Every year, beauty pros (including artists, marketers, editors, and chemists) gather for the most exciting night in the industry: the Cosmetic Executive Women Beauty Insider Product Demonstration. This invite-only event showcases all the hottest launches from the previous year, allowing experts to test the formulas, admire the packaging, and ask any questions they have about the item. Then, after lugging home (and playing with!) a huge bag of the products seen that night, everyone casts their votes on which items are worthy of being declared "best" in their category.
This is a highly prestigious award for a key reason — the people selecting the winners know beauty inside and out. Scientists take a break from their labs to examine other brands' potions; CEOs compare and contrast their companies' products with others. As a result, the champions are truly spectacular.
WWD announced the 2016 CEW Insider Award winners, and there was a refreshing amount of surprising victories. Who would have expected that the two award-winning antiaging products would be masks? We're particularly impressed that a dry shampoo beat out traditional formulas in its category! Read on and shop the very best beauty swag from 2016.
Product: Kate Somerville EradiKate Mask Foam-Activated Acne Treatment ($54)
Category Won: Best Acne Treatment
Product: Sonia Kashuk Detox Purifying Black Mask ($16)
Category Won: Best Antiaging Product (Mass)
Product: Glamglow Flashmud Brightening Treatment ($69)
Category Won: Best Antiaging Product (Prestige)
Product: Simple Micellar Cleansing Water ($8)
Category Won: Best Cleanser and/or Scrub
Product: It Cosmetics Your Skin but Better CC+ Eye Cream SPF 50+ ($38)
Category Won: Best Eye Treatment
Product: Fresh Sugar Nourishing Lip Balm Advanced Therapy ($30)
Category Won: Best Lip Treatment
Product: St. Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower Lotion ($25)
Category Won: Best Sun Product
Product: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel ($20)
Category Won: Best Moisturizer (Mass)
Product: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream ($15)
Category Won: Best Moisturizer (Prestige)
Product: Oribe Hair Care Airbrush Root Touch-Up Spray ($29)
Category Won: Best Hair Coloring Product
Product: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo ($12)
Category Won: Best Hair Shampoo or Conditioner
Product: Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow It (H)air Styler ($31)
Category Won: Best Hair Style/Hair Care Product (Three-Way Tie)
Product: Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 ($26)
Category Won: Best Hair Style/Hair Care Product (Three-Way Tie)
Product: Living Proof Blowout ($24)
Category Won: Best Hair Style/Hair Care Product (Three-Way Tie)
Product: T3 PROi Professional Hair Dryer ($350)
Category Won: Best Hair Tool
Product: L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Superstar Mascara ($11)
Category Won: Best Eye Product (Mass)
Product: Sonia Kashuk Undercover Liquid Concealer ($10)
Category Won: Best Face Product (Mass)
Product: Laura Mercier Silk Crème Moisturizing Photo Edition Foundation ($48)
Category Won: Best Face Product (Prestige)
Product: Flower Lip Radiance High Shine Lip Lacquer ($8)
Category Won: Best Lip Product (Mass)
Product: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick ($32)
Category Won: Best Lip Product (Prestige)
Product: Sonia Kashuk Eau de Toilette in White Etheriana ($20)
Category Won: Best Women's Scent (Mass)
Product: Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Black Opium ($90)
Category Won: Best Women's Scent (Prestige)
Product: Butter London Patent Shine 10x Nail Lacquer ($18)
Category Won: Best Nail Product (Tie)
Product: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat ($10)
Category Won: Best Nail Product (Tie)
Product: Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion ($8)
Category Won: Best Bath and Body Product (Mass)
Product: Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant ($45)
Category Won: Best Bath and Body Product (Prestige)
Product: Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips ($7)
Category Won: Most Buzzed-About Product (Mass)
Product: Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette ($54)
Categories Won: Most Buzzed-About Product (Prestige), Bestseller Award (Prestige)
Product: CoverGirl The Super Sizer by Lash Blast Mascara ($7)
Category Won: Bestseller Award (Mass)