It was a 'pink' carpet event with the biggest names in the beauty and make-up industry gathered to honour the best in beauty innovations.

With an overwhelming majority of women making up the thronging crowd at Raffles City's Level 3, you don't expect the event to be anything else but beauty- or fashion-related.

Yes, we are talking about the Her World Beauty Awards, organised by SPH Magazines, which ended on 13 February 2009.

While the ladies were dressed in trendy threads, it was their immaculate-looking complexions that caught my attention.

The local awards acknowledged the outstanding players in the beauty world for products in launched between October 2007 and September 2008.

Local fashion magazine Her World gave out 101 prizes in 54 categories, all determined by beauty editors and readers.

And the awards come at a timely juncture in this economic downturn. Her World editor Ms Elisabeth Gwee said that products need to be "all the more relevant and timely as people are more cautious about the way they spend money". The awards help women decide how to spend their money more judiciously on products for their beauty routine.

The highest accolade - Product of the Year - was awarded to Clarins Double Serum Generation 6. The award was given based on its innovation, user-friendliness and how well it addressed women's beauty concerns.

The team from Clarins was clearly pleased with this recognition. There was roaring applause and distinctive cheers, whose entire team had showed up in red to show support for their brand.

The group also bagged awards for their products in two other categories - Clarins Body Shaping Supplement (Firming Treatment, Readers' Choice) and Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation (Smoothing/ Anti-ageing Foundation, Readers' Choice).

Other noteworthy winners (voted by both Editors' Choice and Readers' Choice) are: