“It’s very intimidating and very inspiring — I’m only 3 years old,” demurred Selena Gomez at the 2023 Beauty Inc Awards last Thursday, of how it felt to be among her fellow award winners at the Rainbow Room in New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
Though the actress, singer and Pete Born Impact Award winner’s color cosmetics brand Rare Beauty may indeed only be three years old, its reach far transcends its age: To date, the brand has raised $12 million of the $100 million it has committed to mental health causes through its Rare Impact Fund, and by the end of 2023, Rare will cross the $300 million sales threshold.
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In a fireside chat with Jenny B. Fine, WWD and Beauty Inc’s executive editor, beauty, Gomez said she feels “humbled by the success” of Rare — a success that, for her, goes beyond creating quality products.
That ethos could also be said of the 27 other award recipients that morning. They commemorated the year’s most innovative launches, meaningful initiatives and brightest changemakers. “We’re back, baby,” exclaimed Jerrod Blandino as he and Too Faced cofounder Jeremy Johnson accepted the Newcomer of the Year Award for their latest venture, color cosmetics brand Polite Society.
Top share spot holder in mass market hair care P&G Beauty accepted the award for Category Builder of the Year for hair care; the Estée Lauder Companies’ historic acquisition of Tom Ford earned the Transformational Deal of the Year award.
Here, inside the festivities.
