Overwhelmed by a plethora of beauty products, one can be baffled when finding a high-performance facial cleanser, whether to lather up with an affordable whip foam or invest in a pricey liquid formula.
The pursuit for complexion products is even more perplexing, having to consider the myriad of primers, foundations and powders along with multitasking BB and CC creams.
The cornucopia of cosmetics, however, has been shortlisted by Marie Claire Best Beauty Awards 2016, with the 40 product winners announced last Wednesday night, at the ballroom of Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.
The local version of the prestigious French cosmetics accolade is in its sixth year, with the award presentation hosted by Marie Claire Thailand and Central/Zen department store.
"Based on the same comprehensive set of criteria as the original Prix d'Excellence de la Beaute, the judging committee had to evaluate 748 entries within three months," said the magazine's editor-in-chief, Piyada Nanta.
"The 15 judges had to be committed to testing and comparing them, with the unbiased scoring system giving five finalists and the winner in each product category. This guarantees the credibility and quality of the awardees, which in turn, stimulates the cosmetic industry's R&D to offer superior beauty products that serve consumers' needs."
Of the 40 awards, four were determined by popular vote from Marie Claire's readers while another four Insider's Choice were based on a blind test. Skincare for Men awards recognised the best cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen that males basically require for their grooming routine.
The fairer sex are unlikely to be minimalists though, with their sophisticated beauty routine involving many more items, leading to the addition of new product categories to this year's awards.
Cosmetic junkies are tempted to keep up the latest trends updated by magazines, bloggers and celebrity influencers, or merely by word of mouth -- with the enthusiasts checking out the recommended must-haves. Big spenders may well find themselves with a redundancy of make-up, skincare and hair products that may not work their magic as claimed.
"The results of Marie Claire Best Beauty Awards 2016 will help women save time and money as well as from making mistakes purchasing cosmetics. This has become even more relevant with the increasing number of beauty brands and products that have consumers spoiled for choice," said Piyada.
"The Think Smart, Look Amazing Marie Claire women, however, select the best beauty solutions according to their needs, based on quality and cost-effectiveness, without wasting money on hoarding trending products."
Ongoing trends include micellar cleansing water, cushion compacts, treatment masks and non-sticky lip oil.
"Women cannot wait and want express beauty, leading to product trends, such as the treatment mask which is one of the product categories of the Marie Claire Best Beauty," noted Pilan Sriveerakul, who has been in the judging committee since the launch of the awards in Thailand.
"Over the years, the country's competitive beauty business constantly attracts newcomers. Consumers may not be aware or are reluctant to check out their products, but the judges have done that for them, with a couple of this year's surprising winners coming from the new brands," said the beauty expert.
Besides the densely-occupied cosmetic departments, drug stores and beauty retailers, such as Sephora and Eveandboy, stock a wide variety of enticing product to expand the options.
"In the past, Thais may have to go aboard to buy these items. But today, they can easily buy all kinds of cosmetics, not to mention the online shopping. However, consumers have to make smart choices according to their beauty budget, with the Marie Claire Best Beauty serving as a primary screening," Pilan said.
The countless cosmetic reviews on the internet may to a certain extent serve as a screening. But the Marie Claire Best Beauty is a more systemic review involving judges of different ages and professions, including dermatologist and anti-ageing specialist Dr Thidakarn Rujipattanakul.
"Unlike their mothers, who tended to stick to one skincare brand, today's women may be cross-brand users because they want to literally try everything, with the abundance of beauty products," said Dr Thidakarn. "The formulas from different brands are not designed to work together, with the probability of synergistic or antagonistic ingredients causing skin problems."
The dermatologist had to test the over 700 entries herself, which had her study the products in detail, especially the ingredients. It kept her abreast with the latest technologies, especially when scoring the Special Awards Hi-Tech Heroes.
"I have to constantly update on beauty trends to know what consumers are using. Some patients show me the cosmetics they have been using, of which the formulas may have caused their skin condition such as acne or allergy," she said. "Consumers, particularly those with sensitive skin, have to read the product label in choosing beauty products that work best for each individual."
Read about the winners of Marie Claire Best Beauty Awards 2016 in the magazine's August issue.
Most Popular Vote in Service: Chanel cosmetic counter. Chanel (Thailand)
Marie Claire Thailand editor-in-chief Piyada Nanta. Marie Claire Thailand
Pilan Sriveerakul. Marie Claire Thailand
