Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup: First Impressions

Another day, another foundation! I’d been wanting to try this since I heard it had launched. It’s water based, much like the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua/MAC Face and Body and it needs to be shaken before use to mix the pigment, as it has nothing to emulsify it.

I got a sample from a counter, and was shade matched to 1CN1, there are 16 shades in the range, with cool, neutral and warm undertones.  I always find Estee Lauder to be great with offering samples and I have never had a bad shade match from them. One counter even gave me a big sample of Double Wear because they had sold out of my shade!

This applies brilliantly, I used a MAC 190 to get the most coverage I could, and then buffed it in with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. It leaves a demi-matte finish, and looks very natural. I find that it does look unperceivable on the skin. I still need to use my concealer, but I have found that my concealer is much easier to apply on these lighter foundations and doesn’t cake or look obvious.

I feel that this foundation is going to draw a lot of comparisons to Vitalumiere Aqua, and they definitely have their similarities. The shade range with the Estee Lauder is a lot wider, and caters for more undertones, the Chanel are mostly yellow/warm based. I find the Estee Lauder to be slightly more matte, so would probably suit oilier skins better. Both apply equally well, and I think would be easy to apply either with brushes, fingers or a sponge. Both can be built up easily and layered for more coverage, something that I love about both. With Double Wear I find it very easy to over apply, and end up looking cakey, and frankly, worse than before I applied. I find the wear pretty similar with both, they wear well, and don’t slip or fade unevenly, although I would top up with powder midday.

I would definitely buy the full size of this foundation. I’m starting to grow tired of full-coverage foundations, as I always wear concealer over them anyway, so I may as well wear a lighter foundation where I can get away with it!