Beauty Moment- L'Oreal HIP Matte Shadow Duo

What if I told you that this is my new go-to, wear-it-every-day eyeshadow duo?


I can just hear the reactions. "Oh honey, no. 1980's blue and white eyeshadow? No. NO."

I don't blame you- I felt the same way when I opened up a package from L'Oreal and pulled out their newest HIP eyeshadow collection: Matte Shadow Duos.

True to HIP's signature form, the five matte duos are a pop of color. But this is a pop of color unlike anything I've tried before; thanks to the matte formula, it's very grown-up and wearable. I like that juxtaposition - usually bright colors are reserved for clubbing or girls under 25. But because these colors aren't frosty or sparkly, they're more versatile. Sophisticated, even.

The blue and white combo above is called Animated. When swept across the entire lid, the white makes my whole eye area look more awake and fresh. I brush the blue shade lightly into the crease of my eye lid for a little definition and a really pretty wash of color. It's a great daytime look that's pulled me out of my mid-summer makeup rut (I know I'm not the only one who's been slapping on the same bronzey shadow since June).

Because the matte formulas provide buildable coverage, the shades could work on a variety of skin colors - the fairer your skintone, the lighter hand you can use in applying the color. For darker skintones or to create a dramatic look, apply more layers of shadow to your lid. Play around. See what works for you. Don't decide that a color combination is too far out for you based solely on what you see in the compact.

Here are the other four Matte Shadow Duos:



From left to right, they are:
Striking - lemon yellow and eggplant purple
Dashing - pinky nude and coal black
Perky - lime green and navy blue
Poppy - peachy orange and fawn brown

Each shadow duo comes with a hidden applicator and retails for about $8 at your local drugstore.