Marina Maher Communications

Last night was, what I like to describe as the annual beauty industry reunion with a U-Haul-worthy swag bag, the CEW Beauty Award Product Demonstrations. It’s the best mix of old and new: a room filled with old beauty friends and some of the best new beauty products that have hit the market.

For those not familiar, the product demonstrations give CEW members an opportunity to review the nominations so that we may place our well-informed votes. Sponsored by Allure, the Beauty Bible,  A CEW Award is one of the highest recognitions a product can receive in the industry because, well, it’s voted on by the people who know the industry the best.

But besides the air kisses and the beauty cabinet restock, the CEW Awards offer a great perspective on industry trends of 2010:

Anti-Aging Defines The Category

While there were plenty of skincare brands showcasing their latest innovation in anti-aging, there was a tremendous presence of anti-aging products beyond the skincare category. In hair we saw anti-aging permanent hair color and now the body is getting equal attention as face was in years past; Olay was present with Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash, which was a major breakthrough at launch.

Wow, I Could Use That

You couldn’t help but notice the numerous small, never-before-heard-of brands (and I consider myself pretty plugged in) showing some pretty innovative, novel products that will surely delight the consumer. One in particular stood out: Kenra’s Blow-Dry Spray promises to decrease blow-drying time by 50% – while I’m an air-dry girl myself, I bet a lot of you might think, “Wow, I could use that!”

Men Get Groomed – and then some

Men’s grooming has had a steady rise in the last few years, but 2010 catapulted the category with launches beyond the traditional male-friendly scented body wash. Men are exfoliating now thanks to Gillette Fusion ProSeries Thermal Scrub and now women are not the only ones obsessing over the nifty eye rollers. Nivea for Men launched the Revitalizing Q10 Eye Roller to keep those bags in check; although if you ask me, I don’t mind a little crow’s feet à la Clooney.

If you had the chance to attend, share with us what you discovered in the comments below.

I have a confession – my years in beauty PR have turned me into a product junkie. Just look at the picture above of my personal beauty product closet, jam packed with anything and everything a girl would need in a beauty emergency. From youth promising serums, to lush lipcolors, hair beautifiers and self-tanners – I am one girl who can say that I have tried it all!

You may be thinking – where did all these products come from? Good question. Most of the products I receive I giveaway, but once a year I am replenished by the annual CEW Product Demonstration Night, an evening where hundreds of beauty and fragrance companies show off their newest products here in New York. Thousands of industry professionals attend and leave lugging a huge bag full of products containing more goodies than can be used in a calendar year.

Ironically, my husband also works in the beauty industry, which compounds the problem and immensely adds to our collection. Since he does not use the products himself he brings everything home to me – sometimes in triplicate! Although he would never admit it I do catch him using a few of my products especially the new Dial NutriSkin Body Wash; one of my favorites and a client of MMC.

Some may think that three shelves devoted to my beauty arsenal is a waste – especially in New York where space is a premium. But I don’t see it that way. For me, beauty is a passion, a hobby and I am lucky to be working in a career that I consider both.