ELLE International Beauty Awards 2016
ELLE International Beauty Awards 2016
Every year, ELLE's 46 beauty editors around the globe put thousands of products to the test. Here, our votes for the most outstanding skin smoothers, hair boosters, and all-around beautifiers—plus one standout eau—in the world.
SHISEIDO Synchro Skin Lasting Liquid Foundation
SHISEIDO Synchro Skin Lasting Liquid Foundation "is so clever, it probably has a university degree," says ELLE Canada's Vanessa Craft. Designed to reflect "the optimum amount of light, so skin doesn't look flat," the long-lasting formula releases anti-inflammatory and oil-absorbing ingredients to neutralize redness and reduce shine.
Chanel No. 5 L'Eau
"It's fresh; it's vivid; it's floral and modern," says ELLE China's Daisy Cai of CHANEL Chanel No. 5 L'Eau, the brand's new interpretation of Coco's iconic spritz. "It's a new No. 5 for the young generation."
KéRASTASE L'Incroyable Blowdry
"The perfect blow-dry in a bottle," KéRASTASE L'Incroyable Blowdry "creates flexible styles, from straight to curly" and "allows you to restyle without reapplying," says ELLE Germany Beauty Director Barbara Huber.
ESTéE LAUDER PowerFoil Mask
ESTéE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery PowerFoil Mask "works like a reset button for your skin," says ELLE Belgium's Claire Thys. The sheet mask isn't just Instagram bait: In 10 minutes, the occlusive foil seals in a supercharged dose of the brand's signature serum.
DIOR Rouge Dior Matte Lipstick
DIOR Rouge Dior matte lipstick in 999 is more than a classic Hollywood red—it's packed with hyaluronic acid and collagen-building peptides, making it "like an antiaging cream for your lips," says ELLE Poland's Marta Rudowicz.
LANC?ME énergie de Vie Liquid Care Moisturizer
Ultralight LANC?ME énergie de Vie Liquid Care moisturizer boasts "the freshness of a lotion, the concentration of a serum, and the hydration of a cream," says ELLE France's Elisabeth Martorell.
SISLEY Sisle?a L'Intégral Anti-?ge
ELLE Spain Beauty Director María Fernández-Miranda calls SISLEY Sisle?a L'Intégral Anti-?ge "the Ferrari of antiaging creams," thanks to potent botanicals and skin-nourishing vitamins and minerals.
ORIBE Signature Shampoo
ORIBE Signature Shampoo is "one of the most luxurious shampoos ever made," says ELLE Singapore's Melissa Chew. The rich, silky cleanser leaves hair "wonderfully perfumed, smooth, and bouncy."
LA ROCHE-POSAY Anthelios
When it comes to SPF, the truest test is the sun Down Under. ELLE Australia's Janna Johnson O'Toole hails LA ROCHE-POSAY Anthelios as "the gold standard in sun protection—essential for fending off Australia's strong rays."
PHYTO Phytokératine Extrême Cream
Split ends meet their match with leave-in PHYTO Phytokératine Extrême Cream, "the most effective repair product I've tried for my colored, curled ends," says ELLE UK's Sophie Beresiner.
M.A.C InstaCurl Lash Mascara
"No more eyelash curlers!" says ELLE Italy's Sabrina Bottone of M.A.C InstaCurl Lash mascara, which features an adjustable brush to customize coverage—and the desired degree of eye-opening bend—for maximum impact.
THE BODY SHOP Hawaiian Kukui Cream
"The smell and texture are so lovely, you could eat it," ELLE Finland's Saara Ritvos says of THE BODY SHOP Hawaiian Kukui Cream. But better to slather it all over: "It moisturizes extremely well, whether you're in cold Finland or hot Honolulu."
Game Changers
These new drugstore heroes have already become essentials
The Breakthrough Shampoo: PANTENE's new Pro-V formula ($8) really does make hair stronger with every use by depositing nourishing lipids inside the hair cortex, where they bond to damaged zones from roots to ends, making strands shinier, softer, and more resilient.
The Acne Cure: We can finally get prescription-grade retinoid without a trip to the derm's office: Differin ($30, at drugstores), first approved by the FDA in 1996 to treat acne, regulates cell turnover to keep pores from getting clogged (and fades wrinkles and brown spots).
The most outstanding skin smoothers, hair boosters, and all-around beautifiers in the world.