I just want a reality check here...

My sconce fixtures say "60 watt max bulb". Those new(er) twisty eco friendly bulbs say 12 watts 60 watt equivalent.

Does that mean it is a 60 watt bulb or can I put in bigger ones up to the actual watt usage?

Or in other words... the wife wants brighter lights in the new bathroom. Do I have to replace the fixtures or can I just lay on bigger halogens?

Regardless of the amount of light it puts out (60 watt equivalent), the number of watts it consumes (12 watts) is what you need to look at. You can put in a bulb that consumes up to 60 watts of power. A 12 watt (60 watt equivalent) bulb only consumes 12 watts of power.

You can put in "larger" compact fluorescent lights (did you really mean to say "bigger halogens"?) up to the 60 watt maximum.

I just want a reality check here...

My sconce fixtures say "60 watt max bulb". Those new(er) twisty eco friendly bulbs say 12 watts 60 watt equivalent.

Does that mean it is a 60 watt bulb or can I put in bigger ones up to the actual watt usage?

Or in other words... the wife wants brighter lights in the new bathroom. Do I have to replace the fixtures or can I just lay on bigger halogens?

You're talking about Compact Fluoresent Lights (CFLs), not halogens, right? I assume your use of the word "halogens" in your last sentence is a typo...

You can indeed put in brighter CFLs than the equivalent brightness incandescant. The 60 watt limitation on the fixture is to limit the amount of heat that the fixture will be exposed to. Since your "60 watt equivalent brightness" CFL only draws 12 watts, it puts out as much heat as a 12-watt incandescant, which is way below the limit for the fixture. If you put in a 100 watt equivalent brightness CFL, it will draw about 23 watts. That should give your wife more than enough light, and is way below the heat capacity of the fixture.