Napoleon Perdis celebrates Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer’s 5th birthday

The year 2003 was momentous for many reasons: Scientists discovered 350,000-year-old human footprints in Italy. Charlize Theron garnered an Oscar for performance in Monster and the Concorde made its final trans-Atlantic flight. In the beauty world, 2003 will be remembered for the unveiling of Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer. It was five years ago that Napoleon Perdis first uttered the memorable words "Not to prime is a crime!" to herald the arrival of his legendary primer, now treasured by makeup devotees everywhere. To mark the cult product's fifth anniversary, Napoleon Perdis called for a celebration.

Who better to front the festivities than the model-turned-DJ Sky Nellor? Born in Sydney and based in New York for the last 14 years, the statuesque Nellor is a fixture on the global party circuit. Embraced by the music, publishing and fashion industries, Nellor glides from one exclusive fete to the next, spreading her groovy gospel and encouraging people to dance. She has hosted soirees at New York Fashion Week, Grammy events in Los Angeles, and rocked the coolest clubs in Las Vegas. Nellor has also deejayed at private events for boldface names including Sean Combs, Kanye West, Missy Elliot and Fergie. Yet no matter where she's spinning her infectious retro beats, one thing is constant: Nellor always looks a million bucks.

The mixmaster's work uniform consists of printed Missoni dresses, sexy tops and towering heels by Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo. Pumping out dance tunes for several hours at a time is demanding and the winsome DJ needs makeup that's goes the distance. "I'm a girlie girl and I love makeup," says Nellor. "I'm not comfortable going to work without it. People are expecting a certain degree of glamour." Auto-Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer is a critical part of her regime. "It sets your face, your foundation goes on smoother and your makeup lasts and lasts. It's exactly what I need."

Napoleon Perdis has always looked to fashion and music for inspiration. He first spotted Nellor a few years ago at a nightclub in New York's Meatpacking District. "The amazing thing about Sky is that she's often the most gorgeous creature in the room," says Napoleon Perdis, who cast the former model in the new campaign for Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer. "She's in her 30s, has worked hard to get where she is, and cares about her appearance. To me that's the Auto Pilot customer," he adds. That Nellor has triumphed in a male-dominated profession is also worth highlighting. "She's like a modern-day Amelia Earhart, whose likeness is on all Auto Pilot products," says Napoleon Perdis.

Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer is the ideal starting point for any makeup looking, whether it's a day at the office or a night on the town. Scientifically formulated to allow your makeup to glide over the skin, and laced with soothing ingredients including chamomile, yarrow extract and Vitamin E, it ensures what Napoleon Perdis like to call "complexion perfection." Auto Pilot Pre- Foundation Primer evens out skin tones, makes foundation appear more natural, absorbs excess oil and calms inflammations. No wonder it's been such a worldwide hit.

"It's always in my kit," adds Nellor, who achieved success early as a model, appearing in a Guess campaign as well as on the covers of publications including Spanish Vogue and Amica. Nellor first jumped behind the turntables on a dare from a friend at a party in New York. Since then she has played at events for Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and Vanity Fair. Last year Nellor performed at Maxim's 10 Year anniversary celebration and 50 Cent's album release party on the same night in Las Vegas. At New York Fashion Week she once appeared at three events in one night. "By the end of it I had to take my shoes off, which I never do," she says. Nellor played at Club Monaco's launch in Hong Kong, the opening of Cain Beach in the Bahamas, and the opening of the Tao Beach club in Las Vegas. Her signature sound is an upbeat blend of rock, hip-hop, funk and oldschool classics.

2008 has been an auspicious year for Napoleon Perdis. With four concept stores in California the Australian beauty brand continued its association with the electronic retailer HSN and will also soon launch exclusively with a major prestige retailer across the U.S. In August, Napoleon Perdis will release NP SET, a new capsule collection at Target stores across the US and Australia and reprise the brand's role as official makeup partner to the Primetime Emmy Awards. Hollywood's elite has paid homage to Napoleon Perdis since the brand's U.S. launch in 2005, praising it in the press and donning such core products as Lip Lacquer, Camera Finish Powder Foundation and Pre-Foundation Primer.

Napoleon Perdis has been "bringing out the celebrity in you" for over a decade since its Australian launch in 1995. As Australia's leading makeup artist, Napoleon Perdis' multi-generational approach to beauty and dedication to translating runway, red carpet, and music video looks to reality has driven the brand into a category all its own. Featuring pro-tips on all packaging, the various capsule collections reflect such brand values as "The Oxford of Makeup," "Runway to Reality," and "Treasure Chest," among others. The company currently has 59 stand-alone concept stores and over 800 point-of-sale locations across Australia and New Zealand and 63 independents in the US. In 2006, Napoleon Perdis expanded into Canada at 35 The Bay stores.