Second Cohort of The Business of Beauty Global Awards Winners Announced

Business of Fashion

4 days ago

NAPA, CALIFORNIA — Swedish brands Manasi 7 and Unifrom and UK-based deodorant maker Akt London are among the winners for the second annual Global Beauty Awards.
Announced during the closing gala at The Business of Beauty Global Forum in Napa Valley, California on Tuesday, the winners were chosen by a jury that included Ali Goldstein, president of mergers and acquisitions, L'Oréal USA; Carolyn Bojanowski, executive vice president of merchandising at Sephora; Robin Tsai, general partner at VMG Partners; Marianna Hewitt, co-founder of Summer Fridays and Isamaya Ffrench, makeup artist and founder of Isamaya Beauty, alongside The Business of Fashion's editor in chief and chief executive Imran Amed, and Priya Rao, executive editor of The Business of Beauty.
The Global Beauty Awards doubled in size this year, with awards given on two tracks, one for emerging brands generating under $2 million in annual revenue, and another for breakthrough businesses with up to $10 million in annual revenue. The winners were selected from an application pool spanning 17 countries on five continents, with the jury searching for lean, agile companies offering unique products, and with room to grow.
In the Emerging Track, Swedish makeup brand Manasi 7 received the Creative Execution award, British personal care maker Commune won the Positive Impact award, while Unifrom, a Stockholm-based perfumer won the Business Innovation award. The jury were impressed with Manasi 7's minimalist aesthetic and multi-use products, wowed by Commune's nose-to-tail refillable system, and Unifrom's clever deployment of a rollerball format to make fragrance oils accessible and modern.
In the Breakthrough Track, UK deodorant maker Akt London won the Creative Execution award, prestige skincare line Yse Beauty won the Business Innovation award, and Ruka, a hair extension company, won the Positive Impact award. Ruka was celebrated for the unique and proprietary synthetic hair it has created, which is more easily styled and dyed than other kinds, while Akt London impressed the judges with the functionality and modern texture of its deodorant. Judges saw that Yse Beauty was moving into a clear white space by offering prestige skincare to women over 40 without relying on luxury codes, and making common skin concerns a tentpole of its marketing.
For any hopeful entrants for next year's edition, more information will follow later this year.
The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 is made possible in part by our partners Front Row, Unilever Prestige, Citi, McKinsey & Company, Getty Images, Grown Alchemist and Stanly Ranch and our awards partners L'Oréal Groupe and Sephora. If you are interested in learning about partnership opportunities, please contact us here.