As we busily prepare ourselves for the Pure Beauty Awards 2024, coming this October, it felt important to take stock of just how far the annual celebration has come over the years.
The awards have provided a rigorous benchmark since launching in 2001, shining a spotlight on the very best innovations and developments that the beauty industry has to offer.
Suitable for brands of all sizes, the Pure Beauty Awards London is also platform for upcoming brands fighting for a spot in the evolving and dynamic UK market.
While winning at the awards is no mean feat, the rewards provide both a tangible sense of satisfaction and can help support a beauty brand's growth in the long term.
Previous winners explain what it was like to receive the prestigious award and how it has helped their businesses thrive.
The Inkey List
Mark Curry and Colette Laxton, co-founders of The Inkey List
British brand The Inkey List is now a cult favourite among skin care fans around the world, but during its start-up years the Pure Beauty Awards helped boost the disruptor.
After launching in 2018, The Inkey List went on to win to be crowned Best New British Brand in 2019 and has since took home gold for Best New Skin Care Product as well as a trio of silver prizes.
"Being recognised within the industry as well as with customers is incredibly important, and winning Pure Beauty Awards's has given us access to a much wider network of suppliers, retailers and beyond," says Colette Laxton, co-founder of The Inkey List.
"The awards are such an amazing networking experience, plus winning reminds us to pause and celebrate the incredible success of The Inkey List and the ever-growing team."
Bulldog Skincare
The personal care giant achieved a Gold award for its Cedarwood & Tonka Bean Shower Gel in 2021, under the Best New Male Body Care Product category.
The award also served to recognise the shaving and skin care brand’s commitment to producing “exceptional skincare and grooming products”, said Adam Wilkie Brand and Communication Manager at Bulldog Skincare
“The recognition from industry experts and professionals at such a prestigious event was fantastic,” he added.
“It reinforced our belief in the quality and effectiveness of our products and served as motivation for us to continue pushing boundaries in the male grooming industry.”
Wilkie also believes that in today’s competitive beauty industry, it is more “important than ever” to stand out and demonstrate to both industry experts and consumers alike why a brand is worth paying attention to.
“Taking home two Pure Beauty Awards helped us do just that while also helping to further enhance our brand visibility and awareness within the beauty industry,” said Wilkie.
Feather & Down
Clare Robertson, Senior Brand Manager at Feather & Down, said the brand was absolutely “delighted” that it claimed the top award for Best New Sleep Product in 2022.
It entered with its Calming Sleep Mist, which contains an infusion of lavender and chamomile essential oils, and won Gold in the category.
The product can be sprayed all over the user’s face and body, and helps to both hydrate and encourage a calm night’s sleep.
Robertson praised the simplicity of the process for entry, and stated it was “easy to follow” and she was kept informed throughout the entire process.
“The evening ceremony was a great opportunity to network,” she added.
“We were able to use the award across our social campaigns and to help boost sales on featheranddown.com for the Calming Sleep Mist.”
Juliette has a Gun
Niche fragrance brand Juliette has a Gun has been a Pure Beauty Awards winner for the last two years.
Founded by the great grandson of fashion designer Nina Ricci, Romano Ricci, in 2005, the company is best known for its Lady Vengeance and This Is Not A Perfume EDPs.
Marketing executive Rosie Van Someren, explains that it entered the Pure Beauty Awards in 2022 and was thrilled to win two awards in the ‘Best New Luxury or Niche Fragrance’.
This included a Silver award for the Maison Crivelli’s Hibiscus Mahajad, and a Bronze award for its Magnolia Bliss by Juliette Has a Gun.
It also took home a gold award in 2021 for its Musc Invisible EDP, which contains notes of jasmine, white cotton and musk.
Van Someren says the Pure Beauty Awards is a “fabulous” awards ceremony, with a really strong selection of beauty, grooming and fragrance brands.
She emphasises that it has helped to further the brand by providing a “fantastic result” to share with its retail partners.
“We will definitely be entering again this year,” she adds.
This is Silk
Sonal Keay, founder of This Is Silk founder, said winning at the Pure Beauty Awards UK was an “incredibly emotional moment”.
The indie brand entered into the Best New Luxury Skin Care Product category, and won Gold for its Radiance, Renewed Silk Overnight Oil.
“The event was gorgeous and one of the first glitzy evenings after the social desert of covid, and when the announcement was made and I saw This Is Silk in large letters on the screen, my heart left my body for a bit,” she added.
“I was flooded with joy and gratitude, and those few minutes when it was all announced and the news was settling in are amongst the happiest of my life.”
Keay says that her business has benefitted in two main ways since winning at the awards, with the first being an important sense of external validation.
“Having received such a prestigious award from such an influential publication is an immediate boost, not just for sales and press coverage but also for brand credibility and standing, which is very helpful when dealing with buyers and distributors,” she continued.
But Keay adds that the more surprising effect of winning was a personal one, as for her, running a small business can create fear and self-doubt alongside the excitement and ambition.
“Winning the award had a profound effect on our own momentum and vision,” she explained.
“I knew that evening at the ceremony that others could see what I see in This is Silk and that helps my team’s spirit immensely.
“It also keeps the company accountable - we have a duty to do the award justice."
Have you launched an innovative new product in the past 12 months? Then you could be in
with a chance of winning at this year's Pure Beauty Awards. Enter here.