The NUDEST Awards recognize and celebrate makeup brands who make skin tone diversity a priority. The awards help shine some light on brands with phenomenal shade ranges that may not get the coverage they deserve.

And now, you can be a part of it too! We are officially accepting applications for our NUDEST Awards and want to give you the opportunity to showcase your company's diversity. Here’s everything you need to know before you sign up. 

Why NUDEST?

Bringing attention to and improving the imbalance of shade representation was one of the driving forces behind NUDEST. When 84% of the population does not match the traditional shade of “nude,” something has to change. NUDEST co-founder and CEO, Atima Lui, has recounted her own personal struggle in finding makeup to match her skin and how it has influenced her goal to change the standards of beauty. The NUDEST Awards takes a holistic approach when considering shade inclusivity so we can get the bigger picture on how beauty standards are actually changing.

How do the NUDEST Awards work?

To determine the winners of the NUDEST Awards, we take into consideration six main factors for our calculations:

1. Number of shades offered in a product line

2. Lightest shade offered

3. Darkest shade offered

4. Shade range (The difference between the lightest and darkest shades.) 

5. Customer ratings taken from reviews on Sephora and Ulta

6. History of inclusivity

We first swatch each of the foundations and concealers on a white sheet of paper. Those swatches are then sent to a lab where a member of our team can scan them to determine their true color. The lab results are the most accurate way to generate color codes; they reflect the luminosity of each shade and ensure a uniform analysis of the colors. This method eliminates the biases of how shades can appear differently on computer screens. Based on these results, we can determine the lightest and darkest shades of each product and the numerical difference between them to get the complete shade range. 

In addition to customer reviews on Sephora and Ulta, we also feel it’s important to factor in the popular opinion of brands on their history of inclusivity. For example, brands who have historically made significant progress in offering more shades (or did so from the beginning) are rewarded for it. Similarly, brands that have made major mistakes in their shade offerings or have excluded certain people from their brand will have points deducted. 

How can I nominate my brand for the NUDEST Awards?

To nominate your brand’s foundation or concealer click here. Brands applying for the awards do not have to be available in Sephora or Ulta.

You are now in the running to become one of the next top shade of the NUDEST Awards!