Whether you’ll just admire them, or use them everyday, make room for these powders in your makeup bag.

1) Shu Uemura’s Tsumori Chisato Limited Edition Duo Color Highlighter Golden Snow – From the Shu holiday collection, a partnership with Japanese artist Tsumori Chisato, this celestial “lucky cat” compact is The Beauty Bug’s favorite product from the collection.  Sweep this sheer warm silver powder over blush, or use it as a highlighter on the brow bone and reveal an ethereal glow. Dazzle like an ice queen, or delicately twinkle like a fairy with this powder.  $40*

2) Lancome’s Sparkling Cherub Sheer Warm Illuminating Powder – The Beauty Bug wore this powder today, and as soon as She got to work one of Her co-workers immediately said, “There’s something different with your makeup today, you’re glowing!” Coated with a thin layer of adult glitter (not too flashy, juvenile or over done, and very flattering) that will dissipate after the first few applications, the powder is a gorgeous, radiant shade that adds life to your face.  She uses this Coastal Scents Italian Badger Buffer Brush to apply and buffs, buffs and then buffs some more.  Definitely the stand out in Lancome’s Holiday Collection. Besides, who can resist a chubby cherub holding a heart? $40*

3) Prescriptives Limited Edition Lustre Cheek Color – Housed in a festive Holiday compact adorned with snowflakes, this powder is probably one of the most subtle and understated of the bunch, but shouldn’t be overlooked. Apply to the apples of cheeks for that fresh-out-of-the-cold look. $24*

4) Estée Lauder 5-Tone Shimmer Powder – This versatile, multi-tone powder is a winner because of it’s silky-fine finish and the natural, radiant flush it creates on the skin.  The colors are beautifully sheer, and iridescent.  Available in two shades, pink shimmer and bronze shimmer, it can be used all over the face, and on eyes.  Fair skinned ladies, opt for the pink shimmer; ladies with deeper, olive skin opt for the bronze shimmer.  Add a layer over your blush to brighten, and finish. Insta-glow.  Plus – it’s one of two products  mentioned that’s not limited edition. Score. $36*

5) Trish McEvoy Instant Pick-Me-Up All Over Face Color Quad – The Beauty Bug hearts this quad that allows you to bronze, blush, luminize and highlight. It’s a do-it-all-and-then-some product; one stop shopping! The only let down? It doesn’t come with the compact.  The Color Quad only will set you back $42, while the compact is an additional $17.50.**

6) Benefit’s One Hot Minute – This loose rose-gold powder perks up any skin tone without any glitter, or too much shimmer. It gives skin a beautiful, subtle, sun-kissed sheen that’s nearly colorless on cheeks. Fair complected girls may be able to get away with using this in place of a bronzer, where darker complected girls use this as an enhancer.  Toss the brush that it comes with, and use one in your stash.  Dash a bit on your shoulders and collar bone for some more flare. $30*

*Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug.

**Disclosure: The Beauty Bug tested this product during Her lunch break at Neiman’s.

The Facts: Emits 7,000 Ôscillations per minute. Was created by a team led by Jean-Louis Guéret, the designer of all Lancôme mascara brushes who is the father of nearly 400 mascaras. Prior to the national launch, the waiting list reached a whopping 21,000 names.

The Application: Practice your thumb exercises ladies, because Ôscillation requires you to hold down a button to activate the vibrations. While it may be a bit uncomfortable and foreign, it definitely shouldn’t be a deterrent.

Patience is KEY. Watch The Beauty Bug’s instructional application video here. In short, apply in slow, straight, steady strokes. Resist the urge to zig-zag or wiggle. No need to coat the tops of lashes – in fact, the people at Lancome recommend that you don’t. Don’t over pump the wand – there’s plenty of product on there for multiple coats. Apply to lower lashes by holding the wand vertically. When done, take an extra second and go back and re-apply to the tips alone for added length. Another tip – put the wand right at the base of the lashes, activate the vibrating action and hold in place for a few seconds. Then, slowly sweep to the tips of the lashes.

The Vibrations: Controlled, and a bit more exaggerated, palpable and visible.

The Bristles: Rubber

Price: $34

Flaking: No

Clumping: No

Formula compared to Turboash: A bit slicker, shinier , smoother and just a lick thicker and heavier. Separates and lengthens well, similar to Definicils.

The Verdict: Delivers amazing results to those who are patient and take the time to practice. For beginners, break it out on special occasions when you have a lot of getting ready time to spare and then work it into your daily routine when you perfect the gesture.

Estee Lauder’s TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara

The Facts: In July, became the world’s first vibrating mascara. Delivers micropulsing effect that allows brush to penetrate deep in the lash bed. Features a rapid release gel formula.

The Application: One twist of the cap, and the vibrations are activated. No buttons or multi-tasking required. With this mascara, The Beauty Bug DOES apply one coat to the top of Her lashes, and then multiple coats to the underside. Just like Ôscillation, apply with slow even strokes. Watch Estee’s application video here.

The Vibrations: A bit more subtle and less exaggerated than the Ôscillation. What seems like vibrations are micro-pulses in the bristles that allow the brush to penetrate deeper into the lash bed. The first time The Beauty Bug used this mascara, She noted that it felt like the wand was vibrating, not the wand.

The Bristles: Micro-pulse

Price: $32

Flaking: No

Clumping: No

Formula Compared to Ôscillation: A bit lighter and fluffier. Lengthens, defines, separates well and adds volume.

The Verdict: May be a slightly better choice for an everyday mascara. There’s really no transition or learning curve – just slow even strokes starting as close to the lash bed as possible.

Givenchy’s Phenomen’ Eyes Mascara – Even though it’s not polite to stare, in some cases you just have to. This new Sephora exclusive is one of those cases. Looking a bit like a mascara inspired by Pinhead from Hellraiser, it’s giving mascara a new face and starting from scratch. Those little spike/Koosh ball type things are designed to grip lashes at the root. The Beauty Bug hasn’t had the opportunity to try this mascara out yet, but Cavewoman from Blogdorf Goodman has. The entire review is a must read – she says “In less than one minute I saw every lash on my eye beautifully and evenly coated with mascara, bottom lashes too, invisible lashes I did not know I had, all coated and glossy and thickened and lengthened and even curled!”

Givenchy’s Phenomen’ Eyes Mascara is available exclusively at Sephora for $27.

Estee Lauder’s TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara – This brand-spanking new “performance mascara” is now available Saks Fith Avenue as of today. It talks a big game too, promising a “lash revolution.” The advantage of the micropulsing wand? It claims to combs through lashes quickly and more effecitvely. Housed in a flashy blue and gold striped tube, the vibrating LashSonic brush is automatically activated when the cap is unscrewed, releasing the gel formula. The Beauty Bug will have Her hands on one of these very soon. The anticipation is killing Her!

TurboLash is available now at Saks Fifth Avenue Estee Lauder counter and online for $30.

Ôscillation by Lancome – One day only! Get it while you can! Limited Edition! While supplies last! Be the first! Yes ladies, Lancome is pulling out all the one-liners to call attention to their new vibrating mascara that offers 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute. Do the math and that’s 116.67 micro-oscillations per second. Ridic. Famed Beauty Editor Jean Godfrey-June predicts that women everywhere will be throwing away their lash curlers after they try this, and Andrea, beauty colunmist from Glamour agrees. That’s a pretty bold statement.

If you want this, you really do have to act fast. This new power mascara will only be available on Lancome.com, Sephora.com, and at several Lancome counters. To see if your city is ones, click here. Once again, Boston gets no love. If your city isn’t one of the lucky ones, get those mice clicking at 9AM sharp – it’s ok if you’re a little late to work.

Ôscillation by Lancome retails for $34.

So, are you buying into the vibration frenzy, or have you mastered your own battery-free application technique?

On another note, who wants to bet that The Beauty Bug pokes Herself in the eye one of the first times She uses it?

The Beauty Bug took some time to read through the variety of responses, which range from “rose petals” to “eating Oreos with ur mouth open.” Here are some of Her favorite definitions of sensuous:

• “A hot jungle safari.”
• “Girls in roller skates.”
• “My golden retriever.”
• “To own a cat.”
• “Ripened fruit.”
• “Family and food.”
• “The first cup of morning coffee.”
• “Sand between your toes.”
• “Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep.“
• “White snow.”
• “Writing notes.”
• “Goosebumps.”
• “A candle with an average dinner.”
• “Singing in the shower.”
• “Driving with the top down.”
• “Paris.”
• “Beauty on a boat.”

Notes include amber, molten woods, ghost lily accord, magnolia, jasmine petals, sandalwood, black pepper, juicy mandarin pulp and honey. It’s a warm, mysterious fragrance that is rather spicy at first, then drys down to expose it’s floral base.

Sensuous is available now at SensuousIs.com and Bloomingdales.com.

Having executed many direct mail campaigns herself, The Beauty Bug was thoroughly unimpressed and a bit baffled. There’s not much to running a promotion like this – determine the offer, design the postcard, print the postcard, send it out, and the last and most important step – make sure the stores have the product. A big brand such as Estée Lauder should be able to execute this promotion without a hitch.

She next made her way over the Clinique counter to check out Fresh Bloom collection. This particular counter only had 2 out of the 4 Allover Colour compacts in, so, The Beauty Bug was a bit disappointed. She saw the Posy, and immediately deemed it to dark for her pale complexion, and next tried the best-selling Peony. The Peony is a deceiver. All the photos the Beauty Bug has seen of it makes it look lighter and softer than it really is. While it is a very pretty color combination, the Beauty Bug was hoping for a paler, dewier, quieter pink. Perhaps on Her next time shopping trip at a different Clinique counter, she will be able to see the full line of the Fresh Bloom and actually try them.

I got:

Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser

Future Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Radiance Creme

Advanced Night Repair *I’m most excited about trying this. This was on my wishlist last week and I’ve read so much about it. Additionally, it was just written up in Allure as one of those products you just don’t stray from. I can’t wait!*

Pureology Super Straight Shampoo and Conditioner

DARSHAN Multani Facial Mudmask – Just check out this product description: “Deep in the jungles and teak forests of India, luminous tribal women bathe along the riverbanks solely using Bastar mud that has been deposited from high mountain sources. Hand-harvested at the river’s edge in complete harmony with nature, this exotic mud from India is purified and then saturated with herbal extracts to deeply cleanse and polish the skin revealing your inner beauty…beyond appearance.” Tribal women and jungles? Yes, I’m intrigued, but the image of tribal woman makes me think of National Geographic Amazon specials. But all kidding aside, this sounds like a mud mask worth trying. The only mudmask I’ve tried to date is the Queen Helene Mud Pack Masque, so I’m intersted in comparing the two.

Queen Helene Egg Yolk Masque – As if I need another mask – my Peter Thomas Roth mask just came in the mail today – but when has that ever stopped me? Plus, I’m such a sucker for drug store beauty. I’ll all over the Sunday CVS flyer like all you beauty bloggers at the Chanel counters when the Black Satin nail polish made its return.

Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Concentrate – I’ve just read a ton about this on site after site, so it makes me want it too! Maybe I’ll see if they have samples next time I’m at the mall!

Anything from AmorePacific - Just reading in my newest edition of Lucky magazine that Hilary Duff uses AmorePacfic, and hey, if that’s what a celebrity is using, I want it to!