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Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara review: is it really zero smudge?

If you’re a beauty enthusiast like me, you’re probably constantly searching for the best mascara that doesn’t only deliver voluminous and lengthening results, but also stays in place all day without smudging. 

One popular option that claims to meet these criteria is the Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara. With its big promises and high price point, it’s no wonder you’re skeptical about its effectiveness.

So, the big question is: does this Estée lauder mascara truly live up to its promise? 

As a certified makeup artist, I’ve personally put this high-end brand mascara to the test and am here to provide an honest Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara review.

In this article, I’ll delve into a thorough review of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara to determine if it is truly a game changer for smudge-proof makeup or if it falls short of its claims. 

So, if you’re considering adding this product to your makeup routine, read on to find out if it truly delivers on its promises of being “zero smudge.”

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

For a long time I have been looking for a great black mascara that actually creates a WOW effect. This Estee Lauder mascara with a beautiful packaging actually creates an outrageous volume.

When you wear this mascara people will think you’re wearing lash extensions. Yet, there’s also a downside, but luckily there’s a simple solution to solve this.

You can buy this mascara at:

estee lauder double wear mascara review
Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Mascara.

A typical I-want-that-mascara

In my never-ending quest for the perfect lengthening and volume creating mascara, I miraculously ended up in a well-known beauty store one day.

One of the make-up artists in the store had such beautiful lashes, so I asked her to tell me what mascara she was using after I stopped drooling.

She responded by telling me: “I’m wearing Estee Lauder Double Wear mascara!”

All I could think of was: “I want it too!” No sooner said than done, I bought the same Estee Lauder mascara with great expectations.

estee lauder mascara
This zero smudge mascara is very easy to remove.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara review

Money wasn’t an issue because Estee Lauder promised me “impeccable lashes” with “extreme durability”.

Since I really needed a clump-free mascara that wouldn’t create the dreaded panda look at the end of my workday, I got super influenced by Double Wear’s marketing slogans:

  • Extreme wear: at least 15 hours of wear.
  • Extraordinary length: long lashes that last.
  • Super smudge proof: zero smudge.

So does this mascara live up to what it promises? Yes it does.

estee lauder double wear mascara
This mascara is also very suitable for contact lens wearers thanks to the formulation and the mascara brush.

Is Double Wear mascara really zero smudge?

I can assure you the applied Smudge-Shield Technology really ensures the Double Wear mascara doesn’t smudge or run when you sweat or have teary eyes.

It doesn’t even smudge when there’s hot and humid weather. I actually experienced this when I was in Miami with 86ºF.

Thanks to this Estee Lauder mascara I didn’t walk around with an unintentional Gothic look.

  • Clump-free: check.
  • Lengthening: double check.
  • Anti-panda look: double check check. 
Estee lauder double wear review mascara
In this picture you can see the difference: on my left eye I’m wearing the Double Wear Mascara. My right eyelashes are without any mascara.

According to Estee Lauder their Double Wear mascara is suitable for contact lens wearers and people with sensitive skin and sensitive eyes because it’s free from:

  • Paraffin
  • Parabens
  • Phthalate and Sulfate
  • Fragrance
  • it doesn’t have any oily ingredients
  • and it’s Ophthalmologist-tested.

Is it suitable for short lashes?

This mascara is primarily presented as a mascara that creates longer lashes. But can you also use it when you have short lashes? Yes, you can.

The narrow brush will coat each of your separate lashes and also creates a great lengthening effect.

This is also one of the reasons why this is a very suitable mascara for short lashes, whether you use it on top lashes or bottom lashes.

Estee lauder mascara double wear brush closeup
The narrow Double Wear mascara brush

The best part is that it also is a great mascara to create extreme volume. You can do this by applying several layers, this will create a beautiful false lash effect.

Because of the creamy texture you can easily create volume by applying a second coat or more. Your lashes won’t feel as hard as a brick when you layer your Double Wear mascara.

In the Instagram picture below I used Estee Lauder Double Wear mascara on my daughter. Have a look at the false-lash effect.

By the way this was an assignment for Make-up School, because I wanted to become a Make-up Artist. What do you think of the result?

Is it a waterproof mascara?

Applying the Estee Lauder Double Wear mascara is no different from other mascaras, but there’s a big difference in the removal of the product.

If you ask me, I think it’s amazing and unique how easy it is to remove! This is a big plus for your skin and lashes, since it lowers the risk of your lashes falling out or even breakage of your lashes.

Although this sounds very positive it also has a downside. The Double Wear mascara is not waterproof. I repeat to you: it is NOT waterproof.

Just as easy it is to remove this mascara in just one swipe with warm water. A rain shower will do exactly the same.

Yet, miraculously you won’t end up with a panda look, not even after applying many layers.

Review: Estee lauder mascara
Here’s a close-up so you can see the difference with and without mascara

The solution

During heavy rain this mascara crumbles off your lashes resulting in some black flakes appearing on your cheekbones.

Luckily you can remove them very easily, but you will look like a drowned cat if you don’t use a lash primer during raining season.

A lash primer will prevent or lower the risk of your mascara crumbling down into your eyes. When this happens your eyes will sting.

I experienced this at first hand and believe me I didn’t like this one bit. So this is something to consider when you have sensitive eyes.

Lash primer
This is Max Factor’s lash primer I currently use

My final verdict: buy it or leave it?

I really love the Double Wear mascara because of the length and the zero smudge characteristics. It’s obviously a high quality no smudge mascara. No doubt about that.

Based on my personal experience, I genuinely believe that it surpasses the performance of Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara
The popular Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara.

So, if you’re looking for a beautiful deep black zero smudge mascara, even suitable for short sparse lashes, this is your mascara.

Yet, keep in mind that during raining season you’re better off wearing a different mascara or combining this premium beauty mascara with a lash primer. This will cost you extra money.

double wear mascara brush

5 Pros

  1. Zero smudge!
  2. Very easy to remove!
  3. Long staying power!
  4. Length & volume
  5. Good mascara for short lashes.
Closeup estee lauder mascara review
This zero smudge mascara is very easy to remove

2 Cons

  1. Dries up quickly so you have to buy new mascara faster. The advantage of this is that you don’t get eye infections because you get to replace your mascara at the right time.
  2. Stings when it get into your eyes
diorshow vs estee lauder Mascara

Double Wear mascara vs Diorshow

Although I love this mascara, I have to admit that I often get a sting in my eyes when using this mascara. I hardly experience this with other mascaras, such as Diorshow or a cheap one from a Drugstore.

Still, I have to add some nuance. After having worn the Double Wear from 7:30am I don’t get any stingy eyes until the end of the day at 9pm or 11pm. The mascara then slowly crumbles and gets into my eyes.

Double wear mascara estee lauder review

This doesn’t happen when I wear Diorshow or other cheaper mascaras, but when I wear these the mascara usually ends up under my eyelids at noon. To prevent this from happening I also need to use a lash primer.

In other words: your best investment isn’t only mascara but also a good lash primer. So, if you buy Double Wear mascara and a lash primer, you’ll be very happy.

I hope you enjoyed my Estee Lauder Double Wear mascara review. Please let me know: what is your most favorite Estee Lauder mascara?

List of ingredients Double Wear Mascara

Water\Aqua\Eau, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer, Silica, Beeswax\Cera Alba\Cire D’Abeille, Stearic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax\ Copernicia Cerifera Cera \Cire De Carnauba, Kaolin, Polyvinyl Acetate, Bentonite, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Sucrose Polystearate, Cholesterol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Simethicone, Panthenol, Acrylates/Hydroxyesters Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Hydroxide, Laureth-21, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Peg-100 Stearate, Isostearic Acid, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, [+/- Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Mica, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Blue 1 (Ci 42090), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Carmine (Ci 75470)] <ILN43547>.

About the author


About me

Angela is a curly girl and has been a beauty blogger since 2012. Because of her passion for beauty and hair, she has been a certified makeup artist since 2016 and has done multiple hair styling trainings. As a cosmetics lover, she writes reviews on cosmetics and provides different solutions that facilitate your daily beauty and curls routine.


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