The 2026 'Marie Claire' Beauty Awards Are Getting a Makeover—Everything You Need to Know
Including how (and when) to enter.
We're doing things a little differently at Marie Claire in 2026. Our beauty awards (previously the Skin & Hair Awards and the Makeup Awards) are merging together—and expanding to include Nails, Body Care, and Drugstore Staples. In short, it's a very exciting time to be a beauty product.
Entries, which cost $300 per product and per category, guarantee first-hand testing by our incredible panel of judges, including the MC Beauty Team and 100 expert makeup artists, hairstylists, dermatologists, and beauty insiders. The goal is to determine the absolute best products in the business—the ones we can wholeheartedly recommend to our millions of readers.
Because this is an expansive program, we're going to make the process as easy as possible for you and your clients by staggering entry dates. The entry deadline for Skin & Body Care is February 26, 2026, while the entry deadline for Hair, Makeup, Nails, & Drugstore Staples is March 19, 2026. You can enter products that are cult-classics, new launches, or soon-to-be-released; the only caveat is that they must be shoppable in the US by September 2026. (Please note: Marie Claire's Fragrance Awards are remaining a separate entity, and we'll be in touch with more information on those soon!)
Now onto the really fun info. Winners will be notified in late June 2026, and by late September 2026, the Marie Claire Beauty Team is going to shout your win from the rooftops. Well, technically, the Internet, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, but you get the point. Then, we're all going to gather together for a chic party celebrating the very best in beauty.
If you have any questions, please visit our awards website or reach out to our very helpful and responsive team at marieclaireawards@futurenet.com. Good luck, everyone—we can't wait to start testing!
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.