Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Shades Explained: How to Pick the Right Foundation Shade?

Have you ever been at an Estee Lauder counter, trying to find your perfect foundation shade from the Double Wear Stay in Place foundation?

In this post, I will explain to you how I picked my Double Wear foundation correct shade. Here are my story and full review …

I was so excited for pampering myself with this high-end foundation. So, I picked what I thought was my shade, and went home. I was looking forward to trying it out first thing in the morning …

The next day, I discovered that the shade, which looked perfect in-store, is a few shades lighter than my skin tone. I stood in front of the mirror, trying to hold my tears after spending my hard-earned money on the wrong shade!

I believe you could relate to my story, and I could hear you saying: You are not alone! Nevertheless, my story is quite more complicated.

This is why…

I bought my Double Wear foundation from London, two days before my trip back to Jordan. It would be crazy to pay for shipping this bottle back to London to get an exchange. And how could I then be able to pick another shade?!

I did not want to through it in the trash; and it would be wrong for me to wear Shell 2C1, which is the lightest shade in the whole line.

So what else could I do?

Being frustrated, I sent an email to Estee Lauder (consumercare-us@gcc.esteelauder.com). I did not think that it would help, and I was aiming to buy a new bottle of another shade soon.

Surprise!

A few days later, I received the following email from Juwana Mostafa, the consumer care coordinator at Estee Lauder.

I was extremely excited when I received a phone call from Ennas Dabbouri, the Estee Lauder coordinator in Jordan. She invited me to visit Senses store for exchanging my Double Wear foundation for the right shade 😀

Be Prepared

Before going to the store, I visited the Estee Lauder website, and I tried to get familiar with the names of the different foundation shades. I also tried their online Foundation Finder. By answering five simple questions, you get a few suggestions for your perfect makeup match. Here are my recommendations…

I got three shade suggestions for the Double Wear, and they are; warm vanilla, rattan, and dawn. Therefore, I had a sort of a good idea about what range of shades I should be looking.

I also made sure that my combination skin was clean by gently exfoliating using the Hypnotic Skinssentials exfoliator, and I only applied a moisturizer afterward.

Ask for Help

When I met Sajeda Freatekh at Senses store, we discussed my skin needs and the coverage I prefer. She explained what skin type I have (obviously a combination skin), skin tone, and what undertone, and she picked a few shades with these in mind. She chose three shades; sand, almond, and rattan.

She used a clean foundation brush, hygiene comes first, and she cleaned my face every time she tried a new shade. I am glad she helped me pick the right shade because obviously, she is an expert in her field.

Sand was too light, pale almond was too pink, but rattan 2W2 was a perfect match for my light-medium skin tone.

When I asked for a matching concealer, she recommended Double Wear Waterproof All Day Extreme Wear concealer in medium. I also received a red cosmetic bag that contains samples of the Estee Lauder DayWear crème, Sumptuous Extreme mascara, Take it Away makeup remover lotion, Pure Color Lipstick in Rose Tea, and the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum.

I did not get the chance to try them all, but I am planning to and will tell you then my thoughts about each one of them.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation: My Thoughts

Product description:

“15-hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity. Will not change color, smudge, or come off on clothes. It feels lightweight and comfortable. Now the flawless look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day. “

For someone with combination skin, I always wanted a foundation that does not feel heavy, stays in place with minimum touch-ups, and one that will not look cakey or settles into my fine lines.

I had once Elizabeth Arden Sponge-on crème foundation, it was thick, heavy, and felt like wearing a mask on my face. Also, I tried a few drugstore foundations, but most needed touch-ups often. The only foundation that felt lightweight on my skin, and gave a powder finish was the Stop Shine foundation from Karaja. Still, it used to settle in my fine lines and needed touch ups now and then.

Double Wear foundation is quite different; it has a creamy texture that gives a powder finish. I do not need to apply loose powder, which is a bonus, and it lasts all day long.

It feels lightweight on my skin; as if I am not wearing my makeup. I also noticed that it DOES stay in place, so my fine lines do not look more visible when I wear this foundation.

Since it is winter, I was not sure of how it would look like to be wearing this foundation in summer, so I decided to put my Double Wear to test.

The Challenge

High temperature and humidity would be the hardest conditions any foundation would face.

I decided to wear my Double Wear foundation and bath my kids. The bathroom was hot, more like a steamy bathroom. When I finished, I took a close look at my face.

Double Wear foundation from Estee Lauder passed the test! I am impressed!

It stayed in place, never melted, or became cakey. I am confident that I made the best choice when I chose to purchase a Double Wear foundation from Estee Lauder.

Since it has a medium, buildable coverage, I like to apply a thin layer of foundation all over my face and then add some extra to the areas needed. You can also try using different brushes; each brush will give a different result, starting from everyday look to full coverage.

• For instance, you can use a classically tapered foundation brush with light strokes from the center of your face working outward for an even medium to full coverage.
• A flat top brush gives a heavier coverage where you need it; make sure to work out quickly since Double Wear dries fast.
• A stippling brush helps you get the look of an airbrushed skin for an everyday look.
• I also used the elf angled foundation brush, which did an excellent

  job in spreading the foundation evenly.

• A beauty blender would give sheer coverage, so I like to use this one for an everyday look.

I should also mention that Double Wear foundation has an SPF 10 protection, so it adds up for protecting your skin, just make sure to apply sunscreen underneath for better protection.

The only con I found is that the Double Wear foundation has an open-top. Thankfully, I found a pump that works perfectly with my Double Wear foundation.

It is a foundation pump from Mac, and I am glad I did! It is so practical, rather than pouring too much product on your hand, and when you twist it, it locks so you can carry it in your makeup bag safely.

Final Thoughts

In this review, I mentioned what could help you choose your shade, and these tips summarize what you will need to know, remember to...

• Always seek assistance when shopping for a new makeup product.
• Cleanse and moisturize your skin before shopping makeup, never go with full makeup on.
• Get to know your skin “tone” and “undertone.” These are two different phrases, click here to learn more. Most companies refer to cool undertone by the letter C, neutral undertone by the letter N, and warm undertone by the letter W.
• Try two to three foundation shades on the lower part of your cheek, and then go to the storefront door to see how it looks like in natural light. When I shopped for a foundation in London, it was late at night, and it was hard to find the right shade with shiny Christmas lights everywhere.
• If they offer a sample, ask for one, this will save your time and money.
• Look for medium coverage; it would be then easier to go from medium to full coverage by applying a little bit more where needed. On the other hand, mixing some of your foundation with a moisturizer will result in a BB cream of your matched shade.

Though finding the best foundation shade match could be challenging, Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation has proven that with some work, and the help of an expert, you could finally succeed. Many thanks to Estee Lauder team for making the perfect ending to my story!

I hope this review for the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation help you choose the right shade for your skin tone.

How do you choose the right foundation shade? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.