The Line Up Project: L'Oreal HIP
Review by MUA's Cavewoman

Another option in drugstore brand gel/cream liners comes from the HIP High Intensity Pigments line of L'Oreal Cosmetics. These little jars hit the shelves with much buzz from makeup chat boards, and sold out fast during their launch. The cult favorite at the time was the teal color, which I bought for a friend but never did get for myself. Instead, I bought two shades, the Eggplant (a beautiful metallic purple) and the Midnight Blue, which is pictured here. When I opened the jar, I was blown away by the color, a dark, rich cobalt blue with the metallic quality that is not quite a shimmer but definitely has that car-paint quality to it. I couldn't wait to try.

The HIP liners come in a box, and the jar is glass, .159oz or 4.5g. Included in the box is a little applicator brush as well. I like that the brush shows "HIP" on the handle. It is a nice touch. Again I used the included brush on one eye and the Kashuk on the other.

The first thing I noticed with the HIP liner is that it's creamier than the first two I have tested. It was easy to load each of the brushes, but that's where the similarity ends. The brush that's included with the HIP liner has a definite slanted edge, and it's thicker than the brushes that were included with the NYC and the Revlon. It was difficult to get a thin line with the HIP brush, but the slant edge is interesting, and I think I'll try some of these pot liners with an old MAC slanted brush that I have here, that I bought ages ago for use with brow products and never used. I think the slant edge might work well if the brush were thin. Using the HIP brush under the lower lash line was not good at all, way too much, too thick of a line. The Kashuk brush worked beautifully. No clumping or uneven application with either brush, and the HIP liner glided on easily and evenly with my Kashuk, the bent-angle brush with the white handle that you can find at Target stores. I made the most of the beautiful cobalt color by designing an eye look with my MAC Mineralize Sea And Sky shadow, a swipe or two of BeneFit Bad Gal Blue mascara (it is ok, not fabulous, just ok) and I was very impressed with the blue colors on my eyes. Take that, Paula Begoin! These colors seem to make my eyes look bright and well-rested, which I assure you was not the case this morning! I applied my makeup at 10am and the man and I set out for a day of voting and errand running.

I didn't even get a chance to check the wear on this HIP liner until mid-afternoon. Surprise! It was still perfect! No wear, no flaking, no "bald spots" -- it looked as if I'd just applied it! I think maybe this is due to the fact that HIP liners have no particles in them to make them shimmer, and thus flake off, it's just the metallic effect that they have achieved without having to put in the shimmer particles. I'm impressed.

Now, at the end of the day, almost 11 hours later, there has been no flaking or uneven wear. It is just slightly worn off a bit on my top line, but just barely. The brightness of the blue has faded slightly, but it's still definitely blue. Removal was a breeze with the BeneFit Gee That Was Quick, leaving nothing behind and nothing stuck to the base of my lashes.

This little L'Oreal HIP is a winner. I'm so delighted with the results, I am giving it a 9, and I am going to check Blogdorf's Drugstore Deals And Steals right now, to see where I can snag the teal color on sale.

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this review were purchased by the reviewer.