August 14th, 2025, India: India, please meet your beauty hall of fame, class of 2025. The winners of this year’s Nykaa Best in Beauty Awards are here, bigger, bolder, and officially the country’s most popular and most celebrated brands and products. From viral Korean-beauty sensations and cult homegrown heroes to dermat-approved staples and internet-breaking new launches, this year’s winners are a snapshot of what’s hot, what’s next, and what India’s beauty lovers can’t stop adding to cart.
With over 1.6 million votes casted, a star-studded jury, and categories that capture today’s beauty zeitgeist, NBIB 2025 is where innovation, influence, and India’s voice take center stage. From March 24 to May 10, the Nykaa app became India’s ultimate beauty ballot box, where the process was simple: log in, explore nominees across 58 categories, and vote for your ride-or-die favourites. Hair, skin, makeup, and new hits like “Viral Products” and the “Impact Award”, every tap crowned 2025’s beauty best. When voting closed, our powerhouse jury of experts stepped in, merging what India loves with what the industry lives for, to crown the year’s most iconic winners.
This year’s winners didn’t just fly off shelves; they left warehouses empty, gave stocking crews a serious workout, and kept delivery teams busier than a wedding season mehendi artist. It’s a celebration of products winning not just in carts, but in hearts and vanities across the country. And this year, the message is loud and clear: the future of Indian beauty is being shaped by real people, real routines, and real results.
Alongside the massive vote count, a panel of respected experts rigorously evaluated the entries across 50+ categories. The jury brought together a cross-section of beauty and cultural tastemakers: Celebrity Hair Stylist – Aanchal Morwani, Content Creator – Aashna Hegde, Actor – Aditi Bhatia, Executive Director and CEO, Nykaa Beauty – Anchit Nayar, Co-founder of Daniel Bauer Academy – Daniel Bauer, Dermatologist – Dr. Malvika Kohli, Jewellery Designer & Reality TV Star – Maheep Kapoor, Beauty and Wellness Editor – Shagun Khanna, Bollywood’s Rising star – Sharvari, and Celebrity Photographer – Taras Taraporvala evaluated the entries.
Commenting on the awards, Anchit Nayar, Executive Director & CEO, Nykaa Beauty said: “The Nykaa Best in Beauty Awards are a reflection of something far greater than product excellence; they honour the evolving relationship between Indian consumers and the beauty brands they choose to champion. As we celebrate the second edition, we’re witnessing a remarkable shift: what were once cult discoveries have now earned a place in daily rituals, and bold, breakthrough brands are rewriting the rules with every launch. At Nykaa, we’re proud to be the platform where these transformations unfold, where quality meets curiosity, and trust meets trend. This journey is made possible by our incredible brand partners who continue to push the boundaries of innovation and our consumers who continue to push them! Congratulations to this year’s winners, each one a testament to what modern beauty in India truly looks like.”
The winners capture the pulse of India’s evolving beauty habits. Dewy skin tints edged out heavy foundations, ceramide-rich moisturisers dethroned one-size-fits-all creams, and lip oils and vinyl lipsticks stole the show from traditional mattes. The fragrance category saw an uptick in skin scents and gourmand notes, while SPF-infused everything proved sun protection has officially become chic.
What the winners reveal about the next wave in Indian beauty:
- Skincare meets makeup: Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer leading tint-meets-treat ambitions, a base product that works as hard for your skin as it does for your glow.
- K-Beauty is beauty, full stop: LANEIGE’s Bouncy Sleeping Mask and Lip Glowy Balm, plus TIRTIR’s Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation and I’m From Rice Toner, are proof that Korean beauty has moved from cult curiosity to everyday staple.
- Barrier-care is now a beauty baseline: CeraVe and Dot & Key with ceramide-rich, skin-fortifying favourites, because healthy skin is the new trend.
- Primer is the new power step: e.l.f. Power Grip Primer officially turned prep into an act of rebellion – for glowy, long-lasting makeup that doesn’t budge.
- DIY luxury with Indian roots: Kay Beauty’s Velvet Creme Blush, Hydra Creme Lipstick, and Matte HD Loose Powder show that home-grown can exceed global when prestige meets affordability.
- Swipes matter: Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara and Instant Age Rewind Concealer are proof that drugstore staples still write the consumer love story.
Discover the complete list of winners now on Nykaa.com, from cult heroes to new icons, shop the best in beauty as chosen by the industry’s finest and beauty lovers across the country!
With a community of over 37 million beauty lovers across 19,000+ pincodes and a curation spanning across 150,000+ SKUs of the best brands in the world, Nykaa isn’t just keeping up with what’s next, it’s defining it. The NBIB Awards 2025 are where beauty’s past, present, and future collide, and only the best make it through.
