For the past 16 years, the Glamour Beauty Awards have celebrated the products that have changed our routines forever: conditioners that transform curls, eye creams that reverse time, lipsticks that make us feel ready to take on the world. But if there’s one thing that makes us even more excited to rummage to through thousands of products (yes, thousands, and trust us, we do), it’s hearing the feedback from you.
That’s where our Glamour Beauty Awards Readers’ Choice nominations come in. From foundation to nail polish to fragrance, our editors narrowed down a list of the products you can’t stop talking about, and now we’re asking you to vote on your all-time favorites of the bunch. The polls are open for the next four weeks—click here to cast your votes!—then we’ll tally up the winners. They’ll be announced on March 23, along with the rest of the Glamour Beauty Award honorees.
In the meantime, you can study up on—or shop—all the products up for nomination in our Readers’ Choice skin care category. Check them out, below, then don’t forget to vote.
Best Cleanser
Wanted: A cleanser that easily removes makeup—no elbow grease necessary—without leaving skin feeling tight or squeaky clean. We’ve found that these deliver every single time. In fact, the Cetaphil wipes wowed the judges in last year’s Beauty Awards. “I travel all the time, and these wipes make it easy to remove my makeup quickly and effectively,” said celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa.
Best Essence
For years, essences and toners were considered a nice-to-have product, but these have been upgraded to absolutely necessity—mostly because they can make all the difference in your skin. “I was hesitant to buy it because it’s pricey, but it’s done wonders for my cystic-acne-prone skin,” said reader Brianna Arrighi about the SK-II Facial Essence, which is up for a Reader’s Choice award again this year since the fan-fare for it just won’t quit.
Best Acne Treatment
Nothing ruins a good day quite like a budding breakout or a single big zit, which is why acne treatments are so essential. And these days, there are more than ever to choose from, including salicylic acid-packed pimple patches and spot treatments designed to take down even cystic pimples. These are best for taking skin from congested to clear.
Best Exfoliant
Dull, flaky skin has nothing on these exfoliators, which strike the ideal balance between effective and gentle. And Drunk Elephant’s BabyFacial, which won a Reader’s Choice award last year, is back again for seconds. “It takes away dull and dry skin and brings out a natural healthy glow,” said reader Samantha Crompton. But with cult-favorites like Tatcha’s The Rice Polish (which counts Meghan Markle as a fan) and Dr. Dennis Gross’s signature peel pads (which top makeup artists swear by), it’s going to be a tight race.
Best Antiaging Serum
Since the fountain of youth doesn’t seem like it’s going to reveal itself anytime soon, opt for the next best thing: Serums packed with reparative and protective ingredients, such as probiotics in Lancôme Advanced Génifique and key peptides in Olay Regenerist to firm and smooth skin. These cover a wide range of budgets without skimping on the results—win-win.
Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum
We all know and love hyaluronic acid, the moisturizing molecule beloved for its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. That’s why entire serums are based on the stuff, with L’Oréal selling a bottle of Revitalift every minute (!) and Eminence Organics pairing its with a light exfoliant. These powerful hydrators all offer something a little different.
Best Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C can brighten skin, even out skin tone, and even stimulate collagen production—all good things. The downside? It can break down super-fast, which is why the formula really matters for these serums. With perennial favorites, like InstaNatural Vitamin C (one of the top-selling serums on Amazon), and newcomers like Glow Recipe’s pineapple-infused serum, you’ll get only the perks.
Best Retinol Product
If there’s one thing all derms agree on—behind sunscreen, maybe—it’s retinol. This form of vitamin A is an antiaging MVP for its ability to renew skin cell turnover and stimulate collagen production, leading to a decrease in wrinkles and breakouts alike. These are as powerful as you’ll get without a prescription—across a range of price points.
Best Moisturizer
Most moisturizers, well, moisturize, but really good ones can transform. Take 2019’s Best Moisturizer winner, Augustinus Bader The Cream, which is one of five above-and-beyond formulas. “My skin tone became perceptibly more even and subtly glowy; my post-breakout dark spots faded faster. My skin texture even felt bouncier and smoother,” said writer Sarah Wu of its effects in her review. Its price, of course, isn’t for everyone, and that’s where these other top-sellers come in. The only hard part is choosing.
Best Eye Cream
Even if you’re one of those unicorns who can sleep for eight sweet, uninterrupted hours, aging is very much a democratic process that’s going to get every last one of us—which is all to say that a great eye cream certainly doesn’t hurt. Burt’s Bees gets a jump on wrinkles with bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative, while Lina Hanson’s antioxidant-packed formula (a 2019 Natural Beauty winner) comes back for round two.
Best Face Mask
What’s Romeo without Juliet, Lucy without Ethel, and (gasp) Netflix without a good face mask? Face masks are like a welcome reset for your skin, delivering more moisture or better exfoliation than your average, everyday formula. With charcoal, hyaluronic acid, and pore-clearing clay to choose from, it’s going to be a nail-biter.
Best Lip Treatment
Your lips don’t have the plentiful oil glands that the rest of your face does, so they need a little TLC year-round (not just when they’re visibly chapped). These ultra-nourishing balms are brimming with hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and more to keep them healthy, soft, and plump.
Best Sunscreen
Chalky? Greasy? Not anymore. These sunscreens have repaired the reputation of this essential product, which is your number-one defense against signs of aging. Elta MD’s is a favorite among derms, while REN’s gives a mineral option that doesn’t leave a white cast. They’re so good, you’ll actually want to slather them on.
Best Natural Skin Care Product
Natural skin care products used to be the sort of crunchy, inelegant formulas that only might work. That’s no longer the case, as the all-stars in this category prove. With luxurious facial oils and a True Botanicals serum so good that Olivia Wilde swears by it, you can’t go wrong with these.
Best Skin Care Tool
From cleansing to tightening, skincare tools can supplement every step of your routine. Take the Clarisonic, which won a 2019 Reader’s Choice award. “It has changed my complexion dramatically. I no longer break out and always have smooth skin,” says reader Lauleh Aslani. Meanwhile, NuFace upped the ante by putting microcurrent power in your hands. These are the ones we would never stop using.
Best Razor
Not all razors are created equal, and this lineup is proof of that. Venus’ is a boon for anyone with so-dry-it’s-itchy skin, while Flamingo’s luxe design includes a five-blade cartridge with rounded edges to easily glide around curves and bumps. Wherever and however you choose to shave, these razors have got you.
Best Body Lotion
For a body lotion to be one of the best, it has to do more than moisturize. It has to soothe. It should repair and renew. It’s got to put dry, flaky skin into retirement. And it has to do all of that without feeling greasy or sticky for the next hour. Fortunately, we managed to find five that check off the boxes—so all you have to do is pick your favorite.
Best Body Wash
A great body wash or scrub can turn your shower into a mini meditation, cleansing and softening skin in equal measure, and these offer no less. The Right to Shower upgrades mornings with a cheerful citrus scent (and puts profits toward organizations that provide shower access to Americans experiencing homelessness), while The Seaweed Co. offers a deep clean with clay and seaweed. With picks like these, your average bar of soap is going to be obsolete soon.
Best Deodorant
It’s hard for a deodorant to be standout—they’re more function than form, TBH—but these five get pretty close. Dove deodorant, a 2019 Beauty Award winner, got raves from Potempa, who said, “I love this deodorant! It feels refreshing and offers a cool sensation thanks to the infusion of cucumber.” Meanwhile, Megababe’s sold out in minutes and drew a 13,000-person waiting list—a deodorant, people. Consider it a lesson not to underestimate the underarms.
Daytime Fragrance
Narciso Rodriguez’s for Her is just one of the classics that never gets old. “Men and women alike always comment when I wear it,” says photographer Elizabeth De La Piedra, who’s worn it for years. With Chloe Nomade, Burberry Blossom, and other office-appropriate scents, they’re enough to make a statement but won’t clear out your open floor plan or bother a client.
Nighttime Fragrance
Mysterious. Warm. Nighttime fragrances are the sultry ones of the bunch, better suited to a wine bar than an office. And these don’t disappoint: Nars’s first-ever scent, Audacious, has notes of incense and white musk to make a strong first impression, while Thierry Mugler Angel’s rich, caramel-soaked gourmand is an old-school favorite. There’s no better way to bring out your inner night owl.
Check out all the makeup and hair products that were nominated for our 2020 Readers’ Choice awards, then cast your vote for your favorites here.
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