There is just nothing more fun then working with a fantastic group of friends and sharing beauty tips and tricks to help empower each other. That was the scene at a recent photo shoot I did for Redbook magazine at Shoot Digital Studios in NYC.

The story will appear in the magazine's January issue and is all about feature focus and playing up your best assets. I truly believe that using makeup to enhance your natural beauty and your best features instead of using it to change what you don't like about yourself is more powerful. It helps you embrace your uniqueness and shine with confidence. I took 4 real women and showcased their best features with my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy line.

One gorgeous girl had beautiful lips so I applied a wonderful shade of adobe lipstick to compliment her mocha skin. Another beauty had lovely blue eyes so I gave her a shimmering brown soft smoky eye with a pale lip. For our brow gal, we groomed her into fabulousness and kept the rest of her makeup subdued and our cheek chick was shown how to highlight, bronze and blush her way to glory.

I got to get all dressed up too, which was a blast! We had a great iPod play list so yes, there was dancing!

Check it out when it hits stands in a few months.

Halloween season was such a blast this year. I always forget how excited everyone gets to transform into something fantastic and unusual. My favorite event was the Yves St. Laurent Parisienne perfume launch masquerade ball held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation.

Inside the space looked like a huge Gothic church and it felt a bit like a cross between the movie Eyes Wide Shut and the scene from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. People were elegantly dressed, but all were wearing incredibly sexy and creative masks allowing them to be totally anonymous. For me, it was the perfect moment to experiment with a bold new lip color.

I wore the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Color Comfort Lip Color in True Red, which paired well with my mysterious black and silver mask. To keep it in place, I first used Benefit's Benetint to stain the lip and then traced the lip line with Guerlain Lip Liner in Rouge Cassis and then filled them in with the pencil to act as a solid base.

Then I swept on the Soft Red and it stayed through champagne toast and late night dancing. Other guests chose to paint on elaborate eye makeup masks directly to their skin incorporating crystals and feathers. Some smoked out their eyes in kohl under their masks to create depth.

It was so fun and what an amazing thing to see everyone unleash their beauty creativity!

On my recent trip to Sweden, I was lucky enough to discover two skincare companies that I absolutely fell in love with. When I travel, I like to search out the local beauty products to see what other amazing and innovative goodies I can find.

The first company I found out about is called Bjork and Berries. The website alone is a glimpse into a heavenly virtual world that you never want to leave. I have not seen a website so beautiful in all my life and it is worth the visit at www.bjorkandberries.se just to be transported even for a moment to the lush forests, meadows and lakes of mystical Scandinavia.

I adore the 100% natural Honey Vanilla Body Butter that makes skin super supple and is filled with good-for-the-skin antioxidants. The Cloudberry Jasmine Shower Cream envelopes your body in lovely romantic fragrance and rich vitamin C. Lastly, the Winter Spice Candle will evoke memories of the holidays with a combination of scents like cinnamon, spruce, clove and orange peel.

The second company is called Estelle and Thild and is a chic Ecorganic skincare line that uses organic and natural ingredients.

My top picks are the Neroli Eye Balm containing black elder to counteract puffiness and castana extract to promote blood flow and the yummy smelling Neroli and Bergamot shampoo and conditioners. My hair was soft and smelled lovely.

You just get a clean healthy feeling from using these natural products and you will know that the Swedes got it right combing beauty with nature!

I just returned from a fabulous trip to Stockholm, Sweden for a beauty and wellness event hosted by the fitness wear brand Casall. I was a guest speaker and was excited to share my philosophy about enhancing your natural beauty with these women as well as learn about how they look and feel so incredibly beautiful.

I absolutely love traveling the world and meeting inspiring women from different cultures to learn about their view on beauty. Every woman I met was gorgeous! Their healthy attitude towards their bodies and their skin is impressive and we had a great time sharing beauty secrets. The Swedes are very much into natural ingredients with regard to what they eat as well as what they put on their faces. Botanicals and antioxidants were on the top of their list for skin care and a rational and well-balanced take on food helps them keep in shape. They eat clean (but never starve themselves) and get plenty of exercise.

These lovely ladies don't overdo it with makeup but opt for a simple polished look of luminous skin with an emphasis on eyes. Very trend-forward, they love their eyeliner and keep cheeks and lips pink and fresh looking. The two main makeup companies they adore are Face Stockholm, which is also available in the states, and Make Up Store, which is their equivalent of our MAC and where they go to get fun eye shadows and fab false lashes.

I brought goodie bags of my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Luminizing Face Primers and Mystical Mauve Natural Shine Lipglosses, which were snatched up by every Swedish gal at the event and they simply loved the products.

Seems we are on the same wavelength when it comes to natural beauty.

I love a little sparkle and glow and one of my favorite loose shimmers comes in secret little pots that are really hard to find. The line is called La Femme Sparkle Eye Shadow Dust and they are really inexpensive around $5.00 per pot and by far the best loose powder shimmers out there.

You can find these little treats here. They've actually been around for years and years but just never really received much press. I found them a long time ago in the most random of places, an old school beauty supply store in a strip mall near a retirement home in California. Like I said, random.

The shade range is awesome and they are so refined you can layer them for whatever intensity you are after. Use them as a highlight, an eye shadow and on top of cheekbones to illuminate skin. You can even mix the lighter shades with a little body oil for extra sheen. You can also sweep them across cream shadow in a matching color to boost the intensity of the color and create a sexy evening look.

For fabulous highlights try White or Opal if you are fair, for medium skin try Champagne Gold and for darker skin try Golden Sunset.

My current favorite way to use them is to create a subtle fall glow. Sweep just one shade like Golden Khaki or Dust Wine across the lid, then apply a few layers of a darker hue like Black Orchid.

I have every single one of the shades; it's like owning magic fairy dust!

One of my favorite looks this fall is the universal ethereal look that works on all women and really transcends seasons. This style of makeup can really hold its own against the stronger heavier trends we are seeing.

Think warm golds and bambi brown eye shadows on the eyes, and soft glowing peaches and pinks cheeks and lips. Think cream formulas to keep skin dewy and hydrated. A great way to get the skin radiant and ready for this angelic look is to start off with an oxygen treatment like the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energy Mask. This will get skin pink and perfect and after moisturizer, apply just a wisp of foundation.

Sweep on a shimmering light brown hue of cream shadow like Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow/Liner in Busy Signal across the lid and under the lower lashes and then finish with Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Natural Highlighter in Gold Luster which is a pale warm gold shade across the brow bone and on the inner corner of the eyes and on top of the cheekbones. Line the upper lash line with chocolate brown pencil and a healthy dose of brown/black mascara.

Swirl on a peachy pink cream blush like Kevyn Aucoin Beauty The Creamy Moist Glow in Nuelle to the apples of the cheeks and dust a light translucent loose powder over the skin to set. Last apply a sheer lip gloss in a light pinky peach shade like Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Lady Like. This subtle look will be a soft and romantic alternative to the rocker eyes or bold lips of the moment.

I am often asked what my own personal splurge/save beauty products are, what is really worth the extra money and what is just not. I find that for the most part, women can find everything they need at the drugstore, but a few hot items are definitely worth the ticket price.

To start off I always save when it comes to cleansing the skin. I have used Cetaphil Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin for years. My fabulous dermatologist Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton started me on this cleanser and even though I have dry skin, this formula really cuts through makeup and dirt to keep my face squeaky clean.

My splurge skincare product is Crème De La Mer. Yes, I know this is really a splurge but it is the only cream that hydrates my dry skin and I can use it as an eye cream, so it becomes a 2-in-1 product. So in a way, I am stretching my dollar. Or at least, I like to tell myself that with around a $130 price tag.

I do splurge on my sunscreen as SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 is just the best and really blocks and protects me from sun damage. I love it because makeup can easily blend right over top of it. Many sunscreens don't mix well with other cosmetics but this one even seems to give you an extra glow. When it comes to makeup, almost my entire routine consists of my drugstore brand Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy that can be found at drugstores like CVS. I developed this entire line so the quality is top shelf and the colors and textures are the best and truly fabulous. Everything is designed to my exact specifications and is so inexpensive it is amazing. The only thing I splurge on is the new cool tube technology mascara called Blinc Kiss Me Mascara available at Sephora. This stuff is awesome as it never smudges or runs, but washes off super easily with my Cetaphil.

My body lotion is custom made by me and is a combination of splurge and save products. I buy a big inexpensive jug of Eucerin lotion from the drugstore and then add a few drops of expensive perfumed oil I bought in Bora Bora and a squeeze of liquid shimmer from Make Up For Ever. I shake it all up and smell yummy, my skin glows and I stay moisturized.

When it comes to brushes I splurge on real hair brushes from Body and Soul Cosmetics. You want to buy real hair for eye shadow brushes, blush brushes and powder brushes and these are totally beautiful! I then save on synthetic brushes from the drugstore like Essence Of Beauty or EcoTools that are good for lips, brows and concealer. There is absolutely no need to blow your money on everything when you can get high quality at your corner drugstore.

That said, pamper yourself with a specialty product you just can't live without. It is all about the balance.

When the weather gets colder and there is a chill in the air your skin may become dry and dull. You can easily moisturize and luminize your complexion into flawless shape and it doesn't have to cost a fortune or a trip to an expensive facialist. There are a few easy steps that are really inexpensive to ensure glowing dewy skin.

The first step is to create a smooth surface. A good facial scrub will help slough off dry skin, built up sebum and rough patches but there is no need to purchase a pricey exfoliant. Just lather up your face in your shower and use a handful of regular old white sugar to scrub in circular motions on your face. Your skin will be buffed and polished to a gorgeous shine. When you get out of the shower apply an inexpensive vitamin C serum you can purchase at your local health food store. This will help boost collagen and eliminate free radicals that cause skin to look dull and tarnished.

Next, apply a moisturizer that is rich enough to hydrate your skin. The best way to tell if your skin is getting the moisture it deserves is to apply it and wait about 5 minutes. If your skin feels tight, it is not moist enough so look for a heavier cream.

Now for the restoration of radiance! Apply about one pump of Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer on the skin. This luscious serum will make the skin feel silky and the light reflecting particles will keep it glowing.

Now sweep on a liquid foundation to even out your skin tone. Liquid foundation is better in the fall and winter months because it is more hydrating. While the skin is still moist, apply a cream blush like Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Sheerest Cream Blush to the apples of the cheeks. The cream blush blends well into drier skin looking natural and alive and giving the skin a little boost. Finally, use a loose powder very sparingly. If you powder your skin too much it will look chalky and intensify dryness. Only slightly sweep it along the t-zone so the rest of your skin will take on a natural dewiness.

Your skin will look glowing and gorgeous even during the most brutal weather.

As I get older, I have found that if I wear a baseball hat to the gym I'll get that line dent across my forehead for far too long. Or, if I sleep deeply with my face buried in my sheets, I'll wake up with a map of the Milan subway system embedded on my cheek. If I indulge in a massage with my head pressed into a hole for an hour and get smush face, it takes forever to get rid of. I became strangely curious about this while I was on a recent all-girls diving trip. The other gal my age and I maintained our indented mask ring around our faces longer than the other girls post-dive! Our faces did not bounce back to normal the way theirs did. I had a silly oval frame indentation that lasted all evening. After a little research and a chat with a derm, I found out that because skin losses its elasticity over time, it does not snap back into shape as easy as when we were younger. BUMMER.

Here are a couple of tips to erase the smush face so that instead of fretting about the inevitable, you can face the rest of your day. Massage the area with a little peptide cream to stimulate blood flow and get the area moisturized. This should help plump the dents back out a little faster. If there is no time for a face massage, apply your foundation normally and sweep a little concealer that is a shade lighter then your skin tone into the dent. Try Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Fast Fix Concealer in All Over Brightener for most skin tones and medium or deep for darker skin tones. Keep a sponge in your purse and check your face every so often in a compact to see when it's back to normal. Then, just pull out the sponge and buff away the concealer. You can also wear a hot lip color to redirect the focus to your smash-free smile!

Leather jackets and rock 'n roll booties are fashion's hottest tickets this fall. I absolutely adore my new paper-thin deep slate motorcycle jacket to the point that I will never take off! I can actually roll it up and stick it in my purse. I digress. So, a lot of my fashion forward pals have called me inquiring about what most beauty focused brains want to know. What the heck kind of makeup do I wear with this look during the day? Too much eye makeup and it looks costume-like and the clothes seem to overpower you! Don't fret my little rock star: Here is the beauty concept to go for this fall with your cool new look. Make sure you have a glowing soft complexion to counter the toughness of the clothes.

Start by applying a luminizing face primer and then apply a little Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Airbrush Spray Makeup to a sponge and blend it on the face. Add concealer where necessary and follow with a light dusting of translucent powder to set it.

Fill in brows ever so slightly to deepen and extend them a bit. Try using Benefit's Hard Angle Brush and the Makeup Forever Brow Correctors. Now apply a shimmering highlight shadow under the brows and on the inner corners of the eyes and then sweep a gunmetal grey shadow across the upper lash line using a flat angle brush. I love the contour shade in my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Instant Definition Eye Shadow Palette in Storm. Keep sweeping it on until you have the desired thickness and wing it out slightly at the ends. You are in essence using the shadow as a softer way to define the eye then using intense pencil eyeliner, which looks better for evening. Smudge a speck of shadow under the lower lash line as well to make the lash line look lusher and follow with black mascara on top only.

Swirl on a peachy powder blush and apply a neutral shade of shimmering lip gloss in a similar color. This peachy hue will bring color to the face and give you a modern balance to the deeper daytime eye.

Now you won't look too severe or washed out as the softer version of a lined eye will be able to keep up with your badass exterior!