When it comes to beauty brands that defined the grungy, rebellious '90s sensibility,
Hard Candy is one that quickly comes to mind. We hoarded its cult-favorite nail polish (and the collectible rings that came with it), and later loved products like the glitter eyeliner. While the brand mysteriously disappeared in the early '00s, it was revived by Wal-Mart in 2009 and is alive and well.
Click on for a few little-known secrets about the brand that turned all of us into beauty addicts.
[Photo:
Facebook]
Hard Candy was started in 1995 by Dineh Mohajer, who was a pre-med student at the University of Southern California at the time. For the first few years, she even ran the company from her college apartment. (Needless to say, she didn't exactly follow through on that whole "becoming a doctor" thing.)[Photo:
Instagram]
The brand got its big break when Alicia Silverstone appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman and was asked about her nail polish. The shade she was wearing? Hard Candy's now cult-favorite "Sky."[Photo:
Instagram]
If you're into unique statement lip colors like blue and green, Hard Candy is the perfect place to find them. Of note:
their lilac shade, cheekily named "Sly-lac ($5)." [Photo:
Instagram]
While it's sold exclusively at Wal-Mart now, Hard Candy was first picked up by major stores like Fred Segal and Nordstrom. The line was constantly sold out throughout most of the '90s. [Photo:
Instagram]
Dineh created Hard Candy's first product, the "Sky" nail shade, by mixing two nail polishes in order to match her Charles David sandals. Lesson learned: when it comes to beauty, DIY is always a good idea. [Photo:
Instagram]
Hard Candy not only makes some tried-and-true beauty products, but the brand has also made a foray into
eyewear, and creates some killer sunglasses and prescription glasses all at budget-friendly under-$100 prices.[Photo:
Hard Candy]
While it was short-lived (and mostly worn by women), Hard Candy launched a line of men's nail polishes in 1997, with shade names like "Testosterone" and "Super Man."[Photo:
Instagram]
Before Hard Candy came onto the scene, "non-traditional" nail colors like yellow and blue were pretty much unheard of - Hard Candy pioneered adventurous nail looks for those of us who don't just want to chose from an array of pinks and nudes.[Photo:
Instagram]
'90s girls rejoice! In 2015, Hard Candy celebrated its 20th anniversary (making us feel insanely old in the process), by re-releasing some of its most beloved original products, essentially making it #TBT every day of the week.[Photo:
Instagram]
There's no denying that Hard Candy has gotten a bit of a makeover since its re-launch at Wal-Mart in 2009 - but one thing that's stayed the same is the adorable colorful rings that come with each of the brand's original nail polishes.[Photo:
Walmart]