Every swipe, every review and every vote tells the story of how India shops beauty today. The third edition of the Nykaa Best in Beauty (NBiB) Awards brings that story to life, distilling the choices, aspirations and evolving preferences of millions of beauty consumers into India’s definitive beauty benchmark. More than an annual awards programme, NBiB has grown into one of India’s largest consumer-led beauty awards, offering a definitive pulse on what India is buying, loving and trusting.
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Nykaa Best in Beauty Awards 2026
With over 3.2 million votes cast across 60 award categories and 316 nominees spanning makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, wellness, personal care, bath & body, gifting, and beauty tools, this year’s edition showcased the remarkable breadth and diversity of India’s beauty landscape. The final winners were determined through a combination of consumer participation and evaluation by an esteemed jury, creating a benchmark where consumer conviction meets industry expertise.
Catch all the winners here: Winners
This year’s winners paint a compelling picture of a beauty industry being reshaped by increasingly informed, ingredient-conscious and globally connected consumers. Performance-backed efficacy is redefining purchase decisions, prestige beauty continues its upward trajectory, and homegrown innovators are earning their place alongside global icons. From Best Homegrown Beauty Brand and Cult Classic to Iconic New Launch of the Year, New & Now, and Brand Campaign of the Year, this year’s honours reflect the ideas, innovations and cultural moments that resonated most with India’s beauty consumers.
The panel featured Anchit Nayar, Executive Director & CEO, Nykaa Beauty; Nykaa’s brand icon Sharvari; make-up & hair artist- Elton Fernandez; make-up artist, educator and founder of Mokae Beauty-Sandhya Shekhar; hair expert- Hiral Bhatia; dermatologist- Dr. Aanchal Panth (MBBS, MD); founder of NAKED Coffee and luxury content creator- Radhika Seth; creator- Ankush Bahuguna; beauty creator- Tarini Peshawaria; and Nandini Bhalla, Editor at The Word Magazine.
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NBiB 2026 Jury
Commenting on the awards, Anchit Nayar, Executive Director & CEO, Nykaa Beauty, said, “The Nykaa Best in Beauty Awards have evolved into more than an annual celebration of product excellence. It reflects the changing aspirations of India’s beauty consumers and the innovations redefining the industry. This year’s winners show that consumers are rewarding efficacy, authenticity and innovation in equal measure, while homegrown and global brands continue to raise the bar together. We’re proud that NBIB has become a platform where millions of consumers and industry experts collectively define the benchmark for beauty excellence in India.”
What the winners reveal about the next wave in Indian beauty:
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Efficacy is the new beauty standard: Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Concealer, Sky High Mascara, CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser prove consumers are choosing products that consistently deliver results over fleeting trends.
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K-Beauty continues to dominate: Korean beauty brands emerged as standout winners across multiple categories, with Beauty of Joseon, LANEIGE, COSRX, TIRTIR, and Dr. Althea taking home multiple awards, reinforcing K-Beauty’s growing influence across both skincare and makeup.
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Healthy skin leads every routine: Barrier-care favourites from CeraVe, La Roche-Posay, TONYMOLY, and Dot & Key reflect the growing focus on ingredient-led, skin-first beauty.
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Homegrown brands are rewriting the rules of beauty: Kay beauty, Maison Moi, Foxtale, WishCare, and indē wild continue to win alongside global beauty icons, showcasing the strength of Indian innovation.
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Hybrid beauty is redefining makeup: L’Oréal Paris Infallible Tinted Serum Foundation, Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow Tinted Moisturizer, NYX, and e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter highlight the growing demand for makeup that works like skincare.
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Luxury beauty is becoming increasingly mainstream: From Charlotte Tilbury and NARS to Yves Saint Laurent, Estée Lauder, CHANEL, Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera, Dyson, and Jo Malone London, consumers are increasingly investing in premium beauty experiences.
Discover the complete list of winners on nykaa.com, from breakthrough launches and cult favourites to timeless icons, and shop the products that have earned India’s highest vote of confidence.
With a community of over 60 million consumers, a curated assortment spanning 4,000+ brands and 3 lakh+ products, Nykaa continues to shape how India discovers, experiences and shops beauty. The Nykaa Best in Beauty Awards have become an annual barometer of India’s beauty evolution, capturing not only the products that are loved by consumers, but the ideas and innovations that will define tomorrow.
Explore the full list of winning products and celebrate your favourites and discover some new ones! All award-winning products are available for purchase on Nykaa.com, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the best in beauty as recognized by the most discerning judges & beauty aficionados themselves!
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Sub-category |
Product |
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MAKEUP |
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Blush |
Nykaa Cosmetics Whipped Blush Pot |
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Blush (Luxury) |
Pixi By Petra On The Glow Blush Ruby |
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Concealer |
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer |
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Eyeliner |
Lakmē 9 to 5 Eyeconic Liquid Eyeliner – Intense Black |
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Eyeshadow |
Kay Beauty Eyeshadow Palette |
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Foundation |
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Tinted Serum Foundation |
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Foundation (Luxury) |
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation |
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Foundation (Luxury) |
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation |
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Highlighter |
e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Liquid Filter |
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Kajal |
Renee Cosmetics Midnight Kohl Kajal |
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Lip Gloss |
Yves Saint Laurent Loveshine Candy Glaze |
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Lip Tint |
Benefit Cosmetics Lip & Cheek Tint |
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Lip Tint |
ETUDE Dear Darling Water Gel Lip and Cheek Tint Lipstick |
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Lipstick |
Kay Beauty Hydra Creme Lipstick |
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Lipstick & Liquid Lipstick (Luxury) |
M.A.C MACximal Mini Matte Lipstick |
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Lipstick & Liquid Lipstick (Luxury) |
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution – Pillow Talk Medium |
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Liquid Lipstick |
Maybelline New York Super Stay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipstick |
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Mascara |
Maybelline New York Sky High Mascara |
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Nail Polish |
Nykaa Cosmetics Creme Nail Enamel |
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Primer |
e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Primer |
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Compact & Loose Powder |
Kay Beauty Setting Loose Powder |
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Compact & Loose Powder (Luxury) |
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish – Medium |
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Setting Spray |
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Setting Spray |
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Skin Tint & Tinted Moisturizer |
Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow All-In-One Tinted Moisturizer |
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Makeup (Trending) |
TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Mini Cushion Foundation |
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Makeup (Trending) |
NYX Professional Makeup Lip I.V. Gloss Stain |
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SKINCARE |
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Ageless Beauty |
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Creme Moisturizer |
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Eye Cream |
Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum |
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Face Wash & Cleanser |
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser |
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Lip Balm & Mask |
LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balm – Berry |
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Makeup Remover |
Bioderma Micellar Water Sensibio H2O |
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Face Mask |
Foxtale De-Tan Skin Radiance Mask |
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Moisturizer (Luxury) |
Clinique Moisture Surge 100h Moisturizer |
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Moisturizer |
CeraVe Moisturizer Cream For Dry Skin |
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Moisturizer |
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Light Face Moisturizer |
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Night Cream & Sleeping Mask |
LANEIGE Bouncy And Firm Sleeping Mask |
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Serum (Luxury) |
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum |
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Serum (Luxury) |
Eucerin Anti-Pigment Dual Serum |
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Serum |
COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin 96 Power Essence |
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Sunscreen |
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sunscreen Rice + Probiotics |
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Sunscreen |
Dot & Key Vitamin C + E Super Bright Sunscreen |
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Toner |
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner |
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Toner |
TONYMOLY Wonder Ceramide Mochi Toner |
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Korean Beauty (Trending) |
Celimax The Vita-A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster |
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Korean Beauty (Trending) |
Dr.Althea 345 Relief Cream |
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Skin (Trending) |
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser |
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Skin (Trending) |
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume |
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HAIRCARE |
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Shampoo |
Kérastase Discipline Fluidealiste Shampoo |
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Hair Serum |
WishCare Hair Growth Serum Concentrate |
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Hair Mask |
Dove Peptide Bond Strength Hair Treatment Mask |
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Conditioner |
L’Oréal Paris Glycolic Gloss Conditioner |
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Hair Oil |
indē wild Champi Hair Oil |
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Hair Colour |
Streax Professional Argan Secrets Hair Colour & Developer |
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Hair Styling |
Moxie Beauty On The Fly Hair Finishing Stick |
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Hair (Trending) |
L’Oréal Professionnel Hair Growth Serum |
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Appliance |
Dyson Airwrap I.D. Multi Styler & Dryer |
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FRAGRANCES |
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Women’s Fragrance (Luxury) |
Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau De Parfum |
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Men’s Fragrance (Luxury) |
Yves Saint Laurent MYSLF Eau De Parfum |
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Body Mist |
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist |
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Popular Fragrance |
Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Eau De Parfum |
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BODYCARE |
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Shower Gel & Body Wash |
Chemist At Play Exfoliating Body Wash |
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Body Lotion |
Plum BodyLovin Vanilla Caramello Lotion |
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Body Scrub & Exfoliant |
Dove Exfoliating Body Polish – Pomegranate Seeds And Shea Butter |
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Deodorant & Roll-On |
Be Bodywise 4% AHA BHA Underarm Roll |
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Body Grooming |
Gillette Venus |
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NYKAA MAN |
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Favourite Men’s Brand |
Minimalist 10% Niacinamide Face Serum |
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Favourite Men’s Brand |
Paco Rabanne 1 Million Elixir Parfum Intense |
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WELLNESS |
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Beauty Booster |
OZiva Phyto Ceramides+ Collagen |
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Daily Nutrition |
Wellbeing Nutrition Slow Multivitamin + Omega 3 |
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GIFTING |
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Most Loved Gifting Brand (Luxury) |
Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede |
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Most Loved Gifting Brand |
Nykaa Wanderlust French Lavender Getaway Gift Set |
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SPECIAL AWARDS |
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Iconic New Launch of the Year (Brand) |
CHANEL |
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Iconic New Launch of the Year (Product) |
Nykaa Cosmetics Matte to Last Lipstick |
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Cult Classic |
M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid Foundation |
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New and Now (Brand) |
NYX Professional Makeup |
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New and Now (Product). |
Nexxus Promend Oil Resurrection Hair Serum |
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Multi-use makeup product |
LoveChild Masaba Skip Everything Blurring Serum Skin Tint SPF 20 |
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Best Homegrown Beauty (Brand) |
Maison Moi |
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Brand Campaign of the Year |
L’Oréal Paris – Cannes Film Festival |
