L'oreal HIP Kohl Eyeliners: A Review

The first loose kohl technology this dramatic. The softest, smokiest look, day or night.

HiP high intensity pigments™ Kohl Eyeliner are positively blooming. Rich, smokey shades of loose, iridescent kohl that line and define. Smooth and velvety. Dramatic, but never overdone. Smudge-proof. Wear-proof.

And like all HiP high intensity pigments™ products, every shade packs more pigment for maximum color impact.

(Review and swatches after the jump)



MY TAKE: Pretty innovative, I must say! This is a marriage of kohl pencil and the packaging of liquid liners. The kohl is crushed and in loose form, placed in a liquid liner-like container with the felt tip applicator, for precise lining that you sometimes can't achieve with a kohl pencil. The result: precise application using the felt-tip applicator, with the softer, smudgy finish of a kohl pencil. Genius.

I had the chance to try these new babies, and if you like kohl liners that you can smudge and create a smokey eye from, but want the precise lining you get from a liquid liner, you have to try this one out.



As you can see from the swatches, these are not ink-based, but kohl-based (as the name says). Therefore, you won't get the smooth, dramatic, pen-like finish of liquid liners. Instead, you get the smudgy, smokey feel of kohl pencils, which is good if you are creating a smokey eye or just want a soft, non-dramatic line. Also, when used on the eye, you would need to apply it a few times if you want the line to stand out, as this is not, as I said, ink-based. The iridescence is gorgeous, though. I love both colors, but I am partial to Gold Kohl. It has this antique, old-world look and feel to it, and I would be definitely be using these for gold or classic looks to make the eyes pop.

UPSIDE: very convenient packaging of kohl liner, no need to sharpen unlike kohl pencils, easy-to-use felt-tip, ability to smudge the lines for a smoky effect, beautiful iridescence.

DOWNSIDE: If you are looking for dramatic lines like those done using liquid liners (precise, Sharpie pen-looking lines), you won't get them from this product.

All in all, I recommend these if you like kohl liners. The felt-tip applicator lets you apply the product easily, and if you are new to liquid liners, this would give you a feel of how to apply them. I also like the no-need-to-sharpen convenience, and the smokey-eye effect. I would love for L'oreal to come up with more shades (right now they have six shades). Right now, though, I'm okay with the colors and they're lovely, especially Gold Kohl. Check these out at your local drugstores and other retailers.