One thing about me and my mom: we’re copy-paste. Same face, same eyes, same ridiculously high standards for beauty products. But—of course, there’s a but—we never, ever agree on the best concealer.
My mom (you can call her Mindy) is 56, so her mature skin typically responds best to a formula that doesn’t sink into fine lines and comes equipped with a bit of blurring technology. I, on the other hand, am 28 and constantly searching for a hydrating concealer fortified with dark-circle disguising properties.
It wasn’t until one fateful day in February that we finally found ourselves doing the impossible: fighting over the same bottle. Specifically, Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Play Concealer, which launched today, Feb. 16. With a soft-focus matte finish, fairly full-coverage hydration, and a promise for 24-hour protection against caking, creasing, and transferring, the new release checks all our cross-generational boxes.
The texture and finish of the formula were, shockingly, crowd-pleasers. “I normally go for a lighter coverage formula so I don’t end up emphasizing the lines in my under eyes. I’ve learned less is more with older skin,” Mindy tells me during our daily morning phone call. “But I actually really liked the coverage this gave me. It really brightened me up and didn’t settle into my creases throughout the day. Dad even told me I looked more alive at dinner.”
Like my mom, I had some reservations at first. Powdery formulas with a full-coverage finish tend to leave my chronically dry under eyes looking heavy and cakey. But I found that the concentrated pigment allowed me to wear half the product I usually do. I used a makeup brush (I’m normally a beauty blender girl) to have the most precise application possible, and then pressed the product in with the warmth of my fingers. Just be warned: It dries quickly, so ensure you work even faster.
Despite having different reasons for reviewing the concealer, my mom and I did share a favorite feature: The concealer is self-setting. Both of us even skipped our powder. (Mindy says “powder normally emphasizes fine lines,” while I find that it annoyingly cakes onto dry patches and rough texture at the outer corners of my eye.)
Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Play Concealer is a win in my and my mom’s makeup bags. The only downfall: I need really hide my secret stash of refills.
Why Trust Us
Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire and has nearly ten years of experience in the industry. She is constantly trying new concealers and is an expert on product reviews. Mindy Holender is a regular mature skin reviewer for Marie Claire. She has been doing makeup for nearly three decades and is an expert on mature skin.
