It's finally (finally!) the time of year when shopping for sunscreen starts to sound like a good idea. And not just stuff to wear to the beach--stuff to wear every day.

(Yes, I said every day, missy. Or don't come whining to me when you're fifty and look like a Shar-Pei.)

The matter gets a little more complicated for those of us of the aging persuasion. As much as I love the idea of ramping up my SPF numbers, I'm wary. I don't want to deal with clogged pores or stinging, both of which have happened to me with SPF30 sunscreens.

And my wishlist continues: I want a sunscreen that moisturizes adequately and works under makeup. I'd also love it if it smooths out my skin a little, gives me a glow, lifts, separates, and gives me bouncing and behaving skin cells. Is that too much to ask?

And would that be worth $47? Because that's what Olay is charging for their new Professional Age Repair Lotion with SPF30.

On their website, Olay assures me that this product is not only a state-of-the-art sunscreen (with 8 percent Homosalate, 3 percent Avobenzone, 2.25 percent Octocrylene, and 2 percent Ensulizole) it also includes niacinamide to strengthen the skin's stratum corneum, and pro-retinol to increase cellular turnover.

Because I am the internet's most willing guinea pig, I went to CVS and spent $47 on a 2.5 oz. pump bottle. 

At first, I was underwhelmed. It seemed nice enough--maybe too moisturizing for women with oily skin, but I found the finish almost too dry for March in Chicago. There is very little of that awful suncreen reek. I've been using it for a month with no stinging and no clogged pores. It doesn't feel heavy or masky. The formula contains a lot of silicones--not enough to make it ball up, just enough to make it a nice primer for foundation.

And yet ... the other day, I was heading out in a rush and didn't have time to put on my makeup. I thought I'd slap some on in the car. But when I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought my skin looked so good that I didn't need any foundation. I was glowing and smooth and flawless.

Which, hello? I'm fifty-two.

That, my friends, is worth $47.

N.B. That is, of course, the suggested retail price. As with all drugstore products, it pays to shop around. It's available for $42 at drugstore.com. And you can do very well with sales, coupons, and preferred customer programs like Walgreen's Register Rewards and CVS's Extra Care Bucks. Also! Olay is offering a $25 rebate on $50 worth of products, which would make the three-piece starter kit ($61.50 at drugstore.com) a relative bargain.