Party Season Makeup Must-Have: Estée Lauder Double Wear
Party season called. It wants to know if your glam is going to last all night.
This December, we are proud to present Estée Lauder as our brand of the month. A brand routed in classic, party-ready glamour, Estée Lauder bring sets for gifting, skincare for prepping, and cosmetics for celebrating.
Explore bestselling Estée Lauder products here.
What is Double Wear?
Everyone knows the icon that is Double Wear. Launching in 1997, this flawless foundation fast became a coveted, holy grail product, especially in the times of high-glam trends, and for those of us with oily skin. The diverse shade range, high quality packaging, and classic formula proved to be a recipe for success.
Ahead of party season, I was lucky enough to give this pillar of the beauty industry a test run to see if it delivers on all its promises.
What does Estée Lauder promise?
- Flawless-looking base
- Buildable, medium-to-full coverage
- Seamless, mattified finish
- Up to 24 hours wear
- Lightweight formula
- Water, sweat, heat, and humidity resistant
- Blur look of imperfections
- Improve appearance of skin tone
- Visibly minimise unwanted shine
- Natural-looking result
Creating a foundation that hits all the above claims is no small feat.
Double Wear Application
For context, my skin is VERY oily and prone to breakouts. I have never found a foundation that truly lasts without getting shiny throughout the day, and I struggle with foundation that settles in my pores.
For a fair test, I applied Double Wear the exact way I apply all liquid foundation.
I dabbed Double Wear over my usual pore blurring primer, and used a large, fluffy brush to buff it in.
A makeup sponge would also work well for this foundation as the formula is quite thick, and this application style would help to sheer out the formula a little if high coverage is a concern.
Once blended, you could forgo concealer as the foundation alone provides beautiful coverage. For a more brightening effect, add the Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Concealer.
I added a cream blush, before setting with translucent loose setting powder, adding dimension with bronzer, and spritzing a setting spray.
Early Impressions
Truthfully, it is rare that I wear a full coverage foundation these days. From ages 15-21, I would ONLY wear the highest coverage foundation I could find, so I’m no stranger to a “full glam” moment.
Because of this, I was delightfully surprised by just how comfortable and easy to wear this foundation is. It blended incredibly easy. Unlike other matte foundations, it did not dry down so quick that it was hard to work with, and it blended seamlessly in seconds.
I was also pleasantly surprised that, despite being a true liquid foundation, it did not settle in my pores. You can see below that while it settled momentarily in the fine lines around my eyes, my pores are blurred, not filled.
While the foundation certainly is matte, it did not feel dry or heavy at all – even once set under layers of powder and setting spray.
Then the true wear test began.
Does Double Wear Last?
The short answer: yes.
I wore this foundation for 12 hours. I was out all day, walking in and out of the November rain, in air conditioning and on a hot, packed train, and when I returned home there was not a trace of shine.
I found it quite unbelievable.
As someone with oily skin, finding a truly matte foundation does not happen often, especially in the era of glowy skin and barely-there makeup. The promise of “up to 24-hour wear” I can absolutely believe, as 12 hours without any shine has never happened for this makeup lover (who has tested countless foundations).
Is Double Wear Worth It?
I genuinely do believe that Estée Lauder deliver on every single promise they make with Double Wear. It will last all night whether you’re at a Christmas party or are seeing in the New Year, without feeling heavy or dry. It should be a staple in everyone’s makeup bag, perfect for occasions which require a little extra coverage and longer lasting products.
I am realising now that Double Wear is already in many, MANY makeup bags. It’s been a bestseller for almost 30 years. Finally, I know why.
For makeup that you can truly set and forget, Double Wear is the product you need.
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Browse the entire Double Wear range here:
Recommended Retail Price: £39.50Current price: £29.63
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Recommended Retail Price: £39.50Current price: £29.63
Discovering makeup in the 2010's era of full glam was always going to lead me to beauty writing. A lover of pop culture and language, my content is always rooted in modern day trends. My beauty holy grails are the LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balms, L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, detox masks for my skin, and any hair product that promises to repair, hydrate, and strengthen!
