When we set out to create the first annual Well+Good Beauty Awards, we knew our winners list had to mean something. In a beauty landscape full of fleeting trends and overinflated hype, we wanted to cut through the noise and find products that were truly worth your time and money—products designed with innovation and performance in mind.
To get there, we took a meticulous approach. Starting in 2024, our editorial team tracked, tested, and evaluated thousands of beauty products. We didn’t just take brands at their word—we scrutinized their claims, examined ingredients, and put each product through rigorous real-world testing. While aesthetics and packaging played a role in our evaluation, effectiveness and accessibility were our driving force (not to brag, but half of our winners can be found at the drugstore).
Ultimately, 70 products stood out among the rest, earning themselves a spot in our 2025 Beauty Awards. Here’s a look at how we found our winners—step by step.
Phase 1: Beginning our 12-month journey
To ensure we captured the full landscape of beauty innovations for this year’s beauty awards, our editorial team tracked nearly every U.S. beauty launch—both viral and under-the-radar—from April 2024 to April 2025. But we didn’t just check our inboxes for the latest launches to consider; we attended weekly press events and received daily shipments of products to our homes.
We analyzed INCI lists and efficacy claims (and flagged anything that relied more on marketing buzzwords than scientific evidence)—and we also monitored TikTok feeds and beauty forums to identify products gaining traction in real time. Whether it was a high-tech skincare device or a $6 lip balm quietly earning a cult following, we made sure no innovation went unnoticed this year.
Phase 2: Reviewing 2,000 products (yes, we really did that)
In total, the Well+Good editorial team received more than 1,500 product submissions for consideration for our 2025 awards. Combined with the launches our editors had independently tracked throughout the year, we assembled a starting list of 2,000 beauty products spanning skincare, makeup, haircare, body care, nail care, and oral health.
To determine which products would advance to our next round, we evaluated each nomination against a specific set of criteria:
- Category fit: Did the product align with the category it was submitted for?
- Overall value: Was the price point justified by quality, performance, and innovation?
- Formula integrity: Were the ingredients thoughtfully chosen to balance efficacy, safety, and cosmetic elegance?
- Inclusivity: Was the product designed to work across diverse skin tones, hair textures, and beauty needs?
At this stage, we were left with a highly competitive pool of products—each of which moved on to extensive real-world testing.
Phase 3: Testing, evaluating, and reviewing
To help mitigate potential bias in our awards process, we gathered a diverse group of testers from across the Well+Good team, each with a different level of beauty knowledge and product experience. Every product was then strategically assigned based on individualized factors like skin type, hair texture, and personal beauty concerns to ensure that our results would reflect real-world use.
Over the course of several months, testers documented their experiences through written notes, photos, and video clips, capturing how each product performed in real life. We weren’t just interested in whether a product “worked”—we wanted to understand how it fit into someone’s routine, how well it delivered on its promises, and if it was a product testers would actually want to use after testing concluded.
To help us find out, testers were required to complete a detailed evaluation form, assessing a product’s packaging, design, application, performance over time, ease of use, and overall satisfaction. By the end of this phase, we had collected nearly 250 detailed reviews, allowing us to rank products based on efficacy, user satisfaction, and overall impact. Only products that scored highly across all categories moved forward—ensuring that winners weren’t just hyped-up bestsellers, but truly exceptional formulas.
Phase 4: Bringing in the experts
Some categories had clear winners—high-scoring products that testers unanimously raved about. But for categories that were too close to call, we moved into a final round of evaluation: the expert review. To help us break ties, we assembled a panel of eight industry leaders across the beauty industry, including dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, celebrity hairstylists, trichologists, makeup artists, and plastic surgeons.
We didn’t just ask these experts for their thoughts—we sent them boxes of our top contenders and had them put each product to the test, assessing efficacy, performance, and overall quality. Their insights helped us confirm which products actually delivered, break ties in competitive categories, and ultimately determine which ones were most deserving of a (very cool and very coveted, NBD) Well+Good Beauty Award.
Phase 5: Selecting the final winners
Our testing process finally came to a close with the selection of our final 70 winners. After months of researching, testing, and expert evaluations, we conducted one last internal review to ensure that every product we selected truly represented the best in beauty—whether it was a brand-new innovation, a must-have luxury, or an industry icon that continues to withstand the test of time.
The winners fall into three key categories:
- Best new launches: The latest innovations redefining beauty
- Best in luxury: High-end formulations that deliver an experience as premium as their price tag
- Best of legacy: Cult classics that have earned a permanent place in beauty history
In total, over 2,000 products were considered, and these 70 winners stood out for their performance, quality, and innovation. Whether you’re looking for a game-changing skincare innovation, a high-tech hair tool, or a makeup staple that deserves a permanent spot in your routine, we’ve found it for you.
Right now: Understanding what this means for you
The Well+Good Beauty Awards winners weren’t chosen at random—they earned their spot through rigorous evaluation, real-world testing, and expert scrutiny. This wasn’t just about picking our personal favorites or chasing viral trends; every product on this list has been through a meticulous, months-long evaluation process, meaning you can truly trust these winners are worth your time and money.
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