Despite the 12 months’s specific burdens on the sweetness industry, the CEW 2020 Beauty Awards proved the show must go on — even when done virtually over several days.

The awards, which began on Nov. 12, were probably the most recent CEW event to happen online, following the Women’s Leadership Awards in October. The organization took advantage of the digital forum’s potential, setting the stage for the awards themselves with broader industry context. Starting the ceremony was a trend presentation from the NPD Group, which homed in on areas of growth in an otherwise difficult 12 months for sales. Larissa Jensen, vice chairman of beauty at NPD, introduced the trends with data on prestige beauty’s landscape, including that the market has lost $3 billion in sales, year-to-date. 

In keeping with Jensen, every category faced double-digit declines in 2020. Even hair, the one category to still show growth, lost 13 percentage points in a performance, going from 16 percent growth in 2019 to three percent in 2020. Makeup lost seven share points, with skincare gaining five share points, and fragrance and hair each grabbing one share point.

Most of the industry’s points of growth were because of the at-home spa trend, Jensen said. Clinical brands grew 5 percent, and facial devices grew 9 percent. Nail care grew 20 percent, and hair color grew 46 percent. Home scents also rose 9 percent.

Jensen likened the performance of leisurewear to the boost in calming and soothing products. “In beauty, cozy means calm, and nothing is kind of as calming as CBD,” Jensen said, noting that makeup with CBD grew over 100%, and skincare with CBD grew 73 percent. 

Tracking similar growth was blue light makeup, growing greater than 100%, and skincare with blue light protection grew 77 percent. Other protective products for face increased, like sunscreen, which rose 12 percent.

Color cosmetics weren’t all losses. National Lipstick Day, in July, gave the category a 60 percent boost, for the week of July 25.

Clean beauty gained share across categories. Clean hair care was up one sharepoint, clean makeup was up 0.2 sharepoints, and clean skincare grew 0.4 sharepoints. Cruelty-free and vegan brands grew 3.4 and 1.2 sharepoints, respectively, and advocacy brands rose 1.7 share points.

The second day of the awards focused less on sales, and more on winner announcements. Hosted by author and actress Jill Kargman, the two-hour webinar saw quite a lot of hosts and industry leaders unveiling the award winners. 

“On this s–t show 12 months, putting on this red lipstick makes me feel so a lot better, so thanks for bringing some glamour and self care,” Kargman joked. The awards, which featured 48 categories and 49 honorees, ran the gamut from mass to prestige, highlighting each independent and company businesses.

To CEW president Carlotta Jacobson, the awards’ mission — to offer an inside take a look at innovation to those outside the industry — is more relevant than ever. “There’s a mess of influencers, and what we had was the actual, real beauty experts. Our membership that might judge higher than anyone else whether something was really an excellent product,” she said. “It’s more relevant today due to what the buyer’s in search of, which is authority and credibility, and that’s what we feel we’re providing.”

The winners included industry staples corresponding to L’Oréal Paris and Estée Lauder, alongside smaller brands like Glossier, Beautycounter and Summer Fridays. The Best Sellers awards for each mass and prestige went to TRESemmé Pro Pure and Too Faced Born This Way, The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, respectively.

Jacobson said meeting the moment is all the time a priority for CEW, category-wise. “For instance, after we did sexual wellness, it shows an organization’s investment in a cultural solution and it’s turn into a vital area, as is sustainability,” she said. “For loads of these categories, we take a look at NPD, and we take a look at things which are growing, especially people who will grow even further,” she added.

Product categories weren’t the one way CEW kept up with the times. Bringing the event online meant fighting harder for participants’ engagement, Jacobson said, who found a content-driven approach best. Starting on Nov. 16, CEW also hosted virtual roundtables with the winners. “We found that we couldn’t translate a live event to a digital event, that they were too different experiences. It’s a special sort of relevancy, so we added more content and context to it,” Jacobson said. “One thing about going digital: you’ll be able to add more.”

Giving background to beauty consumers’ ever-shifting habits was key to framing the awards, and Jacobson had her own thoughts on where she saw consumer behavior moving. “Consumers are actually beauty as more of a take care of themselves,” she said. “It’s not necessarily indulgent, they usually’re more in contact with what they need.”

Here, the winners of the CEW 2020 Beauty Awards.

Pimples Treatment
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Pimples Treatment

Anti-Aging: Mass
L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 10% Pure Glycolic Acid Serum

Anti-Aging: Prestige
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

Aromatherapy
This Works Morning Expert Wakeup Drops

Bath and Body: Mass
Cetaphil Intensive Healing Lotion with Ceramides

Bath and Body: Prestige
First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA

Beauty Wellness Supplements
Briogeo Hair Care B.Well Vegan Omega 3, 6, 9 + Biotin Supplements for Healthy Hair

Best Seller: Mass
TRESemmé Pro Pure

Best Seller: Prestige
Too Faced Born This Way, The Natural Nudes Eye Shadow Palette

CBD
Saint Jane Beauty Luxury Beauty Serum

Cleanser & Scrub
Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser

Eye Product: Mass
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Flash Cat Eye Waterproof Brush Tip Liquid Eyeliner

Eye Product: Prestige
It Cosmetics Lash Blowout Salon Volume Lift Mascara

Eye Treatment
Shiseido Americas Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream

Face Masks
Summer Fridays R+R Mask

Face Product: Mass
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Illuminator

Face Product: Prestige
Estée Lauder Double Wear Radiant Concealer

Hair Accessories
Slip Silk Pillowcase Scrunchies

Hair Shampoo/Hair Conditioner
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Triple Detox Shampoo

Hair Care/Styling
Drybar Jump Start Quick Dry Blowout Serum

Hair Tools
Drybar Baby Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush

Iconic Consumers’ Selection Beauty Award: Mass
Essie Wicked

Iconic Consumers’ Selection Beauty Award: Prestige
SK-II Pitera Essence

Indie Brand Beauty Award
The Bizarre

Indie Hair
Virtue Labs Healing Oil

Indie Makeup Beauty Award
Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Palette

Indie Skincare Beauty Award
Glossier Futuredew

Lip Product Mass
Burt’s Bees Matte Sticks

Lip Product Prestige
Nars Cosmetics Lipstick

Lip Treatment
Fresh Sugar Mint Rush Freshening Lip Treatment

Makeup Tools
Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi

Men’s Grooming
Dove Men + Care Lively Fresh Body and Face Wash

Men’s Scent
Dior Sauvage Parfum

Moisturizer Mass Face
Olay Retinol24 Night Moisturizer

Moisturizer Prestige Face
La Mer The Neck and Décolleté Concentrate

Nail Product
Essie Air Dry

Rising Influencer Award
Ohuprettythings, @ohuprettythings

Sexual Wellness
Kopari Beauty Love Melt

Skincare Tools
NuFace FIX Line Smoothing Device

Sun Product
Supergoop! Poof Part Powder SPF 45

Unisex Fragrance
Diptyque Eau de Menthe Eau de Parfum

Women’s Scent Mass
Adidas Sport UNLSH

Women’s Scent Prestige
Aerin Aegea Blossom Eau de Parfum

Mission-Based Brands for Established Brands
Unilever Personal Care — Dove

Mission-Based Brands for Small Businesses
Rahua by Amazon Beauty

QVC 2020 Beauty Quest
Farmhouse Fresh

Supplier Award: Ingredients and Formulations
Ashland Inc. Mineral Based Sun Stick SPF 50

Sustainability Excellence Award
Beautycounter
Ethique

The event’s sponsors included Firmenich, QVC, Arcade Beauty, Voyant Beauty, WWD, WWD Beauty Inc, Financo, CVS Pharmacy, Satisfyer, YouCam Makeup, RPG, Sheencolor USA, Nielsen, Anisa International, Rpr Marketing Communications, Cosmoprof North America, NYSCC, P&G Beauty, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Consultancy Media, Suite K, Pims, Preen.me, The NPD Group and Ernst & Young.

For more from WWD.com, see:

CEW at 65: Inspiration in Motion

NPD Q3 Numbers Show Signs of U.S. Prestige Beauty Recovery

U.S. Consumers Begin to Spend on Discretionary Categories Akin to Apparel, Beauty: NPD