With December almost here, marking the beginning of the holiday season, over the next few weeks I plan to bring you information on what the cosmetic companies are offering in holiday makeup. Our series begins this week with Estee Lauder. This year, they have a pretty selection of makeup called 24-Karat Color - it's all about gold and is designed to be worn alone, or layered over your favorite fall shades. The collection includes:

• Gold Indelible Lipstick ($16) - a rich coppery, burnished gold
• Golden Gloss ($13) - sheer and shimmery light yellow gold, best over your favorite lipstick shade
• Gilded Two-in-One Eyeshadow ($12) - subtle gold shimmer for lids or browbone
• Goldie Lash More Than Mascara (promotional size $9) - the perfect complement to gold or your favorite fall plum shadow
• Glitter Lucidity Translucent Loose Powder ($26) - for cheeks, browbone, or even shoulders
• 24-Karat Color Golden Body Cream ($22.50) - if you like the idea of gold all over, this body cream is silky and subtle
• 24-Karat Color Perfect Finish Nail Lacquer (promotional size $5) - light and shimmery, stunning alone or over your favorite deeper shade (and the perfect sized bottle, in my opinion)

Although I normally think of most skin being dry and flaky in the winter, I know there are plenty of you who live with oily skin all year long. With this in mind, I enlisted our Panelist Kiki, who has oily skin, to help me test a couple of cleansers for oily skin. From Steven Miller Skin Care, Kiki tried two versions of his private label cleanser. Mint Souffle is for oily or combination skin types, while the Camphor Souffle is for oily and blemished skin. Kiki had this to say about them:

"Both cleansers smell terrific and left my skin feeling very clean and refreshed without feeling tight and dry. They did a great job of removing makeup and oil. While I normally prefer a very sudsy bubbling cleanser, both of these do have a substantial lathering effect that completely blankets and penetrates your skin. I used both products over a year period and still continue to use them. I've noticed that on some days these cleansers feel strong, especially in the winter, which in California (where I live) means dry and 55 degrees. As a result, I usually use these cleansers at night and use another cleanser for normal skin in the mornings. In the summer or if I'm traveling to a humid area, I'll definitely use Camphor Souffle twice a day."

I was curious about these products myself, so a few months ago, before the weather got cold and nasty, I decided to try the Camphor Souffle ($29 for 4 ounce jar) myself. It is very cool and refreshing, great in the shower, but I found the camphor is pretty strong unless you have truly oily skin. This one is not necessarily for me, but for oily skin, it's a nice choice.

Back several months ago, while testing a variety of BeneFit skin care, I picked up a jar of their Fantasy Mint Wash ($24 for 4 ounce jar) and recently realized that it is almost identical to Steven Miller's Mint Souffle! If you've ever wondered if all the cosmetic companies buy from the same source and just put their own name on the jar, I'd say this is interesting evidence...

Fantasy Mint Wash has the same texture and foaming action, cleans just as well, and feels cool and refreshing on the skin. The minty plant oils and fragrances can be irritating to sensitive skin, but for the oily skin types that it's designed for, the minty tingle is great in the shower or after a long, tiring day. Again, this is a nice cleanser that isn't for us dry-and-sensitive types, but great for oily skin.

For more information on BeneFit cosmetics, or to request a catalog, visit the BeneFit site.

Looking for a particular review, or curious if I've ever reviewed your favorite brand of lipstick? We've got a brand new, updated search function on Cosmetic Connection that will make your quest easier. Simply click on the "search" button on the front of Cosmetic Connection, or use this direct URL: http://www.cosmeticconnection.com/search.html.

This time of year is so often filled with family get-togethers, office parties, and lavish dinners - why not look your most dazzling at every one? Our Product Panelist Lisa takes you through 25 top cosmetic and fragrance lines with news of their latest collections. You won't want to miss this season's selection of beauty boosters!

December Feature: Holiday Beauty Treats