WHEN it comes to long, fluttery lashes, there is nothing like a great mascara to literally lift sagging peepers?and spirits, for some.

The undereye area is a totally different subject matter. But, as if miraculously, the minute one takes care of that flirty fringe framing the ?windows to the soul,? the (beauty) ball officially gets rolling.

I recently got an invite to the upcoming Lancôme Oscillation Powermascara launch. Since I wouldn?t be able to attend, I satisfied my curiosity by doing some research on the product.

I?ve always been a fan of Lancôme mascaras, way back from my first tube of Hypnôse (for mega-volume) down to my tried-and-tested L?Extréme (for extreme length, literally).

So, formula-wise, the efficacy of the brand is no longer debatable: it simply works. The Oscillation Powermascara has lengthening and curling properties to maximize sparse fringes.

As for the ?vibrating applicator,? the logic behind seems to be that mascara goes on better when one wiggles the brush from left to right, saturating every wisp with black pigment from the base to the tips. The latest ?vibration? technology takes care of this, and controlling the wand is easy with a push of a button.

This high-tech mascara will be out in stores this April, but is available for preview and for sale in limited quantities from Feb. 21-22 at the Lancôme Paris boutique in Greenbelt 5 (call 7299394 to reserve a slot).

Another mascara technology that has gotten me curious over the last couple of months is Givenchy?s Phenomen?Eyes Mascara. With a sea-urchin-like sphere applicator designed to ?grip at lashes starting at the roots,? this may be just what Asian eyes need to shake things up in the lash department.

Phenomen?Eyes combines lash-separating and curling formulas, and the nub applicator comes in handy if you?re the type to do the wing-tip, adding a few extra coats to the outer corners of the eyes.

Both Lancôme and Givenchy mascaras have gotten good reviews online and among beauty bloggers. I have yet to try both, so count me in as a wide-eyed (beauty aisle) wanderer for now.

Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Ok! Magazine Philippines. Visit NyMinuteNow.com.