In The Know is proud to celebrate the brands, products and people making an impact. Our 2021 Beauty Impact Award winners are products that are ethically created, use clean ingredients, feature inclusive shade ranges, promote accessibility and more.
Here’s the truth: There are a lot of beauty products out on the market. Nowadays, you may not want to weed through all the ads and hearsay to know what products are actually worth it and which are all hoopla. It’s been a busy year in beauty — from the increase of celebrity-driven product launches to the very real, very personal conversations around race and representation.
Despite 2020’s challenges, there are still brands that left an impact on the industry. Not just for a better today, but for a better tomorrow. Today and every day, we celebrate these brands. After all, we know beauty has the power to change the world. We’re not skin deep — we’re going deeper than that.
Reader’s Choice | Clean & Ethical | Gen Z
Small Business | Accessibility | Changemakers
Best Skin Care
A green-toned color corrector, good for redness and best for oily, combo and normal skin.
Best Makeup
A lengthening and volumizing mascara that delivers full volume and limitless length.
Best Hair Care
Briogeo Deep Conditioning Mask
A weekly treatment that repairs dry, damaged and chemically treated hair.
Best Nail
A 3-polish collection of deeply pigmented, high-shine nude shades.
Best Body
A deeply hydrating cream with hyaluronic acid and 3 essential ceramides. Targeted for dry and very dry skin.
Best Brand
A cosmetics brand that produces vibrant and long-lasting makeup products for the eyes, lips and face.
Best Skin Care
A skin care serum that hydrates and soothes with ingredients like aloe vera and green tea.
Best Makeup
A clean, high-pigment satin-matte blush with a buildable, creamy formula.
Best Hair
Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Hair Mask
A 5-in-1 treatment that restores dry, damaged hair and improves hair texture and shine.
Best Body
Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub
A coconut oil and Moroccan rose body scrub that tackles dryness and dullness.
Best Brand
A conscious beauty company that provides skin care products, from moisturizers to cleansers.
Best Skin Care
A topical whipped mask that restores dry, flaky skin while fortifying the skin’s moisture barrier.
Best Makeup
A Tik-Tok-approved mascara that separates and lengthens lashes up to 60%.
Best Hair
A 100% natural, silicone-free multipurpose hair oil that moisturizes, glosses and smoothes the hair.
Best Nails
A refreshing and long-lasting nail polish that gives a salon experience at a fraction of the price.
Best Tool
A 4-in-1 makeup applicator that includes a sponge for concealer and a brush for other products.
Best Skin Care
Non Gender Specific Everything Cleanser
A natural, gentle gel facial cleanser made for all skin types.
Best Makeup
A liquid lip that dries to a matte, weightless and nourishing finish.
Best Hair
Nancy’s Kitchen Miracle Leave-In
A leave-in conditioner made with rice water, fenugreek seeds and avocado oil.
Best Brand
A brand that celebrates South Asian communities through inclusive, vegan-friendly products.
Makeup Brand
An easy-to-hold eyeliner that makes for effortless, accessible application.
Beauty Brand
A Southeast Asian-owned brand focused on highlighting stories and experiences of women of color.
Makeup Brand
Jecca Blac Correct & Conceal Palette
A cruelty-free and vegan cream formula that provides medium-full coverage.
Beauty Brand / Website
A beauty and lifestyle community built by and for the modern woman of color.
Makeup Artist
Amber Amos
A celebrity makeup artist whose clientele include Lil Nas X, Travis Scott, Daniel Kaluuya and more.
Hair Stylist
Kahh Spence
A celebrity hair stylist whose clientele include Kelly Rowland, Kehlani, Ella Mai and more.
Brand Founder
Jenn Chung
A lifestyle entrepreneur who is also the founder of the skin care brand, Embody.
Brand Founder
Maeva Heim
A beautyprenuer and founder of Bread Beauty Supply, a Black-owned natural hair care brand.
Brand Founder
Sharon Chuter
The founder of UOMA Beauty and the #PullUpOrShutUp challenge.
Hair Stylist
Daniel Moon
A celebrity colorist and hair stylist whose clientele includes Kanye West, Madonna, Katy Perry and more.
Model
Yvesmark Chery
A Haitian-American model redefining society’s standards of beauty one photoshoot at a time.
Nupol Kiazolu
A Brooklyn-bred Black Lives Matter activist leading Gen Z in civil rights matters.
YouTuber / Personality
Nyma Tang
A beauty YouTuber whose viral videos around colorism in the beauty industry have sparked tangible change.
