Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

Good evening lovelies!

I decided to grab a few samples of Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation. There's been so much rave about it lately that I just had to try! I heard it was great for all skin types, and blah blah blah. Luckily, the lady at the counter told me Estee Lauder isn't having any gift specials until May 31st. So keep that in mind, everyone! I may just have to make these samples last... LOL.

Photo from Esteelauder.com

So, here's how the bottle looks like. It's transparent! O: Ha ha. You get the standard 1oz of foundation for $37. It claims to have a 15-hour staying power, with medium but buildable coverage. The finish is natural, or semi-matte. The product details are as stated:
"15-hour staying power. Flawless all day.
This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity.
Won't change color, smudge or come off on clothes.
Feels lightweight and comfortable.
Now the flawless look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day."

When I went for my fitting, I got matched as Desert Beige, which is a Neutral color. I'm going to compare the color and consistency with Lancome's Teint Idole 24HR Foundation (1oz for $45), which I have sworn by! Lol. Let's take a look:

 I decided to test this out on a plate, for best results, and on a white foreground. On the left is Estee Lauder's DW in Desert Beige and on the right is Lancome's 24HR in Buff 230. As you see, right off the bat, Estee Lauder's looks a bit more orange. The consistency of the DW also seems thinner than Lancome's. Lancome's looks kind of like a stable blob and EL's seems to have spread a bit more. 

 To test the consistency, I adjusted the plate to be perpendicular to the ground for about 15 seconds. As you can see, the Estee Lauder dripped significantly more than Lancome's foundation. The blob definitely moved a bit, but it didn't drip like Estee Lauder's. 

Now on to application!

 Here's my puny sample.

 Starting off with a moisturized and primed face. To moisturize I used L'Occitane's Lait Concentre and Tarte's Clean Slate primer.

 I used a pea size amount and dotted the foundation on my face. I then used Wayne Goss's Brush 01, dampened, and stippled and stroked away. Here's the first application. By the first application, my skin is more even, blemishes are less visible, and it looks fairly natural.

I decided to showcase the buildable aspect of this foundation and went for a second application. Again, I used a pea sized amount, dotted on my face, and applied it with a dampened brush. My complexion is even more even and blemishes are much less visible compared to the first application. My face feels like it can still breathe and it doesn't feel cakey at all!

This is my third time trying this foundation. I first tried it on Monday, again on Tuesday, and again today. I first used it on Monday, but with different conditions. I experienced EXTREMELY dry, eczema-like skin after using a sunscreen. I had dry, cracked, patches along my left laugh line, my chin, my left cheek and undereye, and a bit below my right eye. This was an extremely different case compared to my usual skin condition. I decided to put this foundation to the test, at the max! Ha ha. By the end of the night on Monday, the dry skin was flaking and coming off, but it was morelike my skin was exfoliating itself and the condition was getting better. To say it was foundation, I'm not sure, but it passed the test. It also didn't emphasize the flaky, dry skin from afar, but up close you could tell. 

I have found cons to this foundation. I enjoy liquid contouring and this foundation does not do the job. It dries quickly and you have no time to make sure the two foundations blend very well. When I attempted, I literally had cut-outs on my face. It was terrible. Instead, I have to apply the foundation all over, then liquid contour separately, which is a hassle. 

The verdict:

I love the natural, semi-matte finish. Sometimes I feel like the shade is a bit too orange, but it actually turns out fairly well. It lasts all day and works well with my skin. One thing I have to pick on is the lack of SPF. I'm not a fan of wearing sunscreen separately, and wearing makeup. Perhaps I just haven't found the right sunscreen yet, but I prefer foundation with SPF already in it. This foundation is also not very blendable with other foundations, for you liquid contourers out there... Perhaps I just haven't made it work for me yet...? Regardless, you get a 1oz bottle for $37, $8 less than Lancome's. Would I trade it for Lancome's 24hr? Mm. For a full coverage foundation, no, but the Double Wear is more like a medium coverage foundation. It's super lightweight and does well with my dry skin. Even then, my sister has oily skin and looves this foundation. It's definitely for all skin types. It has a natural appearance, a little goes a long way, and it's very buildable. Not to mention, it worked very well when I had troublesome skin. I would buy the full size, no doubt about it. My logic, if it works well, get it... Even if you have something that works perfectly fine. The more the merrier. (: