I loved my old formula Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation (click here to see prior review) in 1N1 Ecru and considered it my holy grail. It had the perfect coverage for me, kept my face on the natural/matte side, and lasted a long time. Unfortunately, earlier this year EL reformulated their infamous product. After reading plenty of bad reviews for the new formulation, I decided not to buy it again. However, after experimenting with other foundations, trying to find the perfect match and coverage for my face, and never succeeding, I started thinking about going back to EL.
The one thing that stopped me was that the foundation did not come with a pump. The packaging is gorgeous, with the frosted container and gold bottle top and lettering, but something was missing. It had never bothered me before, but after using the CoverGirl 3-1 Foundation with a pump, I loved the idea. I did some research and found that I could purchase a MAC pump and put it into the EL foundation. (EL and MAC are owned by the same company).
I bought the Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation ($37) in 1N1 Ivory Nude (they changed the names, 1N1 Ecru is now 1N2 Ecru). Next, I headed over to the MAC counter and bought the pump ($9), and went home to test it out. Before putting the pump in, I measured how much I needed to trim off the end of the pump, then cut it at an angle. It fits perfectly!
In regards to the new formulation, it is a bit runnier then what it use to be. However, it still has the same coverage (medium to full), gives that natural/matte texture which I enjoy, and stays on my face for a long time. The SPF has been taken away, which has its pros and cons; I personally don't mind since my moisturizer contains SPF.
Lately, due to the stronger acne topical medication I have been using, I need to wear a primer before applying the foundation. I have been using the BareMinerals Prime Time or the Tarte Clean Slate Poreless primer (I prefer the Tarte primer for this foundation). Also I noticed that the best way to apply the foundation is with a Beauty Blender sponge. A brush works fine too, but since my skin is flaky and dry right now, the sponge helps to blend it easier. Once on the skin, it feels light weight, and I don't look like I am wearing a mask.
(Left: Before; Right: After)
You can definitely see that my redness has been covered and majority of my imperfections (acne scars) have been covered. However, you will notice that on my chin, I do have some active breakouts still peeking through, so I just use concealer on top of that.
In conclusion, I am glad I repurchased this foundation. It covers up most of my imperfections, and stays on my face pretty much all day long. Although I do miss the old formulation, the new one is not that bad either. It does everything I want it too, and the pump makes it even better!
