WWD Beauty Inc’s Brands of the 12 months didn’t just ride the resurgence of makeup — they helped create it. Within the mass market, E.l.f. turned in one among the 12 months’s top performances, posting exceptional results across the board.

Likewise, MAC jumpstarted cosmetics sales within the prestige market with a mixture of cutting-edge products and a revamped approach to the in-store experience. The honoree within the wellness category, meanwhile, has been a key architect of the ever-increasing intersection of health and beauty. Here, the 2022 Brands of the 12 months.

Brand of the 12 months

Wellness: Goop 

With regards to finding the intersection between beauty and wellness, Goop knows exactly where the G-spot is — and never simply because its sexual health products have achieved cult status. Since its inception in 2008, Goop and founder Gwyneth Paltrow have been on the forefront of merging health, wellness and wonder, making a vertically integrated empire that features products, a print magazine, a Netflix deal, live events and more.

And now that self care has develop into the gold standard for the way people approach their inner and outer beauty, Goop is reaping the rewards. The brand has develop into a bona fide beauty sensation, sold at Sephora, Credo,

Thirteen Lune, Mecca and more, with double-digit growth exceeding 70 percent. Its GoopGlow Microderm Fast Glow Exfoliator is a longtime star, the brand’s top-selling product, which continues to post double-digit gains, while the launch of Cloudberry Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser earlier within the 12 months notched up one among the very best repeat purchase rates of any product within the assortment.

Meanwhile, the July launch of Dark Spot Exfoliating Sleep Milk was essentially the most successful within the history of the brand. Paltrow threw a star-studded pajama party this summer to have fun the launch, but in terms of business, one thing could be very clear: With regards to knowing what consumers want within the realms of beauty and wonder, this team is wide awake.

Mass: E.l.f.

Its name may sound diminutive, but E.l.f. turned in one among the largest performances of the 12 months. The mass market beauty company posted its fifteenth annual quarter of growth in November, with results that significantly outpaced the market. To wit: Mass makeup grew 5 percent for the time period, per Nielsen. E.l.f. grew 27 percent. Skincare was up 15 percent overall. E.l.f. increased its skincare sales by 44 percent.

Now the number 4 ranked color brand in mass, E.l.f. posted exceptional results across the board, and is the fastest-growing top five color cosmetics brand whose share increased 115 points versus a 12 months ago, versus a 65 point increase for its nearest competitor.

Why is E.l.f. winning? Its product innovation is second to none — with each Power Grip Primer, launched in January, and Halo Glow Liquid Filter, introduced in August, achieving star product status. Marketing-wise, the brand is a social media standout, an early player on BeReal and a top performer on TikTok.

No wonder Gen Z can’t get enough. In accordance with Piper Sandler’s Taking Stock with Teens 2022 report, E.l.f beat out brands like Maybelline Latest York, Tarte and L’Oréal Paris because the number-one makeup brand within the cohort.

One other first: E.l.f was the primary beauty company within the U.S. to realize Fair Trade certification for a producing facility, and Newsweek called the corporate one among America’s most loved workplaces. Hats off to the toughest working E.l.f.’s in beauty.

Prestige: MAC

While makeup was hit hard in the course of the pandemic, MAC suffered the double whammy of a category slowdown and the impact on its 700 freestanding stores worldwide. Which makes it rebound in 2022 all of the more remarkable. And rebound it did. In a 12 months through which makeup sales finally reached pre-pandemic levels,

with increases within the double digits across categories, MAC was the largest contributor to makeup growth in each the U.S. and Canada, and one among the most important in Europe. Credit its success to a metamorphosis program that began just before COVID-19, one through which brand executives rethought every little thing from retail experience to product relevance.

Among the many changes: Amplifying innovation to harness prevailing trends just like the skinification of makeup, emphasizing standout design (see MACStack Mascara with customizable brushes) and supporting advanced claims. The strategy also enabled MAC to extend its price point and offer consumers a more elevated experience, as represented in its revamped space at Macy’s Herald Square flagship, where people can shop either independently or with an artist.

Since its opening on July 1, sales are up 54 percent. Search for the format to roll out worldwide. At the identical time, MAC has doubled down on its key differentiators, particularly its inclusive ethos, tapping the expertise of its global leadership team (which spans Africa, Europe, China, India and the U.S.) to drive creativity.

“We realized we wanted a latest desirability model,” said Philippe Pinatel, global president. “We’ve all the time been anchored in artistry connected with fashion and trend and this has stayed true,” he continued, “but now we include elevated products and a totally latest experience. After we do that, we win.”