Cosmopolitan’s Holy Grail Beauty Awards 2023: The Ultimate Guide to the Year’s Best Products

Discover the editor-approved, must-have beauty products that have truly earned their status as 2023 icons.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Oct 2, 2025

Discover the editor-approved, must-have beauty products that have truly earned their status as 2023 icons.

Cosmopolitan’s Holy Grail Beauty Awards 2023: The Editor-Curated Icons

The annual Cosmopolitan Holy Grail Beauty Awards have become the industry’s gold standard, handpicking the past year’s most innovative, effective, and beloved products across all beauty categories. After months of testing hundreds of entries, the Cosmopolitan beauty team narrowed the field and selected only those products that deliver visible results, clever innovation, and instant appeal. If you want to know where to invest for real results, this is the definitive list to shop from.

The Selection Process: What Makes a ‘Holy Grail’?

Cosmopolitan’s editors, along with panels of dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, and estheticians, tested over 600 products from leading and emerging brands. Their criteria included efficacy, ingredient safety, formula innovation, packaging, ethics, and planet-friendly practices. This rigorous vetting ensures that each award winner is truly deserving of its ‘Holy Grail’ status—meaning it works for real people, under real conditions, with real results.

Efficacy: Only products producing immediate and noticeable results made the cut.
Innovation: From new ingredients to unique application methods, creativity is key.
Safety: Dermatologist and chemist reviews guarantee skin-friendly, safe formulas.
Ethical & Clean: Preference given to brands minimizing harmful chemicals and prioritizing sustainability.
Universal Appeal: Products that work across diverse skin tones, hair types, and lifestyles scored highest.

Top Haircare Winners: Shampoo, Oils, Masks & Styling

Best Hair Shampoo

L’Oréal Professionnel Série Expert Metal Detox Shampoo earned top honors for its breakthrough Glicoamine-infused formula that eliminates metals from hair fibers, resulting in reduced breakage and reliable, vibrant color. For those coloring or lightening hair, this technology is a game-changer—preventing breakage and preserving true, glossy hues.

Winner	Main Benefit	Who Is It For?
L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Shampoo	Neutralizes metals, prevents breakage, improves color	Color-treated, lightened, and damaged hair
Kérastase Genesis Bain Hydra-Fortifiant	Strengthens & hydrates fragile, weakened hair prone to loss	Fine, weak, or falling hair

Best Hair Oils & Masks

Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Originale: Luxurious beautifying oil with camellia and marula oils. Seals split ends, smooths the hair surface, and offers frizz protection for up to 92 hours. Delivers instant softness and enviable shine to all hair types.
L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Anti-Deposit Protector Oil: Highly concentrated, removes metal particles, combats breakage, dullness, and provides heat protection up to 230°C. Ideal for color and chemically treated hair.
Kérastase Masque Chroma Filler: Creamy mask for colored hair with high porosity, fortifies and fills the cortex for strength and resilience. Perfect for sensitive, colored, and mid-to-thick hair types.

Best Hair Styling Products

Dry Texturizing Spray: Adds instant, tousled volume without crunch or residue—ideal for modern, effortless looks.
Heat-Protectant Sprays: Essential for safe styling and heat tools, preventing damage while smoothing and adding shine to any hair type.

Skincare Superstars: Cleansers, Moisturizers, Serums & SPF

If there’s one category that’s exploded in innovation, it’s skincare. Editors focused on efficacious products that work for a wide variety of skin types, especially those offering gentle performance, proven results, and clean formulations.

Best Cleanser

Gentle Gel Cleansers: Removed impurities without stripping moisture, balancing efficacy and skin comfort.

Best Moisturizer

Hydration-Boosting Creams: Lightweight, deeply nourishing formulas—with probiotics and peptides—won for their plumping and soothing effects.
Rich Creams for Dry Skin: Editor favorites contained barrier-repairing ceramides and niacinamide for long-lasting smoothness and protection.

Best Serums

Vitamin C Elixirs: Awarded for fast absorption and visible radiance boosts, targeting uneven tone and dullness.
Retinol & Peptide Blends: High-performing formulas with minimum irritation, supporting smoother texture and fine line reduction.

Best Sunscreen

Broad Spectrum SPF 50+: Lightweight formulas that don’t leave a white cast but provide strong protection and skin benefits, such as antioxidants and hydration.

Makeup Must-Haves: Foundations, Lipsticks, Mascaras & More

This year’s makeup winners combine wearability, inclusivity, and instant wow-factor. Editors valued formulas that performed all day, across diverse skin tones, and elevated both everyday wear and statement looks.

Best Foundation

Long-Wear Liquid Foundations: Praised for seamless blending, range of shades, and all-day coverage that resists sweat and humidity.
Tinted Moisturizers: Editors loved multitasking formulas with buildable coverage, glow-enhancing pigments, and skincare benefits.

Best Concealer

High-coverage, yet featherlight concealers, praised for flexible coverage and non-cakey finish.

Best Mascara

Lengthening and Volumizing Mascaras: Instant drama with smudge-proof wear.

Best Lip Product

Bold, non-drying Matte Lipsticks and glossy, hydrating Tinted Balms: Favored for long wear and wide shade ranges.

Best Blush & Highlighter

Cream and powder blushes, awarded for blendable, true-to-skin pigments and natural radiance.
Pearlescent highlighters catering to both soft glow and intense shine lovers.

Nail Awards: Game-Changers and Clean Innovations

With modern formulas that merge performance, color payoff, and ingredient consciousness, nail care was a highlight of this year’s awards.

Best Manicure Game Changer

Manucurist Green Flash™ LED Gel Polish: Won for its fast application and salon-worthy finish. Evaluated by 29 beauty editors and over 200 testers, it revolutionized at-home gel manicures with easy use and a planet-friendly formula.

Best Clean Beauty Nail Polish

Manucurist Green™ Traditional Polishes: Judged by cosmetic chemists and dermatologists, this full range was recognized for science-backed formulas that prioritize health and performance. Shades like Red Cherry and Dark Pansy stood out for their vibrant payoff and resilience.

Best Nail Polish Remover

Green Flash™ Gentle Glitter Remover and Gel Polish Remover: Acetone-free formulas excelled, combining effectiveness with kindness to nails and skin.
Nail Polish Removing Oil: A nourishing alternative that’s gentle, moisturizing, and efficient.

Best Nail Brand for Children

Petite Manucurist Range: Water-based, non-toxic, and brilliantly colored polishes for kids—winning for safety and mess-free fun. Cute shades like Joy the Bear Cub and Rosie the Rabbit captured the judges’ attention.

Clean Beauty & Ethical Innovations

The push for cleaner, safer beauty was at an all-time high. Products awarded in these categories impressed with minimal ingredients, earth-friendly packaging, and transparent sourcing.

Manucurist Green Range: Certified by top industry experts for clean formulas free from risky additives.
Eco-friendly Packaging: Recyclable components recognized, alongside refillable options and low-waste system advances.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How are Cosmopolitan’s Holy Grail Beauty Award winners chosen?

A team of 29 editors, along with expert panels of dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, and estheticians, personally test hundreds of products in real-life scenarios for weeks or months. They look for visible results, safety, and appeal across skin/hair types and tones.

Can these products be used on sensitive skin?

Many of this year’s winning products were selected for their gentle, low-irritant formulas and dermatologist recommendations. Look for the ‘clean’ or ‘gentle’ tags when shopping.

Why are clean beauty and sustainability important in these awards?

Cosmopolitan prioritized products that lessen environmental impact, use nontoxic ingredients, and support ethical business practices. It’s about safer formulas for you—and the planet.

What sets the ‘Manicure Game Changer’ apart from regular gel polish?

Manucurist Green Flash™ LED Gel Polish is quicker and easier to apply than traditional gel polish, uses gentler ingredients, and offers professional results at home with less damage upon removal.

How can I find shades and products that work for my skin tone?

The editors tested products on a wide range of real users and favored those with inclusive shade ranges and adaptable formulas. You’ll find options for every need, from foundations to nail colors.

Editor’s Tips: Making the Most of Holy Grail Winners

Always patch-test new skincare before full application—a must, even for award-winning products.
Mix and match hero items—award-winners are designed to layer well and complement each other for powerhouse routines.
For hair and nails, invest in the corresponding treatment or remover for optimal results and health preservation.
Keep an eye out for clean, refillable packaging to reduce waste without compromising results.

Why Trust Cosmopolitan’s Picks?

Award-winning products in this guide reflect the expertise of editors, beauty professionals, and real-world testers. Each choice is grounded in science, personal experience, and market innovation—making these winners reliable investments for every beauty enthusiast.

Shop with Confidence

With this year’s list, Cosmopolitan continues to set standards for quality and innovation in the beauty industry. From cult-favorite hair oils to game-changing nail formulas, and skin-perfecting elixirs, these ‘Holy Grail’ winners deliver what modern beauty lovers want: visible results, clean formulas, and versatile performance.

Whether you’re upgrading your routine or seeking your new obsession, Cosmo’s Holy Grail Beauty Awards 2023 offer a proven guide to the best in beauty.

References

Author

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha is a relationships and lifestyle writer with a strong foundation in applied linguistics and certified training in relationship coaching. She brings over five years of writing experience to thebridalbox, crafting thoughtful, research-driven content that empowers readers to build healthier relationships, boost emotional well-being, and embrace holistic living.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete