New Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review: Updated Formula, Same Iconic Longwear
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Whenever I’m asked not just about my all-time favourite foundations, but which one I consider the one of the best long-wearing foundations, the one I trust without question, my answer is always the same: Estée Lauder Double Wear.
A cult foundation that’s been loved for many years, and for very good reason.
Estee Lauder Double Wear’s superpower and why it's so highly praised, is that it’s a foundation that goes on matte but never looks cakey or flat, with almost unmatched staying power.
One of the most high performance formulas you’ll ever find on the market, this is the foundation I reach for most on special occasions, long days or those “day-to-night” situations where I have a few events in one day and need my base to truly go the distance.
I can always rely on it to deliver that flawless, imperfection-blurring, soft-focus finish that leaves my skin looking uniform every time with no touch-ups required.
Below image is from 2023.
Oily skin? Double wear foundation has you covered, no slipping or patchiness in sight after midday. Live in a humid climate? No stress, that’s easy work for Double Wear foundation - she doesn’t budge.
So when I heard this iconic, cult-favourite long-wear formula was getting a refresh - I panicked. And I know I wasn’t the only one. Any Estée Lauder Double Wear loyalist will understand the hesitation.
How could one of the best long-wearing foundations I’ve ever used possibly get any better? And what has changed?
From skin-loving ingredients to long-lasting oil control, the brand has listened to feedback from “the people” and decided to give us a renovation.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know, including our first impressions and honest reviews, as my colleagues and I put the newly reformulated Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation to the test.
What Is Different About the New Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation?
While the original formula was on the full coverage side, the new iteration has been thoughtfully engineered to deliver the same staying power but with a lighter, more fluid (but still buildable) formula.
Some users have said the texture feels more comfortable on the skin, while still offering buildable coverage, perfectly combining long-wear performance with a more breathable finish.
Here’s some more key features of the new Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Longwear Matte Foundation:
- The new double wear foundation introduces a patented Alganiacin complex - a blend of niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and brown algae extract which helps balance skin while offering hydration and oil-control. The result? A formula that feels more breathable on the skin, without compromising on what made the original iconic: that signature 36-hour wear, along with its sweat-resistant, transfer-proof finish.
- Hydration: It helps maintain skin moisture levels for up to 72 hours, preventing the "flat" or dry appearance often associated with traditional long-wear matte foundations. The goal? Comfortable wear with a more skin-like finish.
- Skin Improvement: Designed to balance and smooth the skin's texture and reduce the appearance of pores.
- The new Double Wear foundation is further boosted with its inclusion of skin-loving ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to maintain skin’s moisture.
- Shade range: The shade range has been expanded to include 67 shades from fair to deep complexions, then cool, neutral, warm, and olive undertones made with enhanced pigments for a more dimensional finish.
In a nutshell:
- Key Ingredients: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, brown algae extract..
- Finish: Natural matte.
- Coverage: Medium-to-full, buildable.
- Shades: 67.
- 36-hour colour-true wear and 36-hour oil control.
- More buildable and breathable.
Here’s a great video explainer:
@thelipsticklesbians NEW VS ORIGINAL EVALUATION 👀 As we all probably know by now, @Estée Lauder reformulated their iconic Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation after 30 years of it remaining untouched. We got so many requests asking for a side by side eval of the original vs. the new formula, so after months of secretly evaluating her, here’s what stood out to me as a product developer myself. If you’re an OG Double Wear lover, the biggest differences to me was that the new formula takes two layers to reach the same full coverage the original gave in one. And because she now has more skincare built in, she’s no longer that bone-dry matte the original was. She’s still matte, BUT with a softer finish that leaves a subtle sheen as she settles throughout the day. On my skin, with my personal foundation preferences, I see this as a big upgrade. Mostly because it feels more modern and moves with your skin versus just settling on top and getting patchy. But what do you all think? And don’t worry, in our next video we’re answering the most asked question of all: does she still wear as long and truly live up to her name? Stay tuned…#makeupreview #foundation #beautytok #beautyindustry #longwearmakeup ♬ original sound - The Lipstick Lesbians
Estée Lauder Double Wear New Formula Reviews
Sadaf:
Shade: 3W2 Cashew
Like so many others, I’m deeply loyal to the original formula. There’s just something about Double Wear’s matte-yet-radiant, softly blurred effect that I love. Which is exactly why I was so curious to see how this new “glow-up” would compare.
On the first application, I immediately noticed its more fluid, malleable viscosity, which made it a dream to blend into the skin.
Did it completely mask my dark spots and unevenness in one pass like the OG? Not quite. But a quick second layer did the trick, and the finish landed somewhere between soft matte and airy luminosity.
Performance and Longevity:
I wanted to make sure I put the new Estee Lauder foundation through the ultimate durability test. That test was a weekend getaway where I knew I would be out from morning till evening.
The first day I wore this foundation it was raining, I went for a walk with no umbrella (I really was committed to the wear-test) and when I came back to the Airbnb, there was no trace of smudging or movement.
I then took a little nap and while everyone re-did their make-up for our evening event, I kept mine on and this is how it still looked in the evening:
I think this speaks for itself. Still budge-proof with excellent staying power.
While the coverage doesn’t feel as full as the original, it’s so easy to build on and my complexion looked just as unified through rain, naps and evening celebrations just as much as the original.
Best longwearing foundation for mature skin?
I also did a wear test on my mum who has quite large pores (very common for someone her age). I applied the new foundation to just one side of her face, leaving her usual formula on the other and I immediately noticed the difference.
The side that I had applied the Double Wear foundation had smoothed over her pores much better and left a more radiant finish.
That’s why I know this would also be one of the best long wearing foundations for mature skin.
Especially those who don’t want something that looks too full on or heavy, but still want to look made up and put together.
Fran:
"For years, I’ve heard whispers of Double Wear’s impeccable coverage and brag-worthy wear time. Yet, somehow, I was the only beauty editor on the planet who hadn’t tried it - until now.
And to absolutely no one's surprise - I did indeed like it!
I opted for shade 3W1 Tawny (a tanned beige with warm undertones), which proved to be a pretty seamless match.
The undertone pulled slightly more golden than I’m used to but gave a healthy, luminous finish.
The consistency is a tad thicker than other foundations on the market, but it’s important to note: thick does not equate to cakey here.
It worked into the skin beautifully and masked redness with ease.
While perhaps less buildable than thinner formulas on the market, that’s simply because one layer does provide pretty flawless coverage.
And while I don’t have the og formula to compare it to - I do want to call out this impressive update that piqued my fancy; ‘balances skin with 36-hour oil control and immediate hydration. Reduces skin’s oil production with continued use”.
Lots of formulas prioritise hydration these days, few focus on oil control.
As someone usually prone to a 3pm.oily forehead, this was a gamechanger.
My makeup held up perfectly. This is a major win for the oily-skin gals!"
Chloe:
"Estée Lauder has always been one of my go-to foundations especially for my oily skin, nothing has ever quite compared. But the new formulation? It’s taken things to the next level.
You still get that amazing oil control I love, but now it feels so much lighter on the skin, both in coverage and overall wear.
If you loved the original but found it a little too heavy, this is definitely one to try.
Breathable, lightweight, and flawlessly smooth."
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