The prizes reflected innovation, exemplary performance and an increasing emphasis on sustainability, and were highlighted by seven product categories. They also included the eco beauty award, best indie brand, best seller, the QVC award, the iconic beauty award and the most buzzed about.
Held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in mid town Manhattan last month, the event drew more than 1,200 people to the Grand Ballroom and saw 39 prizes handed out during the course of the afternoon, with categories spanning all product areas, from mass market to luxury.
Eco Beauty Award goes to Aveda
First up was the Eco Beauty Award, which this year went to Aveda for its fair compensation practices, together with its use of alternative wind energy, renewable plant ingredients and sustainable sourcing practices.
In the color cosmetics category, prizes went to bareMinerals for its its Ready To Go Complexion Perfection Palette, as well as Clé de Peau Beauté Extra Red Lipstick, with the latter being commended for its key ingredient Tri Petal Finish Formula.
In the skin care category, the prestige prize went to Le Sérum, which was recognized for a formulation combination of plant botanicals to correct the signs of aging, together with Dr Dennis Gross Skin care One Step Acne Eliminating Pads, which relies on an L’Carnitine Clarifying Complex to keep pores clear.
Premium women's fragrance nailed by Marc Jacob's Honey
In the fragrance segment, the women’s prestige scent was awarded to Honey by Marc Jacobs, which was described as a ‘sunny, enticing’ fragrance, together with Sonia Kashut for Target, which was given the top prize in the women’s mass scent category.
In the hair care category, the best hair styling product went to Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day, a 5-in-1 styling product that was noted for its out of the ordinary product claims, while the best hair coloring product went to Color Wow Root Cover-up, which is claimed to be the first powder formula root cover-up.
In the bath and body care category, the top prize went to Shiseido Cosmetics America for its Solution LX Total Regenerating Body Cream, described as a rich skin-firming formula that includes Japanese hamanasu rose, plum and cherry blossom extracts.
The CEW is now gearing up to holding its industry Achiever Awards, which will recognize professional achievements by industry professionals in the course of the past year and career lifetimes, at a luncheon to be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on October 17th.