** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

Ooooh. Look how pretty these green eyeshadows are! That’s what I thought when I picked up the L’Oreal Paris HiP Metallic Shadow Duo in Gunmetal. My thoughts after I tried it? I’m singing (in my head) a different tune.

Don’t get me wrong – the L’Oreal HiP Metallic Shadow Duo isn’t going in the trash. And I would still use it on occasion. But it’s not my go-to shadow.

L’Oreal HiP Metallic Shadow Duo Gunmetal Swatches & Photos

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Intense pigments
X Luminous finish
√ Super-blendable color
√ Glides on evenly
√ Crease-resistant wear

Key Notes

• Name: L’Oreal Paris HiP Metallic Shadow Duo
• Amount: 0.08 oz/2.4 g
• What I Paid: $8.99 (CAD)
• Price Per Unit: $112.38/oz or $3.75/g
• Colors Available: Sculpted, Magnetic, Gunmetal, Glided, Platinum, Energized, Ignited, Charged, Electrified, Shocked
• Where to Buy: Drugstores, supermarkets & big-box stores

The Review

Being called high intensity pigments and with such energetic color names, the L’Oreal HiP shadow duos should be some in-your-face-good shadows, right? Well…

Let’s talk about color first. When I first saw it, I thought it was kind of weird that green eye shadows are called Gunmetal. And then I realized they’re not really green. They do have a slight tinge of green to them, but it’s more of a dirty grey. What you see in the compact is not what you get on your skin.

And the colors are not really metallic either. Yes, they do have a slight shimmer to them, but I had expected much more. The darker of the greens looks soooo sparkly in the compact! But the sparkles don’t transfer that well onto the eyelid.

So if you’re looking for vibrant metallic greens, move on – these aren’t it. But if the colors you see in the swatches are what you like, then the L’Oreal HiP Metallic Duo is great!

The colors, I would say, are intense, even if the nature of Gunmetal is kind of dull. You don’t need a lot of the product in order to get to the color’s maximum potential, but I’m going to have to call L’Oreal out on the “high” part. The color isn’t a strike-me-in-the-eye rich, but it’s pigmented enough.

Another thing that I like about the L’Oreal shadow duo is that it doesn’t crease. I wear the shadows on my naked eyelids without primer, and at the end of the day, they’re still where I put them!

The product goes on smoothly and feels really soft on my lids. This is great because it feels like high quality, but not at the cost of high-end brands. Because of the consistency and fineness of the powder, it means you can also use the shadows as your eyeliner using a damp angle brush. I loooove doing this, especially because the darker color actually looks greener when you wet it (a trick to remember when you want to intensify the color). The only issue with this is that it melts onto the lower lash line, so a primer is needed when it’s used as a liner.

Pros Pigmented colors Comes with a mirror & applicator Doesn’t crease Can be worn as an eyeliner

Cons Colors seen in the compact are misleading Not really metallic

Final Verdict: 7/10

While the formula of the L’Oreal HiP duo is good and easy to wear, I’m not going to give this product a really high score. I feel like I purchased completely different colors than the shadows that I got. The Gunmetal colors are a disappointment – they’re dull, dirty-looking and not that sparkly when dry.  The colors are much prettier when you apply them wet. But it’s like…I was lied to!

Tried Gunmetal and loved it? Or have an opinion about the other colors? Let me know!