40 Years of Excellence—And The Products That Changed Beauty Forever

This year, the Prix d’Excellence de la Beauté marks its 40th anniversary—a rare kind of longevity in an industry defined by constant renewal.

Since its inception, the awards have held a distinct position within the global beauty landscape. Judged by Marie Claire Beauty Directors across international editions, alongside local panels of industry experts, the Prix has never been driven by noise or visibility. Instead, it recognises what is most considered—formulas that introduce something new, and shift expectations in a way that lasts.

To receive a Prix is not simply to be recognised as a successful launch, but as a product that has moved the industry forward. One that captures where beauty is at a given moment, and, more importantly, where it is heading.

Across four decades, the awards have traced that progression with precision. From the early focus on performance-led skincare to the rise of hybrid formulas and skin-first makeup, each year’s winners form a record of changing priorities—of what we value, what we expect, and how we use beauty.

To mark this anniversary, five products have been singled out from across the decades. Each stands in its own right, but what connects them is not just innovation, but legacy. Each introduced a shift that endured—absorbed into routine, repeated daily and, over time, taken as given.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (1982)

When Advanced Night Repair launched in 1982, the idea that skin could be treated differently at different times of day was far from mainstream. Skincare, for the most part, was about immediate effect—hydration, protection and surface-level improvement.

What Estée Lauder introduced was a different premise: that night was not simply when we rested, but when skin repaired itself—and that this process could be supported. The formula, lightweight and serum-based, also helped establish an entirely new product category. Until then, “serum” had little meaning within a routine. After it, it became foundational.

Over the years, Advanced Night Repair has been reformulated multiple times, incorporating advances in chronobiology and environmental stress research, while maintaining its original positioning around repair and resilience. Today, its influence is difficult to separate from the category it helped build.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat (1992)

Touche Éclat arrived at a time when complexion products were still largely defined by coverage. Foundations covered up; concealers corrected, typically in a uniform, all-over application.

Yves Saint Laurent's approach was different. Rather than masking darkness or fatigue outright, it introduced light—applied sparingly to specific points of the face to lift and brighten. The effect was less about perfection, more about perception.

Created by Terry de Gunzburg, then Creative Director of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, the pen format was also significant for its precision, portability, and intuitiveness. It encouraged a new kind of application, one that felt closer to sketching than covering.

Decades on, the industry has followed its lead. Radiance has replaced opacity; technique has shifted from blanket layering to intelligent placement. Touche Éclat remains largely unchanged, which perhaps proves that it was never tied to a trend—only to a way of seeing the face in an entirely new light.

Bioderma Sensibio H2O (1995)

In 1995, Bioderma introduced what would become the first micellar water—a format that would go on to reshape cleansing entirely. At the time, removal of makeup relied on milks, lotions and rinses, often requiring multiple steps and, frequently, compromise for sensitive skin.

Sensibio H2O offered an alternative: a single-step cleanser that removed makeup, pollution and impurities while respecting the skin’s balance. Its formulation, built around micelles that attract and lift debris without disrupting the skin barrier, reflected a dermatological approach that prioritised tolerance as much as efficacy.

Its adoption was cult, then quickly complete. What began as a French pharmacy secret became a bathroom staple worldwide. Today, micellar water is ubiquitous, but the original remains its reference point. A bottle is now sold every second globally.

The wider shift it initiated is just as significant: cleansing, once seen as a necessary removal step, became something more considered. Less about stripping the skin, more about maintaining it.

Sisley Sunleÿa (2006)

By the mid-2000s, the importance of wearing sun protection was well established, but its positioning remained largely functional. SPF was preventative and perfunctory, often separate from the rest of a skincare routine, and rarely aligned with the sensorial expectations of luxury beauty.

Sunleÿa changed that. Sisley approached SPF not as a standalone category, but as an extension of skincare—combining UV protection with ingredients designed to address the visible effects of sun-induced ageing. In doing so, it reframed sunscreen as something active rather than passive.

Since then, the category has shifted accordingly. SPF is now expected to do more—to sit comfortably within a routine, to deliver both protection and treatment. And Sunleÿa was among the first to suggest that it should.

Erborian CC Crème (2013)

By 2013, the appetite for heavy coverage was beginning to wane. BB creams had already introduced the idea of hybrid products, but Erborian’s CC Crème refined it further, offering a formula that adapted to the skin, rather than masking it. Initially opaque, it adjusted upon application to even out tone while maintaining a natural finish.

Rooted in Korean skincare philosophy, the cream also reflected a broader shift towards routines that prioritised care as much as coverage. It suggested that makeup could enhance without obscuring, and that skincare could deliver visible, immediate results.

This intersection has since become standard. Tinted serums, skin tints, hybrid foundations—all follow a similar logic. Erborian's CC Crème didn’t invent the category outright, but it defined how it would be understood from that point on.