I was invited not long ago to a makeup session with Pink Beauty for their summer collection Pink in the Nude. The event was appropriately held at a local restaurant also called Nyood (pronounced nude).

You don’t have to twist my arm to spend an afternoon eating delicious appetizers, sipping on a delicious cocktail (appropriately called Pink Beauty) and talking about makeup.

April Jacob, founder and creator of Pink Beauty, presented two distinct looks that were both very soft and very flattering.

A few months ago, I talked in length about some of the most popular primers on the market.

It took me a while to warm to idea of using a primer, but once I discovered what they did for your makeup … I was hooked.

Primers act as a barrier between your skin and the foundation.

Even if you don’t wear foundation and only wear some pressed power, you will also benefit by using a primer because not only are you creating a shield to protect your skin, you are also hiding fine lines.

I found this offer from Super Model Lauren Hutton’s new cosmetic line called Good Stuff … which is dedicated to women over 40 who still love to play with makeup!

The 60-something ex-Super-Model has recently launched a makeup line and you get to try her mineral make-up line at your home for 30 days to determine if you like it or not.

More and more cosmetic companies are creating foundations that are formulated specifically for women in their 50s, 60s and 70s. There are certain key aging concerns that women in those age groups face: lost of collagen, age spots, irregularity in the skin, loss of plumpness and loss of radiance.

Yes, I’ll admit to watching Dancing with the Stars from the beginning. Just like the rest of North America, I totally got caught in the weekly competition and I would tune in every week to see if my favourite B-listed celebrity would make it to the next round. I’ve always wondered if the American version looks like the original British concept created by BBC called Strictly Come Dancing. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to catch it while in London a few months ago and I’ve never seen it on Canadian television.

*** Embrace the NEW year ***

It’s true that style and beauty are very personal choices. That said, there are a number of unwritten guidelines that dictate what is considered fashionably correct and what is not.

Here are a few common beauty and style mistakes women often make … many times without realizing the error of their ways:

1) Over-plucking: Yes, shapely, contoured eyebrows are fabulous and can add a lot of sophistication to your look. Scraggly or invisible eyebrows, on the other hand, are just that – scraggly or invisible. The other problem with over-plucking is that it considerably ages you.

If my memory serves me correctly, Prescriptives Magic Illuminating Potion Foundation Primer is one of the first primers on the market.

Unlike the other formulations, the Magic Illuminating Potion Foundation Primer has more of a translucent finish Basically, you’ll notice that the product is whitish-pearl in tone with several specks of translucent pinks, yellows and blues. This holographic effect is ideal to correct the appearance of unevenness and mild discolouration.

If you have sensitive or combination/sensitive skin (trust me…that’s a possible combination), then you may find that the other primers on the market are not responding to your specific set of skin care concerns or problems.

During a recent visit to Sephora I asked a beauty consultant if she could let me know if there any primers they carried that I might not have known about … and that’s when I found out that not all primers are created with the same formulation. Lorac AquaPrime™ primer does not use silicone in their formulation (which other brands do use), instead it’s a water-based make-up primer.

Photo Finish Primer (Smashbox’s signature product) is an oil-free primer that you apply to your skin just after you’ve applied a moisturizer and before your foundation to fill fine lines and wrinkles. Along with helping minimize fine lines, it also helps set your make-up for those hot and humid days (or nights). Since the clear gel primer is colourless, it’s suitable for any skin tone and ideal for ethnic beauties who often struggle to find the perfect shade of make-up.

Some companies package their primers in tubes (like Laura Mercier Primer), while other cosmetic companies put their primer in airless pump (like Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer). Classified Cosmetics uses the same spray pumps for their Era® Primer as they use for their signature Era® Face spray foundations (they carry a wide colour palette of spray foundation colours from very fair skins like Cate Blanchett or Gwyneth Paltrow to darker complexions like Patti LaBelle and Whoopi Goldberg)

The Era® Primer is the first and only patented aerosol make-up translucent primer on the market. It only takes a few seconds for you to achieve a flawless canvas for your face, eye lids and lips.

The first time I wore Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, I immediately noticed how different my make-up looked at the end of a long evening of cheek kissing, smiling, eating and laughing. Usually, my face is oily and the make-up just doesn’t look as fresh as it did when I first applied it. Thanks to this primer, my make-up looked untouched and that was enough for me to be hooked to this great new cosmetic find.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer is the best-selling primer and it has also been voted by In Style UK as “Best Primer” as part of their “2007 In Style Hall of Fame” and it was also voted “2007 Winner Best of Sephora”.

***Best Beauty Gifts***

I’ve been watching the American version of TLC’s ‘What Not to Wear,” currently hosted by Stacey London and Clinton Kelly, since it first aired.

I’ll be honest, I live vicariously through these women who are awarded US$5,000, two personal stylists, one hairdresser and one make-up artist to basically reinvent themselves. Mind you, I don’t envy them being voted by friends, family members and colleagues as fashion and style misfits … which is the only way you can get on the show.

I always have admired how Carmindy (the make-up artist) can transform any face.