L'Oreal • HIP Kohl-Gold • Eyeliner

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*TOP REVIEWER* luckylauram on 2/2/2012 8:18:00 PM more reviews by luckylauram

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I do love the color of this liner, and as other reviewers have noted, it looks subtly beautiful when used on the lower lash line. However, the kohl powder gets everywhere! I really can't stand how flaky it gets. You absolutely must do your eyes first, or else your face makeup will be ruined. I noticed a few people mention that they had to learn the "correct" way to apply it before they fell in love. Well, I may have to do a bit of blog/YouTube searching to find that way because so far nothing is working to keep this from blowing all over my face.

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aimeee1 on 11/20/2011 10:06:00 AM more reviews by aimeee1

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I ordered this on e-bay because it's discontinued and I received it yesterday. I just tried it today and luckily I had read some reviews on here first so I knew how to put it on. I have brownish hazel eyes (mostly brown) and I put this on my lower waterline. I also put a brownish shadow on and then I put this eyeliner on my outside upper lid (not my upper waterline) As far as right now, it rocks! I think this would be great for day or evening. What I found was the easiest way to get it on with the brush that comes with it, was to turn it sideways and rub it on that way instead of trying to draw it on like a regular pencil or eyeliner. I didn't have any problem with it falling down on my face or anything at all. I'm definetley going 2 go back on ebay and order some other colors. I got this in a lot of 2 for only $4.75 so I got a super deal! Try it out! Good luck!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Plagueofhamsters on 2/21/2011 9:49:00 PM more reviews by Plagueofhamsters

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

The texture of this product was so very gritty. I've played with the black and the blue on of these and they weren't anywhere near as terrible. I wouldn't recommend this product but I'm sad HIP discontinued the whole line, not just the bad shades.

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kquann on 2/21/2011 9:39:00 PM more reviews by kquann

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This product i bought when i was at a warehouse sale just on impulse. I really dont like it. It doesnt do anything for my eyes and it gets everywhere. I apply above my top lashes and it ends up on my cheeks and it really doesnt show up on my skin. I only touched this product once ( the moment after i went home from the sale ) and never touched it after that. I would not recommend this.

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*TOP REVIEWER* gunjee on 11/23/2010 9:26:00 AM more reviews by gunjee

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I tried this last week when it was marked 75% off at CVS. I got this shade because it was highly rated and I have never used a gold eyeliner before. I bought it and tried it on in the parking lot. I gave the packaging a 2 because it wasn't sealed in plastic so anyone could have opened it before I got there. I rubbed the stick on the inside of the container to get all the excess powder off and lay it horizontal along my bottom waterline and swept it out just as I had read on MUA. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and opened them. For maybe a nanosecond, I felt like I had something in my eye, but then that feeling went away. I looked at my eyes and they looked fine, but not particularly defined. It was like I wasn't wearing anything at all! But if I looked closely, my bottom rims were gleaming gold. This is what was supposed to happen and it did, only I was expecting to look at myself and say Wow! So, I didn't run back into the store and get more in the other shades. Something I should have done...Afterall, they were $3.50 each!

Anyway, I went home and applied a navy blue Rimmel automatic pencil liner on top and my eyes were defined and looking very nice with that golden glow coming from underneath. That night, I washed my face and the navy eyeliner came off fine, but the gold stayed. The next day, the gold was still there on my lower waterline and I realized how this stuff really lasts and maybe I should buy more.

I have a lot of eyeliners already, so I finally talked myself out of getting more of these, but it didn't irritate my contacts at all. The latest style in India is to have dark well defined kohl lined eyes, so given the opportunity, I would buy more of these in black and brown and maybe burgundy.

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*TOP REVIEWER* girrl65 on 11/16/2010 8:23:00 PM more reviews by girrl65

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

First of all, I have been eyeing these (all colors) for a LONG time. I just could never bring myself to pay the $12 to $15 that these items commanded. After all, L'Oreal HIP is a drugstore line, lest they have forgotten. Well, these are currently 75% off at CVS, so I nabbed one in Gold (black was sold out or I would have gotten that one) for a little less than $4.
I bought this specifically to line the inner rims of my eyes. I noticed that the display showed this product used as a liner for the outer part of the eye, something that I've heard is not what this product is meant to do. I think it is funny that they try to mislead buyers that don't know about the ancient method of using kohl on the waterline.
When I got home today, I decided to quickly try this. I opened it up, examined the fuzzy tip, shook a bit off back in the tube, and drug it across my waterline with my eye closed. I got some pieces in my eye and my eye felt kind of gritty and weird. I took a q-tip and removed it because I just wanted to try it out. Well, I went back in the bathroom and looked in the mirror, after 5 hours, and the stuff is still there, on my waterline! I thought I removed it! Therefore, this product has pretty good staying power. I think the gold looks really cool, and it will look awesome when I try it out with some black liner around my eye.
Overall, this is a cool item. I took off a lippie because I don't like how this item is not sealed in the store (someone could use it for all one knows!) and because of the gritty feeling I get after applying. However, its not the end of the world. You should get one and try it if you have been at all curious about it. Especially if you can find it right now on sale!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Zetaflickan on 4/28/2010 3:14:00 AM more reviews by Zetaflickan

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Grittier and therefore not as comfortable to wear on the waterline as the Guerlain kohls. Much cheaper, though, and Guerlain doesn't make this color. This gives a good definition to my eyes without being harsh (I am very pale, with light eyes), it is also a complimentary color, makes my eyes look bluer. I find it easy to apply it the "oriental way", the fallout is just enough to make a softer smudgier flattering look. Very good.

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*TOP REVIEWER* lucy1984 on 10/3/2009 4:23:00 PM more reviews by lucy1984

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was at Target and i saw the display of these liners. i got the gold one and when i swatched it on my hand, i loved how two strokes gave me a nice gold line. I was impressed! I was thinking about going back or checking other stores for the black one and the navy one.

I read reviews on how to apply this to your waterline and i tried that. Once i applied this on my waterline, i had to rinse it off immediately. my eyes were watery and itchy. I decided to use an eyeliner brush and the same thing happened. :(

i also noticed that the liners are half way filled. There is no security seal on them.

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Oblinsa on 9/26/2009 4:41:00 AM more reviews by Oblinsa

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I am a big fan of the Guerlain loose kohls, but I already owned the three easily attainable colors that I was going to actually use (black, brun, and oriental metal) and I wanted some more variety, especially lighter. I decided to give this product a try.
The packaging is nice, not as luxe as Guerlains but with a modern/streamlined elegance. I'd still like a flat bottom on these, as I can't juggle the stick, jar, and application at the same time, but that's a small quibble.
I use the eastern method to apply the Guerlains, but the stick on the HIP kohl has a soft spongy tip and that makes fully closing the lid around it difficult. However, the softness makes a bottom waterline only application very easy, and I can see it being a much less intimidating applicator for newbies or those who can't stomach the eastern method.
I have fairly sensitive eyes (after two surgeries) and have found that this product is fine for long term wear though it is slightly more irritating than the Guerlain version right after application. You can feel it like a dryness if you get the powder in your eye, but it is not painful and goes away quickly.
I found that this liner had fairly good staying power, and very little fallout. The slightly yellow tone made my whites look somewhat whiter, but the effect was pretty subtle. You can wear this look during the day.
It's certainly more expensive than pencil liners, but once you get used to it, much easier to work with, and no sharpening, no breaking, etc. This product is not as good as the Guerlain loose kohl, but for the price it's an amazingly affordable substitute. I say, go for it.

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apbunz on 8/4/2009 7:51:00 AM more reviews by apbunz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

My eyes: I have somewhat sensitive eyes and they tear up a lot. Fyrinnae inks lasted well on my waterline but I want something softer looking than a liquid.


Packaging: Decent but what’s up with no seal?
Color: A very yellow nice true, glittery gold.
Texture: Very gritty
Application: I had no fall out when applying, but I also scraped off any extra powder on the inside.
Lasting power: Good for at least 3 hours before my eyes reacted quite violently.


I bought the hip kohl in gold to try on my bottom waterline. It applied nicely and looked very pretty, but most importantly it stayed! There was a little irritation/discomfort initially, but nothing terrible.


After three hours it was still there! I was thinking "wow how awesome is that. Let's see how long it will last" and right at that moment, my eyes started just BURNING and STINGING! Tears streaming down my face - oh the pain! Snot, an endless spring from the aquifer that is my nose! What mu god gave I angered to deserve this? I had to remove it immediately.


I imagine it was fine for 3 hours because I hadn't applied any at my tear duct, but over time it crept in.


Conclusion: the HiP kohls have a great variety of color for a reasonable price (expected from a loose powder kohl). If you have retardedly sensitive eyes then maybe look elsewhere, but if you don’t you should definitely look into these.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Cinnabuns on 5/21/2009 2:54:00 PM more reviews by Cinnabuns

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

At first, I was skeptical of this product because it looks gritty and chunky on the applicator. With a little practice, I was able to draw a smooth even line by laying it flatter against my lid (think more parallel, than perpendicular). This way I don't don't have any skipping nor do I feel like I might poke my eye out if I make one false move. I was disappointed that this did not come with a plastic covering or something to tell me it was unused. I love eye makeup in general so I am going to try the burgundy and teal also.

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jenfab on 3/25/2009 4:41:00 PM more reviews by jenfab

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy   Eyes: Blue    

Love this eyeliner and the color selection. i have the gold and its so pretty and very easy to use. I have always been afraid to use a liner thats not a pencil..but this was very easy to use and I will definetly go back for more shades!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* peggy1234 on 3/22/2009 11:23:00 PM more reviews by peggy1234

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I do my eyeliner first when using this one so I can wipe off any flakes if any should fall. However, when I use it I just take my eye liner brush and dab color off the applicator. I then apply the liner with my eye liner brush.

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sditems on 3/19/2009 4:55:00 PM more reviews by sditems

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Lovely loose kohl powder that stays put all day on the waterline. I like using this instead of white eyeliner to brighten up my eyes some times. The only down side is the fall out that occurs since you have to apply this product on with a thin stylus hence the loose powders fall during application onto your cheeks. I have tried tapping the excess loose powder from the wand and that reduces but does not fully prevents fall out.
Also this product stays on the waterline so well I need to use a Qtip soaked in makeup remover after washing my face to fully remove the product from the waterline.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MES on 2/22/2009 8:22:00 PM more reviews by MES

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I was really interested in kohls and doing eastern style eyeliner. I picked the gold because the color seemed the least intrusive and good to practice with. It is of course a metallic, shimmery shade, but nothing too harsh. I have fair skin and dark brown eyes, this adds just the right amount of color. This is the only line, other than MAC that lasts on my waterline. The quality is excellent, most drugstore liners burn my eyes and last 2 seconds on the waterline. You do have to tap to avoid fallout.

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*TOP REVIEWER* RayvnNA on 2/3/2009 2:00:00 AM more reviews by RayvnNA

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love these things! First of all, let me tell you that nothing, and I mean NOTHING, lasts on my waterline. Everything fades. Urban Decay 24/7 liners last the longest for a pencil, but still it's gone in a few hours. Guerlain loose kohls last longer and, honestly, are softer than the HIP kohls, but the pricetag is high! I've tried everything else. I can't get the MAC fluidlines on evenly and they end up on my contacts, Revlon Colorstay was a joke!! I've tried all the techniques too, putting Urban Decay Primer Potion on my waterline, blotting with a tissue before putting eyeliner on. Nope! So I actually didn't have high hopes for a drugstore product, even if it is HIP and almost as pricey as higher end brands. This stuff lasts on my waterline ALL day. It's not as easy to apply as the Guerlain Kohls due to the wand, but it's not bad and I don't get much fallout. It's a little more gritty than Guerlain, but due to the fact that I don't apply it the same way, I don't get all that grit in my eye. It doesn't irritate my contacts. And with the frequent Buy One Get One Free deals, it's worth it to get two. This gold one is wonderful because it's the exact same color as Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Baked. I love wearing Baked on my waterline. Well, the HIP gold lasts even longer than Baked! It's a very subtle color so don't expect the dark, smoldering look of the other colors. This is like a pretty gold shimmer right on the waterline. So beautiful. Definitely worth a try!

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*TOP REVIEWER* melissab33 on 1/28/2009 9:49:00 AM more reviews by melissab33

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I walked into CVS the other day and was greeted with the HiP Kohl display (and that weird HiP squeezy tube lipgloss display). I'd read about it on the makeup board and decided I should try one to see what the hype was all about. The gold color caught my eye!


The thing I like best about this one is the color! One of my favorite eyeshadow colors is stila Glee, a discontinued burnt gold color. The HiP Kohl in gold is almost identical to that color, just a shade darker. I have golden blonde hair and blue eyes, and this is a great pop of color for me. The staying power is also much better than I expected. I put this on in the morning and it was all that was left at the end of the day. My regular shadow (on top of Too Faced Shadow Insurance) was pretty much gone but the Kohl was still there almost like I had just put it on.


I am used to "smudge pots" and regular pencil eyeliner, but 99% of the time I line with regular powder shadow and a smudge brush. This gives me a very similar look, though the line is a little bit thinner. I'm really liking this, especially the color and staying power... but I don't think I'd buy another color since most of them are pretty generic shades that I already have.

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*TOP REVIEWER* kmbirkel on 1/8/2009 4:56:00 AM more reviews by kmbirkel

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Please click "continued" for pics and swatches!


It's funny how fads work; I've never found myself interested in or attracted to the Guerlain loose kohl eyeliners (perhaps because it seems like they've "just always been there"?), but when L'Oreal comes out with a cheaper version, I go crazy over it and can't get enough. My little sister laughed at me about it when we went shopping last night: I told her I wanted them, she asked me, "why don't you get some, then?" ... and I had to explain that I already had a few of each.


And yet I still find myself wanting to take new ones home.


Without further ado:








For each of the six colors, I've drawn a rectangle of color and a thin line of color in order to ensure easy differentiation between the shades and to show how the kohls can be used.


So, what do I think of the kohls? I can't say enough positive things about them. From what I have read, the most common complaints about the L'Oreal H.I.P. kohls are problems with fallout and eye irritation; read on for my thoughts on these issues.


I have occasionally had trouble with getting fallout in my eye (which is especially problematic for contact lens wearers like myself), but have played with the kohls enough now to figure out how I can avoid this problem. I start by applying Urban Decay's Primer Potion (which will henceforth be referred to as UDPP) directly on my waterline using either a finger or a synthetic concealer brush. I then open the kohl and pull the wand out most of the way, such that the applicator on the end is hovering inside the clear plastic stopper on the tube. After jostling it around a little inside that space to knock off most of the excess, I scrape it gently along the sides of the stopper to remove any remaining excess. (There will always be more than enough left on the wand for proper application, so don't worry about "scraping it all off.") I then apply it to my waterline using a soft "tapping" motion (rather than a "dragging" motion, as one might with an eyeliner pencil). I've had no problems with fallout in my eyes after applying the kohls in this manner. I have had problems two or three times with fallout below my lower lash line, but this is easily fixable with a cosmetic wipe. Just in case, though, I wait to apply my undereye concealer until I've finished applying the kohl liner.


I haven't had any problems with eye irritation with the exception of the times I have gotten fallout in my eye, but it seems to me that this is a preventable problem, so don't dismiss these gems right off the bat just because you've heard this. I have sensitive eyes myself (so much so that I have to wear daily disposable contact lenses because the two-week ones hurt my eyes after a few days' worth of buildup, even with regular cleanings), and I've managed to make them work for me just fine.


As for the staying power and color selection: I've tested them all out now, and all six seem to be decently shimmery (but not sparkly or over the top) and long-lasting, though the brown in particular tends to migrate from my waterline to my lash line instead of staying put. On my deep blue eyes, I think I like the teal best because of the fun "pop" of color it creates, but I truly love them all almost equally (except the pesky brown one - I do like it, but it doesn't get quite as much love from me as the other five). My best friend borrowed my burgundy kohl for New Year's Eve, and it looked especially incredible against her brown eyes. I really do love the gold; it lends a richly awake, lively look to my whole face.


The one true downside to the L'Oreal H.I.P. kohls is their frequent lack of a protective/sanitary seal. I watched an employee unpack these from a sealed shipment box in one store and saw for myself that the ones I purchased came without seals; however, I have heard reports that some shoppers have found their kohls sealed, so I'm at a loss as to what L'Oreal is thinking here.


I have spotted these myself at Walgreens, Target, and Fred Meyer, and I believe others have spotted them at other drugstores as well. Price will vary depending on location, but the MSRP for these is $11.99 each, and so far the retailers seem to be sticking to that. Remember, though, that there are often BOGO sales or BOGO50%, which makes these even more affordable if you're willing to wait for it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Nerrisa on 1/7/2009 9:37:00 AM more reviews by Nerrisa

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I was really excited to try the new HIP kohl eyeliners. I've been somewhat interested in them, but never interested in paying the price for one from Guerlain. So when L'Oreal came out with kohl eyeliner for $12, I snatched a bunch of them up right away.


While it wasn't a favorite on the boards, gold is actually probably my favorite out of the four I got (I also got navy, brown, and burgundy). It is a bit more yellow than I would have originally thought, but I think it is still a very pretty eyeliner. I don't think it looks strange on my waterline-it actually makes me look just a little more awake than I did before.


I'm really quite impressed with the staying power of these kohls. I can get at least 9 hours of wear out of them without having to reapply, and I have runny eyes. Nothing else stays put for more than a couple hours, and I've tried all kinds of liners on my waterline. The applicator leaves a little something to be desired, though. It's a bit pointy and the pigment tends to flake off the applicator onto everything else. And although $12 may seem a bit expensive for a drugstore product, it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than most of the other loose eyeliner products out there. I would for sure buy again!

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