The 2019 Beauty Awards received more than 1,000 product entries, which were judged by over 2,000 CEW members following the organization’s popular product demo event. At that event, the trends mentioned above were also quite easy to see, especially the preponderance of indie beauty brands in the industry now. Not only were independent brands competing in categories specific to indie beauty (Indie Brand, Indie Makeup, Indie Hair, and Indie Skincare), they were also competing with legacy brands in Hair categories, in Sun Care, in Sustainability Excellence and more.
Winners and trends
This year’s Beauty Industry Award winners only further highlight industry trends. Living Proof won in the Hair Shampoo / Hair Conditioner category with its Restore Dry Scalp Treatment, formulated with a “microbiome complex.” According to the CEW product page, the Living Proof product is a “leave-in treatment with a breakthrough microbiome-balancing treatment and clinically-proven actives that work to balance the natural ecosystem.” And the scalp treatment wasn’t the only microbiome beauty product to win. First Aid Beauty won in the skin care Cleanser & Scrub category with its Skin Rescue Acne Clearing Charcoal Cleanser with Probiotics.
Wellness brands had two categories at the CEW Beauty Awards this year: Aromatherapy and Beauty Wellness Supplements. Hum Nutrition won in the supplements category with its Collagen POP product. Learn more about Collagen POP here on Cosmetics Design. And Naturopathica won in the aromatherapy category with its Chill Aromatic Alchemy product.
Indie brands stood out at the awards luncheon too. Beauty by POPSUGAR won in the Indie Makeup category with Be Swee Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15; Briogeo Hair Care won in Indie Hair with it Be Gentle, Be Kind Kale + Apple Replenishing Superfood Conditioner; and Summer Fridays won in Indie Skincare with the Jet Lag Mask. And Beauty Counter won Best Indie Brand this year, signaling perhaps that clean beauty will play an ever-important role in the industry for some time to come.
Indie beauty brands also stood out in the Sun Product category with Supergoop! winning for its Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40. (Read about that brand’s first pop-up here on Cosmetics Design.) And LOLI Beauty (also an indie brand) won in the Sustainability Excellence category, beating out strong competition from the L’Oréal brand Seed Phytonutrients, the New Zealand-based indie brand Ethique, Biossance (a niche brand developed by a biotech company), Alaffia, and Plantioxidants.
Find the full list of 2019 CEW Beauty Award winners here.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.