Allure’s Best of Beauty: Live Returns October 17 With Expert Activations

Allure’s Best of Beauty: Live returns on Saturday, October 17 as the publication marks three decades of recognizing excellence in the beauty industry. The event, now in its fourth year, opens its doors at Halo in New York City—a significantly larger space than previous venues, designed to accommodate the expanded day’s programming. Tickets became available today for both daytime and evening sessions, with strong demand typically characterizing this annual gathering.

The celebration coincides with the September 17 release of Allure’s Best of Beauty issue, the publication’s most anticipated annual edition. Editors have spent the last 12 months rigorously testing and retesting products that ultimately earned recognition across every major category. This iterative approach ensures that each award reflects genuine performance rather than initial impressions.

319 Award Winners Selected From Rigorous Testing

The award process relies on months of hands-on evaluation by Allure’s testing team. Editors examined thousands of products across multiple iterations before settling on their final selections. This year’s 319 award-winning items span lipsticks, scrubs, shampoos, perfumes, and additional categories, each chosen for performance and relevance in 2026’s beauty landscape.

The specificity of the testing protocol distinguishes Best of Beauty from other industry accolades. Rather than relying on submissions or marketing materials alone, Allure’s team applies standardized evaluation across similar products, ensuring consistency in their recommendations. A lipstick nominated for an award undergoes the same rigorous assessment as a shampoo or skincare treatment, with testers examining efficacy, texture, longevity, and value. Every winning product underwent repeated testing to confirm that performance matched the initial assessment, eliminating the risk of anomalous results influencing the final list.

A Milestone Anniversary Shapes This Year’s Scale

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Celebrating three decades of the Best of Beauty program shaped the ambition for 2026’s event. Organizers expanded the physical footprint at Halo to accommodate significantly more stations, demonstrations, and attendee activities than in previous years. The larger venue allows the team to offer more personalized experiences without the crowding that can compromise smaller events, ensuring that attendees receive the individual attention that makes the day memorable.

The 30-year milestone also meant elevating the program’s roster. The organizers brought together dermatologists, celebrity hairstylists, makeup artists, and beauty professionals at the height of their careers, alongside the brands backing the initiative to create a full day of immersive experiences rather than a single product showcase. This commitment to scale reflects the publication’s confidence in the event’s draw and its responsibility to the community of beauty enthusiasts who have made Best of Beauty a cornerstone of their annual calendar.

On-Site Experiences and Professional Consultations

Guests at Best of Beauty: Live can access a variety of stations and services throughout the day. The programming includes skin assessments performed by dermatologists and licensed estheticians, mini-manicures executed by nail specialists, and professional hair consultations with stylists on staff. The event features both daytime and evening sessions, allowing attendees to choose their preferred timing and plan their day around which services and demonstrations interest them most.

Amazon Beauty Makeup Artist Consultations

Amazon Beauty will staff a dedicated station offering personalized makeup artist consultations, a service that proved popular at previous editions. Attendees can receive guidance tailored to their specific skin tone, face shape, and makeup preferences from working professionals in a one-on-one format. These consultations go beyond product recommendations, addressing technique, color theory, and the ways that individual makeup choices can enhance one’s features and align with personal style.

Wella Professionals Styling Treatments

Wella Professionals returns as a sponsor with a dedicated styling area focused on dry hair techniques and styling strategies. Professionals at the station will refresh attendees’ existing styles and offer touch-ups, covering everything from root concealment to texture work and volume enhancement. The service allows guests to experience professional-grade styling with products from the award-winning brand, often revealing techniques that attendees can replicate at home using the same product line.

Anastasia Soare’s Live Brow Artistry Masterclass

Anastasia Soare, founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills, will lead a live demonstration on brow artistry. The masterclass format allows participants to observe professional technique and ask questions about their own brow concerns during the session. The interactive nature of the demonstration sets it apart from pre-recorded tutorials, giving attendees real-time access to an industry leader and the opportunity to understand the reasoning behind specific technique choices. Soare’s brow expertise has shaped the industry standard for arch placement and fullness.

Highlights From Last Year’s Event

The 2025 edition of Best of Beauty: Live introduced several experiences that became standout moments for attendees. Makeup artist Danessa Myricks delivered a live makeup tutorial, allowing guests to observe her technique and the specific products she selected for her demonstration. The real-time walkthrough proved more educational than static product displays, as viewers could see application order, layering strategies, and product performance in action. Myricks’ tutorial covered foundational concepts while showcasing the award-winning products featured in the event’s product bags.

Celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak demonstrated a styling technique that would gain mainstream attention months later when Anne Hathaway adopted it publicly. The “braid facelift” hack—a styling method designed to subtly lift the face through strategic hair placement and tension—generated significant interest among attendees, many of whom attempted the technique immediately during the event. The coverage from Hathaway’s adoption proved the technique’s staying power beyond the one-day event, validating the early interest from Best of Beauty: Live guests.

The cover star experience added glamour to the proceedings and created interactive moments for attendees. Supermodels Anok Yai and Alex Consani posed for selfies with guests, creating photo opportunities and memorable moments that extended beyond the event’s technical programming. Wella Professionals also provided on-site curl services and styling consultations, and select guests experienced VIP neuromodulator appointments administered by licensed professionals, giving attendees access to treatments typically reserved for dermatology clinics.

Exclusive Products Inside the Goodie Bags

Premium ticket options include curated bags filled with hundreds of dollars’ worth of full-size and sample products from award-winning brands. These bags represent a significant value proposition, as attendees receive products they might otherwise purchase individually over several months. The bag contents alone can justify the ticket cost for product enthusiasts who routinely purchase from multiple brands.

The contents typically reflect the award categories, ensuring a representative cross-section of that year’s winning products. Attendees prize these bags both for their monetary value and for the discovery opportunity—many include items from emerging brands or lesser-known releases within established companies. The Best of Beauty Live bag has developed a reputation as one of the most anticipated perks of attendance, with many guests describing the unboxing experience as one of the event’s highlights. The full-size and sample combination allows attendees to try products before committing to repurchase.

Event Details and Ticket Information

Best of Beauty: Live tickets are available now, with both daytime and evening session options at Halo in New York City on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Given the expanded venue size and the milestone year programming, organizers anticipate strong demand. Previous years have seen tickets sell out before the event date, making early purchase advisable for those interested in attendance.

The event is presented by Amazon Beauty and Allē, with support from Beauty of Joseon, BOTOX® Cosmetic, DiamondGlow®, EltaMD Skin Care, JUVÉDERM®, SkinMedica®, and Wella Professionals. These partnerships underpin the professional services and product sampling available throughout the day, transforming the event into a comprehensive celebration of the industry’s leading names and products. The combination of editorial expertise, professional talent, and brand support creates an experience that appeals to both beauty professionals and enthusiasts seeking education alongside product discovery.