How We Select the Best Beauty Products of the Year

There are thousands of beauty products already on the market and new ones launching every day. For our annual Good Housekeeping Beauty Awards program, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s goal is to highlight the best-performing skincare products, haircare products, and makeup products, as well as the best beauty tools, professional treatments and beauty technology on the market.

How are the products for Good Housekeeping’s Beauty Awards tested?

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab evaluates the formulation, claims and any company or clinical data behind each beauty product. In the next stage, the products with the highest potential are assessed for efficacy and performance using consumer and/or Lab testing with state-of-the-art scientific instruments.

What are the launch date requirements for beauty products to be considered?

We will consider beauty products that have launched at any time, but they must be permanently available through April and May 2024 to be considered. For products launching after the submission deadline, please contact ghbeautyawards@hearst.com regarding final packaging availability and arrangement for possible later product submission.

What beauty product categories are eligible to be submitted?

The GH Beauty Lab will consider face and body skincare products, haircare and styling products, makeup and nail products, beauty tools, fragrances, teeth whitening products, beauty technology, and professional beauty services/treatments (including spas) for the GH Beauty Awards.

Products that currently hold the Good Housekeeping Seal with a license active through June 30th, 2024 may be exempt from the entry fee. Please contact Good Housekeeping Seal Project Manager Tamara Smith (Tamara.Smith@hearst.com) to confirm eligibility. Products that are Good Housekeeping Beauty Lab test winners or past Good Housekeeping Beauty Award winners will automatically be considered for the Beauty Awards and do not need to enter or pay a fee.

How can I submit beauty products to be reviewed for the Beauty Awards?

You must submit an entry and payment form and one sample of each product (if applicable) in order to be considered for the Good Housekeeping Beauty Awards. More information about submitting product samples is available below and via the entry form link. If you have multiple products to submit, you must fill out a separate form for each product. You can then pay for all submissions under one payment.

Submission Instructions:

1. Click this link to be brought to the platform where you will be entering your submissions.
2. Click “create an account and apply.” Create your account by entering your email and a password.
3. Follow instructions for submitting your product. Please input all required fields.
4. Click “add another submission” at the payment screen if you’d like to submit another product. It will total your amount at the end so you can pay all at once. (The fee is $695 per individual product; one fee covers all the shades or scent variations of a product, if applicable.)
5. Once finished, you will receive an email confirming your submission and a link to edit and update it if needed. (For help with issues regarding the submission and payment platform, please contact alec.scherma@hearst.com.)

Is there a limit to the number of products I can submit?

No, you may submit as many products as you’d like. Note that you will have to fill out a new application form and pay a separate submission fee for each product entered.

How many samples will need to be provided?

Please send one product sample for initial review. Note the following exceptions:

• For products in the makeup category (mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, eye shadows, blushes, etc.), submit seven samples for each entry.
• For foundations, tinted moisturizers, BB and CC creams, and concealers, submit two sets of the entire shade range.
• For professional services and treatments, no product submission is necessary. After the initial evaluation, the GH Beauty Lab will reach out to schedule appointments/treatments as needed.

Products samples should be sent to the address below for the prescreening process:

Good Housekeeping Beauty Awards
Attention: Sabina Wizemann
Good Housekeeping Institute – Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab
29th Floor
300 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Additional samples (upwards of five) may be requested for further evaluation if the product submission passes the initial round of screening. You will be contacted directly with all necessary shipment and deadline information if required.

When are the winners announced?

The Good Housekeeping Beauty Award winners are published in the May print issue of Good Housekeeping each year and online at goodhousekeeping.com.

What is the deadline for submission?