Hard Candy Sky as a Chanel Riva Substitute?

Hard Candy Sky

          Hard Candy Sky


Okay, so here's the deal. If you LOVE Chanel Riva and will wear it more than once every few months, GET IT if you find it. If you like the look yet probably won't wear it often, you *could* get by with Hard Candy Sky.

I say *could* because when dry, the color isthisclose. AND it even has the shimmer! But as good as the formula and ease of application was on Hard Candy Beetle that I reviewed here recently, this formula is bad. Like PITA bad.

This is a pale powder blue/sky blue creme with a subtle blue shimmer.

Here's the closeup of the shimmer...

Hard Candy Sky

It really is a lovely color, but it was streaky on the first coat, streaky on the second coat and while the third coat achieved the right coverage, it then became thick and took on the texture of orange peel.

I did this mani last night and when I went to take photos in natural light after breakfast this morning, there was already tip wear and some chipping.

Check out this next photo.  Not acceptable.  Not acceptable at all.

Hard Candy Sky

Click the photo to enlarge and check out the wrinkling on the ring finger. (You can also see the shimmer in the bottle here.)

So while the color and shimmer may be so similar that it passes as a Chanel Riva dupe (and even taking into account the reported formula and application problems with Riva) in my opinion, if you like the look, you should just grab Riva next time you see it somewhere. Yes, even at eBay prices.