Estee Lauder Double Wear; Brush On Glow Highlighter Pen; Review & Swatches of Shades

Estee Lauder Double Wear Highlighter Pen

New for Spring 2014

Price $27 for about 3ml

(Approx $9 per ml)

Estee Lauder jumped on the whole Highlighting/Concealing Pen bandwagon a few years ago, but their first attempt was a total bust and has been discontinued. The question is, how does the replacement hold up?

It makes sense that Estee Lauder released their Double Wear Brush On Glow Highlighting Pen, after all, they're the new fad and every cosmetic company needs one to push to consumers after the success of Yves Touche Eclat, and Lauder Companies like MAC have had their own versions out for a while, but is Lauder's version really that different?

Unlike MAC Prep + Prime Highlighting Pen which is available in only 4 correcting shades, Lauder's Brush On Glow Highlighting Pen comes in an impressive 8 shades, 2 of which are correcting, and 6 of which are skintone matching. While generally I think that this was a brilliant idea, I think that it was also a risky move by Lauder to focus on "real" shades and here's why:

If you've read my review on Shiseido Sheer Eye Zone Corrector, you'll know that I hugely believe highlighting pens are some of the most misused and abused cosmetics on the market. The problem is, that people often confuse highlighters with concealers and in truth, they serve very different purposes but DO work well together if used correctly.

A Concealer is a product which will cover up and hide your problem areas

A Highlighter is a product which will bring attention to areas that you want to accentuate thereby minimizing focus on your problem areas,

90% of all of the Highlighting Pens on the market today are highlighters, not concealers. One of the few concealing pens which is available is Laura Geller Crease-Less Line Smoothing Concealer which is an excellent product and an absolute must try if the pen applicators appeal to you but you want a concealer. Of course, it doesn't help the confusion at all when Estee Lauder sells the Brush On Glow Pen as having "highlighting and concealing" abilities, but that's just marketing and needs to be taken lightly anyways.

This brings me back to my point that Lauder made a risky move by focusing on natural skin toned shades because I believe that this will only add to the confusion of concealer vs highlighter. (Noone confuses the bright orange MAC Prep & Prime Pen as a "concealer" although it does work as a corrector.)

From a highlighting perspective, I think that Lauder did a fabulous job with their formula. The light pink and yellow correctors are absolutely lovely and comparatively speaking, Double Wear Brush On Glow does offer slightly more coverage than a typical highlighter while remaining blendable, but I still wouldn't rely on it as a sole source of concealing.

As far as a department store highlighter goes, I find Estee Lauder's Double Wear Highlighting Pen to be a great addition and I actually prefer it to Yves Touche Eclat. I love the fact that the natural shades come in multiple undertones so you can easily choose one shade lighter than your skintone for a totally natural looking highlight. If you enjoy and use highlighters as they are intended to be used, give this a try.

Again, if you want a cruelty free concealer in a pen dispenser, try Laura Geller's Creaseless Concealing Pen. Mally also makes her Under Eye Brightener which comes in a jar, but also comes in a small pen version and that is also a great highlighter!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Glow Brush-On BB Highlighter/Concealer Pen; Swatches of Shades.
1N Extra Light, 0N Soft Pink, 5/6N Deep
2W Light Medium,  3/4W Medium,
 1C Light, 2C Light Medium, 3C Medium,

Estee Lauder Double Wear Glow Brush-On BB Highlighter/Concealer Pen; Swatches of Shades. AFTER DRYING!
1N Extra Light, 0N Soft Pink, 5/6N Deep
2W Light Medium,  3/4W Medium,
 1C Light, 2C Light Medium, 3C Medium,