Beauty industry veterans, style editors, celebrity makeup artists and hairstylists flocked to the Dream Hotel on Tuesday night where ESSENCE held it’s first annual Best in Black Beauty Awards. The event, hosted by ESSENCE Beauty Director Corynne Corbett and celebrity stylist June Ambrose, honored beauty trailblazers who have contributed to innovations in cosmetics, skin care, nails and hair.
This year’s honorees included Balanda Atis, Group Leader, and Janine Cherette, Color Cosmetic Scientist, of the L’Oréal USA Research and Innovation team; Ted Gibson, celeb hairstylist to the stars and head stylist on What Not To Wear; Janis Smith-Gomez, Vice-President of Marketing for Johnson & Johnson; Lisa Logan, go-to manicurist for Beyoncé; and Pat McGrath, makeup artist who masterminds the runway’s most sought-after looks from New York to Milan. Grammy-nominated recording artist Janelle Monaé was also in attendance to make the awards presentation to her hairstylist, Ted Gibson.