Self 2009 Heathy Beauty Awards

For 10 years, Self Magazine has been publishing an annual Healthy Beauty Awards article detailing the best beauty buys that have debuted in the past year. This year, 1,370 readers of Self were sent various brands and types of beauty products, from drug store to high end, to critique and review. The end result? A Healthy Beauty Guide detailing 86 products that rated the highest with readers. Some of these products will come as no surprise, at all. Others, well, the same can't be said. I suppose some of the items may be the best of what debuted this year. It would be interesting to see an ALL TIME BEST list, as I'm sure there are products on the market that are far better than some awarded here.



Cosmetic Standouts
From Self.com


Best Primer
Prescriptives Flawless Face Primer, $28

Testers loved the lightweight feel of this premakeup base, which uses vitamin C to fade spots over time and silicone to improve your tone immediately. "It controlled T-zone oiliness, kept my makeup on longer than usual and made my skin tone more even—all pluses!"

Best Tinted Moisturizer
Smashbox Cosmetics Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer, $30
Teeming with skin-protecting peptides and free radical–repelling antioxidants, this antiager got two thumbs-up. "I rarely find a base that provides enough color without feeling like a mask. This one does both." Tester tip: "Pat it on with a sponge to increase coverage."

Best All-Around Foundation
Lorac Natural Performance Foundation, $35
"It hid my flaws, felt ultra-silky and kept my skin hydrated," one user reported. The unscented foundation also scored high points for its twist-up pump—"no messiness and no lid to lose."

Best Foundation With SPF
Lancôme Paris Ageless Minérale SPF 21, $40
Fans fell for this makeup, which calms skin with aloe and vitamin E while concealing imperfections. "The powder was fine, not chalky," one reader said. "It took only a few swipes for a flattering shimmer that gave my skin radiance and hid wrinkles."

Best Antiaging Foundation
CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Foundation, $14
Users' compliments resembled ads as they went on and on about this cream-to-liquid's "beautiful, smooth finish" and "flawless coverage." Collagen-enhancing niacinamides (from Olay's Regenerist serum) "moisturized skin and evened texture, too."

Best Mattifying Foundation
Rimmel London Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation, $7
Accolades poured in for this blendable base, which controls oil with salicylic acid but doesn't clog pores and makes skin look "perfect." "The powdery finish kept my T-zone from getting shiny morning to night."

Best Loose Powder
DiorSkin Nude Fresh Glow Powder SPF 10, $45
This light-as-air mineral powder contains sericin, a silk-derived ingredient that regulates hydration. "Its cooling effect felt glorious on my dry skin," one tester said. "It filled in every pore instantly yet was still incredibly breathable."

Best Mattifying Powder
Jane Iredale Brush-Me Matte, $46
Made with rice starch, this chemical-free shine stopper "goes on creamy and light but doesn't cake at all," one voter said. The compact packaging (the brush is self-contained) "is great for tossing in your bag for quick, on-the-go touch-ups."

Best Concealer
Almay Smart Shade Concealer, $9
Readers cheered for the makeup's ability to become the color of their skin tone after applying it (rather than having to mix six shades to customize an ideal color). "The creamy lotion was dry to the touch, and it did not get flaky or goopy."

Best Bronzer
Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer, $48
With "tiny flecks of shimmer," this sheer powder in a sleek compact won over several followers, who touted its "natural, smooth bronzing results that aren't intense or streaky." No Oompa-Loompa stripes here!

Best Powder Blush
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush, $22
Testers appreciated that the hue packed a punch. "I used only a little, and the color was just right on skin. It gives you a healthy flush and has a believable amount of illuminators that look sexy, not seventh grade."

Best Cream Blush
Estée Lauder Signature Satin Creme Blush, $26
"The texture is like cashmere for your cheeks, and the pigments were rich and long-lasting but not too bright," one voter gushed. More? "It's simple to remove if you accidentally apply too much of it!"

Best Lipliner
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil, $16
Liners can feel stiff, but readers were impressed by the "chalk-free, no-smudge" option that counts on hydrating jojoba oil and vitamin E to condition lips. "The consistency was fabulous: smooth enough to almost feel like a balm, yet thick enough to keep my lipstick from disappearing on me."

Best Lip Stain
CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain, $7
Eating an apple or smooching your sweetie is no match for this tint. The water-based color in a felt-tip pen saturates lips for all-day coverage. "I want it in several shades," one satisfied tester said.

Best Lipstick
Shiseido The Makeup Perfect Rouge Lipstick, $25
With an "intensely creamy" color, the formula uses dimethicone to soften lips. "It went on so smoothly," a tester said.

Best Lip Gloss
JK Jemma Kidd Lip ID Colour Adapt Gloss, $20
Designed to develop gradually and create the ideal shade for your skin tone, this gloss won over skeptics. "I'm a lipstick girl, but it converted me."

Best Lip Balm
Nivea A Kiss of Moisture Hydrating Lip Care SPF 4, $3
Devotees liked that this shea butter–infused stick "hydrates lips, giving them shine."

Best Pencil Eyeliner
Benefit Bad Gal Liner Waterproof Pencil, $20
Reviewers touted the liner's jet-black shade and that "you can put it on thick or thin." One added: "I could cry through The Notebook without raccoon eyes!"

Best Liquid Eyeliner
MAC Penultimate Eye Liner, $17
Precise application earned points. "It has the same thin edge I like from pencils but in a liquid form that doesn't fade," one tester said.

Best Powder Eyeshadow
Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quad, $10
This hybrid is half cream base, half color and full-on beautiful, readers swooned. It houses two shades with "goofproof instructions" so you know what to swipe where.

Best Cream Eyeshadow
CK Calvin Klein Beauty Tempting Glimmer Crème Eyeshadow, $18
This cream "covers lids evenly" and has color "that doesn't crease and remains vivid all day." Tester tip: "Sweep it on with a brush for a high-drama effect."

Best Brow Shaper
Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer, $9
Fans were hooked on this defining pen for its two ends (one tinted wax, one highlighter). "The thick formula hangs on."

Best Palette
Sonia Kashuk Smokey Eye Palette, $20
Scoring a glam-bam eye couldn't be easier with this kit's how-to cards. "I enjoyed the combo of sheer and opaque colors."

Best Thickening Mascara
Stila Convertible Mascara, $22
Voters applauded this "smudgeproof" mascara's two brushes for "fattening every lash."

Best Volumizing Mascara
Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara, $14
Surrender your eyelash curler: This wand "stretches lashes into a striking bend," one user said.

Best Eco-Friendly Mascara
Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara, $10
This paraben-free mascara "lifts lashes without clumping," one reviewer reported.

Best Lengthening Mascara
Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto Mascara, $9
"Two coats made my lashes appear longer than usual but not outrageously fake," one tester said.

Best Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color, $5
Voters dubbed this lacquer the quickest drying. "I could text again after two minutes."

To read the top choices for skin, body, and hair, go to Self.com.