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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review & Swatches of Shades

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup 
(aka Liquid Foundation);
Price $37 for 1 ounce

Estee Lauder's Double Wear line has become a legend in the beauty world and having acquired a very consistent group of followers & die hard users.

Lauder has used the original Double Wear Makeup as inspiration to create a plethora of cosmetics including Double Wear Maximum Coverage Camouflage Makeup, Double Wear Light Makeup, Double Wear Stay in Place Concealer & Double Wear Stay in Place High Cover Concealer.

 The newest addition is the Double Wear BB Cream Beauty Balm, and of course, there are numerous eye & lip products as well, but what about the inspiration behind these products?
Needless to say, Double Wear has become a legend in the beauty world. Its one of the few foundations where you will often meet people who have been using it, religiously, for almost 20 years! It has been reformulated once or twice as new technology arises (of which Lauder's companies usually are some of the first to jump on), but for the most part customers have remained faithful.

Now, as the company has partially redirected their target customer, a new generation of women are discovering the appeal and mystique that is Estee Lauder.

Performance & Use:
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup/Foundation claims that it will last an impressive 15 hours without peeling, caking or fading or changing color. For the most part, these claims all prove accurate. 

While most cosmetic companies do manufacture some form of a long-wearing foundation, it is painfully true that many have a horrible tendency to oxidize, are difficult to blend, or don't provide adequate coverage (be it too much or too little,) none of these common issues are present with Double Wear. 

Initially appearing as a thinner consistency liquid, it has just the right amount of slip to let you blend properly before setting to a demi-matte finish. It will provide medium coverage and is easily buildable to full. In many ways its genius is in its' simplicity- a long wearing foundation that works and is available in shades for every skin tone.

It's true that while this is a fabulous product, those who feel their life is dependent on it will be relieved to know that there are several, very similar, and just as effective products out there, since, as I mentioned, nearly every brand has their own version of a long-wearing foundation formula.

Double Wear Stay In Place Foundation is THE foundation Estee Lauder is known for- hands down. What is ironic, is the fact that Lauder is typically considered a brand which caters best to the middle aged, established in life, demographic, and this foundation would be best suited for younger individuals, or those who have oily skin.

It doesn't have a formula which is so drying it will exacerbate wrinkles severely, but it is about as far from a moisturizing formula as you can get, so those with dry skin beware and prep well. If you have normal-dry skin, you may find that this will work best as a summer foundation. I personally find that this type of matte finish works exceptionally well over a high SPF sunscreen as the matte neutralizes the sheen from the sunscreen very well.

90% of the time when I do use a product like this for my foundation, I will use a moisturizing concealer over it. The reason for this is, when the foundation begins to "crack" around my fine lines under my eyes, the concealer re-hydrates the foundation. The dry foundation also helps to set the concealer from beneath and often times it eliminates the need for any powder over the concealer.

 I find this application method to work much better than adding a long-wearing concealer to a long-wearing foundation since that is just piling on more of the same type of formula, although some of you with extremely oily skin may disagree and find it necessary to avoid any emollient properties all together.

If you look at the shades below, you will see that they do have quite an impressive array, with 31 shades in all. I was only able to swatch 29 of the 31 because one was out of stock and the other has just been re-released and hasn't been sent to all of Estee Lauder's distributors yet. (That shade is 1C0 Shell and is available on Estee Lauder's website. It is the lightest of all the shades in both Double Wear & Mac Pro Longwear Foundation  in case any porcelain princesses were curious...)

Mac Pro-Long Wear Foundation and Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Foundations are almost exact dupes for Estee Lauder's version. The principal differences being the shade range & the SPF factor. Often times when these "similarities" pop up between parent companies, I will recommend going with one or the other because of a significant difference in price but in this case, the price point between Mac & Lauder is only a few dollars so it really would depend on which shade range you prefer.

(Mac's is more peachy, Lauder's more olivey, and  Smashbox Studio Skin Foundations is Cruelty Free.) 
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation; (Stay in Place Makeup): Review & Swatches of Shades 1C0 Shell*. 1C1 Cool Bone. 1N1 Ivory Nude. 1W1 Bone. 1N2 Ecru. 1W2 Sand. 2C1 Pure Beige.  2N1 Desert Beige. 2W1 Dawn. 2C3 Fresco. 2W2 Rattan. 3C1 Dusk.  3N1 Ivory Beige. 3W1 Tawny. 3C2 Pebble. 3N2 Wheat.  3W2 Cashew. 4C3 Soft Tan. 4N1 Shell Beige. 4W1 Honey Bronze. 4N2 Spiced Sand. 4W2 Toasty Toffee. 5C1 Rich Chestnut*. 5N1 Rich Ginger. 5W1 Bronze. 5W2 Rich Caramel. 6C1 Rich Cocoa. 6N1 Truffle. 6W1 Sandalwood. 6C2 Rich Mahogany
Cool Shades              Neutral Shades           Warm Shades
1C0 Shell*
1C1 Cool Bone.       1N1 Ivory Nude.        1W1 Bone

                              1N2 Ecru.                   1W2 Sand

2C1 Pure Beige.      2N1 Desert Beige.      2W1 Dawn
2C3 Fresco.                                             2W2 Rattan

3C1 Dusk.              3N1 Ivory Beige.        3W1 Tawny
3C2 Pebble.            3N2 Wheat.                3W2 Cashew

4C3 Soft Tan.         4N1 Shell Beige.        4W1 Honey Bronze
                              4N2 Spiced Sand.       4W2 Toasty Toffee

5C1 Rich Chestnut* 5N1 Rich Ginger.       5W1 Bronze
                                                               5W2 Rich Caramel

6C1 Rich Cocoa      6N1 Truffle.                6W1 Sandalwood
6C2 Rich Mahogany                                    *not shown

You will have to imagine the picture rotated to the right 90 degrees to use the shade chart in a traditional Left-Right Manner. Sorry....
I did however try to place every shade name in its corresponding position when typing the list. (The one exception is 4C3 Soft Tan which is the one 4C shade.)
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation; (Stay in Place Makeup): Review & Swatches of Shades 1C0 Shell*. 1C1 Cool Bone. 1N1 Ivory Nude. 1W1 Bone. 1N2 Ecru. 1W2 Sand. 2C1 Pure Beige.  2N1 Desert Beige. 2W1 Dawn. 2C3 Fresco. 2W2 Rattan. 3C1 Dusk.  3N1 Ivory Beige. 3W1 Tawny. 3C2 Pebble. 3N2 Wheat.  3W2 Cashew. 4C3 Soft Tan. 4N1 Shell Beige. 4W1 Honey Bronze. 4N2 Spiced Sand. 4W2 Toasty Toffee. 5C1 Rich Chestnut*. 5N1 Rich Ginger. 5W1 Bronze. 5W2 Rich Caramel. 6C1 Rich Cocoa. 6N1 Truffle. 6W1 Sandalwood. 6C2 Rich Mahogany
Cool Shades              Neutral Shades           Warm Shades
1C0 Shell*
1C1 Cool Bone.       1N1 Ivory Nude.        1W1 Bone
                              1N2 Ecru.                   1W2 Sand
2C1 Pure Beige.      2N1 Desert Beige.      2W1 Dawn
2C3 Fresco.                                             2W2 Rattan
3C1 Dusk.              3N1 Ivory Beige.        3W1 Tawny
3C2 Pebble.            3N2 Wheat.                3W2 Cashew
4C3 Soft Tan.         4N1 Shell Beige.        4W1 Honey Bronze
                              4N2 Spiced Sand.       4W2 Toasty Toffee
5C1 Rich Chestnut* 5N1 Rich Ginger.       5W1 Bronze
                                                               5W2 Rich Caramel
6C1 Rich Cocoa      6N1 Truffle.                6W1 Sandalwood
6C2 Rich Mahogany                                    *not shown


All in all, Estee Lauder Stay in Place Makeup/Foundation is a rare product in that it actually lives up to its claims. It has to get a certain amount of credit for that alone. It is a solid performer and has earned its followers, however, it is by no means the only product of its kind!
I took pictures when each swatch was wet and again when they were dry. While they did dry considerably darker than they applied, they did do a fabulous job of maintaining color purity once dry. Also keep in mind that these are heavy swatches so any peeling of dried drops is not a common issue.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation; (Stay in Place Makeup): Review & Swatches of Shades 1C0 Shell*. 1C1 Cool Bone. 1N1 Ivory Nude. 1W1 Bone. 1N2 Ecru. 1W2 Sand. 2C1 Pure Beige.  2N1 Desert Beige. 2W1 Dawn. 2C3 Fresco. 2W2 Rattan. 3C1 Dusk.  3N1 Ivory Beige. 3W1 Tawny. 3C2 Pebble. 3N2 Wheat.  3W2 Cashew. 4C3 Soft Tan. 4N1 Shell Beige. 4W1 Honey Bronze. 4N2 Spiced Sand. 4W2 Toasty Toffee. 5C1 Rich Chestnut*. 5N1 Rich Ginger. 5W1 Bronze. 5W2 Rich Caramel. 6C1 Rich Cocoa. 6N1 Truffle. 6W1 Sandalwood. 6C2 Rich Mahogany
Cool Shades              Neutral Shades           Warm Shades
1C0 Shell*
1C1 Cool Bone.       1N1 Ivory Nude.        1W1 Bone
                              1N2 Ecru.                   1W2 Sand
2C1 Pure Beige.      2N1 Desert Beige.      2W1 Dawn
2C3 Fresco.                                             2W2 Rattan
3C1 Dusk.              3N1 Ivory Beige.        3W1 Tawny
3C2 Pebble.            3N2 Wheat.                3W2 Cashew
4C3 Soft Tan.         4N1 Shell Beige.        4W1 Honey Bronze
                              4N2 Spiced Sand.       4W2 Toasty Toffee
5C1 Rich Chestnut* 5N1 Rich Ginger.       5W1 Bronze
                                                               5W2 Rich Caramel
6C1 Rich Cocoa      6N1 Truffle.                6W1 Sandalwood
6C2 Rich Mahogany                                    *not shown
You will have to imagine the picture rotated to the right 90 degrees to use the shade chart in a traditional Left-Right Manner. Sorry....
I did however try to place every shade name in its corresponding position when typing the list. (The one exception is 4C3 Soft Tan which is the one 4C shade.)

24 comments:

  1. These are so wonderful. I have been looking everywhere for double wear shades so i have an idea what to order!

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  2. Thank you so much for these informative swatches. I was able to color match correctly before I went to the Estee Lauder counter.

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    Replies
    1. Oh Wonderful, I'm so glad to hear that they were helpful! I know getting matched at the counter can be awful between the lighting and Sale's Associates that don't account for shades drying!

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  3. Hi, wow this was REALLY helpful thank you soo much!! I was just wondering how I could get a sample of the shade 6W1. Here in Australia they do not cater to dark skin tones. And I would really like to try the foundation before buying a full bottle. Do you know if its possible to purchase a sample from the US?

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      Sometimes on eBay people will break a bottle up into sample sized portions and sell them for $3-9 for 3-5ml, but I don't see any listed right now for 6w1.

      I checked USPS shipping prices and it would be about $6 to ship a sample to Australia. If you want, I can pick you up a sample today or tomorrow then if you'll pay shipping i'll send it to you!

      Just e-mail me at soundlysensiblebeauty@gmail.com.

      Delete
    2. You can buy samples on eBay

      Delete
  4. I have the same problem too! Australia doesn't have a lot of shades for women of color and I'd really really love to buy this but none online ships here. It's so sad

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  5. I just brought this foundation and it's liquid gold in a bottle!!! I was going to just get a sample but after the beauty consultant put this on my face there was no turning back! I have tried Revlon Colorstay, Clinique, Mac, Stila, and MUF Camoflauge Palette and none even compare! Love the buildable coverage! I have a little acne scaring and could never find anything that covered it up nicely like this! It's also so lightweight it doesn't even feel like you have makeup on! I have extremely oily/combo skin and it has a great matte yet dewy/natural finish. The flawless finish also just wowed me! I'm an Estée Lauder gal for life!!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi krissy,
      So glad you like the Double Wear. There's a reason it's remained where it has for 20 years!

      Delete
  6. Thank you so much for this! As others have said, this swatch comparison and explanation was SO helpful!

    I was looking for the 2W1 Dawn however the store was out of this, but they do have the 2W2 Rattan - is this a comparable colour to swap with? Or do you think this would be noticeable since Dawn is my best matched colour? What is the difference between the two; is it that one is more intense i.e. darker than the other?

    Thank you again!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      There really doesn't seem to be too much of a noticeable diff between the twtwo of them so I wouldn't stress about it. If you haven't used Dawn regularly than going to rattan shouldn't be an issue for you. (Even if you had used dawn the difference is really insignificant.)

      Don't rely 100% on same associate's color match for you because it IS subjective and there can be a few variables. (Even sephoras new machine is inconsistent and has matched me at least 5 times with a different answer every time).

      If your store has testers for dawn and rattan in stock I would suggest you go in and HEAVILY swatch your cheek on each side with each shade, then allow it to set for 20 minutes to see the difference . sales associate rarely let the foundation fully set, dry (and potentially) oxidize so it's quite common to end up with a foundation darker than you thought, especially if you're seeking more than medium coverage.

      If rattan is all they have, you can buy rattan and ask for a sample of dawn and 2N1 desert beige or 1w2. Bringing home sample will give you a better idea of what your options are regardless of which shade you and up purchasing. If you like one of the sample shades better you can always exchange your purchase and if youre between shades you can mix them (although that shouldn't be an issue with so many similar shades in your range.)

      Just don't give it too much thought and go with your gut. My only caution again would be to make sure you allow the foundation p lenty of time to dry because what can be your match when wet may be too dark once it sets ad that's where samples come in handy to lighten up a purchase- literally.

      Remember also that no purchase is set in stone and you can bring it back to exchange it at nearly every major store. They don't resell returned items and it costs Ester Lauder about $4 so its not that big of a deal and your satisfaction is worth it. (You may want to make sure the original sales associate gets credit if they were helpful since many are on commission but that's the only issue.)

      Please please please let me know how it works out for you and what you end up doing. I wish you all the best and apologize for the late reply!

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    2. Thank you SOO much for the detailed reply - I appreciate it so much. I ended up going with the rattan, haven't used it yet but I will definitely let you know how it goes. I know dawn works for me because it was a makeup artist who did my makeup for a wedding who used dawn on me and it looked great, so I was worried using rattan would be noticeable, but I'm glad to hear they're close enough that the different will most likely be insignificant. I found your tip about applying heavily and letting the foundation set really valuable because I realized that I have noticed a difference in colour from when I've been in the store to when I've gotten home in the past with other products! So thank you :)

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  7. just stumbled across this and wish I had found your blog earlier! 5* to you thank you for this its so helpful! x

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for reading! I'm thrilled the swatches were helpful!

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  8. What are some drugstore foundations shades that are like 1N2 ecru? I've been trying really hard to find a similar drugstore shade

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  9. Hello, I need help understanding what's going on in column "1".
    I see two swatches in the C section but only one C shade in your list,
    and just one swatch in the N section, but two N shades in the list.
    Can you please clarify that bit for me?

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  10. Have stop using my MAC Full Coverage NC35 as concealer for cheek pigmentation....as it seem to create a grey patchy shadow.... Now have Estee Lauder full coverage face n body in 6W1....just too dark....plan to get MAC Sculp foundation in NC15....decant into a dropper bottle and mix in 6W1.....create a yellow shade to
    spot apply on cheek ....after a light go over full face foundation

    ReplyDelete
  11. Have stop using my MAC Full Coverage NC35 as concealer for cheek pigmentation....as it seem to create a grey patchy shadow.... Now have Estee Lauder full coverage face n body in 6W1....just too dark....plan to get MAC Sculp foundation in NC15....decant into a dropper bottle and mix in 6W1.....create a yellow shade to
    spot apply on cheek ....after a light go over full face foundation

    ReplyDelete
  12. Have stop using my MAC Full Coverage NC35 as concealer for cheek pigmentation....as it seem to create a grey patchy shadow.... Now have Estee Lauder full coverage face n body in 6W1....just too dark....plan to get MAC Sculp foundation in NC15....decant into a dropper bottle and mix in 6W1.....create a yellow shade to
    spot apply on cheek ....after a light go over full face foundation

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi
    Thanks a lot for the detailed review and swatches ! First I apologize for my not so good English as I m French. I'll do my best !
    Have you tried the new foundation : Estée Lauder double wear to go ? I m very interested in trying this new product, but the few reviews I ve read are saying that the colors are not really the same as the " classic" double wear color range.
    I can t go to a sephora or a counter unfortunately but if you can advise me on this product and shade range that would be awsome:))
    Thank you!
    Julie

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  14. Amazing description of all the shades, thanks so so much, Cri

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  15. I have been on the hunt for the perfect foundation for a while, I want something truly FULL COVERAGE, that will cover my dark scarring and not accentuate dry any patches, I have heard estee lauder is one of the best lines for matching olive tones as well; what do you ladies suggest? should I go with the double wear? please hep lol!

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  16. 2 yrs later... From Mac NW43 is bronze a good one, I'm pulled towards honey bronze or spiced sand but the consultant says bronze. What do u think. Loved your review.

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I don't moderate comments before they're posted but I do make it a point to read & respond to every one of them. I LOVE hearing what you guys have to say so thank you for taking the time to let me know what you're thinking!