*AD - please note this product was gifted to me for a review
I’ve always been a huge fan of Estée Lauder Double Wear. It was the first high-end foundation I ever used, and I stayed loyal to it for years. Back in my university days, my schedule ran from 9am to 4am and I needed my makeup to hold up well enough to earn a living. Double Wear was that foundation. Applied in the morning, removed 20 hours later… completely unbothered. Still fresh.
Of course, it wasn’t without its downsides. As my need for extreme longevity and full coverage decreased, I switched to something that better suited my skin. The original formula was quite drying and didn’t let the skin breathe much. A small price to pay for its performance, but as I said - priorities change.
So when Estée Lauder launched an updated version of this icon, I couldn’t resist putting it to the test. After years of wearing the original, I feel like I’m in a good position to compare the two. Is it the same No. For some, that’s great news. For others, maybe not.
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| Little throwback to the early days of my beauty blogging. The OG. |
The biggest criticism I’ve seen is that the brand tried to make the formula more skin-friendly. Personally, I don’t see that as a downside. But then again, I have dry skin. The new formula is definitely less drying and feels more breathable, which makes it much more wearable for everyday use.
The finish is still smoothing, but less flat compared to the original. You don’t necessarily need to contour just to bring dimension back into the face. Something that always bothered me with the OG. Back then, it felt like an all-or-nothing foundation: full glam or nothing at all. Now, the coverage is slightly lighter but buildable, which allows for a more natural look if you want it. That said, you can still achieve a similar level of coverage to the original. The difference is that the formula is more versatile.
In terms of longevity, it wears beautifully for around 12 hours. I haven’t pushed it to a full 20-hour test, but for my current needs, it performs more than well enough.
One downside, however, is the shade range consistency. The shades don’t translate exactly from the original formula. I had to find a new match. It wasn’t dramatically off, but my old shade definitely doesn’t align with the new one.
Overall, I prefer the updated version. It suits my dry skin much better and might even become my new go-to foundation. I’d still recommend starting with the mini Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. It’s ideal if you want to see how it works for your skin before investing in the full size.
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