Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026: the year’s most transformative beauty launches

No matter who you are, every day of your life contains a multitude of tasks to be undertaken. The mark of a well-designed object is when it makes those tasks more pleasurable – sitting down to work, for instance, is easier with an elegant, ergonomic desk chair; bracing the cold weather is more pleasant when you can do it in a cocooning overcoat. The following beauty products have been selected as winners because they each have their own way of transforming one aspect of daily life into a simple, effective routine that you actually look forward to.

The Ziip Halo is a sleek, handheld device that offers the transformative effects of a high-end salon facial in the comfort of your home. Designed to be an all-in-one skincare solution, the Halo uses gentle microcurrents that promise to firm skin, diminish wrinkles, boost collagen, reduce acne and even out skin tone (such claims have been backed by clinical studies). It can be linked to an app with video tutorials on how to address concerns like dullness or breakouts with a personalised programme of electrical currents sent to the device via your phone. Each pre-programmed facial takes only a few minutes and is so easy to use, it can be done while having your morning coffee. The impact on your skin is instantly noticeable.

The same is true of Chanel’s Le Lift under-eye patches, which are formulated with hyaluronic acid and the brand’s signature eye complex to reduce dark circles and puffiness, while also reducing the appearance of discolouration and wrinkles with prolonged use. Playfully emblazoned with the Chanel logo, the patches are designed to be left on for five minutes a day and, once removed, excess product can be rubbed into the surrounding area to create an ideal base for make-up application.

When it comes to make-up, few recent launches have been more impressive than Hermès Beauty’s Plein Air foundation, which creative director Gregoris Pyrpylis began developing when he joined the house four years ago. Its purpose, says Pyrpylis, is ‘not to cover or mask the skin, but to care for it’. To that end, the foundation is formulated with an 82 per cent skincare base that is designed to hydrate, nourish and plump the appearance of skin with continual use. It can be paired with the line’s new primer and applied with tools inspired by the traditional artist’s palette and brush. ‘We are a house of craftsmanship, and I understand how important tools are in any discipline, including make-up,’ says Pyrpylis. ‘We all have busy lives and often feel pressed for time, but with this collection, I wanted to create a ritual that asks you to take a moment – whether it’s five, ten or 15 minutes is up to you – and elevate it into an act of self-care.’

The same attention to craftsmanship can be seen in Victoria Beckham’s line of make-up brushes, all of which are inspired by calligraphy tools and feature synthetic bristles specially developed for exceptional pick-up and easy application of everything from foundation and eyeshadow to lipstick and eyeliner. ‘I’m incredibly particular about design, and everything I create has a purpose,’ Beckham told Wallpaper* after the brush collection’s launch last year. ‘Nothing is chosen at random; there’s always intention behind every element.’

The same is true of Loewe’s recently launched Crafted Collection, a line of three perfumes that each take a commonly used note in perfumery – oud, iris and vanilla – and transforms them into idiosyncratic new scents. Roasted Vanilla, for instance, has a warm, creamy heart that is complicated by the spiciness of pink pepper and the alcoholic sweetness of cognac, while Bittersweet Oud brightens its familiar animalistic scent with a touch of bitter orange and warming sandalwood. Iris Root, the lightest of the fragrances, has a powdery, creamy quality made even more intriguing with the addition of herbaceous angelica seed and citrusy timut pepper. All three fragrances are housed in weighty, handblown glass vessels with a tactile granite cap – on a shelf or counter, they look like small sculptures, a testament to Loewe’s continuing dedication to transforming even the simplest objects into a showcase for exceptional craft.

Discover all the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 winners in the February issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 8 January 2025. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today