Global Beauty Awards and an update from Italy for all those curious from the UK and beyond! 

Hi everyone, Dan from the Global Beauty Awards here again with a little update on the state of
things here in the lake garda region on Italy where the sun is shining but the beaches are empty, and
the bars are closed. Tomorrow we have an exciting announcement - at 5pm we will be announcing the winners of the UK 2020 Global Makeup Awards.  There's been a record number of entries for this awards with over 350 entries!  We couldn't believe how many big and small brands entered.  If you are still looking to enter an award for your brand - our Global Green Beauty Awards are open for entry with categories for ethical, green, vegan, zero waste, plastic free and natural beauty brands.

I thought I would also give a little update on life at the moment in Italy where I am writing this from, as we really can't avoid discussing the coronavirus situation and how it is affecting everyday life in every country and of all walks of life.  So, nearly eight weeks have passed since the Italian government declared a lockdown in the country and the rules have gradually become stricter. I live in a fairly small town of 7,000 inhabitants and local news and gossip spreads quickly round here!

Last week a citizen was fined 220 euros for not wearing a mask while walking his dog. In the Lombardy region it is now compulsory for anyone leaving the house to wear a mask or at least cover their face with a scarf or bandana. Then a few
days later, a woman who is in the process of moving from one house to another was fined 550 euros
for passing by her new house to pick up some things while on the way to the supermarket. So, I think
its fairly to say that the lockdown is being enforced quite strictly here.

The good news though is that the daily death rare, whilst still terrifyingly high, is going down and
hopefully the worst is behind us. The government is planning to re-open some businesses and we
are awaiting official confirmation of ‘phase 2’ plans. They are due to make an announcement today,
but we are expecting that on May 4 th some of the restrictions forbidding us to go out will be lifted.
That’s s huge relief as it is extremely eerie watching police cars slowly circle the block while playing a
pre-recorded message through a loudspeaker, warning residents to say in their houses. I’m a little
more used to the strange atmosphere in the supermarkets now although shopping is not the
highlight of me week and I’ve managed to stretch out to nine days between visits, even if that
means more meals of tuna and pasta than I’d normally like.

On the bright side, since the local beach, which is two minutes away, is out of bounds, I’ve had more
time to work with my colleagues on our next beauty awards. Actually, that’s not a chore because our
team rocks and we love our jobs. Still, paddle-boarding out on the lake is always pretty special.
So, what have we been up to? Well we opened for entries to the Global Green Beauty Awards a few weeks
ago and we’ve already had an impressive number of entries. It’s so reassuring to know that the
beauty industry takes the environment so seriously and is working so hard to create products in an
ethical and sustainable way.

Thank you to everyone who has entered so far, for anyone who would still like to enter their
product, we are accepting entries until mid-July but don’t delay. Enter now and don’t miss the
chance to showcase your fantastic products and share with us all the important work you do to help
the planet with your entry into the Global Green Beauty Awards.  

Coronavirus Update
Hello everybody.
Best wishes to you all during these strange days. We would like to remind everyone and reassure you that the UK 2020 Global Makeup Awards is going ahead and will still be announced on 10th May.

Today’s blog is from our Global Makeup Awards team member Dan who is based in the lake garda region of Italy, currently in lockdown due to the virus.  

Hi folks, here’s an update from a Londoner who’s been living in sunny Italy for the last four years. At
the moment, here in the Brescia region we are all in lockdown and can only leave our houses for
certain reasons, such as food shopping (only from the nearest supermarket), or medical
emergencies. We need to fill out a form for each trip out of the house and police can fine or even
imprison anyone who gives false information or moves around outside of their town without a valid
reason. However, the latest news is that if everyone respects the order to stay at home #IoStoAcasa,
hopefully that will make a big difference to the current infection rates. Apparently, the arrival of the
hot Italian summer will hopefully also help kill off the virus. Of course, there isn’t much known about
this virus at this stage and its possible that some news stories and internet rumour aren’t as accurate
as we’d like but the reassuring message being displayed from many different buildings is “andra
tutto bene” – everything’s gonna be all right”. I’m sure it will be but do hope we can get back to
“normality” as soon as possible.

Today I’ve been wondering, - how has coronavirus impacted the beauty industry? Of course, there
are more important things to concern ourselves with, yet as I speak from the hardest hit area of
Europe, I also know how important it is to also distract ourselves from worry about COVID-19 and to
think about things that make us happy and feel good. For many of us, that includes our favourite
beauty products. That being said, obviously the current situation has had repercussions on planned
events, beauty awards and makeup awards over the coming months.

Here at Global Makeup Awards we have cancelled our Asia 2020 Awards Launch because of
coronavirus and the difficulty that will ensue for brands who are closed (logistics etc.) You will see it
launch next year or if this happens to blow over quicker than we think, you might even see the awards for ASIA at the end of 2020. For now, the main priority is to stay fit and healthy and to help other who need our help.

BEAUTY NEWS AS A RESULT OF CORONAVIRUS
Other news in beauty is that the large beauty trade fair - Cosmoprof in Bologna - has been
postponed to June 11-14th.

Also, the Natural and Organic Trade Show 2020 in the UK also has been postponed –
(https://www.naturalproducts.co.uk/) and will now be held on 7-8 July.

Here, we are working from home and plaaning something exciting for a ‘Green Beauty Awards’, stay
tuned for more information!

Anyway, that’s enough for today. I just thought I’d share an update with you from a Londoner in Italy
and wish you all the best during these difficult times. The sense of optimism and community here is
so strong; when we work together, we can overcome any challenge we face!

Ciao a tutti!
Daniel