Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place: Wear Test & Review

Author: Rebecca Neall

25 Aug 2022

Product Review

If you’ve drawn breath on earth then you’ve definitely heard of Estee Lauder. The American multinational cosmetics company started as a family-owned business with four skincare products, before branching out into makeup and hair care and it is now a publicly traded, but still family controlled organisation. Estee Lauder Companies owns multiple household brands in cosmetics, fragrances and hair care including Clinique, Bobbi Brown, MAC, Jo Malone London and Aveda.

The Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place foundation (GBP 35, US 48, AUD 65) is a cult favourite, it has been around for years and has fans across a range of ages. It claims to be sweat, heat and humidity resistant while also being long wearing and providing a flawless finish. A bold claim, but for a foundation this highly regarded that tops best seller lists world wide, its not implausible.

Let’s break it down and see how it fares!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place: The Facts

For a product that has been around since the creation of time, you could forgive them initially for the packaging of this foundation. But, as time moves forward, so must Estee Lauder. The sturdy frosted glass bottle, with a screw top lid feels lux, but we are screaming out for a pump to come with this bottle. Yes, you can purchase a reusable pump separately, and maybe they don’t include one for environmental reasons? - but Estee, honey, just let us know the reason.

In regards to the shade range, they have kept up with the times - the shade range is impeccable. Estee Lauder are true foundation shade range pioneers in this respects, with the line currently boasting 61 shades and its ever expanding with the brand filling shade gaps on a consistent bases. All undertones, even the elusive Olive, are represented in shades that actually look like real skin colours.

Estee Lauder DWSIP Grouped Large

MMM Hot top for deciphering the shade names;

1 = Light, 2 = Light Medium, 3 = Medium, 4= Medium Deep, 5 = Deep, 6=extra deep, 7=ultra deep and 8=deepest.
N = Neutral Tone, C = Cool Tone and W = Warm Tone.

The ingredient combination can only be described as witchcraft. It stands true to its word and is water, sweat, humidity, transfer and life resistant. It is oil free and doesn’t cake or set into fine lines. Estee Lauder, was a witch. You heard it here first folks.

It is ideal for those with oily or combination skin as it claims to control shine and oil! But, with a little prep, everyone can really give it a whirl:

Dry Skin - prep your canvas! Exfoliate regularly to remove that dead skin build up and set your foundation up for success. Layer on your favourite moisturiser, a hydrating primer, and apply the foundation lightly.
Normal/Combination Skin - Guess what? you’ll still need to prime. Priming is a must for this foundation no matter what skin type you’re blessed with.
Our combination guys & gals; a mattifying primer down the t-zone and a hydrating primer everywhere else will be your friend. I’ve heard of multi-masking, but is multi-priming a thing? Let’s make it one. A dust of powder down the T-Zone and you are good to go.
- Normal skin - follow your skin/heart with your application (But prime. Notice the theme).
- Oily Skin - this is your summer staple! A mattifying primer down the t-zone or anywhere else you get oily, set with powder and then a spritz of setting spray for the ultimate anti-slip foundation. This foundation was designed for you. Lucky!

A creamy liquid foundation formula, that is not too runny, not too thick (Goldilocks, is that you?). It has a medium, buildable coverage that is easily built up for a full coverage look, or applied sparingly for a sheered out coverage. The finish is a matte, natural finish - so if you are a dewy finish girl, this is probably not the foundation for you.

It easily blends and is designed for extremely long wear. Bonus, it does not transfer to your clothes (it’s a wedding makeup classic!). There’s no right or wrong tool to use for application - my personal preference is a brush for greater control and spreadability, and I find I need to use less this way. You may also assume because this product was designed to last that it is heavy and thick, however it feels super lightweight and doesn't feel cakey at all. It has no strong scent and is fragrance and essential oil free.

A dupe for this foundation would be the Maybelline Superstay 24HR Full Coverage Foundation (UK, US, AUD) which provides a very similar texture, coverage and finish to the Estee Lauder Double Wear. The main difference is that it still has some slip to it after application whereas the Double Wear sets in place. I feel it may not last as long but otherwise gives a very similar look.

Wear test with Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup

Rachel, our incredibly talented Account Manager (and a former makeup artist!), had the pleasure of taking Estee Lauder Double Wear out for the day. With a toddler on the hip, a head cold and a busy day ahead of her, this was the prime time for Rachel to try out whether the foundation really is life proof!

What they say

Estee Lauder - Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup

Wear confidence. Double Wear Makeup is flawless whatever comes your way. 24-hour wear. Fresh matte. Oil-free. Controls oil all day. Sweat-, heat- and humidity-resistant. Waterproof. Life proof. 24-hour colour-true. In a wide range of shades that flatters all. Won’t look gray on deeper skin tones. Unifies uneven skin tone and covers imperfections with buildable, medium-to-full coverage. Feels lightweight and so comfortable, you won’t believe it’s long wear. No touch ups needed. Double Wear is the makeup that keeps up—no matter where your day takes you. Apply once and don’t think twice.

So, how did Rachel find Estee Lauder for the day? Read on!

10:00am - Application: For once, I’ve managed to sleep in and have a slow morning so it’s 10am and I'm trying Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place foundation for the first time ever!

I was really keen to try this as it’s a top seller and promises longevity which I love because I’ve got oily skin and a head cold so I’m blowing my nose constantly at the moment.

First impression, the glass jar is not my friend. I’m a pump girl through and through so you can purchase a pump separately, but that is a bit of a qualm of mine. But, given it’s got such impractical packaging, you know what’s inside must be good or it wouldn’t be so popular.

I’ve prepped with a luminous serum SPF lotion and applied my favourite oil control primer to combat the extra shiny areas. As for the foundation, good coverage - less than I was expecting but it’s buildable, good blendability and it sits well on your skin - it doesn’t look cakey or overly matte. It’s a little yellow for me, but our notes do mention that it’s warmer than NC15 on Match My Makeup, so it wasn’t unexpected.

1:00pm - 3 hours since application: It’s wearing well and is still pretty shine free. It’s worn off around my jawline a bit from my scarf and my toddler’s desire to constantly touch my face.

However, it’s wearing pretty well overall. I like that it’s warmed into my skin and started to look less makeup-y. It hasn’t held up well on my nose with a mask on but that’s kinda just my nose - it always sheds makeup exposing the redness that I desperately want to cover. Claim of colour true is accurate as it hasn’t oxidised or texturised and there is no change to the colour at all.

Rachel’s Final thoughts:

11:00pm - 13 hours since application: It didn’t quite live up to expectations - it wore about as well as my dewy Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation (set with the same powder). I feel like my go-to Studio fix fluid has better holding power. But it was up against the odds with a head cold, toddler and mask trying to impede it’s performance all day, so overall, I’d wear it again but with a pinker powder to neutralise the yellow. Good for work as a standard everyday foundation.