Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel kicked things off with one of the day’s first Insider Sessions, “Complexion Tailoring with Rose and Ben Beauty,” hosted by brand co-founder (and 2026 Allure Readers’ Choice Top Beauty Creator) Rose Siard in the intimate, burgundy-draped Salon space. “It does feel a little strange to be out of my dark room where I normally film,” Siard said with a smile before she began demystifying the ROY G. BIV world of color correction.
Meanwhile, around the corner in the Gallery—the larger of the two educational spaces—the day began with “Meet Your Milky Hydration Match,” where Laneige’s Robby Ramsarran dove into the brand’s hydration-focused offerings. Several of that session’s guests kept their Laneige eye masks on throughout the day like a Best of Beauty Live badge of honor, and toward the end of the event, a young attendee I struck up a conversation with cited the class as among her personal favorites given their kaleidoscopic offerings: “They had a new lip mask where you can swirl the colors,” she noted.
Indeed, K-Beauty’s presence was strongly seen—and felt, in all its glorious textures—throughout the event. Beauty of Joseon’s activation included shade matching for the brand’s Tinted Mineral Dayscreen and giveaways of the Best of Beauty-winning Ginseng Cleansing Oil, while catty-corner at Amazon’s K-Beauty Experience, guests explored trending products and picked up pro tips from experts, including editors from Allure Korea. (The aforementioned young attendee also named this booth’s skin analysis one of her highlights.)
Right beside the K-Beauty Experience stood Amazon’s Beauty Atelier, where makeup artists painted lids with chrome sparkles or soft cat eyes; created smooth, airbrushed bases; or glossed up “shellac” pouts; each look utilizing multiple Best of Beauty winners. Lips and eyes were also adorned at the L’Oreal Paris booth, where guests received touch-ups before hitting the adjacent Allure Red Carpet. There, they took professional snaps and selfies with the squad.
In rooms elegantly concealed by draped beige gauze, attendees received consultations for—and, if they qualified, treatments of—Botox or Juvéderm lip filler, courtesy of SkinSpirit providers. (Many attendees, a brand rep shared, left the event with their first-ever neuromodulator.) Next door, DiamondGlow provided on-site microdermabrasion treatments on the back of guests’ hands. “Bitch!” one attendee exclaimed thrice to a pal filming the treatment, impressed by the change in texture; “Now you have to pay for the other hand,” the friend quipped. At Alle’s claw machine, folks took turns trying their luck at grabbing boxes containing reward codes. In classic claw-machine fashion, success rates varied (a cowbell clang throughout the room anytime someone proved successful), but players were pleased to learn they’d be taking home goodies regardless of how deft they were with the joystick.
