all but disappeared, only to show up several years later with a limited line. (By this time the company had already been sold by its founder, Dineh Mohajer.) And, of course, by this time, in the early 2000s, practically every manufacturer of nail polish included candy, brights and non-traditional colors. But it was done first by a little company called Hard Candy.
Well, Hard Candy is back and they sent me samples of some of the items in the Collection, including an eye shadow palette full of shimmery, glittery shades and Girlie, a bright and wearable pink that’s one of the original eight shades of their trend-setting nail polish. It comes in its original packaging, complete with the iconic Hard Candy ring. Rounding out the Limited Edition Collection are four liquid eyeliners, three lip glosses and two shades of Heart Baked Blush.
The Hard Candy 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Collection is available at Walmart and Walmart.com and every item is gently priced at $12. and under. The Hard Candy Original Nail Polish with Ring is only $4.
Spring is here and it’s time to put a little color in your life. Grab yourself a little Hard Candy before it’s all gone.
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I absolutely love this article — and I love Hard Candy! What fun, what a great testament to freedom of expression. I could visualize the colors as I read. You can bet I’ll be going to Walmart,com to check out the Hard Candy line.
The colors are great! Fun and wearable at the same time! xo