As I personally love a 'flawless' foundation look I am always on the lookout for good full coverage foundations.
About 6 months ago I came across Estee Lauder's 'Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup for Face and Body' and was instantly intrigued by its sophisticated packaging, plus the fact that it's EL's first full coverage foundation.
I purchased it online at http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/
It is slightly pricey at £28.50 although I am a strong believer that you get what you pay for so I invested in this product expecting big things!
This product also contains SPF 15 which is always a bonus!
I ordered it in the shade 05 Creamy Tan Medium.
One downside is, not to the product, but to the shade range; there are only 3 colour shades to choose from and since the coverage is so high you would have to have the perfect match for it to look natural. The lightest shade 03 Creamy Vanilla Light/Medium is not particularly light in colour which indicates that this makeup does not cater for those with a paler skin tone.
First impressions:
When this makeup was delivered I immediately fell in love with the packaging and also the bottle itself, I loved the navy and gold contrast, it just looked so professional - beautiful!
However, one of the first things I also noticed was its size. Although it is a 30ml bottle (which is the average amount in a regular foundation) it looks deceivingly small; so of course I was wary as to how long it would last...
Applying the makeup:
The bottle is comparable to a toothpaste tube in the way that you squeeze it to release the product. I found out that not a lot of product is released when squeezed. Although once applying a small amount I realised that a little (literally a tiny dab on your fingertip) did go a long way! ...So my initial issue with the size of the product began to fade in my mind.
When first applying the foundation I was surprised by its extremely lightweight feel on the skin and its unique formula. When applying with your hands the texture feels almost oily, yet so light, but in time you tend to not notice this 'oilyness'. It spreads very easily, as aforementioned: a tiny amount does go a long way. However, I learned applying the product has to be a quick process because it does, in a sense, 'dry' onto your skin and becomes impossible to blend in a matter of half a dozen seconds (hence eliminating that slight 'oily' feel).
I must mention too that there are no distinct smells or any type of fragrance in this product, so depending on your preference this may also be a benefit to this product.
What I also came to learn was to not apply 'too much' to one area or apply more than one layer - if you have tried out this foundation then you will know what I mean. I can only describe it as 'caking together' in that if you apply too much to one area it will look patchy and the excess makeup applied will look dull, if not a slightly darker shade compared to the rest of the face. Also, I would not recommend using it as a concealer because the same applies: it will just look patchy and emphasise your blemish further - so just be aware of this.
However, don't let this put you off the foundation because, as I mentioned, it is a unique formula and has a very different feel compared to most other foundations and so this 'patchiness' should only occur once first getting used to the makeup and will be corrected with practice and further use.
The finish:
Once fully applied, whether that be with your fingers or your favourite makeup tool, the foundation claims to give a 'matte' finish. I believe that the foundation lives up to its claims 100%, giving a perfect, smooth matifying finish. The makeup claims to have a '12-hour wear' which for me personally I wear this foundation regularly and during the day require no touch-ups; which is for me, a complete miracle, since I have very oily skin and normally, with the use of regular drug store foundations such as .... I find myself touching up several times during the day. However because of the foundation's extremely matifying finish I would not recommend the product to someone with dry skin or to apply to areas on the skin that may be dry because the foundation will just cling to it and enhance it further.
I also cannot stress enough how light it feels on the skin, almost as though you are not wearing any makeup, which is unique for a full coverage foundation as they are normally very thick in texture. Amazingly enough, the makeup, although giving a very high coverage, also gives a very natural look to the skin as though you are wearing minimal, or even no makeup at all.
Another brilliant quality of this foundation is the fact that it is completely 'non-transferable' which it claims to be, even without being set with a powder.
Overall I believe that this makeup is a must -try if you love experimenting with new makeup as this is like no other foundation I've tried before. Absolutely perfect for someone looking for a full, flawless coverage yet achieving that same natural glow to the skin. Ideal for someone with oily skin as it will not move once applied and reduces shine. I will definitely be re-purchasing; well worth the money - love it!
