Estée Lauder's latest foundation is perfect for midlife skin

a bottle of estee lauder doublewear foundation pictured on a green surface beside an image of beauty editor Fiona McKim wearing a green blazer — (Image credit: Future / Fiona Mckim)

I've always enjoyed how on-the-nose makeup categories are. Compared with the seemingly deliberate obscurity of skincare (essence water - what?), cosmetics are a real 'say what you see' genre.

You've got your lip gloss, your eye shadow, and your face powder. Simple. And while it might seem that foundation doesn't fit that linguistic mould, one additional leap of thinking can join the mental dots.

Why this long-lasting, fresh-looking foundation is my beauty buy of the week

Estee Lauder Double Wear - have you heard of it? This foundation launched just shy of 30 years ago, with eternally fabulous Liz Hurley as its face, and a simple USP of really going the distance, with a soft 'cashmere' finish.

This was unusual in the late '90s, when the best lightweight foundations were but a twinkle in formulators' eyes, and bases essentially ranged from 'matte' to 'very matte' with heavy-handed coverage.

If you've tried the OG, you'll know it nails its job at lasting the day and keeping your skin mattified and even. But, by today's hydration-seeking, radiance-chasing standards, the finish was a touch weighty for some.

Estée Lauder

Double Wear Matte Foundation

So here we have the 2.0 version, after a mere 28 years. Sensibly, Estée Lauder has taken the 'if it ain't broke' approach to this much-loved formula, so if you already like and use it, you'll find it's still brilliantly weatherproof, keeps oil at bay, and whichever of the 60 shades you pick, it'll look the same all day without oxidising.

The difference is simply a bit more good stuff thrown in. More hydration, more flexibility and comfort. The coverage starts off slightly lighter, so you can build the pigment up, and the finish has gone from satin matte to something fresher-looking, but ultimately still shine-free.

Two images of Fiona McKim side by side, both wearing a shearling coat with blonde curled hair and uniform skin, wearing the estee lauder double wear foundation — On the way to a friend's birthday party, wearing Estee Lauder Double Wear, which remained this polished and even right until the end of the proceedings.

I think a lot of us are drawn to foundations promising light coverage, which is fair enough - who wants something heavy all over their face? - and so modern skin tints and tinted moisturisers are justifiably popular.

But if you have pigmentation, little broken veins, skin that gets a bit hot, or red, or oily in places - any of the ordinary markers of a 40+ face - something a bit heftier like this will probably be more satisfying.

I don't wear Double Wear every single day (I don't actually wear any makeup for about half the week). But, when I want to completely trust my foundation because I've got a day in the office or a lunch with the girls, say, I wear this and it never, ever lets me down. Sounds good? Great! We won't chat next Sunday as I'm away, but let's catch up when I'm back in the spring.

As woman&home's Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona Mckim loves to share her 15+ years of industry intel on womanandhome.com and Instagram (@fionamckim if you like hair experiments and cute shih-tzus). After interning at ELLE, Fiona joined woman&home as Assistant Beauty Editor in 2013 under industry legend Jo GB, who taught her to understand ingredients and take a cynical approach to marketing claims. She has since covered every corner of the industry, interviewing dermatologists and celebrities from Davina McCall to Dame Joan Collins, reporting backstage at London Fashion Week and judging the w&h Beauty Awards.

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