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Over the weekend, hordes of costumed characters descended into lower Manhattan for the 18th annual New York Comic Con, the busiest fan convention on the continent (category entertainment). A few blocks away, the busiest fan convention on the continent (category beauty) was underway: The second annual Allure Best of Beauty Live. No costumes were worn, unless you count concealer and lip gloss.

The event honored the 357 beauty products that earned Allure’s 2024 Best of Beauty seal, culled from the thousands upon thousands more that were submitted and summarily evaluated by Allure’s beauty editors, who showed up in crimson Best of Beauty sweatshirts on Saturday to guide the masses.

Ticket holders receiving their complimentary Allure tote bags while checking in at the front desk.

Sean Sime Photography

And those masses, over 1,000 people, showed up as beauty editors. Immediately upon entering the event, they were swept into a space designed after the Allure Beauty Closet—where every shelf was laden with product, waiting to be tested, swatched, and taken home to love.

Around 9:30am (beauty editors don’t get to work too early), Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel welcomed guests to a series of presentations wearing ruby glasses and a carmine crochet dress. “We worked really hard, testing for months and months and months, to make sure that you have an amazing new group of winners in the Best of Beauty club,” said Cruel. “I hope you learn a lot about them today. And I hope you get a lot of product. Because we can’t take it back—so take as much as possible!”

Editor in chief Jessica Cruel welcoming ticket holders into the event space.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

The day’s first panel, moderated by the online personality Tinx, was a conversation with Allure editors about their professional lives in the ever-changing industry. “25 years ago, when I started out, there were a dozen or so big beauty brands generating most of the excitement, on a seasonal basis,” said executive beauty director Jenny Bailly. “Now it feels like there are hundreds of launches every week.” Content director Kara McGrath shared her journey from beauty school dropout to journalism student to beauty editor, and creative director Amber Venerable got real about this year’s Best of Beauty cover shoot with Alia Bhatt in Mumbai—during monsoon season. Annie Blay, Allure’s associate beauty editor, revealed how she broke into the industry during the Covid lockdown. When asked to shout out their favorite event-prep products, every editor on the panel recommended Shani Darden’s Triple Acid Peel. (Also name-checked: Lumify eye-brightening drops, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, and Living Proof Full Volume and Root-Lifting Spray.)

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From left to right: Associate beauty editor Annie Blay, content director Kara McGrath, creative director Amber Venerable, executive beauty director Jenny Bailly, and panel moderator Tinx.

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Later, Tina Knowles, who co-founded the hair-care brand Cécred, joined Cruel to talk about her decades-long career in hairstyling. (Cécred won its first Best of Beauty Award this year, for its Reconstructing Treatment Mask.) Knowles owned a salon when Destiny’s Child was getting started, and offered her services as a way to travel with the girls. More recently, she served as a key artist on her daughter’s Renaissance tour. “Beyoncé wanted the dancers’ hair light, like platinum blonde,” Knowles recalled. “I said, ‘Oh lord.’” The crowd roared.

Ms. Tina Knowles and Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel had a candid conversation about all things hair care and the future of Cécred.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

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Knowles made sure to say hi to her friend Pat McGrath, who held a master class on some of her favorite runway makeup looks from the recent shows—focusing on the glowing skin and amped-up lips of Schiaperelli and Versace, and a metallic eye look inspired by Bottega Veneta and Loewe. For the grand finale, model Karmi Pinning emerged in the crystal eyes that McGrath first created for Versace in 2019—and brought to a whole new audience when she did a version for Taylor Swift’s Bejeweled video (in which McGrath reminded us that she also, reticently, starred). For one attendee, wearing braids and pink shadow dusted into the corners of her eyes, this master class was the highlight of her afternoon. “To be able to see Pat McGrath doing makeup from close-up, like you’re having that backstage experience,” she said, “And she looked so good!” McGrath, clad in her signature black turtleneck and headband, did indeed.

The woman, the myth, the legend Dame Pat McGrath during her master class, recreating the lit-from-within glow that helped make her beauty's brightest star.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

So did makeup artist Danessa Myricks who held court alongside hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons and makeup artist Delina Medhin (both also looking gorgeous) in the Ask The Expert lounge. Next door, VIP guests claimed their complimentary injections of Xeomin neurotoxin. After spending some time meeting with guests in the Ask the Expert corner, Drs. Dendy Engleman and Dan Belkin could be found front row at an afternoon talk called “All About Aesthetics,” during which Dr. Tara Margarella, the medical director of Ideal Image, and Sir John, the makeup artist of Naomi Campbell and others, disclosed every injectable they’d ever had. “Black don’t crack, but it can sag,” Sir John quipped, before sharing that in addition to neurotoxin in his forehead, he uses filler to smooth out a divot in his bald head.

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From left to right: Dr. Tara Margarella, makeup artist Sir John, and Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel got candid about their favorite aesthetic treatments.

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At the EltaMD booth, a dermatologist handed out personalized skin-care recommendations and spray bottles of AOX sunscreen. Upon the Oral B “pedestal,” a woman in a white coat demonstrated the tenderness of the iO model of toothbrush by using it to clean blue powder off of a white rose petal. Phones were out and filming, as if the blue rose was Tina Knowles.

Celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway used the Nexxus Volume Hairspray to create serious height on Allure editor Jesa Marie Calaor during a styling demonstration, moderated by editor Angela Trakoshis.

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There were hand peels from PCA Skin, mini facials from Neocutis, brow-shaping from Anastasia Beverly Hills, and shade-matching of the award-winning Sublime Perfection Foundation from Pat McGrath Labs. After finding their perfect base, guests swung by to see the Rare Beauty team for a highlighter application tutorial before venturing over to the color analysis station, where Outfit Curator draped them with fabrics to find their most flattering shades.

The crowd stayed steady throughout the day, but began to thin out after the last panel of the day, in which Allure features director Dianna Mazzone and dermatologist Dr. Mona Gohara discussed the essentials of body care, including why too-hot showers are bad for you and the dangers of loofahs. “I’m Egyptian, so growing up my family was all in on loofahs,” said Gohara. “But as an Egyptian dermatologist, I have to say ixnay on the loofahs. They’re very harsh on the skin barrier.”

Ticket holders recording and snapping photos during a live panel discussion.

Upon departure, guests received gift bags filled to the brim with Best of Beauty award winners. One attendee, on the street outside, struggled to get her bag over her shoulder while filming an Instagram Live: “It’s heavy as f*ck!”

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Guests picking up their gift bags after one of the panel discussions.

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On a brief break from Proctor & Gamble’s pop-hair lab, an Olay representative marveled at the energy and smiles in the room: “We love seeing beauty lovers come out and interact with the products. It brings our work to life.”

Allure's Best of Beauty: The Live Event was presented by #SmartTox. Sponsors included Amazon Beauty, Dove, Elta MD, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Maria Nila, NEOCUTIS, Nexxus, Olay, Oral B, Pantene, PCA Skin, Peripera, The Ordinary, and TRESemmé.