The Cosmopolitan Readers' Choice Beauty Awards 2026 | Best in skin, hair, makeup & bodycare as voted by you

Sensitive skin? This dermatologist-loved creamy classic gently removes dirt, oil and makeup without stripping, making it perfect for everyday use, even for the pickiest skin.

This ultra-rich and intensely nourishing cream is not only a Cosmo readers' fave but celeb fave, too – Hailey Bieber, we’re looking @ you!

Degunk pores and smooth texture with Shark’s next-level facial device. It combines suction and glow-boosting technology, delivering pro-like results.

You guys love the peptides and actives in this serum which help improve skin’s elasticity, smooth fine lines and restore definition for a sculpted, youthful look.

Infused with glycerin and niacinamide, this mask revives tired skin, making for the perfect morning pick-me-up. A cult-favourite for good reason!

“Love everything CeraVe,” one voter says, and we couldn’t agree more. This product is a standout as it keeps skin balanced and clear.

These potent single-dose capsules deliver concentrated ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier. The result? Improved firmness, smoother texture and a resilient complexion.

An oldie but a goodie, this serum is a hydration powerhouse, combining hyaluronic acid and mineral-rich Vichy water to plump and strengthen skin.

Proving that Korean skincare reigns supreme comes your best-voted oil cleanser. With fermented black rice, it dissolves makeup effortlessly.

Loved worldwide for its gentle cleansing power, this product needs no introduction. It removes makeup in one swipe, leaving skin refreshed and residue-free.

Oily complexions still need hydration, and this fast-absorbing gel quenches thirsty skin and smooths texture without leaving a thick, heavy residue.

Say bye-bye to breakouts with this targeted treatment that boasts salicylic acid and niacinamide. As one voter says: “It works so well!”

This nourishing face oil locks in moisture, strengthens the skin barrier, and restores glow, leaving skin hydrated yet never greasy.

Dewy and sumptuous-looking skin, this way! As one voter puts it: “This is glass skin in a bottle.”

The gold standard in cleansing balms, this formula melts away SPF, makeup and existential dread in one luxurious sweep. It transforms from balm to oil to milk, leaving skin soft, cushioned, and spa-like.

Meet the pillow-proof overnight treatment that works harder than Kris Jenner. Skin wakes up bouncy, hydrated and suspiciously well-rested, like it’s been on holiday while you were just doom-scrolling in bed.

Yes, it’s snail mucin. Yes, it’s brilliant. This glass-skin-in-a-bottle essence floods skin with hydration, repairs texture and delivers that slightly absurd but undeniable K-beauty glow everyone wishes for.

This clay mask actually tightens pores and clears congestion without turning your face into the Sahara. Expect fresher and smoother skin in just a few uses.

“These stickers are the only thing standing between me and my hormonal acne,” says one voter, and we couldn’t agree more. The clever hydrocolloid patches suck spots overnight, turning angry breakouts into flat, forgettable history by morning.

She’s an icon, she’s a legend, she is the moment. This SPF needs no introduction, but in case you’ve been living under a rock, the formula is invisible, weightless, non-greasy, and most importantly, protects like a bodyguard.

The original multitasker, still undefeated. From slugging to lip balm to emergency everything, this cheap and cheerful pot of moisture locks in moisture with ease.

Breakouts hate to see this cleanser coming. Packed with salicylic acid, it clears congestion, cuts through excess oil and keeps skin balanced without leaving your face feeling painfully stripped.

Proof that gentle skincare doesn’t have to be boring, this creamy cleanser melts away makeup and daily grime while leaving skin soft, calm and refreshingly unbothered.

Packed with collagen-boosting ingredients, this viral sheet mask leaves skin plump, dewy, and so glassy-looking you’ll spend an unreasonable amount of time staring at yourself afterwards.

Wanna cosplay a wellness influencer but also reap the sculpting benefits? Try this gua sha! The smooth stone tool depuffs, lifts and makes you feel like you’re doing the most, even if you’re still in pyjamas eating crisps.

A cult classic for a reason, this gentle-but-firm exfoliator unclogs pores, smooths texture and keeps breakouts in check without throwing your skin into a full emotional meltdown. It's so loved that it won two categories!

Swipe, glow, repeat. These pads deliver instant exfoliation for dull, uneven skin, turning tired complexions into skin that's had 12-hours kip. Basically, they’re a shortcut to looking like you drink green smoothies, willingly.

Ageing skin is inevitable, but you can absolutely minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with clever skincare. Case in point: This very cream. Thanks to this silky and rich (yet still light) moisturiser that plumps skin with maximum hydration.

Call it no-nonsense, but high-performance – this pared-back formula focuses on hyaluronic acid and ceramides for deep hydration and a supported skin barrier.

When your skin barrier feels compromised, ILIA’s fragrance-free, non-comedogenic day cream soothes and renews the complexion with zero irritation.

A high-street hero with long-lasting full coverage? Yes please! This formula feels comfortable to wear, evens skin tone, blurs imperfections, and keeps shine at bay, giving a flawless, natural-looking finish that you can rely on.

Category is: Your skin, but better! This skin tint is sheer but buildable, blending seamlessly to enhance natural radiance. And what’s better is that it feels super lightweight, making it perfect for everyday wear.

Smooth, precise, and long-lasting, this lip liner defines and shapes lips flawlessly. Its creamy texture glides on effortlessly, locks in colour, prevents feathering, and pairs perfectly with lipstick or gloss. Mwah!

Warning: these lashes may cause excessive fluttering. Subtle yet flirty, they lift and flick with every blink, making your eyes the main event – because who doesn’t love a little lash drama?

If you’re after a manicure that’s highly pigmented, chip-resistant and offers extremely long-lasting shine, look no further. It’s considered the #1 professional nail brand in the UK for good reason!

Swipe this silky blush on, and suddenly your cheeks look alive and effortlessly radiant. The satin and shimmer shades add soft pigment and subtle highlight, making it look like you woke up naturally glowing – no filters required.

Sex is great, but have you seen these lashes? Bold, voluminous, fluttery, and long-lasting, this mascara steals the show – and possibly hearts – without leaving a flake behind.

Take it from this voter; “This is my holy-grail product. I use it daily because it blends like a typical moisturiser but provides light coverage and reduces redness. It sits over my skincare like a dream!”

If your bronzer reads “orange alert,” meet your new BFF. Creamy and blendable, it delivers that perfect day-two-of-a-beach-holiday glow – subtle, sun-kissed, and totally radiant.

Introducing the full coverage foundation that survives brunch, boardrooms, and bottomless margaritas (not that we're doing that on the same day...). It blurs imperfections, evens skin tone, and leaves you flawlessly airbrushed, radiant, and ready to take on the day (or night) without a single touch-up.

Big drama, zero clumps. This mascara lifts and volumises with every blink, giving lashes so bold they practically demand a standing ovation – because your eyes deserve their own fan club… literally.

Winning by a landslide, Gisou proves once again why their lip oil is a best-seller. Enriched with the brand’s signature farm-grown honey, the formula hydrates, plumps, and adds shine in just a few simple swipes.

Long-wearing and flawlessly matte, this foundation smooths out skin without feeling mask-like. Not to mention its inclusive shade range – there are 50 (!!) to match every skin tone. RiRi, you never let us down.

Some foundations try too hard, but this one doesn’t need to. It delivers luminous, skin-like coverage that evens tone, boosts radiance and makes you look like you sleep eight hours a night.

Permission granted to crown yourself the undisputed blur queen when wearing this powder because it sets makeup without cakiness, erases shine and keeps everything locked in place.

K-beauty never ceases to amaze us, and a standout in the category is this foundation. Hydrating, glowy and buildable, it delivers flawless skin with minimal effort. Pores? We don’t know her.

Come rain, sweat or existential crisis, you can count on this brow product for how well it lifts, sets and locks straggling hairs in place.

Want lashes that defy gravity? Look no further because this tube lengthens and lifts to deliver sky-high impact without flaking or smudging. Elphaba would be proud.

This mascara builds volume like it’s stacking ambition on ambition. The result? Bold, black, unapologetic lashes that can flutter their way out of any sticky situation.

First released in 1971 (yep, that’s 55 years ago, people), Clinique’s Black Honey is famous for good reason. It’s the cult tint that flatters literally everyone with a sheer, glossy and just-bitten finish.

Velvety, lightweight and surprisingly long-lasting, this lip cream delivers high-impact colour without drying out your lips. Matte, but make it comfortable.

Sparse brows meet their match with this ultra-fine pen that mimics real hair strokes so convincingly it feels a bit like cheating. Natural, fluffy definition this way!

Benefit has been leading the charge for great eyebrows since… well… forever, and their current best product, as chosen by you, is My Brow. It delivers ultra-precise strokes for brows that look freakishly natural.

With industrial-strength hold, this product locks brows in place like they’ve signed a legally binding contract with gravity, making it perfect for sleek, laminated looks that refuse to budge all day. Got2b didn’t come to play.

Somewhere between skincare and makeup, this clever hybrid blurs imperfections, evens tone and hydrates at the same time. Minimal effort, maximum payoff.

Selena Gomez really did her big one with this ultra-pigmented blush. One tiny dot is all it takes to turn you into a radiant, flushed goddess. But be warned: one enthusiastic tap too many and you’re one blush away from full-on animated cherub territory.

They say take her swimming on the first date. You say, bring it on! And that’s because armed with this mascara, volume, curl and staying power ain’t going anywhere. Thanks, L’Oréal <3.

Brush cleaners are the unsung heroes of beauty hygiene, and this one by ISOCLEAN is top-tier. Clean tools equals better skin, and better skin equals less chaos.

As one voter puts it, “You can’t beat them!” – and honestly, they’re right. This cult-favourite curler lifts lashes cleanly and reliably every time, delivering that wide-eyed, fluttery effect that makes mascara feel like an optional extra.

“Cult-favourite” feels like an understatement. When a velvety, glycerin-enriched formula meets a truly buildable coverage, your complexion will stay as luminous as the name suggests all day.

This is fake tan for people who fear fake tan, this lightweight mist develops into a believable glow without streaks, patches or orange-related trauma.

Somehow managing to feel both luxurious and effortless, this tanning formula leaves skin bronzed, radiant and like you’ve spent a long weekend in Saint-Tropez.

Control freaks, rejoice. These customisable tanning drops let you tailor your glow exactly how you want it, from subtle radiance to full holiday delusion.

Baths become infinitely more exciting once this sweet-smelling bubble bar enters the equation, turning your tub into a pink, foamy serotonin boost.

Want to know what perfumes your favourite “it girls” are wearing? Et voilà! Not so much a perfume as a personality trait, this warm skin-scent adapts beautifully to whoever wears it and attracts compliments at alarming speed.

Dark, fruity and impossibly chic, this fragrance smells like someone who owns silk pyjamas and always knows where the good wine is. (P.S. If that’s you, let’s be friends, please…)

Gentle, refreshing and blissfully uncomplicated, this shower gel proves you don’t need bells and whistles for genuinely good skincare.

With the majority of votes, it seems we all want to smell like banana, almond and honey extracts… I mean, who wouldn’t?! This sugary scrub buffs skin smooth while smelling like the world’s most glamorous grazing platter.

Putting it perfectly, one voter says that this perfume “smells like pure luxury. Clean, delicate and warm like laundered sun-warmed sheets.” Need we say more?

Sweet cherry meets smoky sensuality in this cult fragrance that somehow smells both playful and deeply expensive at the exact same time.

Holiday glow looking a bit temporary? This nourishing post-sun treatment helps prolong your tan while soothing skin after long days in the heat. Golden Goddess, year-round.

Neglected feet finally get the attention they deserve with this ultra-rich cream, which softens dry skin overnight while smelling faintly tropical. Any excuse to get the dogs out…

Perfect for handbags, nights out and little top-ups on the go, this solid fragrance melts into skin beautifully and smells quietly addictive.

Viral, iconic, revolutionary, all fitting descriptions for this SdJ spray but we prefer ‘Cosmo Readers’ fave body mist. We just know you all smell great too, like sunny vanilla meets creamy salted caramel.

Our love for NIVEA runs deep, and this body lotion is a true beauty staple for many of us. It contains hyaluron and almond oil for deep nourishment and hydration.

Many newfangled sprays have come and gone, but Dove has stuck by us through our sweatiest times, and you have repaid it with back-to-back wins for best deo spray!

It’s basically guaranteed smooth sailing with a trusty Venus razor, no matter where you’re shaving, you can trust that you’ll get the closest, smoothest finish.

Not all collagen supplements taste nice and work really well, but with Revive you absolutely get both. The addition of retinol, hydrolysed keratin and vitamins B6, B12, C & D makes for an all-round beauty potion.

From exfoliation to trimming and from wet to dry, this handy razor does it all. The curved head helps to work around all your curves for the closest shave - no do-over needed.

Ok, so none of us has escaped the grip that Santal 33 has had on us for the past 15 years since launch, it still smells as enticing and cool as the first spritz.

Zingy and fresh, yes, but the dry down of this scent is so enticing beyond the orange peel. Apple and jasmine mix with amber for a warm and floral vibe that lasts.

Struggle with consistent sleep? A little unwind with this bathtime treat is just what the doctor ordered. It’s brimming with fresh-cut lavender to drift you into a peaceful slumber.

It’s Marks and Sparks number one selling scent and shows no signs of stopping. With jasmine, pink pepper (obvs), vanilla and amber musks, this perfume is the perfect mix of fresh and floral.

In need of something lightweight for your bod as the temp spikes? This serum is quick drying and hydrating thanks to its high concentration of hyaluronic acid – buh-bye crepey skin…

We are kinda obsessed with the idea of scent layering from our deos, and with scents like santal & vetiver and neroli & basil, you’ll have to forgive us for sniffing our pits, they just smell SO good.

DIY spa, sorted. This sensorial gel-to-foam formula adds a touch of luxury (thanks to rice milk and cherry blossom) to any shower.

Bye bye, bacne! This gentle BHA formula buffs away dead skin and alleviates post-blemish marks – even in notoriously hard-to-reach places.

Rich, nourishing and divinely scented – L’Occitane’s famous 20% shea butter hand cream deserves a place in any and all handbags.

Silk doesn’t just reduce frizz and tangling in hair; it’s an underrated way to keep skin cool and hydrated while you sleep.

Fresh wild strawberry and jasmine settle with the warmth of musk for a wearable everyday summer scent. It’s an icon for a reason!

This high street hero delivers results which seriously belie the price tag. Expect deep nourishment and long-lasting hydration for all hair types.

Dry, dehydrated strands are no match for this hyaluronic acid-based formula, which visibly boosts shine and bounce with regular use.

Think of this as a ring light for tired hair. It repairs damage while delivering mirror-like shine so glossy your ends practically start reflecting light back at people.

Flat hair? Couldn’t be you. This volumising shampoo lifts roots and boosts bounce without the dreaded crunchy feeling, leaving hair fuller, fluffier and oh-so well-behaved.

Fine hair can be dramatic about conditioner, but this lightweight formula hydrates beautifully without flattening volume, leaving strands soft, swishy and expensively clean-looking.

For the second year in a row, you crowned this your fave way to cleanse coloured hair without losing shine. It creates a rich lather sans sulphates, which can dry out coloured hair.

Paired with the award-winning shampoo, this glossy conditioner hydrates without stripping, keeping strands fresh, bright and gloriously swishable.

Eco-conscious haircare has never looked so chic. This solid shampoo lathers beautifully, cleanses gently and makes sustainability feel oddly luxurious.

We love it when a brand just gets it when it comes to textured hair, and Only Curls certainly does. With Avocado Oil and Kukui Nur oil, it cleanses as it hydrates and softens thirsty curls.

This bond-strengthening conditioner hydrates, defines and smooths texture without weighing curls down or turning them crunchy. 90s Julia Roberts, we’re coming for your ‘do.

Wash day becomes significantly less emotionally exhausting with this gentle co-wash, which keeps curls soft, bouncy and beautifully defined without stripping moisture.

Dry hair drinks this up like it’s come across an emotional support water bottle. The nourishing formula cleanses gently while leaving strands soft, healthy and revived.

Humidity may be inevitable, but chaos doesn’t have to be. Just like its shampoo counterpart, this silky conditioner leaves hair glossy, hydrated and super manageable, even on the stickiest days.

A shampoo for people whose scalps are tired of being stressed, flaky and OTT dramatic. Aveeno’s formula is gentle, calming and quietly brilliant at making hair-wash day feel more soothing and less irritating.

Proof that natural, organic shampoos can be super efficacious and planet-friendly. Oh and it smells like you’ve wandered into a very wholesome herb garden in spring.

Soft, shiny, healthy-looking hair without spending a fortune? We love to see it. This conditioner leaves hair feeling nourished, manageable and suspiciously silky for the price point.

The slick-back bun community owes this wax stick a collective thank you. Bed Head’s iconic formula smooths flyaways, defines texture and somehow makes even rushed hair look intentionally model-off-duty cool.

Heat styling without protection? Couldn’t be us (or you, our protective queens!). Philip Kingsley’s conditioning spray leaves hair softer, smoother and significantly less frazzled while defending it from our toxic relationship with hot tools.

Calming oat and soothing aloe combine for this softening spray, which is incredibly good at tackling knots without the drama; just come and see how we breeze through hair washes nowadays!

Damaged hair gets the full luxury rehabilitation treatment here, with intense hydration and bond repair that leaves strands softer, shinier and dramatically less frazzled.

Humidity-proof hair sounds fictional until this icon enters the chat. The viral spray leaves strands sleek, glassy and almost offensively frizz-free.

Perhaps the chicest styling balm on the market, this styler makes hair look polished without feeling crunchy or overdone. We (and you!) love the soft texture it gives with subtle hold and that expensive botanical scent we cannot stop sniffing.

A cream that styles your hair for you sounds fake, right? Well, you clearly haven’t met this cult cream yet. For anyone committed to doing the absolute least with their hair while still wanting compliments, JVN’s Air Dry Cream is essential. It enhances texture and smooths frizz without any heat.

Nowadays it’s hard to find an excellent product that gives you change from a tenner, but this is proof that great hair doesn’t have to break the bank. This protects hair up to 230 degrees Celsius, keeping hair frazzle-free!

Breathe life back into fine, weary strands in just five minutes with this weightless argan oil-infused in-shower mask.

Whether it’s from bleach, colour or heat, this powerhouse treatment effectively restores softness and bounce to combat any signs of damaged hair.

When blonde or grey hair starts to look brassy, this silky shampoo uses a cocktail of antioxidants to purify, illuminate and protect it from colour-dulling agents.

An investment, but a worthy one! This clever two-step filtration system removes metals and chlorine that can cause frizz and irritation at the scalp – key for city-dwelling beauty queens.

A lot of lash serums can be hit or miss, but UKLash has been with us for the long haul. It has earned cult status for a reason, and honestly? The before-and-afters speak for themselves, full on flutter!

The results don't lie, when it comes to hair growth, you really love and trust UKLash. This serum is proven to promote brow growth in just 12 weeks, so we’re ready to look like Brooke Shields now!