These Are the Experts Behind our Beauty Crush Awards

Every year, HelloGiggles publishes its Beauty Crush Awards, where we round up the best beauty products of the year. The process takes months, as testers around the country play with skincare, hair, nail, fragrance, and makeup products. We have a lot of fun trying out all the products, but one of the best ways to confirm that an item is really good is by asking experts for their opinion. That’s why we tapped nine experts for the 2021 Beauty Crush Awards. From dermatologists and makeup artists to cosmetic chemists and beauty columnists, these are the brains who helped shape this year’s awards.

1. Dr. Michelle Henry

If you ever have a skincare question, Dr. Michelle Henry will have the answer. She’s a board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon, working as a Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. She specializes in high-risk skin cancer treatments, cosmetic surgery, hair loss, skin rejuvenation, and skin of color. We love her holistic treatment philosophy, which is backed by the latest techniques and scientific data.

2. Dr. Shereene Idriss

We first came to know Dr. Shereene Idriss through her Instagram series #PillowTalkDerm, where she breaks down the science of skincare in easy-to-understand language. In her practice, Dr. Idriss specializes in facial aesthetics rejuvenation, and we love her unique approach to addressing the four major issues associated with aging: volume displacement (aka sagging), skin discoloration, loss of inherent elasticity, and textural changes.

Previously, Dr. Idriss was a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Department of Dermatology at NYU Medical Center, and she’s currently a Clinical Instructor at the Dermatology Department of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. In addition to her board certification in dermatology, Dr. Idriss is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, The Dermatologic Society of Greater New York, and the Women’s Dermatologic Society.

3. Ron Robinson

Ron Robinson is a veteran cosmetic chemist with over 20 years experience in creating innovative, popular products for some of the biggest beauty brands in the world, like Revlon, Avon, L’Oréal Paris, Estée Lauder, and Clinique (NBD). In 2019, Robinson started his own brand, BeautyStat Cosmetics, which has earned national recognition for its award-winning products, such as its best-selling Universal C Skin Refiner vitamin C serum that even Dr. Henry raved to us about. If there’s anybody who can explain cosmetic formulas to us and cut the BS, it’s Robinson.

4. Katey Denno

Katey Denno is a California-based celebrity makeup artist who has championed clean beauty for over a decade. We love her simple approach to beauty: simple, non-toxic, and artistic. Denno’s work has been seen in major magazines and on red carpets, and her client list currently includes several of our major girl crushes, such as Zooey Deschanel, Beanie Feldstein, and Margaret Qualley. She alternates offering YouTube tutorials and Instagram product recommendations to keep her followers up-to-date on her favorite products and expert tips.

5. Renée Loiz

Renée Loiz is a California-based makeup artist with over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry. She’s worked with Hollywood’s A-list, and her work can also be seen in major magazines and ads. Loiz also writes a beauty blog that focuses on makeup tips, healthy skin, and natural hair. Her love for research helped her develop her latest project, Color May Vary—the ultimate guide to top-quality, Black-owned brands for beauty enthusiasts. On top of all that, Loiz is also the resident beauty expert for The Blackbird House where she discusses the latest trends in beauty and wellness.

6. Maya Allen

Maya Allen is the Beauty Director at InStyle, where she oversees all beauty coverage for the magazine. Growing up, she dreamed of seeing women who looked like her in articles and on magazine covers but never found the representation she yearned for in the media. So, she decided to change that. She majored in journalism at Howard University with a minor in African-American studies, and spent every summer interning at major magazines in New York. Throughout her career, she’s made it her mission to inform, inspire, and shift the narrative in the beauty industry—and she’s done a damn good job at it.

7. Anneke Knot

Anneke Knot is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Real Simple and Health magazines. She graduated from Calvin College with a degree in English and German, and then interned for magazines such as Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan. Additionally, she’s spent time working in public relations for several beauty brands. On any given weekday, you can find her with a wrist full of lipstick swatches, a head full of detangler, a face full of SPF, and both hands full of new product to test—plus a healthy amount of sanitizer, of course.

8. Jacqueline Fields

Jacqueline Fields is PEOPLE‘s Senior Style & Beauty Editor and veteran reporter. She’s responsible for launching the magazine’s Beauty section and coordinating its lucrative Beauty Awards, all the while using her extensive industry contacts to bring in interviews with A-list talent like Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Carrie Underwood, and Kerry Washington. Fields earned a B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University and an A.D. in Applied Science, Fashion Design from Parsons The New School for Design in New York.

9. Jessica DeFino

Jessica DeFino is a beauty reporter and HelloGiggles’ “Clean, Green, and In Between” columnist, covering supportive, sustainable skincare based in science and spirituality. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, and more. She’s currently working on her first book.

Photo Editor: Jasmine Purdie

Art Director: Jenna Brillhart

Illustrations & Design: Sarah Maiden