18hr test: Estee Lauder Stay-In-Place Double Wear Light vs L’oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation [Review]

If “all day” means 8 hours to you, it means at least 12 hours for me….

Hello! Today I have another review of two foundations I have recently bought: Estee Lauder Stay in Place Double Wear Light and L’oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation. Two reasons why I need long-wearing foundations: 1) it’s summer and 2) I put makeup on at 4 am and I won’t be able to take it off till around 10 pm.

I have been agonizing whether I should pick up Estee Lauder (C$45) or L’oreal Pro Matte (C$15-20). Makeup is not cheap in Canada so spending C$20 for a drugstore brand doesn’t feel right…. Anyway, I picked up L’oreal Pro Matte because there’s a price freeze at Shopper’s and I want to get points too~

I actually like MAC’s Waterproof Nourishing Foundation, which is better to be compared to L’oreal PM, however, it’s very unlikely that I’d be purchasing the full size because of terrible white cast on photos.

Skin Profile: Acne-prone, combo-oily, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, redness, dryness/dry patches and everything in between

My shade: MAC NC25 (summer) ; light-medium, yellow undertones

Foundation shades: Estee Lauder DW Light in Intensity 3.0 and L’oreal PM in Natural Beige (same shade as L’oreal True Match).

CLAIMS

15 hour wear

Light as air

Fresh, Natural,Comfortable

Control Oil

Resist smudging and melting in heat and humidity

Longwearing: 24 hours

Control Oil

Never cakey, dull

Create dimensional matte finish

 MINI-COMPARISON

	EL DW Light	Loreal Infallible PM
Finish	Natural	Demi-Matte
Coverage	Sheer-Medium	Medium
Wear	15 hours	24 hours
Shade	3.0	Natural Beige

More Info:

**Texture of DW is just like any other foundation, it’s thin but not runny while LPM almost has a mousse-y texture like Tarte BB tinted primer but is not as thick as Revlon Color Stay.

**I’ve tested both foundation with and without primer, setting powder and setting spray.

Primer: MAC Prep and Prime Natural Radiance Base;

Setting Powder: Gosh Prime + Set/ NYC Smooth skin Translucent Powder/Maybelline Fit Me

Setting Spray: L’oreal Infallible Setting Spray/Hard Candy Fast & Fabulous

**Both can be used for flash photography…*safe*

**Better use a pore-filling primer or else your pores will look huge!

**Comfortable to wear

**Double Wear has very noticeable alcohol(?) smell (I’m not sensitive but it turned me off) while L’oreal has very faint typical foundation scent

**Using damp sponge can sheer out coverage. in my case, i need to layer them to completely conceal redness. I just use Double Wear to spot conceal using my fingers.

**I also used brush (Sigma F80) for both foundations but sprayed Avene thermal water since it makes it easier to blend. EL: Stippling/pressing rather than buffing worked better.  LPM: Buffing technique is better but make sure to prep your skin or else it will get flaky and the foundation itself clings to any dry skin. Must use thin layer and set it with good setting spray. Result: more coverage without the need of layering and it looks much better (smoother, more coverage).

**Can be mixed together giving a smoother, more flawless effect, boosts coverage and less clinging to dry patches

**No need to worry for transforming into grease monster, both products perform well in terms of oil control. 4 hours is the average time for oil alert but is nothing serious you can actually skip blotting. At 6th hour, I suggest you blot for your peace of mind. By 8th hour mark, I will blot no matter what.

APPLICATION METHOD

I never use my fingers to apply foundation. I cannot use brush often due to my problems with dry patches. Both foundations are suggested to be applied using sponge so I use damp Beauty Blender. Personally, I prefer sponge over brush unless it’s a very thin, sheer foundation. Layering is no good for me because it tends to get cakey or highlight rough skin, so I’d prefer to put one layer but the product is actually enough for 1 1/2 layers. I know what I want to cover and one dot won’t make a difference, so that’s why I do that. Does that make sense? Also, I put the least amount of foundation on places like “smile lines” and upper lip. Peach fuzz can be troublesome too sometimes so I shave them.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

L’oreal Pro Matte

I like that it gives me medium coverage, the shade is perfect match (though sometimes I feel like I look dull/sick due to strong yellow undertone), blends easily and it does stay on my face for a long time.It clings to my dry patches and it’s so bad I hate it. Especially for blemishes treated with spot treatments and stuff like that. You need to make sure you exfoliate and moisturize well. Use just enough amount for your face, avoid 2nd layer if you can because it does not really look that good. It will look natural if you stick to one layer.

Note:It does come off pretty easily, sometimes when I blot some of the coverage is lost too especially in my nose.

With primer but without setting powder and spray:  Break down horribly like it’s separating and/or literally sliding off my face (take note I looked very close in the mirror to check it, from a good distance like talking to someone face to face, it does not look that bad).

Without Primer but with setting powder and spray: Surprisingly, it looked better when I skipped my primer. Maybe it’s just me. I think it’s best to set the foundation with powder while setting spray (optional) boosts its performance.

Estee Lauder DW Light

It definitely gives a very natural finish and the coverage is light to medium. Compared to L’oreal, I don’t have a problem with layering. The shade is a great match too although I think 3.0 is a bit dark for me (it matches my neck), but I can’t use 2.0 (matches my face) as it will be too light. It’s very easy to blend and the SA suggested that I spread it first on my face then press/blend it with beauty blender. It works and I agree that’s the best way. L’oreal and EL does not dry super fast like Revlon Colorstay but you can wait for too long either to blend them out.

EL has the tendency to cling to dry patches too but not as bad as L’oreal. Even if it does, it does not make them stand out. It does not come off easily, definitely smudge-proof and survives heat and sweat.

I like to apply it with my primer just because on its own, it looks a bit flat. I don’t know why but my MAC base make it look better. It does not slide off or melt or separate throughout the day. Because of that, I don’t really feel the need to set it with powder or setting spray but I still do just to make sure.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I wouldn’t exaggerate results like “it looks the same way as when I applied it in the morning”. For sure at 18th hour, it does not look fresh or perfect, but it looks good enough you’d avoid being a mess. Also, another basis for my judgment: there are foundations that will make you think it’s better to not wear anything than seeing your foundation melt into sadness and there are foundations that as soon as you see how bad it looks, you want to take it off right away.

Here’s my observation for both products:

8th hour: looks good, coverage intact, need to blot, some redness might peek through

12th hour:still looks good but coverage in sides of the nose and chin has worn down

15th hour: some coverage might wear off especially on blemishes. Just a tiny info, I think EL DWL looks dry/dull at this hour but considering it’s a 15 hour foundation, it is impressive.

At 18th hour, I  swear you still look decent and the foundation is still on your face. You still look good enough to survive your trip to home. To be honest, at this time, I don’t care anymore about how I look. I just want to go to bed.

If I were to pick one, I’d choose EL Double Wear Light because it does not cling to dry patches and performs well. Despite the high price, I think it’s worth it. The problem though, is the shade range. If you want something less pricey, I actually like MAC Waterproof Nourishing Foundation minus the casper effect. But if you’re not willing to spend more than $20 for makeup, go for L’oreal and I think it’s a good drugstore option. You can use True Match shades as guide because more often than not, testers are not available.

Hopefully, you found this helpful!

If you tried them already, share your thoughts with me:)