Readers' Choice Awards: The 72 Beauty Winners That

19.05.2026, 15:53 allure.com

Find even the most introverted Allure reader at a party—their social battery drained, eyes fixed on the exit—and ask whether they have any thoughts on serums. It’s like watching Mario collect a 1-Up mushroom, as their enthusiastic opinion suddenly races to the surface to be spoken aloud. This is why we so look forward to the Readers’ Choice Awards every year—because we know you’re voting with the passion that comes from tried-and-true experience.

Allure has been the beauty expert for 35 years, but we don’t consider ourselves omniscient. We love hearing personal testimonials from other people who are curious and discriminating beauty consumers. What you’re buying and buying again speaks volumes about what works, what’s considered a classic, and where the industry is—or should be—going.

This year’s 72 winners—including 71 products and one content creator—are a mix of repeat champions, unignorable new discoveries, and familiar favorites that are finally getting their flowers. Some brands like Rare Beauty and Olaplex even scooped up multiple awards this year. So check out the products your peers have been choosing—and adjust your shopping list accordingly.

Scroll down to see if your favorite skin, hair, makeup, and body products were voted most-loved in the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards.

We didn’t think your skin-care standards could get any higher, but here we are. The results of this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards tell us that you’re not just looking for pretty packaging and buzzy ingredients; you’re demanding formulas that deliver, fit conveniently into your routine, and reveal your skin’s full potential.

You prioritize a balance of gentleness and efficacy (hello, CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser), and if it doesn’t majorly moisturize, you’re not interested. This year’s top picks reflect an appetite for simplicity over bells and whistles (results are results no matter how little you spend to get them, right?). And yes, there are several familiar names among the standouts, because when you find what works, you stick with it year after year.

Here are the winners of the crowdsourced crown—the skin-care products that are breaking down barriers by protecting your skin’s. And if you don’t see your favorite here, try to keep an open mind and consider what your fellow readers are raving about.

Tool

Amazon

When you suspect your hands need an assist in the cleansing department, the Michael Todd Beauty Soniclear steps in to step it up. This sonic-cleansing brush delivers a satisfying just-got-a-facial feeling, deftly sweeping away makeup and sunscreen with vibrating bristles, making any cleanser you’re using that much more effective.

Facial Cleanser

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Walmart

There are cleansers you trust for getting basic results, and then there are cleansers, like CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, that you’d trust with your social security number. It may seem no-frills, but the creamlike texture lightly lathers up to remove everything you don’t want following you to bed and improves your skin’s barrier with a comforting blend of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Whether your complexion is dry or sensitized by an actives-packed regimen, this formula will handle it with care.

Exfoliant

Amazon

Sephora

Dermstore

Watch senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin try readers' favorite exfoliant, the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant works its way into pores to dissolve breakout-inducing buildup. Fans of this salicylic acid formula have found that, with daily use, it’s wildly effective in the pursuit of a clearer complexion, smoother texture, and more even tone. The leave-on liquid is surprisingly gentle considering its power, but what else would you expect from a formula that’s designed to have a dramatic but tender impact and offers green-tea-backed barrier support?

Moisturizer

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Dermstore

The lightweight La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer absorbs in an instant to deliver the best ’mides. You know, ceramides and niacinamide. This glycerin-based blend is super-soothing and ready to stand guard against anything that menaces your skin’s moisture barrier, making it the kind of cream you reach for when everything else feels excessive.

Watch editorial assistant Jennet Jusu apply readers' favorite facial sunscreen, the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50.

Fans of Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 would like a word with anyone who still claims they can’t find a sunscreen they like using. This clear gel glides on and behaves like a blurring primer, and there’s no need to top it off with makeup to hide a white cast. Unseen Sunscreen is, in fact, invisible, and has earned praise across the skin-tone and skin-type spectrums for both its undetectability and its nonirritating, breakout-free delivery of broad-spectrum sun protection.

Serum

Amazon

Nordstrom

Ulta Beauty

We love that The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) puts “with Ceramides” in parentheses as if they’re not a hero ingredient in this beloved serum. Those ceramides help hold in all the hydration that the five types of hyaluronic acid draw to the skin’s surface. And the single-digit price tag for this product is proof that a high-quality hyaluronic acid serum doesn’t have to cost you hundreds—or even tens.

Face Mask

Amazon

Sephora

Revolve

The Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask comes in especially clutch after glow-sucking travel, but this ultra-moisturizing formula has gained an impressive following for being more versatile than its name suggests. Sure, the niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid make it an awesome 10-minute hydration hit when skin is desperately dry, but you can also use it as a daily moisturizer to leave skin supple—not glopped with greasiness.

Eye Cream

Amazon

Nordstrom

Ulta Beauty

Brightening is a big promise for any eye cream, but Origins GinZing Brightening Eye Cream’s opalescent formula—available in two different tone options—makes it an easy vow to keep. Formulated with dark-circle-diminishing vitamin C and niacinamide, it delivers that elusive well-rested look with the help of firming caffeine and antioxidant-packed ginseng. Skin looks and feels less puffy and more plump—a small but important distinction.

Acne Treatment

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Dermstore

Watch creative development manager Lauren Alberti apply readers' favorite acne treatment, the Hero Mighty Patch Original.

We know popping a pimple can be satisfying, but you know what’s even better? Seeing that a hydrocolloid patch has done its duty and saved you from the hard-to-undo damage of squeezing and picking. Hero’s Mighty Patch Original draws out the ick, clinging steadfastly to skin so you can trust it to stay on overnight—and stay in your routine for as long as you’re battling breakouts.

Lip Balm

Amazon

Sephora

Do you need glossy lips at bedtime? No, but the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask’s intensely moisturizing formula just can’t help it. Those who swear by it (and keep it easily accessible on their nightstand) will tell you it’s no exaggeration to say it works magic overnight, enabling you to wake up to soft, comfortable lips. Laneige says to “gently wipe off excess in the morning as needed,” but between the moisture from shea and murumuru butters and the different yummy flavors, it’s definitely okay to skip that step.

Wow, guys! You have absolutely zero patience for hair products that overpromise and underdeliver. You want shine without grease, volume without crunch, and repair that begins in minutes, not months. And honestly, we all deserve it, which is why we’re so excited to share the products that hit those marks and earned 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Dealing with damage, whether it’s prevention or rehabilitation, takes center stage with this year’s hair-care class. We’ve all been disappointed by hair products before, whether our curls were weighed down or our conditioner couldn’t replenish the moisture an overzealous shampoo formula stripped from our strands. (Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo would never!) Thankfully, formulas like Ouai Leave In Conditioner and tools like the Wet Brush Original Detangler effectively multitask without cutting corners—and without prompting you to consider cutting off all your hair.

These winners prove that efficacy and effortlessness aren’t mutually exclusive; in fact, they’re essential. Because the real evidence that a product deserves praise isn’t that it has a spot on your shelf, it’s that you frequently grab it off the shelf.

Hot Tool

Amazon

Dyson

Watch commerce editor Sarah Han put readers' favorite hot tool, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, to the test to dry her pink hair.

When a product just keeps winning, you can trust the hype isn’t just hype. The original Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer was created to give you better control over the styling process and to reduce heat damage—and it has been delivering for a decade. Oh, you wanna get really fancy? Dig into the multiple attachment options, including a diffuser and a smoothing nozzle to avoid frizz, enabling you to actually achieve the look you’re going for instead of settling for whatever it is that other dryers deliver.

Hair Tool

Amazon

Walmart

The average brush wakes up and chooses violence, but the flexible bristles on the Wet Brush Original Detangler gently glide through knots, so this task feels less like punishment and more like the simple step brushing your hair should be. It’s not an especially glamorous tool, but it is very satisfying to watch it handle hair chaos and know you’re reducing breakage and unnecessary ouches.

Shampoo and Conditioner

Amazon (Shampoo)

Amazon (Conditioner)

Nordstrom (Duo)

Olaplex is practically synonymous with bond repair (which means fixing the damage done by harsh chemical treatments like coloring), and as impressed as we’ve always been with its original salon formula, fans really believe in the brand’s at-home offerings—especially the No. 4 Bond Mainten