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.