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Our team puts alotof work into finding each years most elite beauty products.
Ingrid Fowler
After considerable prep work, we quickly embark on months of spritzing, swatching, and sniffing.
The testing period is then followed by several weeks of debating and, at long last, deciding.
Its a labor of love and one that were so excited to share with our readers.
Testing beauty devices always proves to be a fun and sometimes scary adventure. This year, associate digital beauty director Sarah Kinonen tested an LED light mask that “definitely scared” her cat, Lola. (Fair point, Lola — these masks can get atadeerie.)
With well over 8,000 product submissions, we had our work cut out for us.
Here’s howAllurestaffers tested 8,810 products, plus the most memorable moments from throughout the process.
Testing beauty devices always proves to be a fun and sometimes scary adventure.
With so many polishes to test in such a short period of time, deputy digital director Kara McGrath had to get creative. Kara’s tip: “A color-block manicure is a great way to try a bunch of different colors at once.”
(Fair point, Lola these masks can get atadeerie.)
Karas tip: A color-block manicure is a great way to try a bunch of different colors at once.
She especially fell in love with theDanessa Myricks Blurring Balm Blush.
Digital art director Ingrid Fowler spends her days playing around with shades and hues on a screen, so doing the same on her face was a welcomed shift. She especially fell in love with theDanessa Myricks Blurring Balm Blush. “It’s so light, you need very little to see a great color payoff that lasts for hours,” she says.
TheAmi Cole Multistick Blushwas especially a crowd pleaser, says Brown.
It gives me space to rotate new products I need to test for work, she explains.
In this case, the shelves were filled to the brim with my testing categories for our awards.
Senior visuals editor Lauren Brown recalls the many compliments she got at a friend’s dinner party when she showed up wearing a full face of Best of Beauty testers. “TheAmi Colé Multistick Blushwas especially a crowd pleaser,” says Brown.
I loved showing off all the pretty shades of the nail polishes I tested, explains Fowler.
We turned a drab office conference room into an arsenal of colorful beauty products for our testing process.
I couldn’t resist immediately twisting these charms throughout my braided ponytail, says Gutierrez.
Testing products under strenuous conditions is the best way to truly judge their efficacy, which is why senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen puts her batch of hairstyling products to the test while on the go. Between running from the office to events, sweating under hot studio lights, and commuting all the way home, an editor can reliably gauge just how well a product works. “I got compliments on my hair after all that, so I know that smoothing blowout cream came correct,” says Dall’Asen.
For associate beauty editor Annie Blay (thats me!
Head over to theAllureBest of Beauty pageto discover all the winning products.
Having a large medicine cabinet reminds Talia Gutierrez, associate manager of special projects, exactly why she fell in love with her apartment, especially during the Best of Beauty testing season. “It gives me space to rotate new products I need to test for work,” she explains. “In this case, the shelves were filled to the brim with my testing categories for our awards.”
It’s not Halloween yet, but we’ve already got the beauty editor’s version of a bowl of candy in our homes. “I loved showing off all the pretty shades of the nail polishes I tested,” explains Fowler.
We turned a drab office conference room into an arsenal of colorful beauty products for our testing process. Closet assistant Bianca Alvarez acted as the faithful guard over our precious cargo, ushering editors in and out with armfuls of products to test.
“I couldn’t resist immediately twisting these charms throughout my braided ponytail,” says Gutierrez. “You never know what gems you’ll stumble upon next while testing for our awards, that’s the most exhilarating part.”
For associate beauty editor Annie Blay (that’s me!), a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands, where temps climbed north of 90 degrees, was the perfect time to putlong-wear mascarato the test.
