The year’s most innovative beauty products were recognized at the 17th annual Cosmetic Executive Women’s (CEW) Beauty Insider’s Choice Awards, held at the Waldorf=Astoria on May 20.

The ceremony, hosted for the sixth consecutive year by comedian and Sex and the City star Mario Cantone, is the only awards program where the winners are determined exclusively by more than 4,000 beauty insiders and professionals working in the beauty industry. These CEW members narrowed down nearly 600 product entries from over 350 brands to 139 finalists across 26 categories.

“When it comes to buying beauty products, women are looking for proven performance and value,” said Carlotta Jacobson, president of CEW. “The CEW Beauty Awards make it easy to get insight on the best products in order to be able
to make an informed decision when choosing and purchasing a product.”

Procter & Gamble was the afternoon’s biggest winner, taking home five awards, while LVMH and The Estée Lauder Companies trailed closely behind with four. Shiseido Cosmetics America took home three trophies, while L’Oréal and Johnson & Johnson each received two. Samy, Coty Beauty, mark. and Zeno Corporation each won one award.

As well as recognizing product innovation, CEW also announced the winner of the Indie Beauty Award—blow, the new york blow dry bar—for being the brightest new start-up in the world of beauty.

Additionally, the first annual Best Seller Award recognized the top selling launch in the biggest growth categories of the year, determined by retail sales data from NPD Group and SymphonyIRI Group. Maybelline’s Falsies by Volum’Express won for mass product and Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector won for prestige product.

Another first this year was the Eco Beauty Award, sponsored by Givaudan, which was created in response to the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. Yves Rocher North America Inc.’s Culture Bio products were honored for their efforts toward the goal of sustainability.

CEW’s Carlotta Jacobson with Allure’s
Linda Wells and Agnes Chapski and
Jill Scalamandre of Chrysallis.

Lord & Taylor’s Barbara Zinn Moore with
Macy’s Nancy Schmidt and Linda Levy and Carol Hamilton of L’Oréal Luxury (2nd r.).

Givaudan’s Cos Policastro and Felix
Mayr-Harting (r.) with Carlotta Jacobson
and Jill Scalamandre.

Shiseido’s Heidi Manheimer and Arcade Marketing’s Debra Leipman-Yale with
Claudia Poccia of Gurwitch.

Frédéric Fekkai with P&G’s Charlene Patten and Patrice Louvet.

The Estée Lauder Companies’ Janet Pardo,
Julie Howard and Jane Lauder.

L’Oréal Paris’ Aïda Moudachirou and Maybelline NY-Garnier’s David Greenberg.

Bare Escentuals’ Alison Reid and Serena Godin with Allison Slater and Paige Murray of Sephora.

P&G’s Gina Drosos and Michael Kuremski.

Bumble and bumble’s Peter Lichtenthal and Caroline Geerlings of Tom Ford Beauty.

IFF’s Laurent Le Guernec, Mara Dumski
and Olivier Delcour.

Shiseido’s Linda Ten Eyck, Gisela Ballard
and Nicole Cardillo with makeup artist
Taylor Babaian (2nd r.).

Chanel’s Christine Dagousset and Joyce Green with Jean Godfrey-June of Lucky.

Rimmel London’s Erika Valdez and
Rick Goldberg.

Inter Parfums’ Sherriann Mincey and
Kellie Como with Joe Lattarulo of Robertet.

See more CEW Beauty Award photos