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The Shape of Beauty Awards: the very best good-for-you products on the market, chosen by Shape readers and beauty experts. Products were judged on overall performance and the science behind the ingredients, as well as each product's smell, feel, look and effect. Overall, 22 brands participated with 170 products in 20 categories.

Every year, countless new beauty products hit the market. Some are destined to become classics; others will fade quickly into oblivion. It can be tough to sort through what's worthwhile and what's not even worth trying. So again this year, for the 3rd time, Shape joined forces with their readers to pick the best of the bunch.

To select their winners, 130 readers voted via mailed surveys. Then, Shape's own editors, chief editor of Latvia's largest women's magazine SANTA selected their favorites and, finally, our beauty advisory Agnese Zeltina (a celebrity - nationwide known actress) weighed in.

Products were judged on overall performance and the science behind the ingredients, as well as each product's smell, feel, look and effect. Overall, 22 brands participated with 170 products in 20 categories.

Products were assessed in three groups:

• selective cosmetics
• mass-market cosmetics
• organic cosmetics

MADARA Cosmetics received 3 awards for "Best product in category" in the group "Organic Cosmetics".

"This award is an international recognition of the Latvian manufacturers' ability to create and sell strong and competitive goods world-wide, which are remarkable in both the fields of technological solutions and design. Receiving the award has motivated us to keep striving to come up with new design, marketing, and technological ideas, while continuing to provide consumers with cosmetics products that have a deeper design and style value," says Lotte Tisenkopfa, director of MÁDARA Cosmetics Ltd.

Ms. Marija Popovic, representative of the Unit Innovation Policy Development at the European Commission, stated: "We fully support the aim of the award in raising awareness and rewarding the value of design management for the European economy. It links design and creativity with business and innovation strategies. Implementing design management at a strategic level can be a key driver for business success and guarantee a stronger competitive position for Europe in the future."

About DME

The Design Management Europe Award, or DME, is the first of its kind, drawing attention to the role of management in design and the successful introduction of innovation. The goal of the award is to popularise the best examples of this kind of success to a larger public.

In all, 203 companies and organisations from 22 countries registered to compete for the DME award, marking this as a European-wide event. This was the second award ceremony, and the applicants competed in 7 categories: best management of design in a large company, a medium-sized company, a small company, a micro company, a public or non-profit organisation; best management of a first-time design project, and best implementation of a design strategy for sustainability.

Amidst the candidates chosen by the jury were world-famous brands such as Virgin Atlantic, TNT post, KTM power Sports, Roca, Eva Danmark, Senz Umbrellas, EDF, Madara Cosmetics, Gemeente Amsterdam, RATP, and SoBor.

ECOCERT is present in more than 80 countries, performing the regular inspection and certification of eco-products.

In order to earn a certificate, the product must contain at least 95% natural ingredients. The remaining 5% of ingredients are strictly regulated, monitoring the presence of minerals, organic acids, and other materials. A minimum of 95% of the plant-based ingredients (for example, plant extracts and vegetable oils) must be biologically certified. ECOCERT prohibits the use of synthetic perfumes, synthetic preservatives (for example, parabens), mineral oil, propylene glycol, and other synthetic raw materials. A certified product is clearly marked on the packaging with an ECOCERT symbol, allowing the consumer to distinguish a truly natural product from the rest.

"European Union and Latvian legislation do not currently define the concept of natural cosmetics. Because of the lack of a definition, deception of the consumer is possible, and exists. The ECOCERT standard helps defend the interests of the consumer, as well as aid the clarification of the concept of natural cosmetics. MÁDARA is the first brand of Latvian-produced and ECOCERT certified cosmetics products," says Valérie Lemaire, Head manager of ECOCERT's Eco-products and cosmetics department.

ADwards is a high-level design and advertising award in Latvia, organised by Latvian Art Directors Club. The chairman of the jury - Michael Conrad - a legend in the advertising world who has been claimed to be the best Cannes's jury chairman ever. As members of the jury there was also advertising agency's "Jung von Matt" creative director Oliver Voss, founder and managing director of "Miami Ad School" Niklas Frings-Rupp, as well as other well known individuals from the design and advertising world.

WWF has released a report Deeper Luxury, where it looks at environmental and social performance of several world brands, including such as L'Oreal, Hermes and Swatch. Seven business cases of successful and innovative companies from all over the world which embody the luxury of the future are included in the report, published 29th of November 2007 - Latvian brand MÁDARA is among these.

"We are very happy about such international recognition. The beauty of it is the fact that we have received this appraisement for our beliefs, for our business principles and the desire to make the world a better place", tells Lotte Tisenkopfa, director of Llc Skin Laboratory, producer of brand MÁDARA.

MÁDARA has received recognition due to several factors. First, due production of completely natural flower and herb cosmetics for body and facial care, which do not do any harm to its users, to workers in the production units, or to the nature. Second, due to maximum use of local ingredients, which allows avoiding excess transportation, in this way also protecting the nature from pollution. Third, due to usage of easily recyclable plastic packaging and usage of such packaging paper, that comes from an environmentally friendly factory. And last, but not least, due to the company's philosophy which tells a story about "a healthy and natural lifestyle, about dignity and respect towards secrets of natural beauty".

Goal of this WWF report is to distribute awareness in the society that it is possible to live contemporarily, progressively and swiftly without doing harm to the nature. In favor of this goal WWF classifies luxury businesses by their ability to think in long term, as well as suggests celebrities to avoid advertising "dirty" brands, offering alternatives instead.

In WWF report eco-cosmetics manufacturer MÁDARA is represented alongside car manufacturer Tesla Motors, Brazilian clothes manufacturer Osklen, jewelry producer John Hardy and three other businesses of the sustainable future.
About the WWF report
This report provides a clear vision and rationale for a more sustainable luxury industry. WWF-UK analysed and ranked the ten largest, publicly-traded luxury brandowning companies on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. These brands include Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, IWC, Garnier and Louis Vuitton. No company was awarded higher than a grade C+. The French luxury group, L'Oreal, topped the ranking.

"Deeper Luxury" concludes that understanding of luxury is changing. Luxury brands have become more accessible, making it harder to appeal to consumers on the grounds of exclusivity. Instead, their added value for consumers could be derived from superior environmental and social performance, expressed through "deeper" brand values and more sustainable business practices. In this context, the credibility of luxury products and services will be derived from their ability to generate wellbeing, not only for consumers, but also for those involved in (or affected by) their production, use, reuse and disposal.

What are the greatest Cosmo women? Those who whole-hearted follow their belief, aims and ideals as good as it is possible. They are brave and feline and they deem in moving along all the time in life. Those are the women who prove with their lives and work that even the most impossible dreams come true if only you believe and follow them. That's the reasons we noticed them. And they are the best prove that women can be inexpressibly strong, smart, persuasive and sexual at the same moment.

LOTTE TISENKOPFA - about successful business which harmonizes with moral certainty.

It seems, in the year one many people could call Lotte Tisenkopfa (24) a witch, because three years ago she started to make inquiries about the qualities of several herbals with aim to look for the natural alternative of cosmetics she used then, she was preparing soap and creams at home. Later she wasn't afraid to use revealed secrets she found in a kitchen and turn them into important business. Within this year a serious production unit has been developed where the cosmetics from Latvian herbals are made. Yes, those are the same neat white bottles with writing MÁDARA, which you can see in the shop shelves. "It is possible to reach a lot using the ambitions, that's why you shouldn't be afraid to dream. If you will dream about a castle, you will definitely get the house. If you won't dream at all, you will receive nothing, too," Lotte is sure about it. Mostly she enjoyed the costumers' co-operation: "There are women who even personally call and render thanks for the product." Also success is the international acknowledgement: logotype of MÁDARA was included in Europe Logo design almanac.

Does somebody have wanted to franchise MÁDARA?
There have not been concrete offers to franchise MÁDARA, but there have been proposals to buy a part. We (Lotte and four other co-owners of the production unit - ed.) pertain on sober reckoning, it means, if such a cooperation would bring some good for company and its clients, we would agree.

How many cosmetic products do you have at home?
I have turned myself in some kind of test rabbit because I want to prospect all novelties which come into cosmetics market. That's why one morning I am using cosmetic of one company, next - another.
If we would be walking by the meadow could you describe the qualities of the each herbal?
I mostly mind the qualities of herbs we are using in production, but I would like to know considerably more. Each evening I say to myself that I should go to the herbaceous grannies and ask them to bring to light the secrets of their generations.

Tell us some miraculous story from your life!
I was living in Japan for a one year within the study program of Japanese language. Once I got ill, I was taking some vitamins, but nothing changed. Then I rembered, that a blend of Latvian herbal tea was stored in my trunk. When I doused it and sniffed the smell of chamomiles and cornflowers I understood how important it was - to intermediate with home.