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Hi everybody,
How are you all? Has spring arrived for you? I don’t want to boast but it's lovely here (Lake Garda, Italy!) I look forward to spring so much and it really makes me happy when the weather gets warmer, the daffs appear and the blossom starts making its presence known! My neighbours are worried about the lack of rain in recent months and they say that we’ll probably pay for that with a wet summer but I’m feeling positive! It’s been a little while since my last post so I’m excited to bring you lots of big Global Makeup Awards news. First of all, I should let you know that entries have now closed at the 2022 Global Makeup Awards for the regions of the UK, USA and ASIA. We've seen a record number of brands enter, it’s so exciting to be working with familiar brands as well as new ones so that’s kept us busy over the winter! I have to say that there are really strong entries across the board - this year is going to be really tricky for the judges There are a lot of great benefits to winning these awards though, not only does it increase credibility and provide great recognition of your hard work but in addition there is exposure in our e-magazine, a beautifully printed certificate and an online winners logo that really catches the eye! It's exciting to see how the awards are now really global - we have our newest regions Asia and USA which are growing each year. Asia is now in its 2nd year and USA regions are now in their 3rd year. It's great to see our beauty awards expands through the different regions throughout the world. Last year was a huge year where I blogged about lots of different great winners - as you probably noticed, I love digging into the stories behind the brands. I want to know why they exist, who are the human’s behind the brands and what their motivations for starting their own business are. It quickly becomes apparent that financial reasons are not behind the companies’ formation but a genuine passion for quality beauty products and a huge sense of reward in helping others. It’s probably also apparent that I do have a strong sense of gratitude to the brands which work tirelessly to make their products ethically and I really appreciate the lengths they go to to use natural ingredients, avoid animal-testing and support local economies. The Scandinavian brands have really been forerunners when it comes to ethical-business practice but I’m delighted to see their techniques being replicated all over the world. You guys are all really making a difference and I think our industry is now one of the best there is and a model for other industries to follow. We’ve seen really dramatic changes to practices and expectations over the last decades! Anyway! I have a few more blogs planned over the coming weeks so I’ll be back very soon with more big news as well as some spotlights on some of my favourite recent winning brands! As ever, ciao for now! Dan
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Dan's must-haves of award winning S-Beauty BrandsHi again everyone,
Today I want to share some more information with you about last year’s winners at the Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards. Two of these brands are repeat winners while one is a brand new company that has made a huge impact on the industry! Let’s start with BEST ANTI AGEING PRODUCT GOLD WINNER which was Founders Formula with the their marvallous Australian Botanicals Pro-Aging Treatment Concentrate Serum Founder, Annie Holden launched the company last year after being inspired three years earlier after visiting the Cosmoprof beauty trade show in Bologna with her friend. Noticing that Australia was badly under-represented in the beauty world she made a decision to change that, especially as she knew that Australia’s plant-life is renowned for their active ingredients and their potential for skincare. BEST TONER GOLD WINNER was Bruns with their N°103b Green Mist Unscented. This Swedish company was initially created by Johanna as a hairdressing salon. Later, another experienced hairdressing professional Cecila bought into the company. The duo wanted to make safe, natural hairdressing products and avoid the chemicals and their effects which they’d seen too much of over their careers. Their objective was to make hair products that were free of harmful chemicals and with help from Johanna’s 75 year-old father Per, an expert in the composition of raw materials, they created their first products Then, we have Eleni & Chris who were BEST CONDITIONER GOLD WINNER with their CurliMin Defining Conditioner. This brand is the result of a mother-daughter collaboration and despite having very different approaches, Inger Ellen and Christinah Nicolaisen share a strong drive to create the best products possible, taking great inspiration from the Scandinavian roots. Whilst they differ in their background and approach, Inger Ellen and Christinah share an extraordinary level of drive, passion and creativity, rooted in and inspired by their Scandinavian home. The partnership of these women is founded in mutual respect of the strengths that they each bring to the creation of beauty products embodied by their unique spirit. The brand began in 2015 when the pair made the decision to use local ingredients, particularly berries to create a range of products. I have visited Scandinavia several times and I love how passionate the inhabitants are about their berries. Cloudberries in particular are particularly precious, almost impossible to find outside of Scandinavia and difficult to find even there. However, research and laboratory analysis showed that the cloudberry is full of vitamins as well as calcium and magnesium. This is a truly unique product and a wonderful example of Scandinavian Ingredients. Thanks again for joining me as I learn more about the people and the stories behind last year’s winners. Each company has their own unique raison-d'etre yet we all share common ground with our love for good-quality beauty products. That’s one of the things that makes running these awards so rewarding and fun! We cannot wait for the 2022 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards, we just know that its going to be even bigger and better than previous years! I’ll be back soon! Ciao for now! Dan Hi everyone,
In the past couple of blogs we’ve looked in a bit more detail at some of last year’s winners at the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards. Today, I’m going to focus on some of the winners in brand categories, as opposed to product categories. These look at the brand as a whole and are among the most prestigious of our awards. The first winner we’re going to look at is Rosenserien who walked away as BEST ORGANIC BEAUTY BRAND GOLD WINNER. Rosenserien was founded around 40 years ago when co-founder Laine Nilsson, who at the time was working as a hairdresser, realised that some of the chemicals and ingredients in the products she was using were having a negative effect on her skin. After conducting a great deal of research around natural alternatives, and collaborating with local chemists, in 1984 the first products went on the market. Today, Laine’s daughter Carina Swartz is in charge of the brand, continuing her mother’s mission and leading Rosenerien to a series of awards including as one of Sweden's ”Super Companies” 2010 and 2011. Next we have BEST SCANDINAVIAN BEAUTY BRAND GOLD WINNER - Zenz Organic. This Danish company takes great pride in their expertise as professional hairdressers and believe this makes them the ideal people to create products for other professional hairdressers. The team are passionate about creating natural and healthy products. They also have an impressive desire to work in a sustainable way and incorporate this into their everyday strategies. Their philosophy is to be at the forefront of sustainable beauty and to always be part of the solution and never the problem! Inspirational! Another big success in the BEST SCANDINAVIAN BEAUTY BRAND category was Fiini Naturally. This wonderful Finnish company is the result of a beautiful friendship that began 20 years ago while the co-founders Heidi and Essi were still in high school. The two definitely have some kind of strong connection; their lives followed similar patterns and shared similar interests and passions. Something else they both share is that they have sensitive skin and had trouble finding skincare products that worked for them. Living in Finland, which is full of wildlife and has some of the cleanest air in the world, they were in the right place to combine their passion for nature and clean beauty to create a fantastic brand which is kind to sensitive skin and environmentally-friendly. They proudly use Finnish raw ingredients as much as possible, take special care that their packaging is also ecologically responsible and prefer to test new products on their own skin before bringing them to the market, absolutely no animal testing is involved! Well, that brings me to the end of another blog. Once again I’ve really enjoyed delving into the stories behind the brands, always so interesting and inspiring! I’ll be back very soon with a new blog which will focus on the classic brands which successfully-entered and won in the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards. Ciao for now! Dan NIOD, Swati Cosmetics and Mantle - some winners from the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards2/3/2022 Gold Winners from the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards - NIOD, Swati Cosmetics and MantleHi,
I enjoyed writing the last blog so much that I started this one right after finishing it. Today we’ll look a bit more at brands which were successful at the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards. As you may have guessed from the last blog, I really enjoy learning about the stories behind the brands and understanding what motivated them to start their own business, no mean feat, and try to enter an already crowded and competitive market! The three companies I’m looking at today all have their own unique stories to share and learning about them really helps me to understand the passion and the people behind the products that we use every day! So, with that said, I bet you can’t wait to see what these stories are so I won’t waste any more time! GOLD WINNER for BEST INNOVATIVE PRODUCT was NIOD for their Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 NIOD (Non-Invasive Options in Dermal Science) say that they have one goal “to be at the very edge of science). Founder, Brandon Truaxe” also states that the company is not influenced by trends but strives to always be at the forefront of new discoveries and technologies, with a commitment to a client base that are inspired by quality and innovation rather than marketing or price. NIOD is part of the Deciem Brand which has a partnership with The Estee Laude Companies. Brandon posted a very interesting open letter detailing the background of the partnership, a real insight into how important the company’s values are to him (and co-founder Nicola Kilner). Let’s now take a look at the EDITORS CHOICE GOLD WINNER which was Mantle with their fantastic Dream Mask. Co-founder Josefin Landgård was experiencing a difficult time during her personal and professional life before starting Mantle. Suffering from a lack of sleep and an extended period of stress as well as looking after her family, it must have been a really tough period for her until she discovered the health and skin benefits of CBD and met her co-founder Stina Lönnkvist. This really turned things around for her and Mantel are now a well recognised and respected company and were favourites of our judges who eagerly chose them as their Editors Choice winners! Finally, we have Swati Cosmetics who were the BEST VEGAN BEAUTY BRAND GOLD WINNERS. Swati proudly share the beautiful story of how two people falling in love led to the creation of this excellent brand! Swedish entrepreneur Vishal Nanda met Indian Make-Up artist Swati Verma and they quickly fell for each other! Vishal was mesmerised by how she managed to change her look until learning that the secret was her coloured contact lenses. This lightbulb moment and dream team partnership resulted in the launch of Swati Cosmetics in February 2019, a new beauty brand which celebrates diversity, inclusivity and fun! Well, I think you’ll agree that those are three really unique stories behind the winning brands. It’s really great to know just how much creating the best possible products means to the people working on them and it's wonderful that we get to appreciate and recognise their effort with the Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards. Thanks for joining me on this little trip, I’ll be back very soon but until then… Ciao for now! Dan  Our lovely range of trophies for 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards Hi again everyone!
Yikes, January is already over! That was quick!!! I am enjoying watching the evenings gradually get lighter though! As much as I am always disappointed when, after all the build-up and excitement, Christmas is over, I can’t wait for spring and summer to arrive! Big News! The 2022 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards have been announced! We are receiving entries from new brands who haven’t entered before and, as always, we are so excited to assess the increasingly impressive products which enter. We also have sent our their gorgeous winner's trophy - the pespex looks so great sitting on glass to promote your win to your customers and clients. Today I’d like to remind you about some of the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards winners! Let’s start with BEST CLEANSER GOLD WINNER, Dr.Ankerstjerne with their WASH The Day Off facial cleanser. On their website, the company leads with the following line “ Developed by Norwegian doctors for Scandinavian conditions”. I love this as I think it beautifully and succinctly represents the brand while also reinforcing trust in the quality and research behind the cleanser! Additionally, it’s reassuring to know that skincare products which are designed to work in the cold scandinavian winters will also work for our team members based in London and Northern italy! Founders Stine and Andre Ankerstjerne prefer to run a small line of products and to concentrate on making them as effective as possible. The couple spent five years conducting research and performing testing before launching the brand in 2018. Meanwhile, BEST MOISTURISER SILVER WINNER was Transderma M for their Moisture Serum. Having spent over 30 years researching natural antioxidants and vitamins, Dr. Alvin Ronlán applied his wealth of knowledge and expertise to create the vitamin skin serums which make this Swedish brand one of the best products on the market. One of the main objectives for Transderma M is to support long-term healthy skin. Recognising that as we age, the vitamins that reach our skin via the food we eat gradually reduce, this company aims to provide a targeted approach, directly applying vitamins to skin cells to provide a revitalised and healthy look. The Gold Winner for BEST HAIR PRODUCT went to Owow Kit - which also happens to be 30% off in their January sale! Founder, Georgiana Grudinschi believes that the key to looking good lies in products which are simple, convenient, healthy and ethical. In her story she explains how she used to love getting conventional chemical treatments on her hair but began searching for a more affordable alternative! Through her research, she discovered how damaging some of those treatments she had been using could be for her health and became determined to create a solution that would give great results but not at a price to her health or indeed to the health of the planet. OK! That’s just a quick look at three marvellous brands which I urge you to check out! Also, don’t forget that the UK, ASIA and USA Global Makeup Awards for 2022 went live earlier this month and there is still time to enter! I’ll be back very soon with a look at some more success stories from the 2021 Scandinavian Global Makeup Awards. Until then, ciao for now! Dan  Here Are Some of the Best Ingredients for Acne-Prone Skin
If your acne's got you feeling down in the dumps, don't worry — you're not alone. Acne afflicts over 50 million Americans at any given time. Presenting in both teenagers and adults, it can be caused by everything from stress to genetics. Most importantly, acne is normal and nothing to be ashamed of. However, in some cases, it can be painful and may require intensive medication. If you're looking for ways to treat your acne, you may be wondering what kind of products you need. Some ingredients are specially formulated to treat acne gently and effectively and we quickly run through them below. AHAs and BHAs Alpha and beta hydroxy acids are the anti-acne dream team. These gentle chemical exfoliants can be found in everything from cleansers and toners to moisturizers and even masks. The most common AHA, glycolic acid, even buffs away cells on the surface to reveal newer and healthier-looking skin underneath. Salicylic acid is the most common BHA and is a key ingredient in nearly every skincare routine for acne. It reaches deep into the skin to clean pores and control sebum production. When combined with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, it works to prevent future breakouts. Retinol This anti-acne superstar is a form of Vitamin A that, like BHAs, deep-cleans your skin to remove dirt, dead skin cells, and excess oil. At the same time, it actively promotes skin cell renewal. As a result, it's also a potent anti-aging ingredient. Though it comes in more concentrated forms, it can also be integrated into a natural skincare routine. Take Graydon Skincare's Fullmoon Serum for example, which is our Best Serum Gold Winner for 2021. Completely vegan and cruelty-free, it uses retinol derived from moth beans to soothe your skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Tea tree oil This natural ingredient is just as effective as AHAs and BHAs, but works over a longer time frame. Its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties can calm acne flare-ups and prevent lesions. As an oil, it moisturizes the skin, preventing the build-up of excess sebum. Tea tree oil also promotes skin cell turnover to lighten discoloration caused by acne, making it great for double-cleansing. This method involves cleansing with both oil and soap and can be especially beneficial for those who wear makeup to cover their acne. Witch hazel Since acne is an inflammatory disease, this natural ingredient can thus tame breakouts more effectively without using harsh chemicals. Its antioxidants and active tannins can dry out both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne, control oil production, kill the P. acnes that thrive within that oil, and even tighten pores to firm up the skin. As a result, it's best used as a toner — like those offered by Thayers or Quinns — and followed up with moisturizing serums, creams, or gels. Hyaluronic acid Seminal studies have shown that hydrated skin is less prone to breakouts, so don't forget to moisturize. The best moisturizers contain hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring compound that attracts moisture and locks it into the skin. Acne-prone skin has a very thin lipid layer that is reinforced by this ingredient, which prevents oiliness and future acne flare-ups. As a result, you might see a reduced appearance in acne scars. However, having the right ingredients won't be enough to counter your acne. It can take a few months for them to take effect, so what you need the most is the discipline to power through. Ultimately, your skin will thank you for it! Winners showcase for the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards
Hello everyone and Merry Christmas,
It's Dominique here :) Just a super quick post to say that the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards have been announced today. We had an astonishing number of entries - a whopping 150 Scandinavian beauty products were entered into this year's award. You can read the full winners showcase in our free online magazine called Global Makeup Awards in the link above. Feel free to share with friends too: https://www.flipsnack.com/globalmakeupawards/scandinavia-2021-global-makeup-awards.html We had some great new brands enter this year such as The Ordinary. One of their Gold Wins included: BEST FACE MASK GOLD WINNER - The Ordinary - Salicylic Acid 2% Masque - The Global Makeup Awards team loved how refreshed our skin felt after using this Salicylic Acid facial mask. Another new brand entering was Transderma - they had two silver wins BEST MOISTURISER SILVER WINNER Transderma M Moisture Serum. BEST NIGHT CREAM SILVER WINNER - Transderma Vitamin A nighttime Serum This is a lovely Danish brand with hard-working moisturisers and serums that really work to tackle the effects of anti ageing while leaving skin feeling nourished. Another great new brand entry was Swati Cosmetics who achieved a number of Gold, Silver and Bronze wins in this year's 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards. With their range of coloured lenses (which won gold!) and their eyelash glue / liners and fake lashes, they had a myriad of incredible pieces to make you glam in seconds. They are also a vegan friendly brand and Swati Cosmetics won gold for Best Vegan Brand in this awards too. Another win for them was for : BEST MASCARA SILVER WINNER - Swati Cosmetics OYNX Lash Booster Mascara What an incredible deep black mascara that stays all day. It looks even better when used with their colours lenses. One of our gold winners for Editor's Choice was - Mantle's The Dream Mask. This is a night time dream product which presses the reset-button for for your skin and aids recovery and the regeneration process. The night mask helps to boost collagen production, promotes longevity and restores plumpness. This is just a little sum up for some of our new entries, but do read the free magazine to learn more about all the incredible brands who entered for the Scandi region this year. Our Nordic cousins are known for their minimalist, high quality ingredients, and this year definitely did not disappoint with the incredible range of high quality entries. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and see you on 6th January for the opening of our Global Makeup Awards for UK, ASIA and USA. Peace and love Dom Merry Christmas to all our Global Makeup Awards and Global Green Beauty Awards friends Hi everybody,
Wow, winter has really hit today! Here in Northern Italy, we had blue skies and sunshine over the last week but today there is a strong icy wind! Luckily, most of us are at home as 8th December marks the Immaculate Conception so schools are closed and so are most workplaces! It's perfect for staying inside and reading or watching movies, but I can’t stand staying inside all day so after I finish this blog, me and my boys are going to put on our big coats and venture out for a little while! I’m not sure how long we’ll last though, I can hear the wind whistling through our house and the shutters banging away so it’s pretty uninviting out there! But, that's enough about the weather! What I’d really like to say is a big thank you to everyone who has joined me in these blogs over the last year. I’ve really enjoyed writing them and I especially like researching the different brands who have won at the Global Makeup Awards and getting a deeper understanding of what makes them tick! It’s wonderful to be in a business where so many of us are on the same wavelength and I love that we can do our part in helping brands small and large to get the recognition that they deserve! I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you all that the 2021 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards will be announced on 20th December, that’s only 12 days away! If you haven’t read my previous posts where I talked about past winners from the 2020 Scandinavia Global Makeup Awards, I’d really love it if you took five minutes to do so. There are some really inspiring products and companies coming out of this category! 2022 is going to be a great and exciting year - on 6th January we open not just the UK global Makeup awards but also our awards for USA and ASIA. As with the Scandinavian awards, I recently blogged about past winners from the USA and ASIA awards and if you have a chance, please do take a look. I promised myself I’d move on from talking about the weather, but if it's as bad where you are as it is here then really it's a perfect day to catch up on some blogs! We’ve had a really busy year but we’ve had so much fun that it’s flown by! I’d also like to give a brief mention to the Global Green Beauty Awards, definitely my personal favourite! We had an amazing response to the awards and were so impressed at the quality of the entries as well the levels which companies are going to to help the environment! Honestly, things are progressing so quickly and the benchmark is getting pushed higher and higher! Anyway, that’s it from me for this year but I’ll be back in January with lots of exciting news, I’m looking forward to Christmas but can’t wait for 2022 too! Happy Christmas everybody Dan Are you ready for an incredible 2022 beauty awards? 2022 Global Makeup Awards open January 6 Hi everyone!
It's Dominique here - I know you are all looking forward to Danny's blogs but this is just a quick shout out about dates for 2022 and then it will be back to Danny's beauty awards blogs again! It's been another long and crazy year, and I think we're all feeling that this is how it's going to be for the foreseeable.... but I wanted to reach out to all our brands and readers and say thank you for what has been another incredible year. 2021 saw our biggest beauty awards year yet, with a massive 5 beauty awards completed. We saw the Global Makeup Awards for the UK, Asia, USA and now we are just closing up Scandinavia which will be announced on 20th December. We also saw in the Summer our biggest awards: The Global Green Beauty Awards. We have seen so much determination from all brands, big and small, to create, innovate and bring a smile to people's faces with new and incredible beauty launches. This also meant that we had an incredible 5 magazines launched in 2021 in our Global Makeup Magazine. It has been great seeing this magazine take off this last year, and promote brands in a bigger, more visual and shareable way. We hope the content has provided useful to all our beauty brands - and that all our beauty readers have loved finding more information on our favourite Gold, Silver and Bronze Winners. We can't wait for the magazine to continue next year. Next year, we will be squeezing our regional Global Makeup Awards together for Asia, UK and USA and they will all open on 6th January 2022. (The Scandi region will continue to be held at the end of the year). This year has been a bit different again for everyone, but I really truly hope and wish everyone an incredible Christmas this year and a strong, fit, healthy, happy and prosperous 2022. Please do also pop us a follow on instagram to keep up to date with all our awards dates throughout the year, and see some mentions of some of our favourite beauty brands. Hugs and love Dominique Experience gift ideas for Christmas - favourites from the Global Makeup Awards team Hi again!
So, my last blog was about Christmas gift ideas and the one before that was about grabbing bargains during the Black Friday Sales. Today though, I want to think about alternatives to consumerism! Can we give gifts without purchasing products? I think we can and I’d like to share some of my own ideas while encouraging you to suggest your own! They could have just occurred to you which is great or maybe you have a tried and tested method that you’re happy to share! So, the first ideas which spring to my mind do still involve parting with some cash! But don’t worry, I have some more creative ideas which won’t cost you much and might give an even more memorable experience! My first idea is a trip Ice-Skating! It’s Christmassy, fun and a day out you’ll never forget! Yet it’s so easy for the Christmas period to go by without a trip! At the ice-rink in Greenwich, London prices are from £15 for adults and £8.50 for children! And don’t worry that you might not be able to do it! Almost no-one can! But, if you really enjoy it you never know, you could end up going throughout the year then really impressing your friends next Christmas! If you don’t fancy ice-skating then perhaps a trip to the theatre would make a special day out! Personally, I’m pretty jealous that my Global MakeUp Awards colleague Joanna is booked to see Frozen - The Musical with her family just after New Year! That looks like it’s going to be great! Or, and this is a little bit more for the grown-ups, you could take a loved one to see Moulin Rouge. Of course over Christmas we are spoilt for choice when it comes to Theatre shows so even if those aren’t your bag you’re bound to find something you and your friends/family will love! However, personally I’m not going to the Theatre this Christmas. My present to my son is tickets to the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in London next June! He’s really excited but it's a long time to wait! I’m a fan too (what a coincidence!!!) so I’m also looking forward to the show, especially after the last two years where we’ve had such a drought of live music opportunities. It's really one of my favourite things to do but I heard Damon Albarn being interviewed on the radio a few days ago and he expects most musicians to be squeezing 3 years worth of touring into one year in 2022 so I’m going to save my money for some shows! And this brings us to free ideas! Well obviously days out to the museums in London are always a great shout but how about some winter picnics and hikes! Also, I love finding small local festivals and concerts which don’t come with the price tag of big American music acts as well as being really fun and intimate affairs! So, those are my ideas! But what are yours??? Please let me know! Ciao for now! Dan |
Danny's updates on the beauty awardsRead more about the great brands who win the Global Makeup Awards and Global Green Beauty Awards. Mostly written by Dan in Lake Garda, Italy! Submit Press Release?
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