As I am almost finished my bottle of Fenty Beauty foundation, I figured that it would be a good time to open up something new. I really love that foundation and have every intention of repurchasing it but, since I like to test and write about new products, to urge to throw my money at something else was too great to pass up. So, instead of buying myself a second bottle of that foundation (which has a very thin consistency, but also medium buildable coverage and super matte), I figured that I would change things up by trying something dewier.
When I was in Canada, I took a (very) short visit to the Duty Free store at the border. I had around twenty or thirty minutes only, so I grabbed things fairly quickly – a few items that I had been eying at YSL and this foundation from Estee Lauder! I actually thought that I’d bought the original Double Wear Foundation at first, which is a cult favourite super high coverage matte foundation, but didn’t realise until much later that I’d bought the ‘nude’ version.
So, this is the Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude foundation. It is a much lighter coverage and natural version of the original double wear. I can’t remember how much I bought this for in Canada but the Australian Estee Lauder website sells this for AUD$58 – which would be an alright price, if the foundation came with a pump! Instead, I ended up going to buy that separately for AUD$10 at the Myer counter. I didn’t photograph that below though, as I took these images prior to using the product.
And so, let’s just straight into the review!
Product Description
According to the Estee Lauder website, this is a lightweight foundation with has SPF* (more about that in a moment) and anti-oxidants to product your skin. It claims to have 24 hour wear with a light to medium coverage and a natural, satin finish.
Below is the actual product description from the website:
Real-skin flawless. Real protection. 24-hour staying power. Waterlight. This fluid, long-wear makeup feels like you have nothing on. Moves comfortably with your skin. Looks fresh, natural, healthy, even-toned. With SPF 25 and anti-oxidants, it’s your invisible defense against environmental damage from UV rays and pollution. Instantly and continuously hydrates with a moisture complex of red fruit extracts, including watermelon, lychee seed and apple. In shades for all skintones.
This product comes in 21 shades, ranging from quite fair to dark. I haven’t tested out all of the shades but, judging from the website, it looks like the majority of their range is into the fairy to medium spectrum. I feel like they could do with more selection in the dark range, but someone of a deeper colour will be able to give a better judgement on this.
All of that being said, this formula really is very light on the skin. You can build a bit of coverage, but it would be on the sheerer side of medium. For this reason, the colour range could actually be a little flexible in you are between shades. I personally wear 1C1 Cool Bone, which is one of the lightest shades in the range.
* So the SPF thing – this has really confused me and, as I write this, I’m trying to do a bit more research. I bought my foundation in Canada and the box says that it has SPF 30, but the Australian version is advertised as SPF25. I’m unsure if the formulas are different, but I would have assumed that an Australian formula would have more sun protection than the Canadian one. I’m very confused about this so I will update as I get more information.
* I asked around and it seems that the reason why the two countries have different SPF labelling is because of what SPF actually is. SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is “derived by taking the time it takes you to burn with a sunscreen and dividing it by the time taken for you to burn without a sunscreen” (see source). As the sun is stronger in Australia, the same formula will therefore have a lower SPF, as it is protecting against a stronger source.
Packaging
This product comes in a metallic blue and gold box; I know that that’s the classic Estee Lauder design but I honestly hate it! I think it looks so old fashioned and dated. That cursive logo and the average cardboard material also doesn’t help at all. For a brand with such prestige, their box packaging does not leave a good impression and – especially if they’re wanting to target a new audience – their brand design really needs to be refreshed. It is unfortunate but, even though this is a high end foundation, the box packaging makes it look cheap.
Moving onto the bottle design, this is alright. My main gripe with this is that it doesn’t include a pump – and I generally refuse to use foundations without that. I feel like it’s messy and unhygienic. There is the option to buy the pump separately (which I did back in Australia because I didn’t realise this packaging flaw until later) but if I’m already paying AUD$58 for a foundation, I don’t understand why the brand feels they need to charge me extra for a plastic pump. The pump set me back AUD$10 at the Myer counter and I honestly just bought it because I wasn’t sure if other brands would fit the bottle. It’s an average black plastic pump – it is not worth that price.
Overall, the Double Wear Nude foundation has not impressed me with the packaging. The bottle is sturdy and good quality, with a thick frosted glass material, but the lack of a pump and the dated box packaging is a big loss for me.
Application & Personal Experience
The below information comes from the Estee Lauder website, giving instructions on how to dispense the product to get the perfect coverage:
Shake well. For best results, do not pour makeup. Instead, cover the opening with your finger and carefully flip bottle upside down. This will give you enough foundation for light-to-medium coverage. Repeat for more coverage.
According to them, only a very small amount of product would be needed but my experience with this tells be otherwise. With a pump, I will generally use a full two or three pumps for my entire face, building it up with an extra layer in areas where I would want more coverage. The formula is super watery and lightweight, which is something I love in a foundation, and it gives the skin a very natural and dewy finish. I would consider it a bit more dewy than satin, keeping my skin well well hydrated without weighing it down.
I tried using this product with a beauty sponge at first, but I much prefer the application with a flat top foundation brush to buff it in. I find that the sponge can soak up too much of the product (especially since it has such a watery consistency), meaning that it sheers out an already light pigmentation and can also result in a patchy and difficult to blend mess. It is perfect with a brush though and I find that it’s super easy and quick to apply and layer up.
The shade that I use (1C1 Cool Bone) is a little bit of the light side for me, as I did tell the assistant that I prefer to do lighter rather than too dark, but I find that it has enough flexibility to match my natural skin tone.
Above is the application on my hand and you can evidently see that it gives a very natural finish. It feels very light on the skin but, as it is quite dewy, can transfer or slip a little bit. I will generally set it with a powder and then retouch during the day with powder only. The foundation wears well and, although I don’t think the 24 hour wear claim is true, it does fade quite evenly. Rather than applying more on top, I find that powder s enough to even it out again.
I think that this foundation is best suited for dry or dry leaning combination skin. It is also good for people who prefer natural and light coverage foundations. In addition to the previous website claims, the Canadian Estee Lauder website also has added claims that this foundation is oil-controlling and hydrating. While I can agree with the latter, I don’t believe that this product provides much oil control at all as my own oils tend to come through quite quickly without powder.
This foundation doesn’t accent fine line or pores. I generally reach for this when I want a natural make up day, or if I want something that I can put on quickly and trust to work. If you have dark circles that you want to cover up, then a dewier finish concealer on top would be great or you can do a second layer of this for some slight coverage (I tend to do the latter). It will not cover up acne or break outs.
Personally, I like this foundation (formula wise) and I find myself reaching for it fairly often but I am unlikely to rush out to repurchase this. Aside from the lack of a pump, this formula is just too dewy for me to wear all day and I’m too lazy to touch it up all the time. Instead, I would look to trying the original Double Wear foundation (although it is heavier) or sticking to using this when my skin is more dry.
And so, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A light to medium coverage dewy foundation with a water like, light consistency
THE GOOD
- Flexible shades
- Hydrating on the skin
- Can layer it up for a little more coverage
- Very blendable and quick to apply with a brush
- Lightweight formula (watery consistency)
- Does not accent pores or fine lines
- Does not clog pores with daily use
- Looks natural and skin-like
- Fades naturally during the day with no caking
THE BAD
- Old fashion box packaging
- No pump! Charges you AUD$10 for a cheap black pump
- Not enough oil control
- Will not fully cover break outs or acne
- Lacking in deeper shades
- Average wear time – is definitely not 24 hours
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 2/5
- PRICE POINT | 3/5
- COVERAGE | 4/5 (taking into consideration that this is a light formula)
- HYDRATION | 5/5
- FINISH | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 7.2/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I would recommend this foundation (and I have recommended this foundation) for people with dry skin or those who want a very natural make up look. If you don’t wear much make up and you’re after a product that you can put on by itself (a bit like a BB cream), then this would be a good one to look into – just remember the pump thing.
The only reason that I would be rushing out to repurchase this is because I think there are other formulas that better suit my skin type. The formula itself hasn’t disappointed though.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
This product is available on the Estee Lauder website for AUD$58 and is also selling in Myers in Australia. Alternatively, you can check their website for stockists.
