NAPA, CALIFORNIA — Akt London, Commune, Manasi 7, Ruka, Unifrom and Yse Beauty were honoured on Tuesday night at The Business of Beauty Global Awards, presented in partnership with L’Oréal Groupe.
Announced during the closing gala at the Global Forum in Napa Valley, California, the winners were selected by a jury that included Ali Goldstein, president of mergers and acquisitions, L’Oréal USA; Carolyn Bojanowski, executive vice president of merchandising at Sephora; Robin Tsai, general partner at VMG Partners; Marianna Hewitt, co-founder of Summer Fridays and Isamaya Ffrench, makeup artist and founder of Isamaya Beauty, alongside The Business of Fashion’s editor in chief and chief executive Imran Amed, and Priya Rao, executive editor of The Business of Beauty.
The Global Awards doubled in size this year, with awards for Creative Execution, Business Innovation and Positive Impact given to two sets of brands — those on the Emerging track generating under $2 million in annual revenue, and others on the Breakthrough track with up to $10 million in annual revenue. The winners were selected from an application pool spanning 17 countries on five continents, with the jury searching for lean, agile companies offering unique products, and with room to grow.
Creative Execution, Emerging: Manasi 7
Swedish cosmetics label Manasi 7, founded by makeup artist Susanne Persson, received the Creative Execution award on the strength of its editorial-quality creative and finely-crafted formulas, with the jury highlighting the brand’s commitment to promoting underconsumption.
Creative Execution, Breakthrough: Akt London
This fully-realised “performance body care” brand evokes the West End ancestry of co-founders Andy Coxon and Ed Currie throughout its visuals, storytelling and partnerships — all to underline the functionality and innovative texture of its hero whole-body deodorant balm.
Business Innovation, Emerging: Unifrom
Swedish label Unifrom’s founder, Haisam Mohammed, sold prototypes of his fragrance in Stockholm clubs and on Parisian streets to get into retailers like Dover Street Market and 10 Corso Como, but his “coolification” of the rollerball perfume oil — and sweet price point — won the jury over.
Business Innovation, Breakthrough: Yse Beauty
Founded by actress Molly Sims and fed by her community and personal storytelling, US skincare label Yse Beauty is moving into a clear white space, judges said, by offering prestige skincare to women over 40 without relying on luxury codes, making common skin concerns a tentpole of its marketing.
Positive Impact, Emerging: Commune
The husband-and-wife duo behind personal care brand Commune Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux, whose brand evokes their headquarters of Somerset, UK, impressed the jury not only with its sustainability message but its high-design packaging that forgoes single-use plastics.
Positive Impact, Breakthrough: Ruka
UK-based brand Ruka’s unique, proprietary human hair alternative fiber dazzled the judges for its remarkable quality, but more importantly addresses an urgent need for non-toxic, ethically-sourced hair extension products.
Register now to be the first notified when The Business of Beauty Global Awards opens for 2026 applications.
The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 is made possible in part by our partners Front Row, Unilever Prestige, Citi, McKinsey & Company, Getty Images, Grown Alchemist and Stanly Ranch and our awards partners L’Oréal Groupe and Sephora. If you are interested in learning about partnership opportunities, please contact us here.
