We know that the holidays are very far away, but can you blame us if we said it was the most wonderful time of the year?
Every September, we anxiously await the results of the Allure Best of Beauty Awards — and they're finally here. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the awards, which highlight the best in skin care, hair care, makeup and more, so you can expect the beauty picks to be bigger and better than ever in celebration of the milestone.
Allure Editor-in-Chief Jessica Cruel stopped by Studio 1A to share 10 of more than 100 products that have been tested and approved by Allure editors this year, so you can hear about the best of the best straight from the source.
Keep reading to discover everything from a bestselling root cover-up to a lip-plumping lipstick.
Allure Best of Beauty winners 2021
Skin care
Kinship Self-Reflect Probiotic Moisturizing Sunscreen
This moisturizing, cast-free sunscreen is a winner in the clean beauty category. It's a mineral-based sunscreen that blends seamlessly into your skin, leaving you with a pearl tint that will protect your skin from sun damage.
AHC Aqualuronic Serum
This serum penetrates your skin on three levels — high, medium and low — and works to keep moisture locked in. It claimed a spot in the skin care category this year.
Makeup
Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush
Taking home a medal in the base makeup category, this blush from Rare Beauty captivated Allure editors for its natural look. It is as smooth and silky as a balm but packs color like a stain, so you can rock flushed cheeks all day long.
Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint
Another clean beauty winner, this eye tint is a water-based formula that won't crease or wear. It comes in several different metallic shades that only need one swipe to bring your eyes to life.
Flower Beauty The Skinny Microbrow Pencil
Wearing the crown in the steal category, this drugstore eyebrow pencil delivered a "wow" factor. With a precision tip, it creates strokes so fine that you won't be able to tell where your real brows begin.
Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara
A 2021 breakthrough beauty winner, this mascara is applied with a magnetic wand that capitalizes on ferromagnetism in order to elongate lashes. Allure Contributing Editor Jessica Chia wrote that it makes lashes "so well coated that the formula holds them there — a first for me without a curler."
Maybelline Lifter Lip Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid
Another beauty steal, this lip gloss packs a serious punch. The $9 gloss provides intense color and shine for hours, but since it is formulated with hyaluronic acid, it also nourishes and moisturizes lips.
Hair care
TPH BY TARAJI Twist and Set Twisting Creme
Taraji P. Henson's hair care line, TPH by Taraji, first found its way onto store shelves in Target. This award-winning twisting creme from the line sculpted "standout" twist-outs for Allure editors, thanks to ingredients such as avocado oil, coconut oil and moringa oil, which deliver moisture and help lock curls into place.
Color Wow Root Cover-Up Powder
Goodbye, grey hairs! This cover-up powder is formulated with zinc, which helps the powder stick to and disguise greys in between salon visits. Apply it once and enjoy color that lasts until your next wash.
TRESemmé Keratin Repair Shampoo
One part of the power drugstore duo that took home an award this year, this keratin shampoo restores and shields hair.
TRESemmé Keratin Repair Conditioner
The coordinating conditioner smooths and repairs, while also taming frizz.
More Allure Best of Beauty 2021 winners
Mele No Shade Sunscreen Oil
Formulated for melanated skin and by dermatologists with melanated skin, this sunscreen oil provides SPF 30 protection without leaving any white cast. It's suitable for dry, mature and combination skin and is free of parabens and phthalates.
L'Oreal Revitalift Derm Intensives Night Serum
You've probably heard about the benefits of retinol by now — and this serum is packed with it. It works to rejuvenate and regenerate skin, helping to smooth and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Glow by Daye Satin Bonnet
Glow By Daye's premium bonnets are crafted with two layers of silky satin and feature a sleek perimeter to help protect your edges. They also feature a drawstring closure for a snug fit, so it will stay on throughout the night.
RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
This eye cream is gentle on the under-eye area, so you can apply it nightly to reduce puffiness and creases.
Differin Acne Treatment
Stubborn blemishes are no match for this treatment gel, which is formulated with a strong dose of adapalene that helps to stop breakouts before they rise to the surface.
For more stories like this, check out:
- 6 tried-and-true beauty bestsellers we can't get enough of
- My greasy skin didn't stand a chance against these powerful oil blotters
- 16 makeup brush sets you need to perfect your beauty routine — starting at $10
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