2013 Editor's Choice Awards: Winners Announced
2013 Editor’s Choice Awards Announced
Each year, Temptalia recognizes and honors standout brands and their products based on all of the swatching, testing, and trialing we have done over the years. We specifically recognize performance over the past year with our “Best of Year” categories, along with selecting the very best products, whether new or old, across product types. This year’s Awards features 83 categories with 159 winners from 76 different brands.
VIEW AWARD WINNERS HERE
From the best eyeshadow base to best mascara to best shampoo to best blush, these are our very favorites. These are our tried and true products; go-to, holy grail-status products. When you wonder, “Well, what would Temptalia recommend?” Look no further than this list! Last year, half a million readers looked towards our Editor’s Choice Awards as a reference, and we hope this year’s will continue to be an excellent reference for your future purchases!
Don’t forget — Readers’ Choice Awards are open for voting and will close on January 11th. We’ll announce results shortly after it closes!
Dear Christine,
thank you so much for your recommendations! I really esteem your reviews, you make it really easier to find products worth a try.
My pleasure, Norwenna! 🙂
Thanks, Christine. Always look forward to your list.
Will this be made available as a single page/blog post? or a PDF?
It’s there – just click “PRINTABLE” in the list of links at the top (next to the big categories).
I always love reading your choices for best products. It’s a great opportunity for me to find things to try.
Thank you, Kate!
Love the list – so many products that I already have, but of course so many to try too…! I’m so glad that Guerlain won so many categories – it’s now my go-to makeup brand (unfortunately for my wallet).
What’s your favorite Guerlain product?
That’s such a hard question to answer! I love love love Lingerie de Peau – it’s so lightweight but offers good coverage without being cake, and of course I love the meteorites! I have the pressed and the ball form – I can’t get enough of the smell! One of my absolute favorite Guerlain products, though, is the Apres L’Ondee perfume – it’s a floral, something I don’t usually go for, but it smells kind of like the meteorites and is so wonderful – it has real staying power, even though it’s an eau de toilette!
Also, I’ve been absolutely loving the terracotta loose powder kohl in the turquoise color – it’s stunning when used the “eastern” way (inside the rims), adding a smoky, colorful edge that you can’t quite put your finger on!
Ooh – nice to hear about the EdT having good staying power! Lingerie de Peau is definitely one I reach for during the week. Parure Gold is amazing but I don’t need that much coverage on a daily basis so I tend to ‘save’ it – as if it wouldn’t take long enough to get through a bottle of foundation WITH regular use, lol!
I know, I was at Bergdorf the other day and I loved the Parure de Lumiere, but I had to check myself – I’ve got two bottles of foundation I’m working my way through already! It would be crazy to buy another!
I know, right? I started using MUFE HD for a period because it really is a lovely foundation for photography, and I can’t believe how much is LEFT. I felt like I should have finished it. At the very least, it made me feel less terrified about Parure Gold, haha.
Christine,
I love that we have similar makeup tastes. I just bought my first two Guerlain products a week ago due to your reccomendation of the brand in general. I got the “Les Fumes” quad and Teint Rose Meteorites. Try “Les Fumes”. I’m sure you’ll love it.
Yay for Guerlain! 🙂 Enjoy, Leah!
I have been looking forward to this ALL year! I’m headed to Nordstrom & Sephora on Saturday to do some makeup shopping, so this came at a perfect time. I cant wait to get home tonight, get a glass of wine (or two), and read every bit of this and make my list! 🙂
You’re the best, Christine.
Thank you for all that you do, it’s very much appreciated by all your loyal/daily readers.
Thank you, Lisa! 🙂
Shouldn’t these be the 2012 awards, since they cover the products from last year?
In keeping with how other awards are done (in beauty but also outside of beauty), the year is based on when you announce – the best way to think about it is the awards honors last year’s work but is really “good” for 2013 in terms of the value, since only at the end of 2013 will there be potential to “lose” the award.
well i was gonna say the exact same thing!!
In the first category with the “best products” you say “2012 most underated brand” for example but in the cheek or eye field etc you say “2013”…why is that???The main title is correct…”2013 awards” but the inside should be 2012…like the first field (with the best products)…It doesn’t make any sense cause all of those products are 2012 products!
Hi Vicky!
“Best of the Year” are specifically ONLY awarded for 2012 performance – e.g. new product that released in 2012 is ONLY for new products in 2012. All other categories are considered for old, new, and in-between products.
hmmm that makes sense!!:D:D
But you have to admitt it is weird seeing “2013”…when it is just came!!:D:D
OMG Christine I love you so much right now for the PDF! thank you ! keep up the good work! I always rely on you for reviews!!! I wish you a great and successful 2013!
No prob!
I love that Shea Moisture got an award; it really is an underrated budget skincare brand. I use the Baby Oil on my face regularly (it has the *exact* same ingredients as the Anti-Aging oil, but it’s 1/2 the price for 3X the product, LOL), but now I need to try the Body Wash.
Shaun is obsessed with it. The funny part about it is I only bought it a few weeks ago, and I bought it for me because the packaging appealed to me!
Just curious as to why there isn’t an eyebrow category?
We don’t feel it is necessary!
Thank you very much for this detalied list! I’d only like to point, that i could not find Zygomatic review under the link, Revlon does not has any link for the cream blush but it does not affect my high opinion about your work!!
Hey Dorota!
I don’t have a review for Zygomatic specifically, but I do have reviews for Illamasqua’s cream blushes 🙂 I haven’t reviewed Revlon Cream blushes on the site I don’t think! There are so many staples I’ve used but never reviewed, lol!
Thank you!
I’ve been waiting for this. I love your reviews. I couldn’t see one for an award for the best eyeshadow palette this year.
It’s there under Best of the Year towards the bottom 🙂
http://www.temptalia.com/awards-cat/best-of-the-year
Great list and lots of incentive to try new products Hoping this isn’t an ironic coincidence since it won several awards but Illamasqua lipsticks seem to have disappeared from the Sephora website as of last week. They were on the site as of early Dec. With so many of us voting for the brand, it would be unfortunate if it is now going away. Anyone (Christine?) know what’s up?
Hey Lynne!
I have no idea what’s going on, but I did email Illamasqua today (they’re in the UK, so I imagine I’ll hear back tomorrow or the next day!) asking about it.
I’m happy my favorite brand, MUFE has been acknowledged in four categories, but it’s hilarious that none of the four products are my favorites by them! LOL Keep up the good work, Christine.
LOL! What are your must-haves? There are a lot of FAVORITES that I have, so this is always a difficult exercise since I have to pick favorites from favorites!
I have so many, but to go with four I’d choose the Mat Bronze (best bronzer), Liquid Lift foundation, Aqua shadow pencils (20E and 2E, specifically) and Aqua Creams. They also made my favorite red lipstick in Moulin Rouge.
Props to you for making me try the Nars smudge proof eyeshadow primer when you first reviewed it. I haven’t looked back since. It’s the best colorless eyeshadow base around. I also love their tinted moisturizer. The color is spot on and it makes my dry skin look radiant. I have a lot of foundations, but I reach for that most days. I guess next I will try Guerlain Parure Gold!
I love Liquid Lift! That’s a great foundation. 🙂 I’m also a big fan of the Aqua Creams, too. For some reason, Aqua Shadow Pencils weren’t 100% crease-free on me, and I was SO sad when they weren’t.
I try other eyeshadow primers but always, always come back to Smudge Proof!
I saw that review of the shadow pencils and I was surprised. I own all but two of them and none of them budge on me. It just goes to show not everything works for everyone.
I know, right? Aqua Creams don’t budget at ALL! Liners are great. UD Shadow Pencils last all day, same with Milani’s – but then MUFE’s don’t. It was totally crazy. I thought I *WAS* crazy!
My eye shape also have a defined crease so I found the beige one creased one me in the Aqua Shadow Pencils but the Peach one was fine… yeah.
I also had a promblems with UD’s Lit and Midnight Cowboy (but this one has shimmer in it. >__<)
I’m happy to see MUFE won so many categories as well because it’s also my favorite brand, and I feel it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I don’t use any of the winning products currently either, but I adore their foundations (F&B is my holy grail), the HD primer, and Mist & Fix setting spray. I’ve sampled the HD blushes and loved them as well, but I prefer the ease of applying powder blush and didn’t want to shell out the money for the multiple shades I wanted to purchase at the time. Maybe I’ll save up and get a few shades after all! 🙂
I had fun reading through the pages and seeing what products I could identify from the pictures before actually seeing what won the award. Thanks for this, Christine! It helps me when I’m considering products all the time.
My pleasure! 🙂 It always ends up to be a good reference for me, too, so I can easily recommend products throughout the year!
As a note, I found myself in Target today wandering the cosmetics section and said “Hm, I think Christine recommended this…and this…” and a few items jumped into my basket. (I couldn’t remember if you’d recommende the NYC loose setting powder or pressed, so I got both – at under $3 each it wasn’t a big deal; I also picked up the Neutrogena tinted moisturizer because I’m looking for a new one and Kiehl’s seems to be off the market at the moment, I believe it’s being reformulated.)
Ooh! I will be curious to hear how they work out for you! 🙂
This is perfectly timed for that Sephora gift card I received at Christmas. I now have a list six deep! Plus I’m no super excited to try out the Philosophy 3-in-1 gift I was initially hesitant on. Here I come, pistachio cherry macaroon!
I hope you like it! They’re so fun. I collect them (well, to use, but I aspire to try all flavors!) and love the small sizes.
I ripped through that almost immediately, grabbing a couple of things that came back in stock that I couldn’t get during the VIB event. LOL
I love that you love the Maybelline Full n Soft mascara! I feel like this mascara doesn’t get a lot of praise, and I’m glad to know that if you liked it enough to give it an award, the other mascaras you’ve recommended will likely work great for me, too!
P.S. Thanks for your hard work in putting this together!
It’s such a great everyday mascara – I love mascaras that don’t make your lashes crunchy!
Thank you!
Love everything about this! The format and winners 😀
Thank you, Bernice! Shaun will be pleased that you are liking the new format!
Great post! I also love the format, nice work!!
Thank you, Elizabeth! I will pass the word along to Shaun!
Glad to see so many of my favorites (and the ones I voted for) on this list!
I LOVE that there’s printable version, major kudos to you for that!
Thank you, Cat! 🙂 I know Shaun is also working on a list format that’s viewable from the site but prettier than a PDF (which was designed to be pretty simplistic and for printing over all else).
That sounds excellent!
I agree with almost everything except for MAC Brushes, Fluidline and MUFE HD Blushes…. Respectively, I voted for Tom Ford, YSL, and Le Metier de Beaute.
What do you like more about YSL gel eyeliners than MAC? I haven’t tried YSL’s I don’t believe.
It’s very cool to see that I am in agreement with on many of these. 😀 Thank you so much for all your hard work, Christine. It’s so appreciated.
Yay! You’re welcome, Melissa!
Thanks Christine for great reviews, swatches and introducing me to some great products this year. I visit this site everyday , although I don’t comment that frequently. Love your organised way of reviewing.
Now I am ready to try Milani products as you gave them good marks 🙂
Thank you so much, Jane! 🙂 I hope you like the Milani products!
Ok this is not related to the post but has someone noticed that MAC listed their PRO catalogue on the website? It is also available for purchase. Would that also mean that MAC counters (non stand alone stores) will sell PRO products??
Yep! They started selling PRO products through the website to regular customers a month or so ago 🙂 Just for online, not in-store, though!
Sweet! Thank you
I LOVE your Editor’s Choice Awards. I reference them frequently 🙂
Thank you, Marilyn!
I am such a nerd when it comes to these awards. LOL. I start getting excited for them once December hits! I love getting to see what everyone loved during the year. Also, I think the new look/format is really cool.
Haha! I get excited to tally votes from Readers’ Choice. I LIVE for shake-ups.
I had so much fun looking at this huge list. Was excited to see many products I love but also to look back at reviews that made your list but I never tried. This December was first time I tried Guerlain based on your review and I am completely hoocked. Went beggining of December and bought a Rouge G. Second day went and bought like 5 other products from Guerlain lol :S haven’t put them down since. My all time fabourite Dior products have been neglected lol. The Terracotta bronzer that I saw made your list I really wanted to try but all shades seemed a bit too dark on me when swatched. Something about it thought keeps making me think about it.
Thank you so much for the hard work and this amazing list. Will be a great reference list throughout the whole year. Next will be really curious to see how the Readers awards will differ.
LOL! I’m so thrilled that you are loving Guerlain products now, though 🙂 It can be scary to recommend more expensive things to readers, because I never want anyone to waste money!
Thank you, Kami!
Christine!
I just want to say how much I adore your blog and hard work towards giving your readers the best reviews, swatches, and information on the blog scene; most importantly on the beauty scene. I come to think of your blog as my own personal shopping directory for things I am interested and many times over has your blog influenced me to either look past or look towards products. Looking at this year’s editor’s choice awards, I am definitely going to check out Guerlain tomorrow when I go to Nordstrom and see what it’s all about. I am so hooked on this brand now!
Thanks to you and your blog, I have ventured into new brands without judgement but with the right information and confidence I will find something I absolutely love. Thanks to your blog, I don’t feel so incompetent in buying beauty products (I actually have your blog open to the certain review of the product on my phone while I’m in the store). Your foundation matrix has helped me so much in finding the perfect shade/foundation for myself. Thanks to that, I have narrowed my favorites to NARS Sheer Glow and MAC Face and Body after a long hard search for the perfect one. Thanks to your blog, I feel confident in finding colors that suit my skin tone but then again am not afraid to wear those that don’t suit it at all as long as I love it.
I absolutely love your new format of the awards this year. I have participated and seen your awards since you started and just love this! Thank you to you and your blog and all that you do for us makeup junkies! I don’t know what I would do without it.
You should win blog of the year, for sure!
Hi Jen!
Aww! Thank you so much 🙂 That’s kind of where I want to be: a helpful resource when you do your beauty shopping. Whether you buy on my recommendation or not, I hope that my reviews help set expectations and give you a better idea of where a product performs (or doesn’t).
I’m delighted to find that you use us while you’re at the store! That’s amazing.
Thank you, thank you! I hope you find something you like at Guerlain 🙂 They were really on top of it last year (gave me two new holy grails!).
Shaun will also be happy to hear that the new format is well-received by readers!
Very helpful indeed! It’s nice to know what swayed you! I most definitely should use it as a reference more often. It reminds me to try Burberry, Illamasqua, Revlon or Maybelline, to name a few! I really want to get Nars eye primer at one point; I have the UD one, but I’m thoroughly unimpressed with it. Great to see a few favourites of mine, too, like L’Oréal Telescopic and Giorgio Armani ETK mascaras, and I’m pleased to find Guerlain the top winner: I love them more and more, and I can’t wait to discover more of their products when I’m able to spare more money! (although, even then, it can be tricky, since I’ve some difficulties to track down their Perles du Dragon, grrr!)
Guerlain was outstanding last year! They’re always a great brand, and obviously a favorite for me, but I just found myself using new releases from them so often!
That’s too bad they cost like an arm and a leg! 😀 At least, it’s usually top-notch quality. I feel I’ve still so much to discover from them. (AND I’ve managed to find some Perles du Dragon’s after placing a few phone calls! They had one in stock at one of my local Sephoras and I’m picking it up tomorrow, woooo!)
Yay! Glad you tracked down the Perles! You have to tell me how you like them!
I always like the Editor’s Choice Awards because we get a clearer picture of the mind-boggling amounts of product testing you do versus how much actually makes it onto the blog.
Glad to see Revlon’s Super Lustrous lipgloss on there. I own several them and am quite fond of the formula. 🙂 And based on the rave reviews I keep seeing for it, I think I’m going to have to try NARS Smudgeproof at some point. We’ll see how it fares against the toils of the hooded eye!
It’s funny – at the end of the year, I’m like, “Why haven’t I reviewed this product yet?” because there are a fair number of winners that I don’t have reviews for, but I have to remind myself that there are so many products that I test but don’t wind up reviewing (for a variety of reasons!).
Thank you!
Thank YOU for all the hard work you put into this blog! It’s on my list of daily reads. 🙂
Always my pleasure, Veronica! Thank you for reading daily!
I love the layout of the winners. Very sharp and well done! I can’t tell you how much I was anticipating this post!
Thank you, Nicole!
Hey I just went into debenhams today and spotted Guerlian Liu palette for half price (€34), I quickly checked the temptalia review and then quickly picked it up! such a great resource!
to anybody else, debenhams have the holiday 2012 collection at half price where they still have stock – turnadot, wulong and a few other bits were sold out!
UHH, NICE! I don’t think I’ve ever, ever seen Guerlain on sale, LOL.
yes I’m delighted with it! I had €5 off on my loyalty card so it was €29! Yeah they sell the leftover seasonal stock maybe once/twice a year but most of the good bits are usually gone.
Anyway – thanks Christine, I love your website and every time awards or blog anniversary comes around it makes me realise how long i’ve been reading and enjoying your site.
Thank you so much 😀
Just saw today that Illamasqua added your 2013 Editor’s Choice Awards visual to their winning products (such as Zygomatic) 🙂 how cool! Congrats Christine on being a reference to make up companies yourself!
Thank you so much!!
People who are new to make up if they see this, will think only Nars, MAC and MAybelline represents the MAke up world!!!!! What about the quality of Burberry, Giorgio Armani just to mention those….Don’t like these results.
Burberry and Giorgio Armani both won awards! There are 76 different brands alone that received awards.