Now and then, our favourite little life staples go through a modern upgrade. From our social media homepages to the technologies we use, change is a necessary part of our everyday lives.

It isn’t too often we see the same upgrades come through in our beauty routines, and when they do, they can either make or break your day. That’s why, when I saw that Estée Lauder had reformulated (somewhat controversially) their staple Double Wear Foundation, I knew I had to see for myself what this new formula was like.

Now, I have to admit, I have only used the previous version of Estée Lauder’s iconic Double Wear Foundation once, but I am very familiar with its popularity in so many makeup routines. What is arguably the legacy brand’s most iconic product (just shy of our favourite Advanced Night Repair Serum, I couldn’t tell you how many I’ve gone through) has gone through a major revamp this year. If you’ve been on TikTok lately, it’s copping some mixed reactions online.

For ease of understanding what this new formula is all about, and how best you can fit it into your routine, I’ve broken down my thoughts into three key categories:

APPLICATION

Like the original, the bottle comes without a dropper or pump, so the best way to apply it is by slightly tipping it onto the back of your hand and dabbing it into the skin with a dense foundation brush or sponge (note: you can buy the pump separately, here). Shake well before use.

Right off the bat, I was surprised by how far just a little bit of foundation went. One dab into my brush and nearly one third of my face was covered, that’s a win for cost per wear, and it also meant I could build it up depending on how much coverage I wanted.

Application was quick and seamless, settling into my skin gently with no pilling at any point. As I worked the formula down into my neck, I was struck by just how accurate my shade match was. I had used the online shade finder on Sephora, and it was dead-on.

Something I did notice with this foundation was that it felt as though it set itself almost instantly, meaning I could skip loose or pressed powder and setting spray and carry on with my day. This is not something I have experienced before, and as someone who is time-poor on the best of days (let alone when I’m already running late for the train), this was a blessing in disguise. This foundation promises to keep up with you throughout the day, and right from the start, I could tell it would do just that on its own.

LONGEVITY

Today was an office day with an event post-work, so I really needed my foundation to carry me from corporate chair to city chic. This formula promises 24-hour wear, with oil-controlling properties that are also heat and sweat-resistant, perfect for a full day (spoiler alert: it definitely delivered). If you’re someone who doesn’t like feeling like they’re wearing makeup, I’d go easy on this one. It’s definitely full matte coverage, but it can be applied with a light hand to control the finish.

Throughout the day, I could definitely feel the presence of this foundation on my skin. Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, for those of us who prefer fuller coverage (especially if you deal with redness, acne, or similar concerns), this will be the perfect solution. However, if you prefer something lighter, this may be a dealbreaker. Personally, I do enjoy fuller coverage when I need my makeup to last all day, and it definitely did just that.

During the day, I took a stroll through the city. The golden light was shining, and it made my skin look effortlessly glowy. By this point, my makeup was well and truly settled, and I hadn’t spotted any cracks or pilling anywhere, a big win, and almost unheard of, for my combination skin. The oil control was definitely working its magic here.

Even after eight hours in office air conditioning, my skin was still glowing, and my base was looking plump and radiant. This long-wearing foundation truly worked overtime to take me from office to bar.
Come evening, I found I didn’t need to touch up my makeup at all. My base was just as smooth and settled as it had been hours earlier. Put it down to good skin prep, not touching my face, whatever you like, but there’s something special about this formula that holds up for many hours in autumn weather and office air conditioning.

LOOKS

Right off the bat, my shade match looked like second skin, only better.

Each shade comes with a letter to differentiate your undertone: ‘N’ for neutral, ‘W’ for warm, and ‘C’ for cool. (If you aren’t sure about your undertone, look at your veins; green typically indicates warm, blue indicates cool, and a mix suggests neutral.)

The new lineup offers over 60 unique shades, so there’s something for everyone, with flexibility between summer and winter shade matching, so you can enjoy good skin year-round.

As a fair-skinned, cool-toned girl, 1C0 was my chosen shade, and it was perfect. It matched my neck flawlessly, giving me the ideal base to layer contour, blush, and highlight to any intensity I wanted. As someone with cool undertones, I often struggle to find foundations that don’t pull orange. Often, they apply well initially but oxidise over time. With this formula, it’s clear that undertones were a major focus in development.

In short, I finally felt like I’ve found a foundation that stays true to my shade throughout wear.

THE VERDICT

High glam is in. This is a matte, high-coverage foundation through and through, and for my time-poor, work-to-bar crowd who want to look polished after hours, this is the one for you.

Find your closest shade match at Sephora, Myer, or David Jones today, shop below.