Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) announced the winners of the Beauty Creators Awards during a virtual event, held December 1, 2021. The awards, which recognize the top performers in thirty categories across the entire industry, also honor the creators and teams behind the products, as well as the products themselves.

Carlotta Jacobson, President, CEW, joined by Jill Scalamandre, President, bareMinerals, Buxom and Shiseido Makeup, and Chairwoman CEW, welcomed attendees to the newest iteration of the recently re-named Awards, which Jacobson noted have been ongoing for the past 27 years.

Scalamandre said that the thinking behind the creation of the products was ultimately key, and she acknowledged not only the brands and products, but also the professionals supporting their creation. These include the chemists, marketers, beauty editors, suppliers and retailers—all so critical in bringing the top performing products to fruition.

Jacobson noted the 1,300 submissions received, and observed areas of growth, including a 52% increase in products in the wellness category. She acknowledged the inclusivity of the awards’ range, saying that the process recognizes all manner of beauty products on the market, from start-ups to global companies employing thousands.

Clearly, the democratization of the industry was a thread that highlighted this year’s presentation.

Jacobson thanked Innovation Partners, Firmenich, CVS Pharmacy, Financo Raymond James, QVC, Satisfyer, Presperse, Nielsen IQ, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC), and Event Partners, Badger & Winters, Beauty Inc, Cheddar News, Perfect You Cam Makeup, Consultancy Media, Fairchild Media Group, Suite K, Kaplow Communications, EWG-Elite World Group, NPD Group, and Ernst & Young; and introduced the event’s hosts, Julia and Batsheva Haart, stars of My Unorthodox Life.

Netflix's 'My Unorthodox Life' Stars Hosted the Event

Julia Haart, and her daughter, Batsheva, are stars of the Netflix television docuseries, My Unorthodox Life, hosted the virtual awards celebration. The show chronicles Haart's daily life as CEO of Elite World Group and her daughter, Batsheva, a social influencer, along with their family.

As self-professed lovers of “all things beauty,” the duo acknowledged the creativity and ingenuity behind all of the nominated beauty products, and noted that both winning products and creative teams would be honored and pictured as the awards unfolded.

Presenting the Beauty Creators Awards

The first award was presented by Bridget Love, VP, GMM, Beauty Merchandising QVC and HSN, who said, “Competition was stiff for the QVC Beauty Quest Award this year.”

Love added that she was delighted to present the award to Gussi Haircare, “the first ever winner of the Quest Award in the haircare space.” Over the last two years, the Hair category increased sales volume by 50%, according to the NPD Group.

Announcing the second and third awards, which were for Men’s and Women’s Scents in the Fragrance category, the Haarts cited NielsenIQ data, noting fragrance sales up by +14%, with online sales +23.9%, and in-store declines of -1.7%.

In addition, according to the NPD Group, Men’s fragrance was strong, having quadrupled in sales volume since 2019; and fragrance accounted for 56% of gains within the total prestige beauty market (NPD).

Winners of the Men’s Scent Award were Dolce&Gabbana Fragrances, K by Dolce&Gabbana Eau de Parfum; and Women’s Scent honors went to Gucci Bloom Profumi di Fiori Eau de Parfum.

In the Total Fragrance Market, Parfums are the strongest and longest lasting fragrance concentrations, and they doubled in size this year, per The NPD Group.

Celebrating Excellence in Sustainability

The Sustainability Excellence Award, presented by Firmenich, recognizes those brands that make sustainability an integral part of their process.

This year, there was a 71% increase in brands entering the sustainability category. Firmenich has made this a core principle for 30 years. Ilaria Resta, Global President, Perfumery, Firmenich, explained that it is no longer enough to create a beautiful fragrance, but it is essential to contribute to the well-being of the planet, the community, and the environment.

“This award celebrates the future of our planet and attests to our commitment to transparency and sustainability, and the measurable impact of the ingredients and packaging we use,” said Resta.

The Winner of the Sustainability Excellence Award of 2021 went to Aveda, pioneering sustainability since 1978. Aveda’s message, “to care for the world we live in, from the products we make, to the environment, and across products and processes,” embodies the spirit of the Sustainability Award.

Bath & Body, Wellness & More

This year’s winner in the Bath & Body category, was Supergoop! Glowscreen Body SPF 40, a daily use body lotion with subtle shimmer, to hydrate and protect skin. According to NPD, the Bath & Body category was up +26% this year, following positive performance in 2020.

Men’s Grooming honors went to Keep It Anchored, Hair Anchoring Essence for Men, a collection of cleansing and conditioning kits designed to calm oxidative stress to the scalp and reduce hair loss. In the Men’s Grooming category, Body Products, which make up a quarter of the Men’s Grooming category, drove 67% of the growth this year, according to the NPD Group.

Essie took the honors in the Nail Product category, with Expressie by Essie in Crop Top and Roll. The Nail segment, strong in 2020, continues to generate sales in 2021 at +12% above 2019 levels, according to the NPD Group.

The next award, in the Wellness category, was presented by Satisfyer and introduced by Stephanie Trachtenberg, Director of Marketing & PR for the Americas, Satisfyer. Trachtenberg highlighted growing aspects of wellness in the market, particularly in the areas of nutritional supplements, collagen, stress management, lubricants, and balms.

The winner in the Wellness category was The Honey Pot Company, for its Organic Moisturizing Lubricant with Organic Strawberry Flavor.
 
Within the Wellness category, CBD makeup and skincare products that contain cannabis/sativa ingredients spiked in 2020, and this year’s revenues are 72% above 2019 levels, according to NPD.

The honors in this category were awarded to Burt’s Bees Full-Spectrum CBD Facial Oil. Gen Z and Millennial consumers are twice as likely as the average consumer to look for skincare products with CBD, per NPD; and facial skin care products containing CBD grew +47.2% in the past year, per NielsenIQ.

Makeup Winners 

The winner in the Face Product category was The Ordinary - Concealer, a full coverage formula available in a wide range of shades.

Makeup Tools honors went to Sephora Total Coverage Original Sponge; and the Eye Product winner was Too Faced Cosmetics Born This Way - The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette.

According to NielsenIQ, eye cosmetics lead growth in the cosmetics category, with dollar growth of 15.6% YTD, vs. +7.9% for face cosmetics, and +7.2% for eye cosmetics. Sales of false eyelashes have seen huge growth, up +26% YTD, per NielsenIQ.

Lip treatment sales were boosted this year by +22%, driven by moisturizing, anti-aging and plumping products, per NPD. The winner in the Lip category was Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss, a botanical-infused, non-sticky lip gloss in sheer shades.

The makeup category was front and center, as YouCam Makeup, a CEW partner, introduced a scannable QR code during the presentation, for attendees to try on different products themselves.

Standouts in Hair Care & Color

The Hair Care category, which saw a 50% sales volume increase since last year, according to NPD, was next, with honors in the Hair Shampoo/Hair Conditioner category going to Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, a reparative mask to add shine, smoothness and body to damaged hair.

The Hair Style/Hair Care category winner this year was Bumble and Bumble Bb. Curl Defining Cream. According to NielsenIQ, hair care dollar sales were up +9.4%, with online sales +25.5%, and in-store declines of -0.4%.

Hair coloring saw +13% growth, with DIY hair coloring products spiking in 2020, and achieving continued growth into 2021, per NPD. The winner in the Hair Color category was Moroccan Oil Color Depositing Masks, dual benefit masks that deposit temporary color while nurturing hair for healthy look and feel.

Hair Tools and Hair Accessories, per NielsenIQ, were the fastest growing segments of the Hair Care category, with hair tools sales up +27.3% across both in-store and online; and Hair accessories sales up +21% across both in-store and online. This year’s winner in the Hair Tool category was Dyson Corrale™ Straightener.

Indies and Skin Care in Growth Mode

The Indie category, sponsored this year by Financo Raymond James, was introduced by Vennette Ho, Managing Director, Global Head of Beauty & Personal Care, Consumer Investment Banking, Financo Raymond James.

Ho noted the commitment, passion and people behind the brands in the Indie category, and introduced this year’s winner of Best Indie Beauty Brand, Ilia Beauty, skincare-powered makeup, designed to shield the skin from environmental stressors.

In Indie Skincare, Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, took the honors.

According to NPD, 76% of women over the age of thirteen, reported using facial skincare products, a significant increase over 2020. In the Skincare Anti-Aging category, this year’s winner was Drunk Elephant Protini™ Powerpeptide Resurf Serum. Anti-Aging represents 35% of face skincare unit sales, up +1 point versus last year, per NPD; with Clean Skincare continuing to win, representing 32% of skincare sales (NPD).

NPD stated that clinical brands account for 37% of eye treatment product sales, up +7 points versus two years ago. The winner in the Eye Treatment category was Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide24 Eye Cream. Lip Treatment honors went to Too Faced Cosmetics Hangover Pillow Balm Lip Treatment. Skincare Tool category honors, in a tie this year, went to NuFace FIX Line Smoothing Device and Révive Skincare Révolve Contouring Massage Roller.

Suncare was found to be the fastest growing skincare category this year, with NPD noting a +40% increase. Winner in the Suncare category was Supergoop! Glowscreen with SPF 40, offering sun protection and hydration.

Suppliers Award for Ingredients & Formulation

Susanna Fernandes, Chair, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC), and Team Lead E-Sales, Tri-K Industries, presented the Suppliers Award for Ingredients and Formulation, sponsored this year by Presperse.

In thanking the Ingredients and Formulation Committee for their participation in the selection of this year’s winner, Fernandes noted the importance of elevating the role of the suppliers and formulators, so integral to the product creation process in the beauty industry.

The Winner of the Suppliers Award went to Grant Industries Inc., for Granpowder BBP-700.

Facial Cleansers & Moisturizers 

Facial Moisturizers, a consistently high-performing category, continue to be robust, said NPD, with nearly 45 Facial Moisturizers sold every minute. This year’s winner in the Facial Moisturizer category was First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream.

Other skincare takeaways noted, included the popularity of Cleansers and Scrubs, said to be the most used skincare product among Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X consumers, per NPD. This year’s winner in the Cleanser and Scrub category was Yes To Avocado Fragrance-Free Daily Cream Cleanser.

NPD data also showed vegan face masks outperforming all other face masks on the market, by +18% this year. Honors in the Face Mask category went to Youth To The People Superclay Purify + Clear Power Mask.

Social Superstar Awards

The program concluded with the Social Superstar Awards, presented by Emine ErSelcuk, Senior VP, Merchandising, IPSY, a BFA (Beauty for all Industries) Brand; and Hena Doba, Anchor, Cheddar News, financial news network.

The Social Superstar Awards were unveiled by CEW to represent the votes of the people, in a further effort to democratize the beauty industry. The Social Superstar Award went to MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil; and the Iconic Beauty Award honors went to La Mer Créme de la Mer.

Additional category takeaways included the growth of unisex fragrances, up +11% in store over the past 13 weeks, and growing faster than both male and female targeted fragrances (NielsenIQ).

Hand and Body Lotions containing CBD were also up—selling $10.2 MM over the last year, with a growth rate of +19.3%, according to Nuelsen.

Finally, Clinical brands captured the greatest share of skincare sales and drove the majority of gains, according to NPD.

See the complete list of winners below—and at CEW.

All the Winners of CEW's Beauty Creator Awards 2021

Anti-Aging

• Drunk Elephant Protini Powerpeptide Resurf Serum

Bath and Body 

• Supergoop! Glowscreen Body 

CBD Beauty

• Burt’s Bees Full-Spectrum CBD Facial Oil 

Cleanser and Scrub 

• Yes To Avocado Fragrance-Free Daily Cream Cleanser

Eye Product

• Too Faced Cosmetics Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

Eye Treatment

• Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide24 Eye Cream

Face Mask

• Youth To The People Superclay Purify + Clear Power Mask

Face Product

• The Ordinary Concealer

Moisturizer (Face)

• First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream

Skin Care Tools - a Tie

• RéVive Skincare RéVolve Contouring Massage Roller
• NuFace Fix Line Smoothing Device

Sun Product

• Supergoop! Glowscreen

Hair Coloring 

• Moroccanoil Color Depositing Masks

Hair Shampoo/Hair Conditioner

• Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask

Hair Style/Hair Care

• Bumble and bumble Bb.Curl Defining Cream 

Hair Tools

• Dyson Corrale Straightener

Iconic Beauty Award

• La Mer Crème de la Mer

Indie Brand

• ILIA Beauty

Indie Skin Care

• Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

Ingredients and Formulation

• Grant Industries Inc. Granpowder BBP-700

Lip Product

• Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Crushed Oil Infused Gloss

Lip Treatment

• Too Faced Cosmetics Hangover Pillow Balm Lip Treatment

Makeup Tools

• Sephora Collection Total Original Sponge

Nail Product

• Essie Expressie by Essie in Crop Top and Roll 

Men’s Grooming: 

• 'Keep It Anchored' Hair Anchoring Essence for Men

Men’s Scent

• Dolce & Gabbana Fragrances K by Dolce & Gabbana Eau de Parfum

Women’s Scent

• Gucci Bloom Profumo di Fiori Eau de Parfum 

QVC Beauty Quest Award

• Gussi

Social Superstar

• MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil

Sustainability Excellence Award

• Aveda

Sexual Wellness

• The Honey Pot Company Organic Moisturizing Lubricant with Organic Strawberry Flavor

 Congratulations!