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 2021 nominees.

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  • Product Innovation

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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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• 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 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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  • 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 & Fragrance

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    Sex and scents were hot topics over the last 12 months. 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 and fragrance 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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• Outstanding Contributions

  The best outlets entice passionate consumers by championing new beauty and exploration.

  • 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 is what turns them into an icon.

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  • Growth Investor – Small or Seed

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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 lay the help lay the foundation for a breakout brand.

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  • Growth Investor – Large

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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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• Game-Changing Retailers

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

  • Large Retailer

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    With more than five doors and each building a thriving community instore and online, these champions of indie beauty are independently owned themselves. Their challenges to large chains are changing consumer perceptions for the better.

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  • Small Retailer

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    Boutique beauty stores provide the lifeblood to emerging brands and local communities. Personality-driven and speaking to some of the most opinionated consumers, they represent a chance for a brand to break through the clutter.

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  • Online Retailer

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    The best e-commerce platforms in beauty know how to draw attention to innovation, and foster the spirit of exploration among even the most jaded, time-pressed customers who never even step foot in a store.

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  • Online International Retailer

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    Innovative digital strategies, unique brand curations, effective external communications and global reach are enabling these online international platforms to elevate the conversation around beauty and the use of beauty products. These are the gold standard.

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  • International Retailer

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    The U.S. is hardly the only beauty market that matters—just look at those brands with swelling sales in the UK, Europe, China and Germany. These retail spaces offer global reach to indies and represent either highly curated brand selections or robust footprints that make a major impact on a business.

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