SICKA THAN AVERAGE

You know that "one is the loneliest number" adage? Well, for me that romanticism even extends to the realm of cosmetics — as much as I may love a particular eye shadow hue, I tend to gravitate to eye shadow duos (or palettes, for that matter) as opposed to single shadow pots. Maybe I just like pairs, the idea of two independent entities coming together in a cohesive manner. Needless to say, every time I hit a drugstore, I'm magnetized by the eye shadow duo options in the makeup aisle. And, since launching its HIP High Intensity Pigments line, L'Oréal Paris has made a loyal customer out of me.

For summer, L'Oréal Paris launched five new HIP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo color combinations: Animated (a royal blue matched with a pearly white), Perky (a key lime green shade matched with a charcoal gray), Striking (a sunflower yellow matched with a black hue), Dashing (a dusty pink with a velvety black), and Poppy (a peachy beige hue paired with a darker brown shade).

Pictured below are four of the new shades (as well as some swatches of each) for you ladies to check out. As you'll see from the photos, the shades look way more subtle when applied onto the skin but, of course, you can always add more layers to make the color as rich as you desire.

The shadows are powdery soft, so they're easy to apply and to blend together. They're easily removed with just a tad of water — which is good new in that the makeup removal process isn't quite as laborious, but it also means you might want to avoid wearing these when there's a chance of rain (or you might just end up with some crazy streaking action).

Each round compact includes a bottom compartment with a hidden sponge-like wand applicator. I will warn you, however, that the compacts can be impossible to open — I found myself pressing at the indentation, then tugging and yanking away, only to wind up opening the wrong part (the bottom as opposed to the top, for example). But once you master the art of opening these tricky compacts, you'll be pleased with what lies within.

L'Oréal Paris HIP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo in "Perky," $8. Available at chain drugstores and mass market retailers.

L'Oréal Paris HIP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo in "Animated," $8. Available at chain drugstores and mass market retailers.

L'Oréal Paris HIP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo in "Dashing," $8. Available at chain drugstores and mass market retailers.

L'Oréal Paris HIP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo in "Striking," $8. Available at chain drugstores and mass market retailers.