Unveiling the Secrets Behind Estée Lauder's Double Wear Revolution
In a bold move, Estée Lauder Cos. is taking its flagship brand into 2026 with a two-pronged strategy for growth. First, they've appointed a new global brand ambassador, the talented Daisy Edgar-Jones, and now, they're reinventing their iconic Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation. This follows the successful appointment of Nia Long as the North America brand ambassador in 2025 and the launch of Double Wear's concealer.
While the brand faced some challenges in its fiscal year 2025, as reported by the parent company, the tides seem to be turning. Estée Lauder's skincare sales dip in mainland China and declines in the geography portfolio, along with fragrance franchises Pleasures and Beautiful sliding, and makeup struggles in Asia's travel retail business, were offset by new makeup launches, particularly within the Double Wear franchise (powder and concealer).
Justin Boxford, Estée Lauder's global brand president, shared his insights: "The brand is resonating with both new and existing consumers, and we're seeing broadband growth worldwide. From the West to the East, our key emerging markets, and our home market in North America, we've achieved three consecutive quarters of total market share growth from January to September 2025. This is extraordinary!"
Financial results from the parent company further support this growth trajectory. For the quarter ending September 30, 2025, the brand gained market share across all three axes in North America, globally in skincare with ranges like Revitalizing Supreme+, Re-Nutriv, and Advanced Night Repair, and higher makeup net sales in Asia's travel retail.
"We've gained market share globally, especially in makeup, across five consecutive quarters," Boxford emphasized.
Boxford's strategy focuses on capitalizing on brand equity in key areas, such as sleep with Advanced Night Repair in skincare. "We own the night and are solidifying our leadership in skin longevity, another significant platform we're actively driving. We're also reinforcing our complexion authority in makeup," he explained.
The launch of the Double Wear concealer in January 2025 has been a game-changer, becoming a top-three prestige makeup launch in North America and the biggest makeup launch in units through November. "This has a great halo effect on the entire Double Wear franchise," Boxford added.
All these efforts contribute to Boxford's goal of "elevating the brand's desirability" and "accelerating the acquisition of new consumers geographically." He continued, "When you combine all these innovations, winning across channels, driving our platforms, and accelerating new recruitment, it's a great reason for momentum."
Double Wear is the brand's top product in many global markets and the largest foundation market-wide in some. "It's an incredible opportunity to connect with new generations of consumers while also engaging with our existing ones. We've taken everything Double Wear is known for and made it even better," Boxford said.
The franchise's concealer launch has already captured younger shoppers, and Boxford expects the relaunched foundation to do the same. "Consumer needs have evolved in recent years, and technology has advanced tremendously. The idea was to update Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation to meet the needs of our existing users and new, multigenerational consumers. We want to connect with them," he explained.
This is where Edgar-Jones steps in. "The Estée Lauder brand has a strong legacy of identifying iconic ambassadors who capture the zeitgeist and remain synonymous with the brand over the long term. Carolyn Murphy and Paulina Porizkova are perfect examples. We have utmost confidence in Daisy Edgar-Jones as a talent who resonates authentically with Gen Z and young Millennials and can help recruit a whole new generation of Double Wear users," Boxford concluded.
And this is the part most people miss: the power of a well-chosen brand ambassador. What do you think? Is this a brilliant strategy, or is Estée Lauder taking a risky path? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
