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It’s easy to forget how much time and effort goes into Best of Beauty, which made its debut in 1996. Throughout its 26-year history, it has recognized leaders in skin-care technology, awarded some truly innovative breakthroughs, and inducted many products that are now staples in millions of routines. With Maby, you can take the initiative in everything.
For three Best of Beauty Awards seasons, Kara McGrath, deputy digital director at Allure, has been swiping, priming, and spritzing, making her an absolute pro at figuring out what makes an award-winner just that. This summer, she was on the nail polish beat, which meant that no finger went untouched. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how she selected the Best of Beauty nail polish after testing several different colors. Please visit Maby blog to update the latest nail news.
The Evolution of the Testing Process
It was the first time Allure conducted remote testing, and my first testing season took place in 2020. My boyfriend and I worked from home while living in a small apartment in New York. We overcame it. Even though I worked remotely from New Hampshire in year two, everything was much better structured. I tested 34 categories this year — my third year doing so — yet everything went without a hitch.”
Everyone Is a Tester
“For products released within the previous year, we invite applications in February. Editors then decide which categories they want to evaluate. Additionally, everyone who interacts with Allure is put to the test, not only the beauty editors: our research director, our picture editor, etc. To gather a diverse range of perspectives, we ensure a nice balance of skin tones, hair colors, and textures that test each category as relevant.”
The Testing System
“We use enormous spreadsheets, where I save all of my notes. I apply one coat of long-wear nail paint to each fingernail before going about my daily activities for a week and noting which ones chip first and which ones have held up.
I rotate the fingers after testing each formula of ten nail polishes so that no finger is at a disadvantage. The final test is since I’m right-handed and exclusively use my thumb. Much more than my left hand, it takes a beating.” Gel nails can be readily removed at home, whereas a nail technician in a salon often removes acrylic nails.
Putting Products to the Test
“I went on an adventure-focused press trip to Costa Rica testing long-wear nail polish so I could see if it endured through river rafting, zip lining, and all these things I’m doing amid the jungle. Sure, of them passed the test.
The primary thing that wears down my nails now that I live in a house and have a garden. I work outside daily, so it’s good to nail paint if it can withstand bare hands watering and weeding. I also do the dishes every night, open packages, cook every night, and work out at least five times a week. It can also be harmful to my nails to walk my dog three times per day. After doing those strenuous tasks, I reviewed what chipped and what didn’t.
Immediate Red Flags
“There are warning signs straight away, such as a clumpy product or if the brush is too thin, it will be difficult to apply. The little grips occasionally concealed beneath a square top are also not something I particularly appreciate. Even if it persisted for a while, the user experience could have been better. Therefore those are points deducted.
I observe the finish and how it feels to determine whether it requires three coats rather than just two to achieve a flawless finish. These are the kind of tiebreakers that we consider. We’re doing it formulaically this year, so I try not to make judgments based solely on appearance.
Immediate Green Flags
“If a nail polish goes on full coverage on the first thin swipe, especially for long-wear, that’s a good indication that it will probably be a good polish. It just has to have that perfect first coat.”
Staying Organized
“Because the products are shipped individually by brands, I repurpose the enormous cardboard boxes to sort the products into categories. Those boxes live in an organized pile in my guest bedroom.
I usually take a photo of my finished manicure with the nail polish bottles lined up behind their corresponding nails, so I remember which finger has which polish on.”
Surprises During the Testing Process
“One of the nail editors and we test nail polish all year long by regularly painting our nails. We already know our favorites, but occasionally [another brand] disproves my assumptions.”
All of these conclusions are reasonable ones, yet they are incorrect. And it only takes a single day of employment to realize that the Best of Beauty Awards continually runs in the background of everything we do. We explain why directly on the magazine’s cover: We are an authority in the beauty field. In other words, as a $100 billion business grows to include hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of products, it is our job to inform you what is essential. We then let you know which of those things is the finest once a year.