The Secret's Out: a L'Oreal HiP Review

Today we want to share with you our review of the L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Eye Shadow Duos.  When we filmed our June Favorites video we mentioned that we were so impressed by the Metallic Duo in Magnetic that we were going to post a full review.  Between the two of us we have tried every formulation (there are 5 total...Metallic, Bright, Crystal, Concentrated & Matte) and we can't wait to share our thoughts.

So let's get to gettin'!!!


L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Metallic Duos
What L'Oreal says:
"...Metallic Shadow Duos are expertly coordinated to create an edgy, shimmery look.  The rich, super blendable color glides on evenly for hours of captivating, crease-resistant wear."

Magnetic

Gunmetal

What HLNC says:

Pigmented, smooth and wearable.  The Metallic shadows are like butta!  They apply so smoothly and really pack a punch with pigment.  Application is easy and there is no work to blending this formula at all.  The shades we chose have just enough shimmer in them without being too much.  We aren't scared of some shimmer, but for those that are hesitant, then these shadows may be for you.  The quality of the Metallic is that of shadows you would buy in Sephora or higher end department stores.


L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Bright Shadow Duo
What L'Oreal says:
"...Bright Shadow Duos are expertly coordinated to create a dramatic look with pure, intensely pigmented shades.  The rich, super blendable color glides on evenly for hours of captivating, crease-resistant wear."

Showy


Flare


What HLNC says:
These shadows have pigment, baby!  When L'Oreal labeled this shadow as "Bright" they were not playing around!  If you have a darker skin-tone, these seriously pigmented shadows are ideal.  Application of this shadow was super easy as the formula is smooth and rich.  Showy's turquoise shadow has a really nice sheen to it and the blue is a solid matte.  We applied the turquoise on the lid and then blended on the blue from the center of the lid out to the corner.  We were hoping that this combo would be as easily blended as L'Oreal says it is...and it did not disappoint.  We will say that the product did have moderate fallout so you have to be careful or really take your time applying because you might have some color fall onto your cheekbones and this shadow is so pigmented that you don't want to accidentally have a green/blue "highlight."  (We're not trying to look like something from the movie Avatar!  Just sayn'!)  Flare was equally as nice, but there was something about Showy that made her the standout of the two.


L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Crystal Shadow Duo
What L'Oreal says:
"...Crystal Shadow Duos are expertly coordinated to create a sparkling, ethereal eye look.  The luxurious, soft-to-the-touch powder glides on smooth for a shimmery, pearlescent finish that glimmers like pure crystal."

Charming

What HLNC says:

The colors in this duo are gorgeous.  We will say that the formulation is definitely different - a little chunky and "crystal-like".  When applying this shadow, the more you rub your brush across the shadow the more you are just wasting it.  You almost have to dab your brush into the shadow to get it to adhere to the brush. We imagine it's kind of like working with straight out pigments where you take your brush and grab up the individual granules.  The color on the left, the light pewter, is a gorgeous shade and definitely fits the "ethereal" look that L'Oreal claims, which is so pretty.  The purple has a little touch of black specs throughout.  It looks like it's going to be a bolder color, but unfortunately it didn't apply that way.  We put this color in our crease and made a V shape on our outer lid and when we blended it out, the purple was so ultra subtle that it was kind of hard to see.  This might be the whole point of the crystal, but we wanted it to stand out just a little more than it did.  This shadow had significant fallout as a lot of the pigment ended up on our cheeks and kind of worked as a highlight on our cheekbones, which was not it's intended purpose.


L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Concentrated Intense Shadow Duo
What L'Oreal says:
"...Concentrated Shadow Duos are expertly coordinated to create a dramatic look with pure, intense pigment shades.  The gorgeous super-blendable color glides on evenly for hours of captivating, crease-resistant wear."

Saucy

What HLNC says:
Most definitely "saucy!"  This rich copper and shimmery chocolate duo create a glowy brown smoky eye combo.  We were pleasantly surprised with just how concentrated this pigment was, particularly from the copper.  It did take a little more elbow grease and layering of the brown in order to achieve the smoky outer lid corner that we were going for, but once you get just the right amount applied, it's totally worth it.  Pull the copper down onto your inner lower lash line for a little extra "glow."


L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Matte Shadow Duo
What L'Oreal says:
"...Matte Shadow Duos are expertly coordinated to create a dramatic, intensely pigmented look with a smooth powder texture.  The rich super-blendable color glides on evenly for hours of captivating, crease-resistant wear."

Dashing

What HLNC says:
We have to be honest here and admit that this matte black was a little intimidating looking in the pan, but after layering it over the pink, it's not nearly as "flat" as you might think.  We did notice that it took quite a bit of blending it out in order to get a consistent gradient of color from the black to the pink, so be patient with this one.  The extra nice bonus from the black though is that you can use it as a powder liner over top of your black eyeliner to soften up the edges of this look.



HLNC's Verdict:
Overall, we were really impressed with these shadow duos.  L'Oreal boasts that these colors stay on for hours and are crease-resistant.  We have been experiencing 90-100 degrees in VA with insane humidity and these shadows definitely have staying power.  We did use primer, like with all of our other shadows, but they lasted from approximately 8am well into the evening without creasing.  Our favorite has to be the Metallic. We are suckers for anything that sparkles!  We feel that these "drugstore" eye shadows have the best bang for your buck.  Each of these shadows run approximately $8.00, although prices may vary. We managed to get some of these at our local CVS when they had a Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off sale.  You can't beat that!

Please let us know what you think if you have tried any of these shadows!!