Product rave: Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation

Male reader(s), turn away now. Nothing to see here.

Lady(ies), on the other hand, you may care about this if you, like me, have oily skin and are interested in makeup and the like. If not, you may wish to join the menfolk in turning away for the moment.

I have been test-driving some new foundation for a few weeks now. I've long worn Bobbi Brown stuff (and I still love it all), but between the longer daily walk to and from my work parking place coupled I think with some of the medication changes I've already made this year, my skin is just too oily for it any more. I mean, I've always been oily, but it's gotten a lot worse. Plus, I'm in the sun a lot more, so I can't scrimp on sun protection, which just adds to the overall gooeyness of my skin.

So I've been looking for some new makeup that won't either leave me like an oil slick or completely disappear from my face by noon (and where does it go, the makeup, when it disappears? a great mystery). A lot of the drugstore stuff breaks me out and/or oxidizes when it comes in contact with the oil in my skin, leaving me Oompa Loompa orange. Plus there are rarely testers available, so getting a good color match is like a crap shoot even if you hit on the right formula.

After failing at Target I tried an online search, and one foundation rose above nearly all others when reviewed by oily-skinned women: Estee Lauder Double Wear Makeup. It almost seemed too good to be true -- 15-hour wear, 20 shades available, SPF 10 (not great, but at least something), oil free. Hmmmm.

Well, I went to the counter and got some samples. And it's amazing stuff. It truly lasts all day -- well, everywhere except my nose, which is like a force of nature. There's no weird fragrance, it doesn't feel strange going on, it doesn't change color and my skin feels like my skin as the day goes on. And a little goes a long way, so a bottle is going to last me a long time. Also, if you wear concealor, they make a Double Wear version that works beautifully with the foundation.

Once my samples are gone, I'm going to buy the full-size bottle. If you're in the market for something new and have similar skin issues, I recommend this.