pros and cons: smoke out eyeshadow palette from hard candy

It has been a while. Though Hard Candy is known for having a constant stream of new releases...things seem to have slowed down recently. In fact, apart from a couple of holiday releases, it has been radio silent on the Hard Candy front. At least in all of the places I've shopped. Then suddenly, there it was. A new palette. One full of green and glitter. Right off the bat, there was intrigue. Partly because it is difficult for me to talk away from a good palette, and partly because a friend of mine had spoken highly of the Hard Candy Look Pro! palettes in recent months. After work on a grey, gloomy day, I added the Hard Candy Look Pro! Eyeshadow Palette in Smoke Out to my shopping cart. The thought of all those glittering greens instantly perked up my mood. Keep reading to find out whether this new release is worth considering.

Like most beauty releases, there are positive and well, not so positive aspects to consider. This is certainly true of the latest Hard Candy Look Pro! palette. (You can read a review of another palette from this line in a previous Hard Candy Week post.) The Smoke Out palette has a lot of pros and a few cons as well. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Or it this palette worth skipping out on? It's time to break down this drugstore release.

Pro: Infused With Hemp Oil 

Let's start with a little positivity. One aspect of the palette that really impressed me was the fact that it is totally on trend. Lately, beauty product made with Hemp Oil and CBD oil have been taking over. While the benefits of these ingredients are still up for debate, there is no denying the fact they are being used more and more frequently. (Not long ago, I wrote an article about CBD beauty products, if you want to learn more or nab some shopping suggestions!) Something I really admire about this brand? Not only are they affordable - with this particular palette retailing at about $12 CDN -  but they are wonderful at keeping up with beauty trends. And tend to do so rather quickly. That really sets them apart from other drugstore brands.

Con: Fairly Basic Packaging

If you've picked up a Hard Candy eyeshadow palette in the past....the design of the Smoke Out palette won't shock you. This is a basic plastic palette with a clear cover. The plastic is decently sturdy but isn't overly extraordinary. While there are some real benefits to the packaging (like the shiny green studs on front, the eyeshadow names printed on the back, and the inclusion of brushes inside) this simply isn't exciting and doesn't have that luxurious feel to it. For a product that is so up on hot beauty trends, by infusing the shadows with Hemp Oil, it would've been wonderful to see a different package design. Yes, the packaging does its part. It just doesn't wow me.

Pro: Variety of Colours and Finishes 

One aspect that I really adore? The variety of eyeshadow finishes included in this palette. There is a lovely mixture of shimmer, glitter, matte, and pearl finishes to choose from. That in itself provides a ton of versatility. Speaking of versatility,  there are also wonderful grounding shades. While all of the glitzy greens are likely to catch your eye first, there are basic neutral shadows as well to balance it all out. That makes it possible to use the Smoke Out palette to create completed makeup looks. From a simple daytime look to something ultra colourful and over the top to a look that is perfectly suited to a night on the town...there is an awful lot that you can do here. The combination of textures and shades makes this an exciting release from Hard Candy. In fact, it is one of the more alluring palettes the brand has released in quite some time.

Con: Inconsistency from Shadow to Shadow

A common issue I find with many drugstore eyeshadow palettes (not all, though! Wet n Wild is pretty fabulous and Cover Girl has some seriously fabulous releases) is a lack of consistency. One eyeshadow shade will be wonderfully pigmented and another? Not so much. The textures can be different as well. Some smooth and others dry. Unfortunately, I did find that a little bit with this particular palette. The pigmentation level varies from shadow to shadow. Some of the textures are not as soft. And the glitter shadows are just straight glitter - without actual colour pigmentation behind it. For the latter, that means the glitters can be worn on top of other shadows but not effectively on their own.

Overall, there is a lot to love about this palette. Is there room for improvement? Sure. That being said, the colour selection is exciting and there is a lot to work with here. The look above was a simple daytime creation that made use of the shade Hash (a warm crease colour), Blazed (a shimmery shade for the inner corner and underneath the brow bone), and Kush (my favourite shade, a shimmery light green that I used all over the lid). As you can tell...the shadow names certainly fit into the Smoked Out theme, though the palette clearly states that the eyeshadow is THC and CBD free. So, is this palette a home run? Not quite. Is it an enjoyable drugstore makeup release? Absolutely.

Rating: 3 / 5

Have you tried this palette? Are you a fan of Hard Candy products?