The Truth Behind Allure’s Best of Beauty Awards With Jessica Cruel

Jessica Cruel (0:01)

G-L-A-M, Gloss Angeles.

Kirbie Johnson (0:14)

Every year, Allure's Best of Beauty Awards cut through an increasingly crowded and increasingly confusing beauty market to identify the products that are actually worth our attention. But what does it take to earn that little red seal? And how do you narrow down thousands of submissions without losing your mind or your skin barrier? Today, we're joined by Allure Editor-in-Chief Jessica Cruel to look back at three decades of beauty history, take us behind the scenes of how the winners are chosen, and unpack what this year's list reveals about where the industry is headed. Jessica Cruel in the house.

Jessica Cruel (0:45)

Hi, hi. Welcome.

Kirbie Johnson (0:47)

Crazy week for you.

Jessica Cruel (0:48)

Yes. Fashion Week, Best of Beauty Week, and the US Open, which is where I was last night.

I know. The play was not what we wanted. No, it wasn't. But it was a good day out.

Kirbie Johnson (1:00)

Oh my gosh.

Sara Tan (1:01)

A historic day.

Kirbie Johnson (1:02)

Did you see Trinity?

Jessica Cruel (1:04)

I didn't see Trinity. I was looking for her.

Sara Tan (1:06)

Well, she came late.

Kirbie Johnson (1:06)

I love her.

Jessica Cruel (1:07)

Well, maybe that's what happened.

Sara Tan (1:09)

Yeah, because she had to play.

Jessica Cruel (1:10)

You need the support of a good woman.

Sara Tan (1:12)

Well, no. She has been supporting him throughout, but I think she had to play that day.

Jessica Cruel (1:17)

She did and she ran in late, right?

Sara Tan (1:19)

Yeah, but that's probably it.

Jessica Cruel (1:20)

Yeah, I know. And that's okay.

Sara Tan (1:22)

He will be back many times.

Jessica Cruel (1:23)

Yes, he's so young. He's only 23

Sara Tan (1:25)

Tiaffa will be back.

Jessica Cruel (1:26)

We love the two of them.

Sara Tan (1:27)

All our faves.

Jessica Cruel (1:28)

So we're excited for the American Tennis male.

Kirbie Johnson (1:32)

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay, Jess, we want to jump right in. We're going to be talking all about Best of Beauty today, but we want to know what's currently on your face or what are a few products that you are loving and you love to tell people about?

Jessica Cruel (1:45)

You know, it's so funny. People would think this is the easiest question for me. It's actually the hardest.

But I'm pretty boring as far as editors go. I use SK-II Treatment Essence. I'm a big essence girl. And the funny thing about SK-II is I've been literally using it since my baby beauty editor days. When I was an intern and like self-magazine in the beauty closet, I was like, oh, what's this SK-II thing? And I've been using it since then. So almost 20 years.

Sara Tan (2:14)

For a reason.

Jessica Cruel (2:15)

Yes, for a reason. It's so good. Right now, I have the Estee Lauder Double Wear On, which is the Best of Beauty Award winner.

Kirbie Johnson (2:23)

New formula.

Jessica Cruel (2:24)

New formula. Okay.

Kirbie Johnson (2:25)

I love to hear that.

Jessica Cruel (2:27)

And then I have the Danessa Myricks Flushed Blush, which I think can't do any wrong. Danessa is such a sweet human and great friend. And I also have about five red lips that I'm circulating between. I love the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick. I'm not the only person still using Liquid Lipstick. Everybody switched over to Gloss and I was like, no, no, no.

I still want matte.

Kirbie Johnson (2:56)

Yeah.

Jessica Cruel (2:56)

I still want my Liquid Lipstick.

Kirbie Johnson (2:58)

Yes.

Jessica Cruel (2:58)

I love the lip bar. I actually think I'm going to wear the lip bar today. So those are some of the brands that are currently on my face.

Kirbie Johnson (3:04)

We love Melissa Butler.

Jessica Cruel (3:06)

Yes. She's so sweet.

Kirbie Johnson (3:08)

And I love watching her on social too. She's constantly talking about the state of affairs, business, what's happening.

Jessica Cruel (3:14)

And you know, I love a woman who talks about the money. Yes.

Kirbie Johnson (3:17)

Oh, same.

Jessica Cruel (3:18)

I'm like, tell me more.

Kirbie Johnson (3:20)

Please, please.

Sara Tan (3:21)

Okay, wait. Anything for your hair that you want to shout out? Oh, hair.

Jessica Cruel (3:25)

So I pretty much use Secret top to bottom. Girl. I know.

Sara Tan (3:31)

Miss Tia's got inner chokehold.

Jessica Cruel (3:32)

Inner chokehold. You know, as a journalist, as someone who's been doing this a long time, as someone with, you know, 4B divorce-y hair, I was skeptical. I went to the first event like, mm-hmm.