ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR FOUNDATION
If you are sick and tired of foundations that wear off quickly or look cakey and thick Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation might be exactly what you are looking for. Like many I have gone through tons of different foundations in search of one that does everything I need. I purchased this foundation about two and a half months ago and have loved it since day 1!
PROS:
- This foundation lasts FOREVER! I leave my house every morning during the week at 7 am and return around 7 pm and there is no separation or patchiness at all!
- Works well with many different skin types. I have combination skin. Most of my face is dry while my nose gets VERY oily. Many foundations will cling to dry patches and make them more noticeable. I did not find this to be the case as long as I moisturized before and then used a damp sponge to apply it. During the winter my skin was at its driest. I tried applying it with a brush and there was a little clinging going on but not much. If you have extremely dry skin you may want to go with a different foundation just because this is a matte foundation so it can be a bit drying.
- It is buildable. I find that it doesn’t take much of this product to get medium to full coverage! If you use a damp sponge and take your time you can even get a very sheer coverage.
- It dries down. If you are dry like me you may not want to have to set your foundation with a powder. This can accentuate any dry spots you have and/or make you look cakey!
- It works well with blushes and bronzers! I rarely set this foundation with a powder. when using other foundations it can be very difficult to blend out powder blushes or bronzers if the foundation doesn’t dry down or has a luminosity to it. With the Double Wear foundation, I usually apply and set my concealer then move on to eyeshadow. This allows time for the foundation to dry down a bit before applying powder products. This way the powder doesn’t cling to a wet foundation and looks patchy, cakey, and uneven.
CONS:
- Price! This foundation is expensive. I paid $38 for mine at Macy’s but for me, it was well worth it. If you are on a tight budget or just don’t want to pay that much for a foundation this may not be the one for you.
- It is hard to wash off. This foundation stays on a little too well. I suggest making sure you have a great makeup remover if you plan on getting this foundation. I can take a shower and exfoliate my face twice and when I get out there is still a good amount left! If I don’t take my time and make sure to get it all off I sometimes get some seriously big zits!
- CAKE FACE! If you go a bit heavy-handed this could be your fate! Take your time with this foundation. Start with a very small amount at a time and build it up. It is always better to add more than try and take some away if you put on too much. Also by the end of the day, I do notice the center of my face looks a little bit cakey. For me, this is not a deal breaker because I would rather be a little cakey than patchy.
HOW I APPLY IT
I have very dry skin so I ALWAYS start with a good oil-free moisturizer. I suggest doing this even if you have normal to oily skin because it creates a smooth surface for your foundation and helps it to apply evenly and look smooth. After about 20 minutes I then apply primer. I usually use the Nivea Men’s Aftershave Balm all over my face and then a pore smoothing primer on my nose and cheeks. It might sound strange to use a men’s shaving balm on your face but it is pretty smart. I learned this trick from watching Nicole Guerriero’s YouTube channel. Nivea Men’s Aftershave Balm has a high amount of glycerin in it. This makes the balm dry with a slightly tacky feeling that grabs onto your foundation and makes it last longer.
After applying my primer I take a cosmetic sponge and wet it in the sink. I ring it out gently so that there is still a good amount of water but it is not dripping wet. This not only helps me to control the foundation better but it adds extra hydration to my skin and keeps the sponge from soaking up a lot of the product! I then put a drop of foundation on the back of my hand and dot it all over my face with my finger. finally, I take my sponge and pounce it all over my face to spread the foundation. I do not recommend wiping the product with the sponge because this will lift the skin from any dry patches you have and could leave you looking streaky and uneven.
