Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation & Concealer Review

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation is the lightweight sister of the popular Double Wear Foundation. It's a liquid foundation that has light to medium coverage. It has SPF10 protection and claims to have up to 15 hours wear. "Double wear is fresh, natural and comfortable. Controls oil, resists smudging and won't melt off through heat and humidity." It is oil free, photo friendly and fragrance free.

I've been using this foundation part of the summer and part of the autumn. At first I raved about it and loved it for the lighter wear and the fact that it actually matched my yellow toned skin which is very rare! I was matched to Intensity 1.0. (for reference I am the shade Warm Sand in Bobbi Brown and MAC NC15.) Normally my shade is in the middle but 1.0 is next to the lightest shade 0.5.  The shade selection is quite narrow with just nine shades compared with the original Double Wear foundation that comes in a whopping fifty shades! I'd be interested in the reasoning behind that. It does have SPF 10 which is good to have in a product but as it's so low it could be argued that it was pointless to include it. You should wear an additional SPF as the SPF10 in this foundation won't be enough.

Double Wear Light foundation has light to medium coverage. After using several brushes I found that Zoeva's Silk Finish brush was the best to use.  It dries to a matte finish. However if you use a Beauty Blender or a Real Technique's Sponge then the look is sheerer and a little dewy while the coverage is light. The colour doesn't oxidise on my skin. I have sensitive, combination skin and this never broke me out or irritated my skin. This foundation doesn't last the 15 hours stated on the packaging but it lasts a good 8-9 hours intact without primer. It doesn't crease and is transfer resistant.  It does cover the redness on my cheeks but may not completely cover acne.

The downside is that this foundation smells very strongly of chemicals however this does die down after application. I have asthma and it never got to the point where is was so overwhelming I couldn't use it. Another thing to note is that it has a very powdery finish and it definitely looks like you have makeup on. It's not really the natural look it promises but I think this can be remedied with a good finishing spray that takes away the powder look and makes the skin look more natural. When I tried to powder this foundation it seemed to take makeup off the skin rather than setting it- I'm not sure if this is a foundation that doesn't need setting? I have dry patches along my t-zone and I found it can cling on to dry patches.

As for the packaging it doesn't really scream I'm a luxurious £35 foundation! However the packaging is very practical since you can squeeze every last drop from the tube and even cut it up towards the end to use all the product up. The plastic tube is light and travel friendly unlike foundations in glass bottles. The gold lid makes it look a little more glamourous. I do wish that the bottle was a little transparent so you can see how much is left (although you can guess a little by the weight.)

I would buy Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light Foundation again, it matched me well, it's is oil-free and feels fairly lightweight on the skin. While it's on the pricier side with 30ml for £35, a little does go along way. It's also very accessible since most department stores around the world have an Estee Lauder counter.

On to Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay In Place Concealer which I bought because I needed a lighter shade of  concealer in my stash to use with this foundation. The colour I have is 1W Light (warm)  but it's actually a bit too light for my skin. I apply this in upside down triangles from my eyes down to my cheek. However this concealer is incredibly hard to blend it feels dry and looks very chalky. I have found that the Primark toothbrush shaped makeup brush helps to blend this concealer the best. While this gives light to medium level of coverage (in the the photos you can see that it covers a light brown mole) when I applied it on my face I found that it didn't actually cover the dark circles around my eyes, even if I apply it in layers and with a corrector underneath. Perhaps my circles are darker? I feel that if I went and bought a darker shade I would still find this a nightmare to work with. I'm not a fan of the formula of this concealer it's difficult to use and it takes ages to dry and set. The good points of this concealer are that it's waterproof and contains spf even though it fairly low (spf10). My search for a good under eye concealer continues as I won't be buying this again.

Have you tried Estee Lauder Double Wear Light & Stay in Place Concealer? What did you think?

Also any recommendations for foundations for yellow toned skin would really help! 

Shu Uemura Face Architect Illuminating Moisture Fluid Foundation Updated Review

I've been using Shu Uemera Face Architect Illuminating Fluid Foundation for 6 months now and thought I'd give you an update as there are a few more things i'd like to add. (see HERE for my original review post.)

Left side of face Without foundation, then with foundation
Right pictures: Foundation swatch on my arm, the mole shows how much coverage the foundation gives

I've used almost two thirds of the bottle during 6 months, wearing foundation roughly 2-3 times a week. I usually apply two pumps on a damp Real Techniques Expert face brush. I would say this gives light to medium coverage and feels light on the skin .It blurs and evens skin tone, can cover most of the redness but freckles will show through but not as strongly if you weren't wearing foundation.
From long term use I've noticed the skin on my forehead has become uneven and small spots and bumps have appeared. I have sensitive combination skin and my forehead tends to be oily but I rarely get spots here. This seems to be from the oil rather than an allergic reaction. This foundation benefits from a powder and touch up during the day. I'd be careful about wearing this every day if you have oily skin or oily combination skin. This foundation is fine to use around my nose which is where my skin gets congested which is surprising. For now I think i'll be wearing this just occasionally.

To sum up this is light foundation that gives light to medium coverage and semi matte finish. Oily and oily combination skins may want to avoid this or use it just occasionally and rotate with other foundations. This will need to be powdered especially for hot weather. However the bottle does go a long way.

Foundation Review Series Shu Uemura Face Architect Illuminating Moisture Fluid Foundation Review

774 light beige (13 shades available) 
27ml /0.9 Fluid Ounces
£34 (Bought it during a House of Fraser sale and used a voucher so it was cheaper £29)
Available at: House Of Fraser and some SpaceNK stores

According to the Shu Uemura website (USA) 'This liquid foundation is designed to achieve an illuminating glow finish. with its pleasantly rich texture, this foundation spreads to conceal skin imperfections flawlessly while maintaining a natural complexion that glows as from within. The formula is enriched with high concentrations of naturally derived ingredients including Macadamia Seed Oil to support the glowing finish as well as the moisturising benefits. provides a high-comfort wear to the skin that lasts all day. Coverage is buildable medium to high, the finish is illuminating glow effect. It's tested under dermatological control and is non-comedogenic.'

Packaging
The glass bottle contains a pump which is both hygienic and best way of ensuring you don't waste any product. The packaging is simple but it doesn't cheapen the product.

Application
Don't apply this with your hands because it won't look very good (it doesn't give a smooth skin-like appearance and will cake.) After trying Zoeva's face brush found that Real Techniques Expert face brush gives the most flawless appearance.There is a slight smell to this foundation but it's inoffensive.

Performance
This gives medium coverage. It does cover imperfections such as spots and red cheeks. This does feel light and comfortable to wear but has enough pigment to provide coverage.
I would describe the finish as semi matte, it's not full on glowing or dewy but looks a little matte as well. Personally I like it since it makes the foundation look more like skin but not like an oily mess. But I have tried dewier foundations than this one. Since there is no SPF there is no white flashback effect shown in photos.This lasted about 6- 7 hours on me without powder so not the longest wearing foundation.

Conclusion
I disagree about the moisturising benefit of this foundation. Even though it contains macadamia which is a moisturising ingredient, I don't feel this is suitable for dry skin. I have combination/oily skin and when I applied this after a shower it clung to dry patches. Even if I don't have a shower before applying this I still have to heavily moisturise for it to apply smoothly. I recommend using a generous application of moisturiser and/or primer underneath before using this.
I have sensitive skin and did not suffer any breakouts from this foundation, so perhaps this foundation is non-comedognic (does not clog pores) as Shu claims.

Since this foundation needs such a well moisturised skin and clings to dry patches I feel this is better suited for the summer. Shu Uemura also has a similar foundation 'Face Architect Smooth Fit' which sounds as if it could be more moisturising. Additionally they have also bought out 'Face Architect Smooth Fit Foundation with SPF 18', which may be even better suited for summer although I don't know if it will give the white flashback effect in photos. I'm going to keep using this for a while until I find a replacement and then save this bottle for the summer. Even so I think this is a good foundation and don't regret buying it.

You may like this if...
You have oily skin. If you like semi-matte finishes. If you are sensitive to perfumed products. If you are yellow or neutral toned.

You may not like this if you...
Have dry skin or if you want full coverage, are very pink toned or on a budget.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation Review

"16 hours radiance-boosting, even revived complexion. Vitamin rich fruit therapy. Instant anti-fatigue. Undectable coverage.  This gel formula foundation with a treatment serum contains 3 super-fruits: lychee, goji and pomegranate. The vitamin and anti-oxidising super-fruits erase signs of fatigue, even out the complexion and revive its radiance: +69% more radiance after 4 weeks of use! Its instant melting effect and semi-matt finish blend in with the skin colouring, even skin tone naturally and erase blemishes.Hypoallergenic, non-occlusive, it respects the skin’s balance"


Product- 30ml/ 1 fl.oz No. 53 Beige Clair/Light Beige £10.99 (6 shades)

This foundation, if not all of Bourjois foundations lean towards the yellow tones, although it would be nice to see more than 6 shades available (the healthy mix foundation is 8 shades.)
It is also lightly perfumed and smells sweet although it is very subtle, I have asthma and am very sensitive to perfumed products especially on my face but this was fine.

Packaging- This should have a red cap but unfortunately I lost it. Generally I think having a red cap stands out (I think it's supposed to match the berries pictured on the front) and I think the bottle is heavy duty plastic, it's transparent so that you can see the colour of the foundation you're buying. The best thing is that it has a pump which gives as much or as little as you need and so is more hygienic.

Performance- This liquid foundation gives light coverage and dries to a semi-matte finish. It looks a little dewy. The 'gel foundation' feels smoother and silkier on hands than Bourjois 10 hours sleep effect foundation but it is not watery. Its fairly lightweight on the skin.It covers red areas and small blemishes but I'm not sure that it would cover acne or acne scarring.
As well as being hypo allergic this foundation seems to be non-comedogenic (does not seem to block  pores) although it is not labelled as such. I feel confident putting this on and around my nose which tends to attract spots and gets congested and it's fine, it never makes spots worst or create new ones, no breakouts. It lasts about 8 or so hours on my skin without powder.

However I'm not sold on the 16 hours radiance boosting or the 69% more radiance in four weeks- where did they come up with these numbers? Perhaps they did carry out tests, but I did not see any radiance on my skin or feel any benefits from the vitamins and the lychee, goji and pomegranate. However I guess it's nice to know that it contains these healthy ingredients which you're putting on your skin.


I've used this for at least two summers (I've gone through two bottles) and have realised that this doesn't match my skin colour! It's more orange and darker than my skin, I guess this might be okay if I wore fake tan and it would match but I don't. The colour makes the foundation really obvious and fake, but perhaps if it was the right colour it wouldn't. It also often cakes and clings around dry areas like around the nose, so a primer would be good. (I used E45 a nourishing moisturiser but this wasn't enough.) I mainly apply this with my hands.

Conclusion
I've decided to use this up by wearing it for evenings when the colour is not so obvious. I love the fact that it never blocks my pores. However I won't be repurchasing this as I feel there are better foundations out there. Also I've realised that you can use a cream foundation throughout the year changing the coverage by how you apply it e.g. with a damp sponge or brush.

This foundation is good for those with yellow skin tones with combination/normal skin seeking out a drugstore/high street foundation and want a light coverage. If the right colour is chosen it can be good for summer months when you want a lighter foundation.

This is not for you if you have bad acne/acne scarring or want a heavier coverage. If you have dry skin I recommend a primer before hand as well as a very good moisturiser. If you have oily skin this may not last the whole day without powder and you may suit a different foundation.