Or, when the approbation of the general public meets that of beauty professionals. For the last 10 years, the Victoires de la Beauté, organized by Willy Mansion, has offered prizes to brands selected by customers in all product categories each year. For the last 10 years, Beyond Beauty has been at the service of young brands and has presented the Beauty Challenger Awards, which are validated by a panel of experts from the distribution sector. For the first time this year, both ceremonies unite their complementarities and will jointly offer a Prize. In reality, in addition to the prize for the Best Emerging Brand of the Beauty Challenger Awards conferred by professionals, the Victory Beauty Award for Emerging Brands selected by consumers will also be presented. This award that commends both the gratitude of beauty players and the general public, will be attributed in the course of two ceremonies: at the Beauty Challenger Awards on 11th September and at the Victoires de la Beauté on 24th September.

Willy Mansion answers some of our questions about this partnership coordinated by Sandie Jaidane:

• What are the objectives of this partnership between the two Grand Prix of Beauty? The mutual advantages?

We are naturally complementary as we express different viewpoints.  Each one is rich with its own particular sensitivity. The Victoires de la Beauté reflect only the customers viewpoint. All products are tested in real-life situations, in the privacy of one's bathroom. Situations are not simulated, and this is something quite unique as this logic while testing helps to express individual feelings in a rapport with the product that is very simple and direct.  In terms of awards, this perfectly supplements the viewpoint of informed professional buyers who naturally have their own product assessment grid, all of which seamlessly fit in with the concept of the Beauty Week that takes place almost at the same time.  We can thus provide a new visibility to the winners of the Victoires de la Beauté as our awards will be highlighted in an exceptional manner for important international buyers.

• What are the advantages for brands? Consumers? Distributors?

Imagine a product that has been awarded both the Victoire de la Beauté and the Beauty Challenger prizes - it is like saying that all the good fairies of cosmetics were present at its birth.  It not only appeals to consumers because of its real cosmetic efficacy, but it also appeals to buyers because of its saleability!  I must point out that, in fact, all our tests are blind tests, where the brand is made completely anonymous in order to prevent any influence that marketing factors may have.  All participants from the market, especially consumers, cannot help but be receptive to a product that successfully satisfy this two-fold requirement.

• How will this translate practically when presenting this double prize for the emerging brand?

In deciding to award a common prize, we wished to give a boost to emerging brands.  Concretely, we will begin with the products competing for the "Emerging Brand Award" in the Beauty Challenger Awards contest and present them to a panel of beauty bloggers from our community at a meeting in a large Parisian hotel.

This will allow us to draw up a short-list of the five most desirable products, which will be subject to the litmus test of consumer testing. Here, we will submit each one's test to a panel of 80 consumers selected according to the type of product to be tested: gender, age, complexion, hair type etc.  And the one that obtains the highest score will be designated as our "Emerging" Victoire de la Beauté winner and also benefit from the whole promotional action plan that we deploy for all our other winners.

Interview by Kristel Milet

The ceremony of Beauty Challengers Awards will be held at BEYOND BEAUTY on Tuesday, 11th September 2012.  The competitions will include:  The Best Emerging Brand, the Best Niche Brand, the Organic Beauty Award, the Prize for the Media’s Favourite and the Beauty Blog Favourite.

The Price of  Emerging Brand  2011 was awarded to SOLYVIA

See you there in September!

Official Partner

BEYOND BEAUTY 2012 10th, 11th & 12th September 2012 Paris, Porte de Versailles