Meet the winners of Yahoo Lifestyle's 2018 Diversity in Beauty Awards

Beauty aisles and counters have undergone a dramatic makeover. A decade ago, the selection of cosmetics and skin and hair care was largely driven by a small group of manufacturers and the industry’s history of perpetuating blond European women as the faces of beauty.

But in the past ten years — and in the past year especially — a shift to creating products that are inclusive of America’s diverse population has radically transformed the beauty space as we’ve come to know it. This is why Yahoo Lifestyle is thrilled to announce our second annual Diversity in Beauty Awards (the DIBs), which highlight the personalities, brands, and products that embody inclusiveness and innovation.

The leaders of this movement? None other than the shoppers.

Frustrated with wasting money on hair care that doesn’t live up to its promises, mixing multiple foundations to find the right match, or engaging with campaigns that present one image of beauty as superior to others, consumers are no longer settling or remaining silent. Social media has given them a platform to call out brands for their shortcomings and communicate that they will spend their hard-earned dollars only on products that meet their needs.

Industry insiders refer to this seismic shift as the “Fenty Beauty effect,” linking it to the groundbreaking launch of Rihanna‘s beauty line in 2017, when the singer-turned-cosmetics mogul unveiled a 40-shade foundation range that reflected her rainbow of fans and followers. Our judges gave Fenty Beauty the “Most Inclusive Foundation” nod in this year’s DIBs

Ginger King, the founder of cosmetic product development company Grace Kingdom Beauty and one of our 2018 judges, believes Rihanna’s connection with beauty fans contributes to the brand’s success. “With her celebrity status and that kind of drive, you have people saying, ‘Yeah, we have been waiting a long time for this. Finally, someone has spoken up for us,'” King says.

Tellingly, Fenty Beauty’s darker shades sold out first.

Some brands, including Iman Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, and NARS, have always offered a wide range of makeup for different skin tones. But many brands still offer just an eight or 16-shade foundation line with an average of two deeper hues.

The financial impact of women of color shouldn’t be overlooked. African-American consumers buy into beauty more than any other ethnic group. According to a recent Nielsen report, last year “black shoppers spent $473 million in total hair care (a $4.2 billion industry) and made other significant investments in personal appearance products, such as grooming aids ($127 million out of $889 million) and skin care preparations ($465 million out of $3 billion).”

For the 2018 Diversity in Beauty Awards, Yahoo Lifestyle’s editors collaborated with six experts who champion diversity in their careers and cover all bases of the beauty industry to vote on the best in makeup, skin care, hair care, and more. Judges include celebrity hairstylist Vernon Fran?ois, wellness advocate and personal trainer Massy Arias, beauty vlogger Ellarie, cosmetic chemist Ginger King, celebrity makeup artist Joanna Simkin, and Beauty Director Dana Oliver of Yahoo Lifestyle.

A Diversity in Beauty Awards seal is awarded to winners in 16 categories, including the Influencer for Change award to beauty king Patrick Starrr, Beauty Campaign With a Powerful Message award to CoverFX for its thought-provoking “Nude Is Not Beige” campaign, and awards for Best Inclusive Foundation and Best Beauty App.

Without further ado, here’s the full list of 2018 Diversity in Beauty Award nominees and winners.

Beauty Campaigns With Powerful Messages:
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Revlon Live Boldly
Pantene Gold Series #StrongIsBeautiful
WINNER: CoverFX ‘Nude is Not Beige’

Social Media Campaigns:
Glossier The Solution
All Woman Project x Babor
Be Cool Be Nice
WINNER: P&G #LoveOverBias

Beauty Chameleon:
Cardi B
Bella Thorne
Jaden Smith
WINNER: Issa Rae

Influencer for Change:
Monica Style Muse
Leah Vernon
Tyler Ford
WINNER: Patrick Starrr

Model-Activist:
Aaron Phillip
Ericka Hart
Cameron Russell
WINNER: Tess Holliday

Best Beauty App:
Stop, Breathe & Think
Headspace
Sweat
WINNER: Benefit Cosmetics Brow Try-On

Best Inclusive Foundation:
Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Youthful-Look 24H Foundation
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF15
WINNER: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

Best Inclusive Hair Care:
Briogeo
Kristin Ess
OGX
WINNER: Vernon Fran?ois

Best Inclusive Skin Care:
Urban Skin RX Hydranutrient Radiance Restore OIl
Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Ultra-Light Moisturizer
WINNER: Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal 2-in-1 Scrub and Cleanser Stick

Best Affordable Makeup:
NYX Professional Makeup Powder Puff Lippie Lip Cream
Maybelline Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter
Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Full Coverage Conceal and Contour
WINNER: Colourpop Element of Surprise Pressed Powder Shadow Palette

Sunscreens for All:
Glossier Invisible Shield
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush-on Sunscreen
WINNER: Farmacy Green Screen Daily Environmental Protector

Men’s Grooming That Makes Sense:
BYRD Hairdo Products
Redken Brews
Harry’s
WINNER: Scotch Porter

Best Green Beauty Product:
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Detox Warming Mud Masque
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick — The Unearthed Collection
WINNER: Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum

Best Acne/Hyperpigmentation Product:
Biologique Recherche Lotion P50
Dior Capture Youth Glow Booster Age-Delay Illuminating Serum
Cane + Austin Face & Body Retexture Scrub
WINNER: Glossier Solution

Best Skin Care Tool:
iDerma Youth Restoring Masque
Nu Skin ageLOC LumiSpa Device
Homedics Radiance Microdermabrasion Exfoliation Device
WINNER: Michael Todd Beauty SonicSmooth

Best Fragrance:
KKW Crystal Gardenia
Glossier You Eau de Parfum
Jo Loves Red Truffle 21 Fragrance Paintbrush
WINNER: Tom Ford F***ing Fabulous

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