Tariffs, ever-fiercer competition, waning consumer spend and a slew of other macroeconomic factors are affecting the beauty industry.

But during Beauty New York’s three-day extravaganza, you wouldn’t know it.

What kicked off with a celebratory gala Thursday before Beauty New York opened to ticketed consumers on Friday and Saturday saw a ton of footfall, and lots of celebration.

“Last year in New York City, beauty grew faster than overall total sales in the U.S. This is a tremendous opportunity and an amazing experience for us to show up,” said Liza Rapay, Beauty New York’s founder, at the event’s ribbon cutting on Friday. “Think of this as a platform. It’s our fashion week for beauty, we’re just beginning.”

More than 30 participating brands took over the center of the Oculus in a Sephoria-esque labyrinth of cubicles, each fashioned after each brand’s DNA. TikTok-famous K-beauty brand TirTir, for example, had futuristic screens flanked by gondolas of product; Borghese Skincare fashioned theirs after an Italian villa. Unilever hosted a separate lounge for its brands a stone’s throw away.

“Beauty New York was an opportunity for us to show our renaissance, to be able to share that with our customers,” said Dawn Hilarczyk, the brand’s chief operating officer. “When you walk into our Borghese villa, it’s like walking into Rome without going on a plane.

“Borghese has a longstanding relationship with New York. We’re born in Italy but raised in New York, and this is about reengaging with a new generation of beauty and skin care lovers as a multigenerational brand.”

For brands, even without any points of sale, it represented an awareness opportunity. According to the event organizers, 400,000 people circulate through the Oculus on a daily basis.

At the gala the night prior, when Rapay also awarded a slew of industry figures with the organization’s inaugural Impact Awards, she said she began working on the event in 2021. “The world was still unsteady, reopening after a time of uncertainty. I found myself asking what matters now, how do we come back together and connect in a meaningful way?

“From the very beginning, the vision was uncompromising. It had to be intentional, it had to be cultural, it had to be a lasting platform. The vision was to build something that would move the industry forward, a stage that reflects us influencing culture, and a home where new ideas can rise.”

Among the award recipients were Unilever, for its sustainability efforts, which is working toward net zero emissions, regenerative agriculture, 97 percent deforestation, free sourcing and major cuts in virgin plastic by 2026. Accepting that award was Eric Ostern, beauty and well-being head of sustainability at Unilever, as well as Tiffany Yizar, head of R&D for beauty and well-being for North America.

“At Unilever, we’re committed to creating a more sustainable future,” Ostern said onstage. “This is illustrated, for example, by our work in reducing virgin plastic in our packaging for brands like Dove,” which includes a new Dove spray that “contains propellants that have lower greenhouse gas emissions.”

Impact in Beauty Retail winner Macy’s Inc. saw its award accepted by Nicolette Bosco, vice president and divisional merchandise manager at the retailer for beauty. “We strive to create experiences that uplift, spark joy and foster meaningful connections through the world of beauty, from luxury to emerging to prestige. We offer an assortment of brands, connecting our customers with the brands and everyone in this room,” she said.

Jenny B. Fine, WWD executive beauty editor and editor in chief of Beauty Inc, took home the award for Impact in Beauty Journalism. “To have a front row seat directing WWD coverage is the kind of gig that all journalists dream about, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate. Right now, I’m reading the autobiography of Diane von Furstenberg, and she defines beauty as strength and personality, bravery and determination,” Fine said.

The Fashion Institute of Technology’s chair of the master’s program of cosmetics and fragrance marketing and management, Stephan Kanlian, was awarded for Impact in Shaping Future Leaders. “It is truly an honor to be recognized in the same company as the firms and brands that I so deeply admire, from Unilever to Macy’s,” he said.

Make USA won the Impact in Building Beauty With Purpose award. “I founded Make USA eight years ago with the simple mission to solve real, everyday challenges that small and mid-sized brands face,” Nimrod Basri, the organization’s founder, said in an acceptance speech. “I knew how difficult it was to meet production minimums, manage long lead times, develop and source everything brands need, all while trying to build a business. Today, we can fill any product into any package with no minimums in unprecedented turnaround time. We help brands find whatever they need and manage complex sourcing projects on the ground, and that’s only part of our story.”

Basri has hired more than 700 formerly incarcerated men and women, and, “for most of them, the harsh realities of life began at a very young age. With a lot of hard work, we build a place that welcomes those who rarely hesitate and a place that judges you for who you are, and in which you can build the future free of the mistakes of the past.”