L'Oreal H.I.P. Eyeshadows Review and Swatches, Pt. 1

If you haven't been in a drugstore makeup aisle in a while, check out the L'Oreal HIP (High Intensity Pigments) line. In my case, when I recently resumed wearing makeup, and thus became obsessed with adding more colors to my arsenal, just marching to the mall and randomly buying expensive shadows would not have been a really smart move. The popular L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duos were the perfect solution. They come in a wide variety of really pretty colors, in some cases very high contrast, dramatic pairings. And, best of all, most of them do have high pigmentation that one wouldn't necessarily expect from drugstore makeup.

I wouldn't say these shadows are equal to MAC or other high-end makeup brands' shadows, but for drugstore, they are really good buys. I am featuring my own collection and providing reviews and swatches in case they might help someone reading this. It is my magnum makeup opus!

The most recent release is the matte shadow duos, and the other categories are the concentrated, bright, and metallic duos. Let's start this series with the concentrated. I'll be reviewing two duos, "Charisma" and "Devious."

I provide pictures of the shadows, swatches, and my attempts to use them on my very own eyes. Eek! Obviously, I am not a model (nor a makeup artist or photographer!!), and my hooded eye shape isn't the best for showing off eyeshadows. On the other hand, so many women have this eye shape, and seeing shadows on this eye shape might provide something other blogs or professional beauty sites don't?!

Both of the looks in this post are the same, with the left shadow used on the lid, then the right shadow blended into the crease. I note the differences and staying power for each individual duo.

First up: Charisma, a purply duo. The left shadow is a shimmery light pinky purple, smooth and silky to the touch, while the right shadow is dark purple, rougher and less creamy with just a touch of shimmer. When smearing the swatches on my hand, I found the lighter color really smeared while the darker stayed put. I did this not to be messy or contrary, but to predict how the shadows will blend or go on the eye.

I've worn these shadows recently over Urban Decay Primer potion a couple of times, and they have excellent staying power.

Pictures of the duo are indoors, first the duo in the overhead light, then tipped to be more in shadow, and followed by swatches on my hand or arm.


Some swatches on my hand to show the colors:



And, some pics on eye. And, another reminder that my lid is small!!



"Devious" is an earthy duo that reminds me of fall clothes. It contains a medium green---kind of an olive green with some shimmer---paired with a tobacco brown that is also shimmery. Both shadows have the same texture, going on silkily and smoothly and blending the same when I was smearing them on my hand. These shadows will blend well on the eye, and will provide some layering possibilities. I have had good results with the shadows from the duo staying on for the whole day.

Swatches on the back of my hand:


Pretty!!! Earthy!! Autumny!! And, below, showing them out of the direct light.


On the eyelid, just the green (with some fallout that needs cleanup):


With brown in the crease:





Supporting characters:

The tools used in my pictures include L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in brown black, Maybelline eye pencil in slate blue, three shadow brushes from CVS (two smaller crease brushes and a domed eyeshadow brush, all with the lighter handles), a blending brush from Japonesque (purchased from ULTA, in back with black handle), and Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP).

Conclusion: My favorite duos are turning out to be the ones that are more blendable, in this case, Devious, the green and brown. When applying these particular shadows, one can adjust smears or miscues easily as one goes along. With the darker color in Charisma, the purple duo, the staying power is great in theory, but they are not easy to manipulate when needing to tidy up or adjust when applying. For that reason, I think those colors are great for lining the lids, either on their own or layering with an eye pencil or eyeliner.

Coming up: I have 6 more concentrated duos, as well as 2 matte and 4 metallic! Stay tuned.