191 entries, nearly 35,000 votes from the beauty community and a glittering awards ceremony: the BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award 2026 surpassed the previous year’s record figures and put the spotlight on outstanding achievements in the professional beauty industry.
Ettlingen, 10th November 2026 – A glittering evening for the stars of the professional beauty industry: on 6th November 2026, the gala ceremony for the BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award took place at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich. In an exclusive setting, representatives from the beauty industry gathered to honor the year’s most successful products, brands and concepts.
With 191 entries and just around 35,000 votes cast by beauty professionals, the awards even surpassed the record turnout from the previous year. The huge response demonstrates the high standing the awards enjoy within the industry. In total, awards were presented in 26 exciting categories – ranging from skincare and cosmetic devices to make-up, hand and nail care, and foot care, right through to innovation and sustainability. For the first time, the ‘Longevity Concept’ category was also honored, reflecting the growing importance of holistic beauty and health concepts.
“The huge turnout shows us just how vibrant and committed our industry is. Behind every product and concept submitted are people who are breaking new ground with passion, creativity and entrepreneurial courage. It is precisely these achievements that we wish to highlight and recognize with the BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award,” explains Roberto Valente, Managing Director of Health and Beauty Germany GmbH.
Expertise meets the beauty community
The evaluation system for the BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award combines two perspectives: the specialist knowledge of an independent jury of experts and the practical experience of professional users. In the regular product and brand categories, online voting by beauty professionals and the jury’s assessments each accounted for 50 per cent of the overall result. Five special categories – training, further education and professional development, sustainability, innovation and longevity concepts – were assessed exclusively by the expert jury.
“What makes our award special is the strong voice of those in the field. With a 21 per cent increase in online voting, beauty professionals have impressively demonstrated just how important this award is to them. Their experiences from day-to-day professional life are directly incorporated into the assessment. Together with the expertise of our high-calibre expert jury, this results in a well-founded assessment that combines specialist knowledge and practical experience,” emphasizes Jerome Siel, Marketing & Account Director at Health and Beauty Germany GmbH.
The twelve-member jury comprised renowned figures from the fields of cosmetic science, dermatology, the beauty industry and professional practice:
- Sindy Burow B.A., Vice-President of the German Association for Podiatry (ZFD) e.V.
- Boris Entrup, hair and make-up artist and beauty coach
- Andreas Fuhlisch, Managing Director of the VKE Cosmetics Association
- Dr. Sandra Helling, Chemist, DGK Safety Assessor, Consultancy, Regulatory Affairs & Development
- Prof. Dr med. Martina Kerscher, Professor of Cosmetic Science and Dermatology
- Dr Daniel S. Müller, MD, Specialist in Dermatology and Venereology | MBA
- Michael Nolte, SVP Creative Director at BEAUTYSTREAMS
- Dr. Miriam Rehbein, MD, Specialist in Dermatology | Specialist in Aesthetic Medicine
- Martin Ruppmann, Head of the Secretariat at VCP – Verband Cosmetic Professional e.V.
- Dr. Meike Streker, Cosmetics Scientist | Skin Expert
- Roberto Valente, CEO of Health and Beauty Germany
- Adaeze Wolf, Holistic Nutritionist | Health & Life Coach
Special Award for Sammy Gharieni
One of the highlights of this year’s gala was the presentation of the Prix d’Honneur de la Beauté to Sammy Gharieni. The founder and CEO of the Gharieni Group received the honorary award for his exceptional entrepreneurial life’s work and his pioneering contributions to the international beauty and wellness industry.
A gala evening full of glamour and encounters
Once again this year, presenter Kim Orth hosted the awards ceremony with charm and poise, whilst the live band SMILE created a fantastic atmosphere with their musical highlights. Alongside the formal honors, the gala evening offered numerous opportunities for personal encounters, inspiring conversations and valuable networking within the beauty industry.
The BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award 2026 demonstrated once again just how diverse, innovative and forward-looking the professional beauty industry is – and how important it is to provide a platform for the people and companies behind these developments.
All award winners and further information can be found here.
More information you will also find on the BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award Website: at www.bf-award.de.
Looking ahead: BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award 2027
The BEAUTY FORUM Stars Award will enter its next round in 2027 and will be again presented in Munich. From 23rd February 2027, companies will be able to submit their products, brands and concepts. Further information on the categories, entry requirements and deadlines as well as the date of the ceremony will follow shortly.
