Shining light on 

• innovations
• passion
• brands
• products
• people
• new markets
• inclusivity
• sustainability
• ideas
• teams
• community
• visionaries
• founders

Nominees

• Incredible Innovations

  Topflight brands see the need and set the trend with new designs, spirited campaigns and genuine purpose

  • Best Social Media

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    Bathtubs, shelfies and oversharing may bring in followers, but the savviest brands know how to pivot in their campaigns to build a true community. In a time when one false statement can bring the wrath of the Twitterverse to bear or a single TikTok can produce millions of sales, these are the brands who were true and triumphant.

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  • Best Packaging

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    From functional and practical refillable options, to eye catching designs and glass jars or metallic casings that are just too damn beautiful to toss, packaging does more than protect product. It draws us in, elevates the purchasing experience and adds to a brand's story. These are the best of the best.

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  • Inclusivity Champion

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    Inclusivity can be niche-driven, fueled by a desire to embrace underserved communities, or simply recognize the need for a multitude of voices to represent today’s beauty consumer. We applaud these brands for leading the way.

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  • Sustainability Champion

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    Making peoples lives better through beauty and wellness now means leaving the world in a better place as well. Wasteful processes and packaging will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the innovative efforts of our nominees.

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  • Product Innovation – Technology

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    AI, robots, and other technological advances are pushing the beauty and wellness space into new territories. This new wave of products and devices, distinguished by their remarkable efficacy, efficiency, and ingenious applications, are game changers.

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  • Product Innovation – Formulation

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    Does the world need another product? Intellectually, we say no—until something so simple and brilliant comes along and we realize this is a bit of genius in a bottle that we can’t do without. Kudos to the brands whose products will turn heads for years to come.

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  • Philanthropy Champion

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    It's not all about the bottom line in the indie community. Challenger brands are often built around the concept of community or highlighting underserved markets. Whether it is social justice reform or mental health advocacy, these brands are moving the needle for causes they care about.

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  • Treatment

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    We're always on the hunt for the next big breakthrough in beauty—whether it lifts, tightens, smoothes, tones or restores. These cutting-edge treatments don’t just deliver results; they spark conversations where someone asks, "Wait… what’s your secret?" Recognized for their innovation, effectiveness, and rising popularity, these modalities and the practitioners behind them are shaping the future of wellness or aesthetics—one glow-up at a time.

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• Inspiring Brands

  Success! Behind every winning product there is an idea that turned into a story told well—and worth retelling.

  • Brand Launch

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    The old adage of being able to say something for the first time makes a brand launch mission-critical. A launch requires coordination and outreach inspired by a vision with mass appeal. Here’s who did it right.

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  • Best Brand

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    We are generally in awe of indie brands that persevere through good times and bad. As for the ones that excel, well, they would be worthy of an award. A Beacon Award. We don’t envy the judges.

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  • Indie Deal

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    Investors are like retailers, even more so. Before they commit putting their capital at risk, they run a 360-degree evaluation of a brand’s position in the market. These deals show the most upside to take a brand to the next level.

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  • Reference Deal

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    To be a reference deal, is to be a source of both admiration and envy. For you have either set the bar or raised it for everyone. You are the new standard.

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  • Best Campaign

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    It takes more than a clever hashtag or a killer Instagram to generate long-lasting buzz. Thoughtful details, strategy, and efficient, cohesive storytelling across several touch points make up a standout campaign.

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  • Product Launch – Skincare

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    Lotions, mists, serums, oh my! As beauty's largest category, skincare is arguably the most crowded and most scrutinized lane. To stand out, a product needs to be a game changer. From filling a white space, to deploying carefully orchestrated social campaigns, nabbing key media placements and earning organic reviews, these these launches made a compelling and motivating case for consumers to learn more.

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  • Product Launch – Cosmetics

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    Whether it's making the eyes pop or swiping on the perfect shade of red lipstick, cosmetics have the unique ability to immediately transform and uplift. From filling a white space, to deploying carefully orchestrated social campaigns, nabbing key media placements and earning organic reviews, these launches made a compelling and motivating case for consumers to learn more. These are the cosmetics launches that checked all of those boxes and then some.

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  • Product Launch – Wellness

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    Following the pandemic, the business of being well is bigger than ever. From developing a product that fills a white space, to deploying carefully orchestrated social campaigns, nabbing key media placements and earning organic reviews, these launches made a compelling and motivating case for consumers to learn more. These are the wellness launches that checked all of those boxes and then some.

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  • Product Launch – Personal Care

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    Whether its intimate care, sexual wellness or hygiene essentials, its a hot topic. From filling a white space, to deploying carefully orchestrated social campaigns, nabbing key media placements and earning organic reviews, these launches made a compelling and motivating case for consumers to learn more. These are the personal care launches that checked all of those boxes and then some.

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  • Product Launch – Haircare

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    Haircare was the dark horse of 2020 and 2021, as the category exploded in both prestige and mass. From developing a product that fills a white space, to deploying carefully orchestrated social campaigns, nabbing key media placements and earning organic reviews, these launches made a compelling and motivating case for consumers to learn more. These are the haircare launches that checked all of those boxes and then some.

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  • Product Launch – Home + Fragrance

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    Once considered an afterthought in beauty, scents and home essentials have carved out a strong position in the market. From filling a white space, to deploying carefully orchestrated social campaigns, nabbing key media placements and earning organic reviews, these launches made a compelling and motivating case for consumers to learn more. These are the home and fragrance launches that checked all of those boxes and then some.

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• Outstanding Contributions

  Beauty entrepreneurs are a breed apart, and we celebrate the best of their achievements.

  • Entrepreneur

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    To command the attention and respect of audiences and consumers, let alone editors, is proof of a beauty innovator’s vision. To do so in style is a demonstration of will and grace. Each of these personalities is a force.

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  • Industry Icon

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    The entrepreneurial spirit fuels the best people in beauty whether they work for themselves or a multinational conglomerate. As great their success, it is their inspiration to those that follow their lead, and their generosity of spirit, what turns them into an icon.

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  • Seed + Small Growth Investor

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    It's a certain skill to be able to spot a diamond in the rough. These investors saw potential early on and by throwing their weight behind nascent brands, were able to the help lay the foundation for a breakout brand.

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  • Growth Investor

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    The investment community thrives on a mix of analytics and improvisation, and the best investors foster their creativity by nurturing growing brands with the right amount of cash, connections and compassion. These investments are creating long-term value by fueling the expansion of independent brands that are driving our industry forward.

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  • Brand Builder

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    A strong founder is only as good as the support team surrounding them. The ability to implement strategy, manage growth and motivate teams are just a few of the traits these leaders possess as they elevated a brand's offerings and strengthened infrastructure.

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• Retail Honorees

  • Brand Booster

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    With several doors and a thriving community both IRL and online, making it onto this retailer’s shelves can propel a brand into a new stratosphere of growth.  This retailer excels by giving brands the stage to generate major awareness and offers scale in a meaningful way.

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  • Audience Educator

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    There is a sea of choices in beauty and a great retailer offers more than a place to just purchase goods. Instead, it is a hub of information that anticipates the questions shoppers will have along their discovery journey. This retailer’s platform goes above and beyond product detail pages by providing digital or in-person activations, tutorials, ingredient deep-dives, founder to consumer connections and a highly-trained staff helping a brand to break through the clutter.

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  • Assortment Innovator

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    Known for setting the trends, not following them, this retailer has established a reputation as the gold standard in offering the coolest finds, the most effective essentials and inclusive options in beauty and wellness.

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  • Service Maven

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    “That Girl” regimens are all the rage on TikTok, but these lifestyle retreats have true staying power. Personalized facials, cutting-edge lasers, cryo-therapies and body treatments are just a few of the can’t-live-without services that spas are enticing wellness lovers and beauty fanatics with. These providers are the best of the best, and are independently-owned. 

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