In honour of all the fabulous women out there, I show you makeup art work today!

Hard Candy has recently graced our drugstore scene with these beautiful metal tins of the Velvet Mousse matte lip colors.

7 shades available, all with flower prints and bright colours on the case that are very hard to resist. I bought 4 for now – Cherry Blossom, Tulip, Dahlia and Wisteria.

Described as having a hydrating velvety texture, bold and long lasting colours in one swipe, these Velvet Mousses have a lot in common with L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte glosses. They go on easily, wear comfortably (slightly drying) and last quite well but still transfer a tiny bit.

The tube rests on a velvet tray with a clear plastic cover taped down on both ends to seal it in, and a mirror under the cap. The elongated shape fits nicely in your pocket if you decide not to carry the case but it does not look as classy as the L’Oreal version.

You can probably fit 2 tubes in one tin without the tray, which is what I want to do.

The applicator is long and thin, quite different from others I have seen with liquid lipsticks and the like. No application issues though.

I find the Velvet Mousses have a little more pigmentation and dry more matte than L’Oreal Pro Mattes. They wear off and touch up nicely (except for Wisteria, because its dark nature).

The slight sweet scent, however, resembles that of Revlon Ultra HD Matte lip colours, a bit less intense. As I always say, it will depend on your preferences on lip products to pick out the line you like. I am just glad we have options.

And the beautiful swatches! I can wear Dahlia (second from right) every day and won’t complain, or do am ombre with the first 2 – Cherry Blossom and Tulip. Don’t forget that you can layer them to make your own colour too.

I would recommend to carry Wisteria along to reapply during the day as its fading and the patchy aftermath are more obvious.  

The tubes are 0.23oz/ 6.5g, $7.98 each ($6 in the US). I might grab Daffodil, a nude brown, later but am not sure Sweet Pea (pale pink) and Hibiscus (light coral) suit my skin tone. Crossing fingers for more shades down the road!