Estée Lauder Get In On The Mineral Make-Up Game

Estée Lauder have been busy advertising the heck out of this new minerdal foundation of theirs, so you've probably clocked it getting a mention on the radio a time or fifty. This is the first mineral make-up release that has ever really gotten me worked up, and that's because my Holy Grail foundation is Estée Lauder's Double Wear Light so I have high, high hopes for this stuff.

Called Nutritious Vita-Mineral make-up, you can take your pick of six shades in either a liquid foundation with SPF10 or a powder version with SPF15, which comes with its own wee brush. Both contain pomegranate extract, which is a potent anti-oxidant to help ward off free radical assaults (I can see them now, rappeling down the side of your face in their Ninja gear), as well as Vitamins C and E to hydrate and maintain and improve skin condition, and the usual complement of great-for-ya minerals like iron and potassium. They're oil free and actually help to control and absorb excess oil without drying the skin, thanks to the inclusion of silica powder. Silica also improves what the pros call "slip", which means that you can expect the foundations to go on smoothly and be easy to blend. Furthermore, because this silica takes the form of teeny tiny microspheres, it scatters light to help reduce the look of lines, wrinkles, and skin imperfections, and generally give a soft focus flawless look. Fancy or wha'?.

Sadly, neither the powder nor liquid have yet made their way into my hyperventilating little hands (blub!), but the powder promises medium to full buildable coverage, with the liquid billed as providing medium coverage with a natural, dewy finish. Both are fragrance free, dermatologist- and ophthalmologist-tested, and the sunscreen takes  the form of titanium dioxide, a physical sunblock less prone to causing irritation than its chemical cousins, so should be good for even those with sensitive skin.

€34  from Estée Lauder counters nationwide.