Some beauty brands make temporary hits. The best Estée Lauder products have been earning permanent spots on bathroom shelves for decades, with repeat Allure Best of Beauty Award wins to back up their staying power. (Take the Advanced Night Repair serum, which remains one of the most recognizable bottles in skin care more than 40 years after its debut.)
But the brand isn’t just coasting on nostalgia. Its newer skin-care launches are getting increasingly sophisticated, with ingredients and technologies aimed at everything from fine lines and loss of firmness to dryness and a weakened skin barrier. On the makeup front, even longtime favorites like the Double Wear foundation are getting major upgrades, proving there’s still room for improvement after decades on the market. And then there’s fragrance, including a fresh take on gourmands that might win over even those who usually find them too sweet. Ahead, our editors share the go-tos they can’t imagine their routines without.
Our Top Estée Lauder Products
Houston, We Have a Glow: Advanced Night Repair Multi-Recovery Complex Serum, $135
Scent to Impress: Glimmer Eau de Parfum Spray, $160
Eyes on the Prize: Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt Eye Cream, $88
Spot on: Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer, $38
Houston, We Have a Glow: Advanced Night Repair Multi-Recovery Complex Serum
Why it’s worth it: Can a serum help your skin defy gravity? (Fun fact: Estée Lauder took the idea to new heights in 2020, sending 10 bottles of its Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum to the International Space Station for an out-of-this-world marketing campaign.) Back on Earth, the serum is designed to work with the skin’s natural overnight repair processes, thanks in part to the brand’s proprietary tripeptide-32, also known as its Night Peptide. “We know that the skin undergoes circadian rhythms,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure. “Skin repairs itself while you sleep, undoing the damage that occurred during the day.” The brand says the peptide works with the skin’s circadian rhythm to recover from daily stressors and look smoother and firmer over time. (That said, there’s nothing in the formula, like retinoids, that makes it strictly nighttime-only.) Fermented ingredients like Bifida ferment lysate, yeast extract, and Lactobacillus ferment support the skin barrier, while glycerin and hyaluronic acid draw in moisture, and squalane and jojoba esters lock it in.
Sheer Magic: Futurist HydraPlump Tinted Lip Balm
Why it’s worth it: If you loved mood rings as a kid, Estée Lauder’s Futurist HydraPlump Tinted Lip Balm has a similar color-changing trick up its sleeve, only it’s your lips’ chemistry doing the work. Take the shade Sheer Oasis, for example, which looks green in the tube but glides on clear before developing into a pretty, sheer tint as its pH-adaptive pigments react to your lips. Castor, apricot kernel, sweet cherry seed, and papaya seed oils deliver the hydration and softness you’d expect from a balm, while hyaluronic acid helps lips look plumper and fine lines less noticeable. Antioxidant vitamin E also protects lips from environmental stressors like pollution while adding further conditioning.
Scent to Impress: Glimmer Eau de Parfum Spray
Why it’s worth it: If you’ve written off gourmand fragrances as too sweet, Estée Lauder’s Glimmer Eau de Parfum might change your mind. As the brand’s first major foray into gourmand territory, this amber floral takes a more nuanced approach, opening with juicy raspberry and bright mandarin, softened by orange blossom. As it settles, a macaron rose accord brings in a sugary spin, but warm amber and earthy patchouli keep it from veering too dessert-like. Over time, classic woody notes (sandalwood and cedarwood) add depth while tonka bean lends a creamy warmth, making this gourmand just as fitting for a day at the office (where our tester wears it) as it is for a night out.
Sweet Relief: Glimmer Perfumed Body Lotion
Why it’s worth it: If you always forget to spritz on perfume before heading out the door, Estée Lauder’s Glimmer Perfumed Body Lotion lets you check two things off your list at once: moisturizing your skin and smelling really good. It has the same warm blend of florals, amber, and sweetness as the matching eau de parfum, while glycerin and hyaluronic acid draw in hydration and sunflower seed oil and dimethicone soften dry skin. The lightweight formula absorbs without a heavy, greasy feel, so you can slather it from head to toe. Wear it solo for a softer take on Glimmer, or, if you can’t get enough of that gourmand goodness, layer this body lotion under the perfume to have the scent linger longer.
Eyes on the Prize: Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: Still convinced your eye cream is just your night cream moonlighting in a smaller bottle? Editor in chief Jessica Cruel was in the same boat until she met Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt, a “souped-up” version of the brand’s iconic Advanced Night Repair serum customized for eyes. It borrows the brand’s proprietary Night Peptide, but adds a 2HA Volume Filler—two forms of hyaluronic acid that plump the look of fine lines and crepey skin. Caffeine temporarily reduces puffiness, while Bifida ferment and other soothing ferments support the delicate skin barrier around the eyes. The silky cream isn’t just for your undereyes either—it’s ophthalmologist-tested for use all around your eye (lids, crow’s feet, and inner corners), for a smoother, firmer, and more well-rested look.
Staying Power: Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup
Why it’s worth it: Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup already had three Allure Best of Beauty Awards under its belt, so why mess with a good thing? Well, the brand did just that in 2026, giving its nearly 30-year-old foundation a major makeover—and earning a fourth Best of Beauty Award this year. The new formula comes in a whopping 70 shades, promises up to 36 hours of wear (up from 24), and feels lighter and more fluid than its predecessor.
The secret is the brand’s proprietary Polymer Mesh Matrix Technology, which encourages the foundation to flex with your skin rather than settle into fine lines or uneven texture, while specially treated pigments prevent your shade from changing as oil builds up throughout the day. Glycerin and hyaluronic acid add hydration, while a blend of niacinamide and brown algae extract keeps excess oil in check. “Double Wear has earned its reputation because it gives you tremendous control and dependable wear,” says New Jersey-based makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio Ventre, who recommends applying a thin layer and building coverage only where needed.
One thing to keep in mind before restocking your longtime favorite: Our tester points out that your shade in the new formula will likely be different from the one you wore before, so it’s worth getting color-matched again.
Spot on: Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer
Why it’s worth it: When commerce editor Sarah Han wants more coverage without committing to foundation, she reaches for Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Concealer. The 2025 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner provides full coverage without feeling like a thick layer of makeup, thanks to the brand’s InvisiFlex Technology, which uses flexible polymers that move with your facial expressions to prevent creasing and cracking. Oil-absorbing silica keeps unwanted shine in check, while glycerin and hyaluronic acid help skin stay hydrated and comfortable (because matte shouldn’t mean dry). Caffeine also reduces the look of puffiness around tired eyes. Even the three-sided applicator is thoughtful, with different edges for concealing blemishes, brightening undereyes, and getting into tricky spots around the nose and eyes.
Glow Must Go On: Advanced Night Repair Recovery Treatment Essence
Why it’s worth it: You know those winter days when no amount of moisturizer seems to be enough? That’s where an essence comes in. Think of it as an extra layer of hydration to help relieve that tight, dry feeling. Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Recovery Treatment Essence takes things a step further, focusing on helping stressed-out skin bounce back (just in time for the transitional weather).
Its biggest selling point is the brand’s Bio-Exosome Technology, inspired by exosomes—tiny particles that cells release to communicate with one another. They’ve gained attention in dermatology as the basis for in-office treatments, often applied after procedures like lasers and microneedling, that promise to speed up skin recovery, calm redness, and improve the appearance of texture and fine lines (though research on their effectiveness is still limited). Estée Lauder’s version uses a blend of more than 500 peptides designed to mimic that cell-to-cell messaging and support a stronger skin barrier. It’s not the same as an in-office exosome treatment, but the idea is to bring some of that skin-repair science into your everyday routine.
It also includes the brand’s signature Night Peptide, tripeptide-32, plus bifida and lactobacillus ferments to keep skin feeling comfortable, hyaluronic acid to hydrate, Centella asiatica to soothe, and ferulic acid and green tea extract for antioxidant protection. Despite all those skin-care extras, the watery formula absorbs quickly without leaving behind a heavy or sticky layer.
Keep the hydration coming with these skin-care favorites:
8 Best Night Creams for Waking Up to Plumper, Bouncier Skin
These Moisturizers Go the Extra Mile for Mature Skin
8 Best Wrinkle Serums to Smooth Etches and Lines
Now, watch our favorite celebs get ready in just 10 minutes—and gain some beauty inspo along the way:
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