When it comes to foundations I like to have medium-full coverage and something that will stay put all day. The two most common foundations that will always pop in any search will be Estee Lauder Double Wear or MAC Pro Longwear. Another popular one which is a bit more budget friendly is Revlon Colourstay.

I have worn Double Wear on and off for probably the past 10 years. I do stray and try out other foundations but I always go back to it. MAC Pro Longwear is a new purchase for me. I have never given a good review about any MAC foundations before, but I have to really give this one a thumbs up! I done a bit of a comparison post below – as these are probably two of the most reviewed products on MakeupAlley. Here’s my two cents…

Estee Lauder Double Wear

The colour I wear is Ecru and I find it works for me all year round. The one downside with this, and mentioned by nearly everyone who uses it, is the lack of a pump. As it comes in a glass bottle, you have to pour out what you need onto the back of your hand, and I AWAYS end up pouring out far too much. Luckily you can buy a seperate pump to sort this issue. MAC foundation pumps fit perfectly but I bought a generic one ebay for around €3.50 and it works just as well. I also notice that the foundation is lasting a lot longer as I’m not wasting it as much.

I would class this foundation as full coverage as most of the time I never have the need to use a concealer, only a separate one under my eyes. A pump and a half is enough to cover up any imperfections. Although I have found if you use this near any fine lines around the eye area, it tends to settle into them after a few hours, which is one thing I hate about this foundation. A separate moisturising under eye concealer is highly recommended.

The formula is thick but not overly so but it is best to work with it quickly. I use both my Real Techniques Expert Face brush and a Stippling Brush depending on the coverage I need and it works well with both of them. There is a separate Double Wear concealer available but to be honest, you really don’t need it – the coverage with this foundation is THAT good! I would easily get 8 hours from this, with just some slight wear off around the nose / chin area, which just needed a quick touch-up. I do find however that my skin feels a little tight and dry by the end of the day, but I do have dry skin to begin with. I’m sure this probably wouldn’t be a problem for someone with a normal or oily skin type. Prepping the skin is also vital with this, so plenty of moisturiser, and a very light exfoliation if you are prone to any flakiness.

Another reason why I always have a bottle of this lying around is that it great for mixing with other cheaper foundations to make them last a bit longer, or with a moisturiser is Summer for lighter coverage. Its quite versatile and I love that I can use it in other ways.

MAC Pro Longwear

I had never used this until a few weeks ago. I decided I wanted a change coming into Autumn / Winter and had read reviews that the longevity of this was really good. I was colour matched to NW15 which I found afterwards is slightly on the pale side for me, if I was re-purchasing again I would probably go with NW20. This comes in a glass bottle and a pump, which is great. It dosen’t pump out too much each time so its really easy to just use exactly what you need. There is also a Pro Longwear concealer (I previously reviewed this here) which I would highly recommend.

I would class this foundations as medium but buildable, which makes it perfect for both day and night. For light to medium coverage, one pump should do the trick. I usually use 2-3 pumps to get the coverage that I need, but afterwards I still need to do some light concealing on some acne scarring. I use my Real Techniques Expert Face brush or a Beauty Blender for application, I found it didn’t work at all with a stippling brush or with my fingers.

The formula is a lot more fluid than Double Wear but its sets very quickly, so a fast hand is needed. The finish is beautiful and it dosen’t settle into any fine lines throughout the day. I went a full 8 hours without the need for any touch-ups, and instead of getting a shiny T-zone, it just was a subtle sheen which I was very happy about! As I found the Double Wear a bit drying on my skin throughout the day, this was not an issue at all here. There was no settling and my skin felt smooth and soft.

I mentioned that I liked to mix my Double Wear with other foundations or a moisturiser, unfortunately you can’t do this with Pro Longwear, the formula just starts to ball up and gets a bit yucky! Not an issue for me though as I can get both light and full coverage from this.

Overall..

I really thought I would never say this but I am much preferring the Pro Longwear over the Double Wear. It suits my needs and skin type a lot better, and I also find that MAC do a much better selection of shades. I would never have classed my skin as having peach undertones, but since being match to the NW range by one of the girls in MAC, its just perfect.

I will still always have a bottle of Double Wear lying about but I think I will reserve it for night time, and also keep it to mix with some cheaper foundations for during the day.

Estee Lauder Double Wear retails for around €34.00 and MAC Pro Longwear is €36.50. I would highly recommend you go to a counter to get colour matched and maybe try a sample before purchasing. They give very generous samples at both counters so you can try it out for a good few days.

Have you tried any of these foundations, if so which is the winner for you??

Much love,

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