This Liquid Foundation Compact Gave Me Skin Like Kendall Jenner

When it comes to beauty, I'm a rolling stone (i.e. makeup is applied en route or not at all). This is a reality that has ruled out many products for my day-to-day routine—namely, liquid foundation. Let's be real, it's just not something you can toss in your handbag without messy consequences.

So when I, like the rest of the Instagram-double-tapping world, discovered Estée Lauder's latest innovation—a liquid foundation compact filled with their best-selling Double Wear formula—by way of no-makeup makeup hero Kendall Jenner, I was instantly intrigued by the idea. And, naturally, I jumped at the chance to try it during some one-on-one time with one of Jenner's go-to guys, Estée Lauder's Director of Global Makeup Design, Victor Henao.

The Test Drive

Between my ultra-thirsty fall skin and the fact that I had to order the spiciest, most-rosacea-inflaming ramen on the menu the evening before, Henao had his work cut out from him. But, magically, with one quick, pea-size-dispensing press of a button on the compact (he insists that's all it takes for the entire face), he transformed my face from decidedly zombie-like to luminous.

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The veil of coverage was *just* rich enough that it evened out my skin and concealed my newfound blemishes, but other signature features, like my dark freckles, still showed through. In the hours that followed, the sheer pigment stayed put and my skin felt even more dewy than it did pre-makeup—likely due to the hyaluronic acid they added to the more mobile formula.

Addicted to my Kendall-like visage (which he topped off with her go-to cheek color, Lover's Blush, and lip hue, Insatiable Ivory), I wanted to be sure I knew *how* he was applying the Double Wear to my face. Apparently, he has two universal rules for application:

1. If you *can*, try to apply the foundation with a brush, then do touch ups with the sponge applicator.

2. Start applying foundation in the center of your face, then around the eyes and cheeks area. "Apply where you first feel like you need the most amount of coverage and then kind of blend everything else out," says Henao.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup To Go

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Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.