
2025 Award Categories
Products released between March 1, 2023 and March 27, 2025 are eligible.
BATH & BODY
1) Body Moisturizer/Treatment
Body moisturizers, firming/cellulite creams, self-tanners, body oils/sprays, body splashes/mists, bath beads/bombs, and bath oils, and treatments for body, hands, and/or feet. Hand sanitizers should be submitted in personal care, chest and neck creams should be submitted in facial moisturizer.
2) Body Wash/Scrub
Cleansers, soaps, scrubs, and exfoliators for body, hands and/or feet.
3) Personal Care Product
Oral care, deodorants, hand sanitizers, anti-chafe products, shaving treatments, hair removal products including waxes and razors, depilatory creams, and products for personal hygiene and/or personal grooming.
4) Men’s Grooming
Hair, skin, and/or body products designed for men.
FRAGRANCE
5) Home Scent
Candles, oils, incense, room sprays and products that deliver scent to the home.
6) Personal Scent: Women
Products with the singular purpose of delivering scent to your body including perfumes, colognes, eau de toilettes. Body splashes/mists should be submitted in the body moisturizer/treatment category.
7) Personal Scent: Men & Gender Neutral
Products with the singular purpose of delivering scent to your body including perfumes, colognes, eau de toilettes. Body splashes/mists should be submitted in the body moisturizer/treatment category.
HAIR
8) Shampoo
Shampoo, co-wash, and products designed to cleanse hair and/or scalp. Dry shampoos should be submitted in the Hair Styling Product category. Color-depositing products should be submitted in the Hair Color Category.
9) Conditioner
Conditioner, conditioning masks, leave-in conditioning treatments, and products designed to moisturize hair and/or scalp. Color-depositing products should be submitted in the Hair Color Category.
10) Hair Care/Treatment
Hair oils, serums, bond builders, scalp scrubs and treatments, detanglers, pre-shampoo products, hair supplements, hair loss treatments, thickening treatments, repair/strengthening treatments, salon/professional treatments, and products designed to improve overall health of hair and/or scalp.
11) Hair Styling Product
Dry shampoos, dry conditioners, blow-out creams, smoothing products, curl/wave products, edge control, heat protectants, gels, mousses, hairsprays, volumizers, and products designed to style the hair.
12) Natural/Textured Hair Product
Hair products (Shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, styling products) used for natural or textured hair or primarily designed for people of color.
13) Hair Color
Dyes, shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and products that deposit permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary color on the hair and/or root.
14) Hair Tools & Accessories
Extensions, wigs, clips, ties, shower caps, towels, blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons, styling wands, combs & brushes, regrowth devices, and tools, devices or kits that aid in the styling or maintenance of hair.
SKINCARE
15) Facial Cleanser/Scrub
Cleansers, wipes, makeup removers, scrubs, physical exfoliants, cleansing toner, and products designed to clean and/or exfoliate the face. Microdermabrasion products and peels should be submitted in the Facial Treatment category.
16) Facial Moisturizer
Day and nighttime moisturizers, lotions, and oils for face, neck and/or decolletage, designed to hydrate and moisturize.
17) Facial Treatment
Peels, masks, toners, essences, chemical exfoliants, microdermabrasion products, and products designed to target a skincare concern and/or use highly concentrated ingredients.
18) Facial Serums
Anti-aging, dark spots, brightening, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, hydrating, redness reducer, and skincare serums designed to correct, treat and/or prevent skin concerns.
19) Acne Product
Cleansers, serums, spot treatments, masks, patches, moisturizers, and face and/or body products designed to treat and prevent blemishes and breakouts.
20) Eye/Brow Treatment
Eye serums, treatments, masks, eye drops, eyelash & eyebrow conditioners/enhancers, and products designed to firm, moisturize, refresh, enhance, protect, reduce lines, dark circles, and/or puffiness.
21) Lip Treatment
Lip balms, salves, scrubs, plumper, and SPF designed to moisturize, protect and/or exfoliate lips. Lip products that impart color, including tinted lip balms, should be submitted in the lip color product category.
22) Sun Care
Face, body, and hair products designed for sun protection or after-sun care. Lip products with SPF should be submitted in the Lip Treatment Category. Self-tanner should be submitted in the Body Treatment/Moisturizer category.
23) Skincare & Makeup Tool
Facial rollers, handheld exfoliators, dermaplaning tools, laser light therapy, acne devices, anti-aging devices, and skincare tools, devices, and/or kits used as part of skincare routine for face and/or body.
Makeup brushes, sponges, eyelash curlers, tweezers, blotting papers, brush cleansers, sharpeners, and tools/accessories that aid the application of color cosmetics.
MAKEUP
24) Base & Complexion Product
Foundations, primers, concealers, BB/CC creams, powders, blush, bronzers, highlighters, skin tints, multi-use sticks, setting sprays, and other makeup designed to provide complexion coverage, color, and/or contouring.
25) Eye/Brow Product
Eye shadows, eyeliners, false eyelashes, mascaras, eyebrow gel, eyebrow pencil, and other makeup designed to accentuate or emphasize the eye. Eyebrow/eyelash growth serums/enhancers should be submitted in the Eye/brow Treatment category.
26) Lip Color Product
Lipsticks, tinted balms, lip glosses, lip stains, lip liners, lip products in multiple shades, and products designed to provide color and/or shine.
27) Nail Product
Nail polish/enamel, nail polish remover, gel, top coat, base coat, at-home manicure kits, press-on or artificial nails/tips, nail decals/embellishments, strengthener, cuticle oil, nail care products, and nail tools, and products designed to condition, strengthen, or provide color to the nails.
WELLNESS
28) Wellness
Supplements, vitamins, aromatherapy products, wellness mists/sprays, wellness devices, and products designed to enhance the comfort, health and/or happiness of the consumer, and promote physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Hair supplements should be submitted in Hair Care/Treatment. Mists and sprays without wellness properties should be submitted in Body Moisturizer/Treatment.
29) Sexual Wellness
Intimate cleansers (wash, wipes), period undergarments, menstrual products (tampons, pads, menstrual cups), ingestibles/supplements, vibrators, lubricants, suppositories, fertility devices, and products used on intimate body areas.
ICONIC & INDIE
30) Iconic Beauty Award
Products that demonstrate longevity in beauty have been in the market for ten years or more and are still available for purchase.
31) Indie Brand (Presented by Raymond James)
Beauty brand (not a specific product or product line) with majority independent ownership (51% or more) as of March 2025.
32) Indie Makeup/Skincare Product (Presented by Raymond James)
Color cosmetic products manufactured and sold by brands with majority independent ownership (51% or more) as of March 2025.
Skincare (face and/or body) products manufactured and sold by brands with majority independent ownership (51% or more) as of March 2025.
33) Indie Scent (Presented by Raymond James)
Fragrance products manufactured and sold by brands with majority independent ownership (51% or more) as of March 2025.
COMMITTEE VOTED: ENTRIES ACCEPTED
34) Sustainability Excellence Award (Sponsored by dsm-firmenich)
Beauty brand prioritizing sustainability is a critical element of its mission. Considerations include the sustainability of the brand’s materials in sourcing and use, packaging components, recyclability, impact on the environment during product production, transport, consumer usage, and brand aesthetic and effectiveness.
35) Suppliers Award: Ingredients & Formulation (Sponsored by NYSCC)
Natural and/or synthetic ingredients or formulations that demonstrate new technology and innovation. Ingredient does not need to be in a finished product to be considered. Submissions may only be entered by a supplier. *Entrant is solely responsible for resolving any legal matters before entering.