Is your favorite foundation about to change forever? Estée Lauder's Double Wear, a staple in countless makeup bags, is getting a major makeover! But will the reformulation stay true to its loyal fans while attracting a new generation? Let's dive into what's happening behind the scenes at Estée Lauder and how this iconic foundation is being reinvented for the future.
Estée Lauder, under its parent company The Estée Lauder Companies, is actively executing a turnaround strategy, and a crucial part of this involves revitalizing its most beloved products. As part of this strategic shift, Estée Lauder has embarked on a dual growth strategy for 2026, marked by the appointment of Daisy Edgar-Jones as the new global brand ambassador, and more significantly, a complete renovation of its hero product: the Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation. This move follows the introduction of Nia Long as the North America brand ambassador in 2025, alongside the launch of the Double Wear concealer.
To understand the context, it's important to acknowledge some financial hurdles Estée Lauder faced. The company's fiscal year 2025 wasn't without its challenges. According to their financial reports, dips in skincare net sales in mainland China contributed to overall geographical declines. Additionally, fragrance lines like Pleasures and Beautiful experienced a slowdown, and makeup sales in Asia's travel retail sector also decreased. But here's where it gets interesting... New makeup launches, particularly within the Double Wear franchise (think powder and concealer), helped to partially offset these declines. First-quarter results for fiscal year 2026 suggest a potential turnaround.
Justin Boxford, Estée Lauder’s global brand president, emphasizes the brand's renewed appeal. "The brand is absolutely resonating with both new consumers, which is obviously important for us as we drive recruitment, but also existing consumers. And what we’re seeing is actually numbers that are broadband across the world," he stated. He further highlighted the consistent growth across various markets. "As we look at the West, the East, our key emerging markets and North America, our home market, we’ve actually now delivered three consecutive quarters of total [retail sales] market share growth from January through September 2025, which is extraordinary.”
Financial results from the parent company support this positive trend, indicating that for the quarter ending September 30, 2025, Estée Lauder gained market share across all three axes in North America. Globally, skincare lines like Revitalizing Supreme+, Re-Nutriv, and Advanced Night Repair also saw gains, as did higher makeup net sales in Asia travel retail. "The brand globally, specifically in makeup, we’ve gained [retail sales] market share," Boxford confirmed, noting that this growth has spanned "across five consecutive quarters.”
Boxford credits this success to a strategy that leverages the brand's established strengths. For instance, the Advanced Night Repair line capitalizes on the growing focus on sleep and skincare. "We own the night, and we are cementing our leadership in skin longevity, another big platform we are actively driving, and then we’re continuing to reinforce our complexion authority in makeup,” Boxford explained. He also pointed to the success of the Double Wear concealer launch in January 2025, which he claims became a top-three prestige makeup launch in North America, and by November, the biggest makeup launch in terms of units sold. "This has a great halo on the whole Double Wear franchise.”
This all ties into Boxford's goal of elevating the brand's desirability, attracting new customers, and expanding geographically. "When you take all of that innovation, winning across channels, driving our platforms, and accelerating the new recruitment, this is obviously a great reason for momentum.”
Double Wear holds a prestigious position as the brand's top product in many global markets, even being the largest foundation in some regions. "So as we thought about leveraging this amazing moment, how do we connect with new generations of consumers as well as existing ones that feel fresh and modern, it’s such an opportunity for us," Boxford said. "We’ve taken everything that Double Wear was known for, and now, it’s made for more.” What does 'made for more' actually mean though? Will it be more hydrating? More long-wearing? Only time will tell!
The Double Wear concealer launch has already proven successful in attracting younger shoppers, and the company anticipates the relaunched foundation will follow suit. "Consumer needs in the last few years have evolved, and technology has advanced tremendously," Boxford stated. "The idea was how to take Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation, have it meet the needs of both our existing users, but also think about new, multigenerational consumers, and how do we connect with them.”
And this is where Daisy Edgar-Jones comes in. Estée Lauder sees her as the perfect face to bridge the gap.
"The Estée Lauder brand has a strong legacy of identifying iconic ambassadors that really meet the moment and capture the zeitgeist, and remain synonymous with the brand over the long term," Boxford said, referencing Carolyn Murphy and Paulina Porizkova. "And now we have the utmost confidence in Daisy Edgar-Jones as a talent who resonates and authentically connects with a Gen Z and young Millennial audience, and can help recruit a whole new generation of Double Wear users.”
But here's a thought: Can any reformulation truly satisfy everyone? While aiming for broader appeal is understandable, could altering a beloved formula alienate long-time Double Wear devotees? Will the changes truly represent an improvement, or simply a shift in focus? Will the new Double Wear still provide the same level of coverage and longevity that made it famous, or will it cater more to a "natural" look? What do YOU think about brands reformulating classic products? Are you excited for the new Double Wear, or are you worried it won't live up to the original? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
