Best Beauty Launches in the 2016 Product of the Year Canada Awards

With the nonstop pace of product launches today, modern consumers can be overwhelmed by choice—and for beauty experts, recommending items sure to please them can be equally challenging. So which new launches impress shoppers the most with their inventiveness? That’s the question the Product of the Year Awards aims to answer. The annual program recognizes the best new-to-market launches based on innovation in design, function and/or packaging, spanning a wide range of product categories.

The program, now entering its 29th year, operates in 40 countries around the globe. In Canada, this years’ winners were determined through a survey of more than 7,000 consumers across the country. (Click here for more on the Product of the Year Canada Awards, including the judging process.)

At an awards ceremony last night in Toronto, 36 new products were honoured with the red Product of the Year seal. Here, six of the best in beauty:

WINNER: MOISTURIZER/SKINCARE

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream, $20, deeply quenches dry skin with hyaluronic acid, which locks in up to 1,000 times its weight in water.

WINNER: HAIRCARE

TreSemmé Beauty-Full Volume System, $9 each, reverses the typical haircare routine: the conditioner is to be used first, the shampoo second, to achieve maximum body.

WINNER: BROW CARE

Rimmel Brow This Way Gel, $9, fills, defines and sets arches with its easy-to-use mascara-like styling wand.

WINNER: MEN’S TOILETRIES

Dove Men+Care Complete Care 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner, $8, invigorates with caffeine and moisturizing ingredients for stronger hair and a healthier scalp.

WINNER: LIPSTICK/LIP CARE

Vaseline Lip Therapy, $4, packs the brand’s iconic petroleum jelly, which heals dry lips by locking in moisture, into a new-to-Canada, travel-friendly tin.

WINNER: BEAUTY

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel 2X Volume Topcoat, $12, offers the gel-like look at home—giving a glossy, plumped effect and extending the life of a manicure—yet wipes away with regular polish remover.

Disclosure: Rogers, publisher of Cosmetics and cosmeticsmag.com, is the licensee of the POY Canada Awards.