Introducing: The Inaugural 'Marie Claire' Reader’s Choice Awards

The most beloved beauty products of the year.

books against an arrangement of beauty products
(Image credit: Monika Lis)

For the first time ever, Marie Claire readers are taking the reins, revealing the beauty products that they truly love, rely on, and return to for our 2026 Reader's Choice Awards. Who better to capture the best in beauty than an audience who is just as obsessed with all things hair, skin, nails, and makeup as we are? Fifty-seven exceptional products made the cut this year, covering all of your beauty essentials from head to toe. From a cult-favorite exfoliator that delivers baby-soft skin to a curl cream that leaves you with mega volume, these are the best beauty products of the year—according to you.

Skincare

books and an assortment of skincare like face masks pimple patches and serums

(Image credit: Monika Lis)

Makeup

stack of books with makeup products lying on top of them

(Image credit: Monika Lis)

Hair

The Marie Claire Reader's Choice Awards hair category winners dispersed alongside some open books.

(Image credit: Monika Lis)

Body

books stacked on top of each other with some of the marie claire reader's choice bodycare winners placed in between

(Image credit: Monika Lis)

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

This story appears in Marie Claire's 2026 Craftsmanship Issue.

Hannah Baxter
Beauty Director

Hannah Baxter is the Beauty Director at Marie Claire. She has previously held roles at The Zoe Report, Coveteur, and Bust Magazine, covering beauty, wellness, fashion, and lifestyle. She authors the Marie Claire newsletter Face Forward. Her writing has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Allure, The Cut, Elle, InStyle, Glamour, Air Mail, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Byrdie, Nylon and more.

She is also the founder of Anxiety Beer, a weekly newsletter about the intersection of culture and mental health. In her spare time you can catch her reading too many overdue library books, thrifting, or hanging with her hairless cat, Norman. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @hannahbaxward.