Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) held its 26th Annual Beauty Awards on November 13th, honoring the 'best in beauty' and announcing the most creative beauty products of the year.

The excitement was real, however, even though —and in keeping with what has become de rigueur for 2020—the awards were virtual for the first time in CEW’s history.

Taking place over several days (November 12-17), the expanded program included a trends presentation (linked below) by Larissa Jensen, vice president, Industry Advisor, Beauty, NPD Group (and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors); followed by roundtable discussions with award-winning brands in the Indie Beauty and Sustainability Excellence categories. 

The award winners were announced on November 13th during a virtual celebration hosted by Jill Kargman, writer and star of Bravo’s Odd Mom Out. Kargman grew up in the beauty industry as the daughter of Chanel’s former president Arie Kopelman and his wife Coco Kopelman. She is shown here in the Online Exclusive: NPD's 'Feel Good Trends' That Shaped the Beauty Industry This Year.

CEW Honors the Best in Beauty

As the virtual event began, Carlotta Jacobson, president, CEW, and Jill Scalamandre, president, bareMinerals, Buxom, and Shiseido Makeup, welcomed attendees.  

Winners from 46 different categories were nominated from more than 1,200 product entries, representing more than 500 brands. The Awards are selected by beauty industry insiders, and winners are chosen by thousands of the industry’s experts, including chemists, marketing professionals, brands, and beauty editors.

“Consumers are looking for an endorsement before making a purchase,” said Jacobson, highlighting the value of the awards. She shared their origin, which began 26 years ago, and celebrated their relevance today.

“Nearly three decades ago, we created the CEW Beauty Awards to recognize the innovation coming from the industry, and most importantly to tell a story to consumers and help them navigate the crowded beauty space,” she said, adding, “Given the current climate, it may be even more relevant today than 26 years ago. The CEW Beauty Awards truly represent the evolving beauty landscape.”

In a year with $83 billion in U.S. beauty sales, according to NPD, innovation was seen across categories.

Jill Scalamandre cited a range of products that reflect the current market and popular trends, including clean brands, sustainable ingredients, at-home hair care, CBD and mission-based brands that stand for a cause, and new categories focused on Sexual Wellness, Skin Care Face Masks, Hair Accessories and Unisex Fragrance; and she acknowledged the validation the awards bring.

Beautycounter & Ethique Win the Sustainability Award

Award highlights included the Sustainability award, which recognizes companies with a conscience. Consumers increasingly care about the effects of their product decisions, and criteria such as sourcing materials, packaging, and disposal of products, are integral to a company’s manufacturing and distribution.

The winners of the Sustainability awards, presented by Ilaria Resta, president of perfumery, Firmenich, represented the mission of Firmenich, stated Resta, “which is about well-being with a unique responsibility as a company, to achieve positive change across communities for the future of our planet.”

Two companies met that criteria this year, and received the honors; Beautycounter, for its environmental packaging and social responsibility; and Ethique, for being a true Indie disruptor, with zero carbon waste, and a recognized mission to rid the use of plastic bottles.

Note: Beautycounter's Gregg Renfrew and Ethique's Brianne West also discussed winning CEW's Beauty Award for Sustainability with Firmenich's Juliette Sicot-Crevet during a roundtable discussion. See the Online Exclusive: Beautycounter & Ethique Discuss 'Building a Conscious Beauty Brand'

Unilever Wins for Dove's Self-Esteem Project

Another standout was the Award for Mission-Based Brands for Established Brands.

Unilever, Personal Care, Dove, took the honors, for its Self-Esteem Project, designed to enable girls’ empowerment, increase self-esteem, and encourage girls to go from being dreamers to doers. The project delivers an inclusive message for girls and women to follow their dreams and recognize their self-worth.

Recognizing Rahua by Amazon Beauty & Its Mission

The Mission-Based Brand for Small Business winner, was Rahua by Amazon Beauty.

By working with indigenous communicates in the Amazon, Rahua has strengthened communities and fostered environmental choices, utilizing Rahua Amazon Oil, in a range of hair care and treatment products.

Farmhouse Fresh is the QVC Beauty Quest Winner

QVC 2020 Beauty Quest honors were presented by Bridget Love, VP, GMM, Beauty Merchandising QVC, to Farmhouse Fresh.

The “farm to body” manufacturer of skincare products says it stays true to its McKinney, Texas roots—offering fresh ingredients for a range of natural and naturally-derived beauty products.

Farmhouse Fresh's products are all paraben- and sulfate-free. The brand's  mission is to bring plant nutrition to skincare; and their headquarters are also home to an animal rescue sanctuary.

Indie & Lip Winners

Indie Makeup Beauty Awards went to Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde; and Indie Skincare Beauty went to Glossier Futuredew.

Note: Huda Beauty's Huda Beauty's vice president of integrated marketing, Michael McNeil, and Glossier's senior vice president of marketing, Ali Weiss, discussed marketing strategies at a virtual roundtable— see our Online Exclusive: Cultivating Digital Communities.

Other Indie winners were The Ordinary, the Indie Brand Beauty Winner; and Virtue Labs Healing Oil, for Indie Hair.

In the growing lip category, the standouts were NARS Cosmetics Lipstick, in Lip Product Prestige; Burt’s Bees Matte Sticks, Lip Product Mass; and Fresh Sugar Mint Rush Freshening Lip Treatment, in Lip Treatment.

More Winners—And Sponsors

The Iconic Consumers’ Choice Awards went to Essie Wicked, a nail enamel classic, in deep, dark red, in the Mass category; and SK-II PITERA Essence, a lightweight serum designed to revitalize the skin and even skin tone, in Prestige. 

On the supply side, The New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC), which for the past three years has collaborated with CEW to recognize the best new ingredients and technology, awarded the honor to Ashland Inc., for its Mineral Based Sun Stick SPF 50.

Hair Accessories, a new category this year, presented top honors to Slip Silk Pillowcase Scrunchies; while Hair Care/Styling honors went to Drybar Jump Start Quick Dry Blowout Serum.

Other Hair category honors went to Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Triple Detox Shampoo, for best Hair Shampoo/Hair Conditioner; and Drybar Baby Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush, in Hair Tools.

The event's sponsors included Firmenich, QVC, Arcade Beauty, Voyant Beauty, CVS Pharmacy, YouCam Makeup, Cosmoprof NA, Unilver, P&G Beauty, Johnson & Johnson, NYSCC, NPD Group—and more. 

More CEW Beauty Awards Coverage 

Click through this slideshow featuring all the winners.

All the winners are listed in this news story: CEW Celebrates Beauty Award Winners

Do you want to see who was in the running? All the finalists are listed in these slideshows—CEW Beauty Award Finalists Part 1 and Part 2