Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation: Review, Swatch, FOTD and Price In India

A foundation that I have been wearing, and loving, since 2003 is the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in the shade Cashew. I wanted this foundation because I was getting married and I asked my brother to get it for me from USA. Want to know why I call it my HG (Holy Grail) foundation? Read on….

About Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

15 hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-lasting makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, non-stop activity. 

Won’t change colour, smudge or come off on clothes. Feels lightweight and comfortable.

Now the flawless look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day. 

Oil-free. Fragrance-free. non-acnegenic. Dermatologist-and-Ophthalmologist-tested.

Packaging

The Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation comes in a glass bottle with a golden twist-open cap. One thing that I simply love about Estee (among a whole lot of other things) is the logo. How effortlessly elegant does the cursive EL look within the golden square? Back to the packaging, the bottle unfortunately doesn’t have a pump or any kind of spatula or applicator which makes it a bit cumbersome and messy to get the foundation out. This also means, that at times, I end up removing more product than required and thus, wasting some of this precious foundation. This is my only gripe with an otherwise superlative product.

Colour and Texture

My shade in the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation is 3W2 Cashew, which is a made-for-me kind of perfect shade. This is my skintone!!! It is so perfect that when I’m wearing this foundation, it just looks like I have amazing skin! Another thing that I appreciate about the EL foundations and other makeup products, is that the shade numbers and names are consistent internationally. Unlike certain other brands like Lancome, no matter which country you buy your EL makeup from, the shade name and number will be the same (read about the different numbers and shades in Lancome in my post here). This saves everyone a whole lot of confusion and also helps if you want to order it from an international website or ask a friend living in USA to get it for you when they have their awesome GWPs (Gifts With Purchase).

The texture of the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation is thicker than that of most other foundations I have used. This could also be because this foundation gives moderate to full coverage whereas most of the others I preferred were for lighter coverage. I always ensure that my skin is well moisturised before I apply foundation and this blends beautifully. By now, you all know that my preferred tools for foundation application are my fingers (read my 10 minute makeup post here) and the Double Wear foundation gives a flawless, streak-free look even without any brushes!!! I think that is truly commendable.

The Double Wear is also very pigmented so even a small amount gives you good coverage to hide minor flaws, freckles and acne marks. I don’t even bother with a concealer usually with this foundation, unless my dark circles are screaming for it. The coverage is buildable without looking cakey or mask-like and it has a semi-matte finish.

Swatch

You can see the pigmentation in the swatch. It looks almost opaque.

 

And here’s how it looks when blended. This shade appears darker on my inner wrist but it is perfect for my face and neck. Lesson – never swatch foundations on your inner wrist because your face and wrist aren’t the same shade. Always try it on your jaw-line!

FOTD

This foundation is so fabulous that it’s the one I’m wearing most often these days when I want my skin to look fabulous without having a “painted” look. Here are some pictures from when I have been wearing the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation:

I can add more pics but I think these are enough to give you an idea of how much I love this foundation. It is simply fabulous and yes, it does last the whole day!! It doesn’t oxidise (turn dark) either and holds up beautifully in Mumbai’s heat and humidity. It has an SPF 10 but there is no white cast in pictures with flash. The last picture above was taken with flash and you can see it doesn’t make my face look ghastly white.

Price

When I bought it, the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation was priced at ₹3,000 and I believe the prices have gone up after that. Yes, it is expensive but this is one foundation I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. If you are looking out for a foundation that requires no touch-ups, has a semi-matte finish, has great coverage, doesn’t break you out then, This. Is. It. Brides-to-be should definitely check this one out too because it photographs so well.

So, that’s why this is my HG foundation. Which is your favourite foundation? Have you tried the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation?