Who What Wear UK · Next in Beauty 2026
Best Curly Hair Product.
The Curl Jar Style + Treat™ Curl Activator, chosen by Who What Wear's editors and a panel of expert judges.
Quick answer
Curl Jar's Style + Treat™ Curl Activator won Best Curly Hair Product at the Who What Wear UK Next in Beauty Awards 2026. The winners were celebrated on Wednesday 21 October at the Barbican Conservatory in London, a space full of plants that is due to close for a major, multi-year restoration, in front of some of the biggest names in beauty.
Some awards come with a ceremony you remember for the trophy. This one we'll remember for the room. On 21 October, the Who What Wear UK Next in Beauty Awards 2026 revealed their winners, and the Curl Jar Curl Activator was named Best Curly Hair Product.
The venue
A night among the plants.
The fourth annual Next in Beauty Awards were held at the Barbican Conservatory, a greenhouse tucked inside the Brutalist Barbican Centre in the City of London. Surrounded by natural, organic plants, with some of the biggest names in beauty in the same room, it was an unforgettable place to be recognised.
It felt fitting for a brand built around celebrating natural curl patterns.
One last bloom
The Conservatory is reported to be closing to the public around the turn of the year for a restoration expected to run for about three years, making this one of the last chances to see it in full bloom.
Judged, not voted
How the winners are chosen.
Next in Beauty is decided by people who test products for a living. Hundreds of hair products went through the process.
On the panel: Who What Wear editors · industry experts · hard-to-please editors · in-the-know influencers
From the judges
“This is a fantastic product. It really does what they set it out to do.”
That line says a lot to us. Doing what it sets out to do is exactly what we built the Curl Activator for: a cream-gel that defines, hydrates, controls frizz and adds shine, without needing a long routine.
On the night
Next in Beauty 2026.
A big year for the Curl Activator
Three awards. Three ways of choosing.
Different judges, different methods, all pointing at the same simple jar.
Thank you.
To Who What Wear for the recognition, to the judges who put our Curl Activator to the test, and to everyone who has picked up a jar, written a review or told a friend about it. Simple curl care keeps getting noticed because of you.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What award did Curl Jar win at the Who What Wear UK Next in Beauty Awards 2026?
Curl Jar's Style + Treat™ Curl Activator won Best Curly Hair Product at the Who What Wear UK Next in Beauty Awards 2026.
When and where were the Next in Beauty Awards 2026 held?
The winners were celebrated on Wednesday 21 October 2026 at the Barbican Conservatory in London, at the fourth annual Next in Beauty Awards.
How are the Who What Wear Next in Beauty Awards judged?
Winners are chosen by Who What Wear's editors and a panel of expert judges, including industry experts, editors and influencers, who test the products rather than relying on a public vote.
What did the judges say about Curl Jar?
Judge Alisha Dobson, managing director at Bleach London, said: "This is a fantastic product. It really does what they set it out to do."
Has Curl Jar won other awards in 2026?
Yes. The Curl Activator also won Best Multi-Tasker for Curls at the Marie Claire UK Hair Awards 2026 and the Readers' Vote for Best Hair Prep or Styling Product at the Pure Beauty Awards 2026.
Sources: Who What Wear, the 24 best hair products of 2026 · Who What Wear, inside the 2026 Next in Beauty Awards · Secret London, Barbican Conservatory closure
Try the award winner.
Best Curly Hair Product, Who What Wear UK Next in Beauty 2026.
Shop Curl Activator Stock up with the Duo
