Estee Lauder Double Wear for Eyes

Estee Lauder has a new display at the department stores. At first glance, it doesn't appear to be "exciting." First glances are often incorrect. I took a closer look and ended up with a nice cream eye shadow and a new eye pencil - and they are exciting.

Some of the products on the display are billed as limited editions. Hasn't that become the norm? Is it intended to induce you to buy on the spot for fear that an item you favor might disappear? It sure works on me!

The collection is intended to keep you flawless this summer, through heat, humidity, and thunderstorms.The Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme ($17.50) is available in 10 shades - some are limited editions. The shadow is said to have 15-hour staying power, and it does on me. I'll have to apply it on a friend with oily eyelids to see if I'm the exception or the rule.

The shades are very nice (see them below). I was very tempted by Enchanted Forest, an olive green, and Golden Sands, a muted gold - colors to which I normally gravitate. Since my makeup collection is heavy on these colors, I went with Silver Leaf. My silver cream shadow (Revlon and nearly ancient at this point) had started to dry out, so the Silver Leaf would fill a hole in my cream shadow collection. I love it!

The Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencils ($19) do not appear to be limited editions. Available in eight pretty shades, the choice was difficult when I limited myself to one. I came away with Bronze - a shade that is friendly in one sense (brown-toned) and flashy in another (some shine). These pencils provide a long-lasting line to enhance your lashes or eye shadow - advertised to last 12 hours. I'm not the best test model, with my dry-ish eyelids. I got 16 hours of wear and then surrendered and removed my makeup for bed. The liner might have lasted for days!

Just in case you think I have no color sense at all, I will not be wearing these two shades together. Now that I've put your mind to rest, I'll tell you what else you'll find on the display.

• Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara ($19.50), available in black and brown and deeper black, the latter sold out at the Estee Lauder Web site.
• Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eyeshadow Base ($15), available in one shade, and it was not the shade for me.
• Double Wear Stay-in-Place Shadow Sticks ($17.50) - they went like "hotcakes" on the Web site - see if you can find one of the six shades at an Estee Lauder counter. They are very cool.
• Double Wear Zero-Smudge Liquid Eyeliner ($19.50), which is available in black and brown, somewhat unimaginative, given other exciting items in the collection.

Check out the whole collection at the Estee Lauder Web site or your department store's Estee Lauder counter. For you gals under 30, Aerin Lauder has seen to it that Estee Lauder is no longer just your grandmother's makeup company! There is something for everyone.

Photos courtesy of Estee Lauder