Estée Lauder UK Reviews 

I am writing this review after two weeks of absolute exhaustion trying to get a refund for a faulty product formulation change. Nearly £80 worth of foundation and primer has been rendered completely unusable because the new formula separates and clashes on the skin.

​At first, Estée Lauder's customer care team emailed me in writing to state that they would issue a refund once I provided my batch codes and Boots order number (814530832). I provided all of this in good faith.

​Once they had my details, they completely moved the goalposts. Instead of processing the refund they promised, different agents (including Nutan and Sagar) repeatedly spammed me with the exact same automated copy-and-paste scripts telling me to go back to Boots. Boots obviously cannot refund opened, used cosmetic items outside of a standard return window for a manufacturer's formulation defect.

​When I finally managed to get through to them on the phone to escalate this, a supervisor promised me a callback within 48 hours. That window came and went with absolutely no contact. When I chased them again on Friday morning, I was put on hold multiple times and given a formal reference number (16196008), with an absolute guarantee that a supervisor would call me back that day as a "priority".

​Once again, the deadline has passed, the weekend is here, and nobody has bothered to call me.

​For a high-end, luxury brand, this level of customer deflection, broken promises, and refusal to take responsibility for a faulty product formulation is disgraceful. I have used their products for years, but after being brick-walled and lied to like this, I will never buy from them again. Avoid.

For over 20 yrs I have been wearing Double Wear, and the compliments along the way have been many !
So very disappointed in the new formula I have now given it a lot of time & patience, unfortunately I’m moving on to another brand ☹️ Dee W

The new formula for the double wear foundation is awful - it’s sticky for hours, shiny, coverage isn’t as good and oxidises badly. It’s such a shame they ruined a great product. The original was fantastic.

Trying to contact this company is a nightmare. I purchased 0n 25/05/26a lipstick and my usual doublewear. They have changed the formula and it is horrendous Tacky, thinner liquid just a huge no no .Samples never get sent out with the products where it states they do. Have used Estee Lauder products for over forty years but not anymore

I placed an order and paid on 28 May, and the order has not yet been delivered. To add to this, there is absolutely no customer service at all! I have tried the Facebook page message facility (Business Chat) but messages have not been read within 24 hours.

Quite honestly I am shocked - a leading, top end brand and absolutely no way to follow up, contact, or have correspondence attended to! NEVER AGAIN!

My order, confirmed on the 19th May, was supposed to contain a free 50 ml special edition night repair serum.  It was not until I received confirmation of shipping that I was advised the free serum was out of stock.  I phoned customer services who stated all they could do was cancel the order. I was a long term customer and for a company such as Estee lauder to confirm an order then not offer an equivalent item, when they can't fulfill their promise,  I think is appauling. They could have replaced the special Man U. serum with a standard 50 ml serum, especially as they were still offering the free serum on their website on the same date they wrote to me saying it was out of stock, drawing people in to make an order with a non-existent benefit. After a long conversation they advised they would send me a compensatory gift which I said at the time I wasn't happy with. It was a mascara which I don't use and was only a third of the value of a serum.
I don't know what has happened to this Company but it is clearly no longer to be trusted.

I visited the Estee Lauder counter in John Lewis Cambridge to point out that a lipstick I had was faulty.
The sales lady was not at all interested about this issue and just said there is nothing I can do as it is discontinued.
I then went onto their online Customer Service site and added a comment online using WhatsApp. Apparently this is not monitored. I then went onto the live chat and was advised that if a product is three years old they recommend that a replacement is bought. I replied that it was not the product that was faulty but the winding mechanism of the lipstick and this would be unaffected by how old it was. She then suggested that I attach pictures . I was trying to work out how to do this when the reply came back saying that she had ended the call as I had not replied and asked me to rate the service!
I have been buying Estee Lauder for many years and am generally pleased with their skincare and make -up. It does seem a shame that when a customer makes a genuine complaint that they are not in the least bit interested.
I will not buy from Estee Lauder again and it appears from the many comments on this site that I am not alone in making this decision.

Absolutely appalling customer service. My order has been extremely delayed with zero meaningful tracking updates for days, and it has been impossible to get hold of anyone for support.

After 10 years of being a loyal customer, I’ve finally drawn the line and will never purchase from them again. For a luxury brand, this level of service is completely unacceptable. Really disappointed with the whole experience.

I wanted to raise a disappointing experience I had at the Estée Lauder counter today at boots in Burton on Trent. The assistant could clearly see I was waiting to ask about a product, yet appeared to ignore me on several occasions despite making eye contact multiple times.

I appreciate it was a busy Saturday and she was assisting another customer, however a simple acknowledgement such as letting me know she would be with me shortly would have made a significant difference. There was no attempt to reassure me or manage the interaction at all.

After waiting some time, I ended up asking for help from someone on another counter, who referred me back to the same assistant, who still seemed unable to assist while serving one customer. The whole experience felt dismissive and unwelcoming, and fell well below the level of service I would expect from Estée Lauder.

The product is great. But the courier firm they use Evri are rubbish. Then when it goes wrong Estée Lauder team do not help much.

I’ve been using double wear foundation for years the new formula is absolutely awful … makes you look orange very tacky why change something that worked 🤷🏼‍♀️ fuming

New formula is awful

I wish i can give minus star for new formula double wear. After using double wear for more than 10 year now looking for new foundation as new formula is not different that3£ one can buy from china.
New formula does not have same covarage,
Cracking after 1 hour and looking like a wall paint. New formula -tried 6 shades and all are orange after few hour is looking even more orange and partially gone despite its say 36 hour stay.
Do not waste your money
Look for different brands
Estre Lauder has made bigest mistake changing the good formula

I am writing to share some wonderful feedback following my recent visit to the Estée Lauder counter in your Boots Lakeside store.

I visited the Estée Lauder counter on 29th of March 2026 at 11:36, and I would truly like to highlight the exceptional service I received.

I initially came in to purchase just a few items—my makeup essentials, eye cream, day cream, and serum. However, my experience was completely transformed thanks to Alyson , who assisted me during my visit.

Alyson was absolutely incredible. From the very beginning, she made me feel genuinely cared for. Her kindness, patience, and attention to detail were outstanding—something I have not experienced in a long time. She took the time to guide me through each product, ensuring I fully understood what I was purchasing and that it was right for me.

What truly stood out was her thoughtful suggestion to try the foundation on my face to make sure it was still the perfect match after a year. This level of care and professionalism made such a difference.

Because of Alyson, what was meant to be a small purchase turned into a much more positive and confident shopping experience. I left feeling not only happy with my purchases, but also truly valued as a customer.

Alyson is a real credit to your team. Her warmth, dedication, and genuine care made my visit unforgettable, and I wanted to ensure she receives the recognition she truly deserves.

Thank you for having such an exceptional member of staff.

Estee Lauder double wear changes 2026

I have worn double wear for YEARS and the new changes have been awful. I found it so good previously for staying power and covering a rash that i have on my face. The new formula doesn’t ‘set’ it stays tacky and comes off the skin easily. So disappointed that i now have to find an alternative. Leaving me having to explain my ‘redness’ as people now comment.

I had to return my foundation on saturday as previously given the wrong colour foundation with the new formula. the lady on the counter was so busy how ever sat me down and was so thorough and attentive and found my best match! the best experience and she is an asset to you company! thanks again

So they offer a 10 day foundation sample (it’s really only about two days worth!) I attended the John Lewis Estée Lauder counter in Bluewater. The service was not good at all very rushed and she did not match any colour to me she guessed it completely and sent me on my way.

The product itself goes on nicely but the end result is i will save this for Halloween as I’m thinking of going as a ghost!

Each product at Estée Lauder is very expensive now I assume this pays in a large part for the customer service you would receive to actually match your colour! It would not take long just five minutes.

I spend a lot on Estée Lauder and have spent over £150 just at Christmas this year (online I may add) but I have found the customer service so appalling over the years why don’t they ever hire women who are down to earth and just well customer focused to normal women?

I booked a trial session in Morley Brixton. I was disappointed - they didn't even let me know that my appointment was cancelled. I read the comments and... I'm grateful that the session didn't take place.

I placed 2 x orders with next day (Saturday) delivery selected.
Neither order arrived, I contacted Estee Lauder who said I should wait until Monday, then Wed, Then Friday, with the promise they would be able to resend the items which were birthday gifts (now late).
They refunded my delivery fee, but were spectacularly unhelpful overall.
Friday arrived, still no delivery. I contacted them again, only to be told that the majority of my items were now out of stock, and they cannot send replacements. I asked to speak with a manager and was told they would call me back the same day. They did not.
Their refunds take 5-7 working days (if it has even been processed, there's nothing on my order status to show it has).
Throughout the whole interaction the differing customer service agents primary response was 'there's nothing we can do'.
To say I'm unhappy is an understatement.
I spend thousands on skincare and makeup every year (and I am very brand loyal).
Due to the terrible customer service, unwillingness to help, I will never order from them again.
Looks like Dior/Clarins/ or Arden have a new customer.

I worked Christmas roles for Estée Lauder for 6 years and the process was always handled professionally by Estée Lauder management. Communication was clear, applications were easy, and submitting documents was never an issue.

Last year the process was taken over by Ramstad, and it was an absolute mess. Communication was extremely poor, and trying to submit documents over the phone was a nightmare and completely disorganised.

After finishing my temporary Christmas role, I have repeatedly tried to contact them to get my P45 and have received no response. I am still waiting. This level of incompetence is unacceptable and a huge downgrade from how things were previously handled.