Best of Beauty Awards 2020: Everything You Need to Know About Allure 's Virtual Events

Best of Beauty is Allure's north star, our our raison d'etre, our Super Bowl. Sure, like so many other traditions, it looks a little different in 2020 — but in the absolute best possible way. Really. See, in our minds, beauty is ultimately about connection. Sure, it makes us look great, but it also grounds us and we need that more than ever. So what better occasion than Best of Beauty to bring some of our all-time favorite beauty experts directly into your homes for the first time?

Thanks to our new friend and constant companion Zoom, this year we have the ability to invite beauty lovers from every corner of the world to two weeks' worth of Best of Beauty celebrations. These get-togethers will give you access to some of the most sought-after celebrities, makeup artists, hairstylists, and cosmetic medical professionals in the beauty industry, not to mention the Allure editors you look to for expert advice every day. 

Take a look below to learn much more about the lineup—and register here to reserve your spot (or several!) Some events are free, others have a small registration fee that is benefitting a charity chosen by the event's special guest.

The Culture of Black Hair: A Conversation With Taraji P. Henson

On Monday, September 21, we're kicking off our Best of Beauty event series with The Culture of Black Hair: A Conversation With Taraji P. Henson. The superstar actress launched a hair care line this year that our editors fell in love with and now she's won her first ever Best of Beauty award. "If I didn't go into acting it would've been cosmetology because I love hair," she told Allure editor Jihan Forbes when she first revealed TPH by Taraji last March. (In college, Henson's side hustle was doing wet sets for $20 a pop.) Now Henson, Forbes, and Allure features director Jessica Cruel are going to have an unfiltered conversation about the culture of Black hair and, yes, all the products they've loved before (and maybe some wash-day woes). 100% of the $10 ticket price will go to the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, a nonprofit named for Henson's father, who faced mental health challenges as a result of his tour in Vietnam. The group is dedicated to eradicating the stigma around mental illness in the Black community. 

Behind the Cover Look: Q&A with Hung Vanngo

Hung Vanngo is one of the most celebrity-sought makeup artists in the industry. He has done the makeup for nine Allure covers (incidentally, including Taraji P. Henson's July 2015 cover!). But our October 2020 cover marks the first time he did it from 2,000 miles away, guiding Selena Gomez as she did her own makeup. The results? Absolutely — and unsurprisingly — stunning. And now it's your turn. During Behind the Cover Look: Q&A With Hung Vanngo on Tuesday September 22, the makeup artist, joined by Allure editors Jenny Bailly and Brennan Kilbane, will guide everyone through how they can get the look themselves. then we'll open the floor for questions so Vanngo can answer all your burning makeup questions. (Hot tip: He's earned the nickname “Hung Vannglow” so be sure to press him on the dewy-skin tricks he uses on Emily Ratajkowski, Julianne Moore, Kate Bosworth, and more.) The $10 admission fee will benefit the Huong Duong Home, a center for physically and mentally challenged orphans located near the village in Vietnam where Vanngo was born.

Poring Over Skin Care: A Visit With Dermatologist Shari Marchbein

Does the name Shari Marchbein sound familiar? If you're a regular Allure reader, it should — she's one of the board-certified dermatologists our editors regularly turn to for the most knowledgeable advice and information on every imaginable skin topic. During Poring Over Skin Care: A Visit With Dermatologist Shari Marchbein on Wednesday September 23, two of those editors, Sarah Kinonen and Dianna Mazzone, will chat live with the Unilever ambassador about you everything you're itching to know (the routines, the products, the procedures) about how to handle pigmentation, breakouts, fine lines, and, hey, even actual itching! And just in case they don't get to the skin subject you've been wondering about, worry not: You'll have an opportunity to ask your most pressing skin-care question during the event. Admission is free.

Zoom-Worthy Hair How-Tos: Live Tutorials With Justine Marjan and Lacy Redway

You can't picture celebrities like Ashley Graham, Kerry Washington, Tessa Thompson, and Kristin Cavallari without envisioning some of their most enviable hairstyles. And you can't chat with the stylists who created those styles without getting some seriously stellar advice on doing your own hair. So let us introduce you! On Thursday September 24's Zoom-Worthy Hair How-Tos, Allure editors Liz Siegel and Paige Stables will host red-carpet styling regulars Justine Marjan and Lacy Redway as they guide you through live (and free!) hair tutorials that will have you rethinking your work-from-home look. Prepare to be blown away by how easy it is to get a super chic new video-call 'do. (And yes, the styles will translate to real life and look absolutely awesome in person, too.)

Above the Mask Makeup: A Private Lesson With Priscilla Ono

Very few people in this world get to directly benefit from the makeup-artist mastery of Priscilla Ono, but thanks to Above the Mask Makeup on Tuesday September 29, you'll have that in common with Rihanna. Allure editors Kara McGrath and Kat Suico will host a private makeup lesson with Fenty Beauty's global makeup artist, helping you create a look that takes any face — covered in public or uncovered at home — to a fabulous new level. Ono will showcase Fenty Beauty's Best of Beauty-winning Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder, of course — but also many more of the most-used products in her kit. After Ono takes the intimidation out of trying to achieve bold, radiant makeup looks, we wouldn't be surprised if you start telling people to put "Bad Gal" before your name when addressing you. The $10 admission fee will benefit the Clara Lionel Foundation, founded by Rihanna, which invests in education and emergency-response programs around the world. 

An Insider's Look at K-Beauty: A Roundtable with Dermatologist Claire Chang and Soko Glam Cofounder Charlotte Cho

K-beauty might have seemed like a trend a couple years ago, but Korea's influence on beauty is clearly here to stay. Feel like you've got some catching up to do? Please come take a (virtual) seat! On Wednesday September 30, Allure editors Devon Abelman and Sarah Han will be chatting with New York- and Seoul-based dermatologist Claire Chang and Soko Glam co-founder Charlotte Cho about the most exciting trends coming out of Korea (and maybe some K-pop gossip). The panel will share their favorite Best of Beauty Award winners from Korea, and what we can expect to see next from the epicenter of beauty innovation. This year, for the first time ever, our editors also helped our colleagues at Allure Korea test for their Best of Beauty Awards, so you'll get a sneak peak at (and maybe a couple demos of) those exciting tools and formulas, too. 

Where can I see the full list of events?

All of the event information — including dates, times, and special guests — can be found on the main event page

Where are the events taking place?

Each virtual event will take place on Zoom. A link will be provided after you complete your registration. The times listed for each event are Eastern Time.

How do I sign up to attend an event?

On the main event page, you can click through on each image to reach the respective registration page. You may also use the links below:

What if I have trouble signing up?

Each registration page contains Zoom and Condé Nast support contact information in the event of any issues. If you are unable to reach the registration page itself, you may send an email to allurebob@condenast.com

Will I have the opportunity to ask the experts questions?

Yes! There will be a live Q&A feature moderated by the Allure editors hosting each event, except for Taraji P. Henson's Culture of Black Hair. Attendees are welcome to submit questions for Taraji P. Henson in advance when registering for the event. 

If I can't make it to the live event, will a recording be available to watch after?

At this time, there is no plan to stream the recordings after the initial live events.

Why do some of the events cost $10?

Although three of the events — Poring Over Skin Care, Zoom-Worthy Hair How-Tos, and An Insider's Look at K-beauty — are free, the other three have a $10 registration fee. In these cases, money is being raised for causes that are special to our guests. For Taraji P. Henson's Culture of Black Hair event, the fee will benefit The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in support of mental health; for Hung Vanngo's Behind the Cover Look event, the fee will benefit the Huong Duong Home, a center for physically and mentally challenged orphans in Vietnam; and for Priscilla Ono's Above the Mask Makeup event, the fee will benefit Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation to support education and emergency-response programs around the world. 

For more information on each event, visit the main Best of Beauty event page. And have a great time!

Originally Appeared on Allure