“We recommend a simple three-step application: shake, dot, and blend,” the Estée Lauder team says. Upon opening your foundation packaging, you’ll notice that it doesn’t arrive with a pump. No, this is not a mistake—it’s by design to reflects both sustainability considerations (by reducing excess packaging) and the way many consumers prefer to use the formula. The brand recommends to “start by placing your index finger over the top of the bottle and shaking once firmly to dispense the product onto your fingertip.” (Those who prefer a pump can purchase one separately here.)
From there, simply dot the foundation around your face around the cheeks, forehead, and nose where you want the most coverage; then, blend. We’d recommend a dense makeup brush, but your fingers or a sponge work well, too.
Our Experience With the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Longwear Matte Foundation
We at Vogue know better than most how scary reformulations can be. Over the years, we have seen many cosmetics transform from beloved essentials to makeup bag rejects. Rest assured, the new Estée Lauder Double Wear is in the former camp; somehow, the 2026 formula exceeded our already high expectations.
For Vogue’s beauty shopping writer Concetta Ciarlo, the foundation’s longevity really sets it apart from other options on the market. “Sometimes you need your makeup to last—I’m talking, really last, as in doing your makeup in in the morning with only minor touch ups by end of day,” she tells. “Upon first wear of Estee’s foundation two things were certain: it’s full coverage and long-wearing. Two pumps of product managed to do the trick for my full face, and suddenly my hyperpigmentation on my cheek was concealed. With the work day behind me and a night of bopping into cocktail parties ahead, my complexion makeup was still firmly in place, albeit, I needed a bit of setting powder to mattify my oily T-zone.”
Conversely, two things about me: I am traditionally a dewy skin gal, and the original Double Wear foundation wasn’t quite up my alley. Admittedly, I found it drying and not compatible with my oily skin. So, in reading the ingredient list of the reformulation, my ears perked up. True to its desired wear, I found this version much more comfortable—giving my complexion the moisture it craved. The oil control remains an exciting proposition to control excess shine today for an intelligent matte coverage that adjusts with you. This foundation stays where you place it; so you can rest assured that the incredible diffused, matte finish you have at the start of the day lasts until you’re ready to wash it off. Like Ciarlo, I did apply a bit of setting powder to my forehead (where I notoriously get oily) but otherwise no notes.
Is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Longwear Matte Foundation worth it?
We can attest that the new Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation stands up to its claims: 36 hours of wear from a lightweight, skin-care packed, medium-to-full coverage serum is no small feat—and makes clear what keeps customers coming back for more.
