Who hasn't heard of this foundation? Cult famous classic loved by many many out there. The lovely Sal at Ummbabybeauty.com was kind enough to send me a sample to play around with and I'm ready to share my thoughts and experiences!
What Estée Lauder say:
The UK's NO. 1 Foundation.* 15-hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop 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.
BENEFITS
15-hour staying power
FINISH
Natural, Semi-Matte
Shade
3W2 Cashew is the most common shade match for those around the MAC NC40 mark. I'd describe it as a rich warm golden shade. I find it does lean a bit on the warm and slightly orange side on me, it's sometimes more obvious in certain lighting, sometimes I really like it, other times I'm like ooh I look funny. When trying a new foundation out I always get opinions from friends and family and a few have mentioned that the shade is indeed a bit off. Tawny which is a shade below looks too neutral beige so I don't think any other shade from the Double Wear range would work for me so this is the closest I can get. Since trying the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation in 6.0 I learnt that an olive undertone in my foundation really flatters and mimics my skins undertone wonderfully and this is what Cashew lacks. Shades like this really pronounce the green in my skin which I never really realised / noticed before, I was always banging on about yellow yellow yellow, but surprisingly there is green in there too. I do like this shade at night time though when artificial lighting is used, it looks lovely and golden. But yes slightly on the warm/orange side and the undertone seems to disagrees with my discolouration areas for some reason.
Here I've swatched it along side Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Stromboli which is a decent match for my face (could do with a bit more olive TBH), as well as Mehron in Eurasia Japonais which is very warm and yellow too (a bit too yellow for me).
Texture
The Double Wear is quite liquidy, it'll run down your hand but it has that elasticy texture that long lasting formulas usually have so it's not so liquidy that it'll run down really fast, it'll probably start slowing down as it starts to set. For a foundation that is meant to be full coverage it's surprisingly liquidy. It's funny I always thought Double Wear would be thick and paint like. I don't think this is the most forgiving on skin texture at all so be wary if you have a lot of texture and dry skin/flakes. It's best suited for those with oily to normal combination skin types, slightly dry if you're lucky. I'm dehydrated combination but I don't have any dry flakes, I just have those annoying tiny bumps that get highlighted when you put certain foundations on, which I feel like this one does. I've used brushes and sponges and both perform well but it is easier with a sponge as you need to work a little extra to buff it in when using a brush. The formula is definitely a little outdated compared to present formulas but there aren't many like it.
Finish
The Double Wear is a demi matte finish, it's not a flat matte, there is an element of glow to the face, like a slight satin finish but because this foundation sets and it sets really well, it's not an overly dewy glow. Again this isn't forgiving on textured skin types and without setting with a powder the glow can look rather unflattering on bumpy skin i.e. mine! This does look like makeup on the skin, this isn't one of those natural, skin like foundations especially if you have problem skin/texture issues. If you have relatively good skin I think you can get more of a beautiful natural finish. I can't pile this on my face or it looks cakey and heavy. I like it when I've used it lightly and sparingly as a light layer just to even my skin tone a little and not to achieve a full coverage finish, it's just too cakey and obvious for me. I suggest you work on well prepped and moisturised skin and really buff it in well to get a more smoother, natural finish if you have a drier skin type.
Feel
This is not the most lightweight of formulas, at all, compared to the feather weight foundation formulas you get now this definitely isn't one of them. The setting factor is obvious on the face, you can feel something on your skin because of how well it simply adheres to the face. Plus on myself the tackiness is a bit of a giveaway too. This foundation is like glue on the face it really does cling really really well! This doesn't feel drying on the face though, for someone who has dehydrated skin I'm surprised it didn't dry my skin out, so this shows that people with slightly dry skin can wear this too.
Coverage
I would say the Double Wear offers medium to buildable full coverage. But this isn't a little goes a long way type of foundation either where for example you use one pump and get almost full coverage like some of the more recent formulas, this doesn't really spread very far so you need to reapply product and build where you need it. I know people with blemishes and imperfections like to use the Double Wear foundation because it does a decent job at covering blemishes and imperfections and really stays put. But for stubborn blemishes you might just need a concealer. Be wary the more you apply the cakier it can get.
Build-ability Like I mentioned above you can build this foundation up for more coverage but I suggest working in sections as this does set and dry pretty fast. Because it sets so quickly it can apply patchy if you haven't blended it in quick enough so I recommend working fast. Either work in sections or apply an even layer and repeat as fast as you can! It can catch onto dry flakes and such if you have any but if you work fast enough you can definitely make it apply smoothly. This does need extra work in buffing it in if you're using a brush, a sponge would definitely apply smoother but bounce the sponge with a good amount of force to really blend it in and try and worked on well prepped skin for smooth easy application.
Longevity
This formula isn't my ideal formula at all but one thing I can't knock it for is its superb longevity! Boy does this last! It really really adheres to the skin very well! When you've set this with powder this can last you a very very long time! It sticks so well that I actually struggle to take it off! It takes me a little longer to remove this compared to all of my other foundations! I recommend oil based removers or balms to remove this btw it'll be much quicker than your average micellar water or wipe! Once set with powder you'll be surprised how resistant it is to transfer. I mean don't get me wrong this isn't super glue on the face, I wouldn't recommend rubbing your face intentionally on to clothes etc but compared to most foundations out there this will probably transfer the least when set well.
Oxidisation
I find this does oxidise on me a tiny bit. Not a lot but it does deepen a bit. This shade looks warm on me anyway but it doesn't turn unbearably orange or anything so no major qualms here. When I swatched it on my hand for the post I wiped it off and noticed the layer underneath was a little lighter so it does oxidise a bit.
Overall Thoughts
It's been a joy to be able to sample this foundation out, it's such a cult famous product that's loved by so many for its superb longevity and durance. This isn't a foundation that I would buy a full size of I'm afraid, I don't like how it feels on my skin personally and I don't like how it sits or looks on my skin either but I totally rate it for how well it lasts on the skin, it's pretty impressive. Actually my sister is halfway through her second bottle of this stuff and it was the first bottle of foundation that she'd ever finished. To be honest I did think it would be a lot worse on me, I thought I'd be a lot more cake face and weighed down by it's thickness but it's actually not as bad as I thought, but most definitely not the lightest or forgiving formula either. If you want a foundation that will stand the test of time, high humidity or even a downpour of rain this'll be your best friend! As usual hope you enjoyed! Any questions please do ask!
Quick Round-Up
Pros
- Super duper long lasting and durable
- Medium to full coverage
- Not an overly matte finish, still some glow to the skin
- Doesn't oxidise
- Good variety of shades (but no olive ones ;( )
- Best for oily / combination skin types
Cons
- A bit heavy on the skin for my liking
- Little doesn't go a long way
- Emphasises skin texture
- Can look cakey on my skin very easily
- Not ideal for very dry skin types