| Beauty
✨ Let’s get into it ✨
⏱ 2 min read
💡 TLDR
Allure editors sifted through a massive 5,568 products this year, testing everything from beach volleyball sessions to dinner dates. It’s basically a yearlong beauty gauntlet of intense debates and strict science to make sure those red seals are actually legit.
📑 Quick Jump
The red seal on an Allure Best of Beauty winner isn’t just luck; it’s basically the result of absolute chaos behind closed doors. While we’re all just vibing with our new favorite serums, the editors are actually going through a literal gauntlet to make sure those products deserve the hype. This year alone, the team had to sift through a staggering 5,568 submissions to find the absolute best of the best.
A Yearlong Obsession
This process is a constant loop—by the time the awards drop in the fall, we’re already opening submissions for next year. It starts with an open call where brands submit everything from skin care to hair tools, provided they’ll be available for purchase by September 2026. Once the boxes start arriving at HQ (or flooding editors’ homes), it’s full-on box cutter mode. With 75 in-house testers involved, every single product gets scrutinized. We aren’t talking about a casual swipe on the hand; We want to know everything from how difficult a jar of moisturizer is to open to how a foundation holds up throughout the day. Editors like Jesa Marie Calaor jump on trendy items, while others take their testing “into the wild.” For instance, social media manager Bianca Richards tests makeup during low-key dinner dates, and senior art director Ingrid Fowler even put mineral sunscreens to the test during beach volleyball.
💫 We want to know everything from how difficult a jar of moisturizer is to open to how a foundation holds up throughout the day.
Debating the Winners
Once the physical testing wraps up, the real drama begins in the form of intense team meetings. Think of it as the ultimate beauty debate where editors argue over consensus and decide which products need more rounds of testing. It’s not just about personal vibes, though; certain categories have much stricter rules. To win a Breakthrough Award, Liz Siegel explains that a product has to be a first-of-its-kind—like a pimple patch with LED lights—and must be backed by clinical data. Even the “Clean” category isn’t just a buzzword; Allure uses specific criteria vetted by dermatologists and toxicologists to exclude ingredients like parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, cyclic silicones, hydroquinone, talc, and chemical sunscreen filters. After all the debating, vetting, and final approval, the winners are finally ready for us to shop.
Do you always check for that Best of Beauty seal before adding something new to your cart?
❓ People Also Ask
How does Allure select its Best of Beauty winners?
Allure selects its Best of Beauty winners through an intensive, yearlong testing process involving 75 in-house editors. The team sifts through thousands of brand submissions and subjects every product to rigorous scrutiny to ensure it deserves the red seal. Testing goes beyond simple application, as editors evaluate everything from packaging usability to how makeup performs during real-world activities like dinner dates or beach volleyball. This exhaustive method ensures that only the highest quality products are ultimately recognized.
What criteria must a product meet to win a Breakthrough Award?
To win a Breakthrough Award, a product must be a first-of-its-kind innovation backed by clinical data. This category specifically highlights items that introduce something entirely new to the beauty market, such as a pimple patch integrated with LED lights. The selection process involves intense team debates where editors argue over consensus and decide if a product truly offers a revolutionary experience. This ensures the award represents genuine advancements in beauty technology rather than just standard updates.
What ingredients are excluded from Allure's Clean category?
Allure's Clean category excludes specific ingredients like parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, cyclic silicones, hydroquinone, talc, and chemical sunscreen filters. These standards are not arbitrary buzzwords but are instead based on strict criteria vetted by professional dermatologists and toxicologists. By following these rigorous scientific guidelines, the editors ensure that products labeled as clean meet high safety and ingredient transparency standards. This vetting process helps consumers identify products that align with specific ingredient-conscious lifestyles.
How many products are submitted for Allure's beauty awards?
Allure receives a massive volume of submissions, including 5,568 products during this recent testing cycle alone. The process begins with an open call for brands to submit everything from skincare to hair tools, provided the items will be available for purchase by September 2026. Once these submissions arrive at headquarters, a large team of editors begins the daunting task of unboxing and evaluating every single item. This high volume of entries highlights the competitive nature of the selection process.
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📰 Source: Allure