This year, for the 38th edition of Marie Claire’s Beauty Excellence Awards, Marie Claire beauty editors from around the globe tested hundreds of new products, debated, and selected only the most inventive. Every year we honor cutting-edge products and brands who are reshaping the beauty industry, one innovation at a time, and this year was no exception.
After months of deliberating, we concluded with seven U.S. winners, six international winners, and one transatlantic honoree. Here are the best new launches.
Be it excess oil, dead skin cells, or makeup, Biologique Recherche’s Lait S.R. removes all of the above—without compromising the skin barrier. It creates a more matte, balanced complexion with tighter looking pores courtesy of its purifying composition. The texture is airy and lightweight, leaving skin feeling fresh and healthy rather than greasy.
An exfoliant that’s been tested on the most sensitive of skin, this coconut extract-powered exfoliant very gently buffs away dead skin cells and rough patches to reveal smoother skin after one use. Just combine a drop of the naturally sourced micro-powder with some water to create a light foam. Wash it away and you’ll be left with baby soft, supple skin.
Just as chemical exfoliants are game-changers for facial care, so, too, are they invaluable for whole-body skincare. Nécessaire’s resurfacing serum uses 12 percent acid (including AHA, BHA, and PHA) to eradicate common concerns like keratosis pilaris, ingrown hairs, strawberry skin, and hyperpigmentation. Gentle enough for regular use and lightweight enough for layering beneath a moisturizer, it’s perfect for the legs, arms, and even the bikini line.
For multi-tasking brushes that can create a full makeup look, opt for this brush series. These dual-ended brushes—designed with synthetic bristles and lightweight handles—were created for beginners and makeup wizzards alike.
While many long-wearing foundations tend to settle in the creases on your face and look a tad, "caked on," this foundation feels and looks like a second layer of skin. And thanks to the bamboo silk powders and hydro-lipid matrix, you can balance moisture and shine control in seconds.
So often, scalp treatments live in a serum or cream that leaves your fingers—and hairstyle—disheveled. The Oribe Serene Scalp Oil Control Treatment Mist, though, delivers treatment in a fine mist that controls and reduces oil production without disrupting your lifestyle and coiffure. It also smells divine and plays nicely with all hair types.
Taking hair from wet to styled has historically required a blow dryer and styling tool, but ghd’s latest innovation streamlines the process. Regardless of hair type or texture, the hot tool’s patented air fusion technology dries without damage, decrease frizz, and adds smoothness and shine in just a few passes.
SISLEY Supremÿa at night anti-aging fluid is a serum that lives up to its promises. Just ask our beauty director, Deena Campbell, who noticed her fine lines were smoother after using it consistently for three weeks. Supremÿa uses melatonin as a kickstarter for skin regeneration, and its patented Fundamental Regeneration Complex to help target key stages of the night for skin repair. "I love applying it at night, because the smooth texture lulls me to sleep," says Campbell. "It’s honestly the warm hug I need to put me to bed after a long day."
When Doctor Cariel launched Lierac in 1975, he had one goal in mind: to give women solutions to all their skincare problems. Now, almost 50 years later, Lierac enters a new era with an updated identity, reformulated formulas, and user-friendly packaging. And this is only the beginning.
Everyone wants a youthful glow, but getting your body to get on the same page takes a bit of hard work and consistency. Enter Orveda's Omnipotent Concentrate Serum that silences inflammatory signals to your body, boosting skin's radiance by 25 percent, while reducing the appearance of dark spots. How's that for effective communication?
So many of us wear makeup the majority of the day, so it’s no surprise we opt for options that double as skincare. This tinted serum gives skin a more airbrushed, even finish, but uses natural ingredients like jojoba oil and hazel to keep skin moisturized without making it look shiny or feel greasy.
Guerlain’s Abeille Royale system, when used regularly and in tandem, is formulated to boost the health and appearance of hair. This includes the quality of your actual hair fibers, which are strengthened by a D-panthenol complex known for its strengthening capabilities. The Abeille Royale system also makes hair appear thicker and fights dullness by enhancing the appearance of users’ natural hair color.
A sunscreen that doesn't pill under makeup? Yes, please! This lightweight face sunscreen can be used every day, or apply liberally before heading to the beach.
The Marie Claire beauty team loves the idea of a richly pigmented lipstick with the feel of a moisturizing balm. And that’s exactly what this all-day wear formula delivers. Wear them alone or mix and match for an intense color payoff.
