ELLE Names 26 Winners in Its 2026 Future of Beauty Awards

ELLE's editors crowned 26 color cosmetics and nail products as 2026 Future of Beauty winners — the largest field in the award's history — and declared the year the year of makeup.

After years of "clean girl" minimalism, testers gravitated toward products built for self-expression: a brow pencil that uses friction to build volume, blushes that stayed natural for hours, and lip stains in popsicle-like shades. The winning list spans lips, eyes, face and nails.

What won for face?

A creamy soft-matte concealer infused with hyaluronic acid drew comparisons to more famous rivals. "Very easy to use, a lot of product, great coverage, and long wear, too," one tester said.

Two foundations earned perfect 10 ratings. One delivered coverage from just one to two small drops: "It doesn't feel like makeup and is more like a good moisturizer or skin care," the tester wrote. The other, a balm formula, gave "even, dewy skin, but still looked natural" and endured all day.

Rihanna refined her bestselling Fenty matte foundation with more neutral shades and a more skin-like finish. The tester's verdict: "In Fenty we trust."

One formula may be the first foundation to use exosomes and peptides for skin renewal, with amino-coated powders replacing silicones. A skeptical tester became a convert: "even after two applications, I still looked like me, rather than me in a mask."

Makeup artist Mary Phillips condensed her "underpainting" method — color corrector, contour and highlighter applied before foundation — into a single palette that produced "the best no-makeup-makeup results."

A mosaic pressed-powder compact offered eight-hour wear, blurring and color correction. Victoria Beckham's Colour Wash Bronze Water Tint applies like a K-beauty essence and left one tester "a true 'just left the beach' shade of a tan all day long."

Which eye and lip products stood out?

A tubing lash primer coated lashes with peptides to strengthen them before mascara, earning the description "an insurance policy against clumping." An eyeshadow formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides and jojoba esters paired longwear hold with a velvety texture.

A chubby brow stick combining wax, gel and pencil scored a 10 for creating "a thick, natural-looking brow with a fluffy feathered effect." A dual-sided lip product lines, fills and blurs in one pass — "In the age of lip combos, this makes it super easy," the tester said.

A vegan red lipstick stylo avoids carmine, the pigment made from crushed female insects. Another winner, a lip liner that leaves an enduring stain, "stays the whole night!" One lipstick earned a "Certified Ease of Use" designation from the Arthritis Foundation for its oversized magnetic cap.

How did nails and setting sprays perform?

Ultra-thin press-on tips lasted for weeks and felt natural: "I especially love how thin they look and feel." A reusable press-on kit lets wearers reapply nails "as if you never wore it." A chrome powder kit brings salon shine home, provided the underlying polish is water-based.

Two repair products address gel damage: a liquid bandage with vitamin E and hexanal to strengthen keratin, and a brush-on serum with squalane, amino acids and biotin. "My nails are so much stronger and my cuticles look healthy," the serum's tester reported.

One/Size by Patrick Starrr's Oil Sucker spray acts like a liquid blotting paper, using ginseng and hydroclay. A separate setting spray holds makeup for up to 18 hours through commutes, office days and nights out.

The record 26-product field signals where the market is heading: hybrid skincare-makeup formulas and salon-grade results at home now define the color category's competitive edge.