Lola's Secret Beauty Blog's Exclusive Interview with Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor, Sophia Panych: Best of Beauty Awards (Beauty Breakthroughs)!!

I have been sitting on a little secret, well two actually. First, as most of you know Lola is the name of my cat, my given name is actually Helen. The bigger secret is actually that I was invited to interview Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor, Sophia Panych, about the Breakthrough Category of the Best of Beauty Awards-- which needless to say, was a very high honor.

Sophia Panych, Assistant Editor at Allure (source)

As you are well aware, for the last 16 years Allure has decisively set the standard by selecting the best beauty products on the market in their annually celebrated Best of Beauty Awards. Allure editors sample mountains of products, and then skim the cream from the top in order to take the guess work out of our purchases. Their little red and white sticker has come to signify the highest quality, and the best performing products on the market. The winning products have been painstakingly selected by the leading beauty experts at Allure, and then tested by dermatologists, chemists, makeup artists, and hair stylists to assess the claims and efficacy of the products. Indeed, this unobtrusive label has become the seal of approval that assures consumers that they can shop with confidence.

The Best of Beauty Awards 2012 features 245 products carefully selected from thousands upon thousands of products released this year. The top picks were then broken down into the following 16 categories: Skin Care, Eyes, Hair, Cheap Thrills, Base, Lips, Cheeks, Beauty Breakthroughs, Body, Tools, Best Splurges, Nails, Sensitive Skin, Scents, Natural Wonders, and Guys' Stuff. Click on each link to view all of the individual winners. You will also find all of the winners in the October 2012 issue of Allure that is on newsstands now.

Despite the fact that there are so many amazing products to peruse, Sophia and I mainly focused our discussion on the most innovative and eagerly anticipated category of them all- the 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs.

Sophia is a high-ranking expert in the field, and yet was so charming, lovely, and down-to-earth. While our interview was centered on Allure's Breakthrough category, I did try to contextualize my questions within the larger framework of the Best of Beauty Awards in general. I was also very interested in asking a few salient personal questions that I felt likely informed her professional choices, all of which make her uniquely qualified to do her job within a rich interdisciplinary artistic context. Armed with the experience of being a former ballerina, and with an Art History degree from NYU, Sophia's unique skill set allows her to adeptly interpret trends on the runway, interface with the artists backstage, and identify the best products on the market. According to Allure, "Panych is responsible for reporting beauty trends from the ready to wear collections at New York, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, and interprets runway looks for readers in Allure’s Backstage Beauty report." I think that you will agree that she is thoroughly delightful, infinitely knowledgeable, and very gracious. With all of this in mind, here is my exclusive interview.

The 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs list doesn't always mean the most expensive products on the market, but instead those whose innovations really stand out, irrespective of price point. These products were chosen based upon a myriad of criteria, among them the innovative technologies employed and for their ability to address age old problems with astonishing efficacy. The 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs boast an amazing array of groundbreaking products that will address a plethora of beauty needs, and will undoubtedly help a great many people find outstanding and effective products.

I think that you will agree that there are many temptations to choose from!

Here are the winners of the 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs (click on links for detailed descriptions at Allure.com):

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fushion Makeup

Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo for Medium to Coarse Hair

Pantene Expert Collection AgeDefy Advanced Thickening Treatment

RoC Retinol Correxion Max Wrinkle Resurfacing System

Tresemmé Split End Remedy line and Nexxus ProMend line

Yves Saint Laurent ForeverYouth Liberator line

Finesse Color Lock Mousse and Hairspray

Avon Anew Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment

Coolway system

Eau Thermale Avène Antirougeurs For Relief Concentrate for Chronic Redness

SkinCeuticals Redness Neutralizer

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain

Kevin Murphy Full Again Thickening Lotion

St. Tropez Self Tan Dark line

CoverGirl LashBlast Clump Crusher Mascara

Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10

Sally Hansen Salon InstaGel Strips

Now that you have seen Allure's top picks, what are yours?