We would trust these skin care, hair, and makeup pros with our lives

Every year, HelloGiggles publishes the Beauty Crush Awards—a list of the best skincare, makeup, nail, and hair products on the market. With so many creams and hairsprays and eyeshadows out there, how do we determine what’s really the best? Well, for starters, we tap the minds of some of the most highly respected experts out there to make sure our product picks are top-notch.

For this year’s Beauty Crush Awards, we interviewed dermatologists, makeup artists, celebrity hairstylists, HelloGiggles columnists, and several beauty editors from some of our sister brands. Here’s who’s who.

Dermatologists

1Dendy Engelman

Dendy Engelman, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist and nationally acclaimed surgeon and dermatologist. She is widely celebrated for her expertise in neurotoxins, injectable fillers, and chemical peels, and she provides a wide range of treatments including fat removal, mole excision, Ohs surgery, and skin cancer treatment. Dr. Engelman’s educational background includes a double major in psychology and French from Wofford College in South Carolina, and as a student at the Medical University of South Carolina, she earned the Presidential Scholar award and the Humanism in Medicine Scholarship for her efforts in establishing and running free medical care clinics in Charleston and Haiti.

2Kavita Mariwalla

Kavita Mariwalla, M.D., is a nationally recognized leader in dermatology and dermatologic surgery, whose expertise is in the areas of anti-aging procedures and skin cancer treatment. Prior to starting her own private practice, Dr. Mariwalla was the Director of Cutaneous Oncology at St. Luke’s–Roosevelt and Beth Israel Medical Centers in New York. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Dermatologic Society and American Society for Dermatologic Surgery in the past and is a three-time recipient of the ASDS President’s Award for outstanding contributions to the field of dermatologic surgery. Dr. Mariwalla earned her degree in medicine at the Yale School of Medicine where she also completed her dermatology residency and fellowship training.

3Tiffany Libby

Tiffany J. Libby, M.D., FAAD FACMS is a board-certified dermatologist and dual fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon and cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Brown University. Dr. Libby specializes in skin cancer, Mohs micrographic surgery, and cosmetic dermatology. She completed an accelerated 7-year combined B.S./M.D. program with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (formerly UMDNJ) and graduated with top academic honors. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), and American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS).

4Deanne Robinson

Deanne Mraz Robinson, M.D., FAAD is a board-certified dermatologist with award-winning experience in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. Along with her extensive experience in dermatology, Dr. Robinson is active in academia and clinical research—she was an investigator in research trials for Latisse and Kybella. She received her BAS and M.D. from The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and went on to complete her dermatology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Most recently Dr. Mraz Robinson served as Director of the Body Sculpting Center at Connecticut Dermatology Group.

Hairstylists

1Kendall Dorsey

With nearly 15 years of beauty know-how under his belt, Kendall Dorsey’s background in hair instruction sets him apart in all aspects of his artistry. His hair-cutting techniques, color application, and wig care have struck a chord with the public and beauty world, making him one of the most sought after hairdressers in his field. With clients such as Solange, Lizzo, Usher, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and nearly every “It” girl on the scene, Dorsey has captivated the industry.

2Patrick Kyle

Patrick Kyle began his career in hair at an early age when his mom asked him to french braid her hair. After receiving a Bachelor in Fine Arts from The University of Oklahoma, he began focusing on his career in hair in NYC. His pursuits led him to his first salon job with Serge Normant at John Frieda and assisting celebrity stylist Mark Townsend. Currently, he styles at his studio and regularly works with celebrities such as Rachel Brosnahan, Chloe Bennet, Margaret Qualley, Zara Larsson, and Kim Petras.

HelloGiggles Columnists

1Mika Robinson

Mika Robinson is an NYC-based writer and HelloGiggles columnist who has a passion for sharing hard-hitting stories, sometimes with a bit of comedic relief. Her monthly column, Shades of Melanin, unpacks some of the many issues that women of color experience in the beauty community, such as why many retailers don’t sell dark foundation shades in-store.

2Jessica Yarbrough

Jessica L. Yarbrough is a beauty writer based in Savannah, GA and a monthly columnist for HelloGiggles. Her column, Clean, Green, and In Between explores green beauty, eco-friendly beauty, clean beauty, and natural beauty. Her work focuses on natural, holistic, and sustainable skincare and has appeared in Vogue, BAZAAR, New York Magazine‘s The Cut, Fashionista.com, and more.

3Blake Newby

Blake Newby is the author behind HelloGiggles’ monthly column The Curl Corner. In it, she celebrates the versatility of textured tresses and covers everything from how to properly style your coils to how to protect them, and includes tons of expert input on curl patterns of all types. Her work also appears in The Zoe Report and The Revelist.

Makeup Artists

1Tee Chavez

Tanya “Tee” Chavez is a NYC-based makeup artist who comes from a long lineage of performers and artist. She spent lots of time backstage as a kid in the 1980s, where she was enamored by all the glamour and bright colors. Her experience in color, make up, and aesthetics run the gamut from the studio to the runway with such luxury brands as Chanel, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, and Tom Ford.

2Meredith Baraf

Meredith Baraf’s approach to makeup derives from her simple belief that beauty precedes innovation. As an artist, she is a favorite among celebrities, models, fashion houses and photographers, not only for her gentle and generous nature, but for her inspired ability to reveal each of her subjects unique beauty while expressing mood and meaning in their eyes.

Beauty Editors

1Kayla Greaves

Kayla Greaves is an award-winning journalist who currently holds the position of Senior Beauty Editor at InStyle.com. She was previously the Fashion & Beauty Features editor at Bustle and a Lifestyle Editor at The Huffington Post. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Teen Vogue, ELLE, and more. She received a Bachelor of Arts in communications from McMaster University and graduated with honors.

2Lisa DeSantis

Lisa DeSantis is the Deputy Beauty Director of Real Simple and Health magazines. She has also held positions at FITNESS and Allure, and has over six years of experience in the beauty industry. DeSantis received a Bachelor of Science in design and merchandising from Drexel University.

3Ursula Carranza

With over 22 years of experience under her belt, Ursula Carranza has made a name for herself in the Latinx community as a beauty expert. She is currently the Fashion and Beauty Director of People en Español magazine and makes regular television appearances on the brand’s People VIP segment. Carranza received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Boston University and her Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University and Universitat de Barcelona.