Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh Makeup in 2C3 Fresco - Review

Okay so as some of you may know, Estee Lauder discontinued their Double Wear Light foundation a number of months ago. I snatched up what I could find on the market. I still have a few drops left in one tube. This has been my go-to foundation for several years and I was not very happy about it. I wore shade 2.0. Estee Lauder is scheduled to come out with a new version of Double Wear Light any minute now. I believe Ulta in the U.S. is already carrying it. Friends, I am nervous. There are very mixed reviews on the new version and some are very disheartening. All agree, it ain't the same stuff.

So while I suffer waiting to see if the new version is any good at all, an Estee Lauder rep recommended I try this - Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh Makeup. Right away I knew I was going to be disappointed because as soon as I hear the word "nude" I think coverage will be crap, but what is a girl to do? First things first. The shades do not match the regular Double Wear foundation even though the shade names are the same. Say what??? That's right. I wear 2N1 Desert Beige in the regular Double Wear line and in this line, the "Nude" line, it's way lighter. So I had to settle for 2C3 Fresco which is a tad too pink for my taste but the colour will match my skin well enough in a pinch. Disappointment #1.

The Estee Lauder rep warned me that this product is very watery, runny. Oh brother, here we go I thought. She didn't lie. Better apply it fast because it will make it's way down you face in a hurry otherwise. For whatever it is worth, the reviews online are not good and people seem to take particular exception to the wateriness of this product saying it's a hot mess to even keep the bottle clean whether they have a pump or not. However, I have had no issues keeping my bottle clean and I am not using a pump yet. Of course, I have been super careful with this bottle knowing the warnings. Disappointment #2.

Let's talk about the coverage. I knew immediately before I even put it on my face that I was not going to be happy with the coverage given the name and how watery it is. I would say this is a hair better than light coverage maybe even I could say light to medium coverage. For my taste, and given my botchy skin, this coverage isn't going to cut it. To my mind, Double Wear Light was medium coverage and that stuff stayed on all day! I will say that I made this stuff work as I took it on vacation to the Caribbean and man is it hot there in July. It did move around my face but if I wore a primer under it, that seemed to help immensely. That also helped with the coverage issue. I don't want to have to fuss so much though with my foundation to "make it work". At least it blends easily but it doesn't "stick" to the skin as much as I would like. It kind of floats on it. Disappointment #3.

This product has SPF 30. Was this good to have on vacation? Yes. Is it good for pictures? Hell no. Do I want SPF in my daily foundation? No. I am not an outdoorsy gal so sorry I don't need SPF in my daily skincare regime. Disappointment #4.

When I touch my face while wearing it, it comes off on my hand. Doesn't matter how many hours I've had it on. I hate that. I have to keep my hands from my face while I have this on. Disappointment #5.

Will I finish this bottle? Yes, because it cost a good chunk of change and I can use it here and there. It was $48 Canadian or it's $42 U.S. As a side note, I have gone and bought the regular Double Wear formula to use in the meantime until Double Wear Light resurfaces. The regular Double Wear is a bit too heavy and full coverage for my daily needs but I think if I mix it with some Estee Lauder BB cream, we may be ok.

In summary, Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh Makeup isn't as terrible as some people make it seem, you can make it work. I can understand the hate though. I will definitely not be repurchasing. I am a little mystified why Estee Lauder even has this on the market. There are so many boxes it doesn't tick. But hey, at least it's in glass. Estee Lauder normally make such solid products. This one is a bit of a dud.

Packaging: 10/10  (it's glass)  

Pigmentation: 6.5/10 

Easy to Work With: 5/10 

Longevity: 4/10 

Texture: 5/10 (watery) 

Price: 5/10 for what it is

Ingredients: 8/10 

Travel Worthy: 8.5/10 

Attractiveness of Product: 6/10

Would I buy this again? NO

Overall Rating: 6/10

Late Spring/Early Summer Empties 2018

Hello! My empties are piling up again so it's that time to do an empties post. I already have a few items set aside for my "Summer Empties" post so stay tuned for that. I have to do a review in the next day or two about a new Estee Lauder foundation and I have a lot to say about it, so that is up next.. Let's dive in.

A La Maison de Provence Citrus Blossom and Sweet Almond Liquid Soap - I've said it before and I will say it again, I don't tend to post about my hand soap or bar soap empties. I go through a lot of soap and it's just not really an interesting topic I find in terms of makeup and beauty empties. I really like this brand though and I plowed through two bottles over the last little while. I bought these at Marshalls/Winners for $7.99 Canadian. They smell nice (natural) and do a good job. I would definitely repurchase.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Sheer Hydration Lotion - I have really started getting into Aveeno and I have a review and an interesting story to share with you very soon about one of their lotions. This is not the particular lotion that I speak of. Anyway, I find that I am loving some Aveeno lotions but others are meh. This was a meh. I found it did not absorb well, was not very hydrating, and was very light, too light of a moisturizer for me. I would not repurchase this particular Aveeno product.

Seventh Generation Mandarin Orange & Grapefruit Natural Hand Wash - Are we sick of talking about hand wash yet? Haha. This is another of my favourite hand soaps. My only complain at these Seventh Generation ones is that you go through them so fast! If you get a deal though you can buy them for like $3.50 Canadian so it pays to shop around or wait for a sale. I believe Amazon sells these as an add on item for chump change sometimes. Anyway, already repurchased 3!

Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Care - I bought this at Winners on a whim. I've never seen this brand before and I've never seen it since. It worked well! I would consider buying it again. Very moisturizing!

L'Occitane en Provence Dry Skin Foot Cream - I have gone through countless tubes of these. One of the best foot creams on the market, hands down. Already repurchased. If you haven't tried this, you need to get on that already.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - Another free sample done. I will purchase the full sized version one of these days but I keep getting them in my gift with purchase. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation - Used dozens, my go-to and discontinued for now...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. We will discuss this week for sure my friends. 

Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30 - I got this in a set. Might have been a Sephora rewards set. Super handy for travel. It has SPF and it was moisturizing with it being anti-acne at the same time. I don't feel that I got a true sense of what it could do for me based on such a small tube but while I used it, I would say it was decent. May repurchase but I have a bunch of other moisturizers to give a try to first I think. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara - The one and only smudge proof mascara. This is my "work" mascara as it does the job and lasts all day but it's not lashes galore. Already repurchased. Wish it wasn't so pricey though. 

Neutrogena All-in-One Make-Up Removing Wipes - I don't understand why this is a cult favourite. It can burn a bit around the eyes and it does not remove all of my makeup. I always have tons more coming off when I wash my face right after. I am not crazy about the smell either. I don't plan on repurchasing. I used them for travel. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer - Love this. My shade is 2C Light Medium. I use it all the time. Blends perfectly with my foundation. Already repurchased. 

Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream - I have gone through numerous tubes of this. I will definitely repurchase. I am trying something else right now which I will report on soon. Felt like a change.

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser/Purifying Mask - I finished a tube of this while I was travelling and I didn't want to drag it back home. So I took a picture before I chucked it. Pic is below. I really like this stuff. I have bought the full sized version before and I will likely do so again. Your skin feels really clean afterwards. Highly recommend this.