The Sonsie & Shopify’s Mindful Beauty Award Contest
Official Rules
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST, YOU AGREE TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES, WHICH ARE A CONTRACT, SO READ THEM CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING. WITHOUT LIMITATION, THIS CONTRACT INCLUDES INDEMNITIES TO THE SPONSOR AND PROMOTIONAL PARTNER (DEFINED BELOW) FROM YOU AND A LIMITATION OF YOUR RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
1. Contest Eligibility: The Sonsie & Shopify’s Mindful Beauty Award Contest (the “Contest”) is open only to “female-founded” “Small Businesses,” that sell or plan to sell products within the beauty and wellness industries, with a focus on mindfulness. Note: “female founders” include anyone who identifies as a woman.
Examples of eligible businesses in “Beauty”: include but are not limited to: Skincare, Body care, Makeup, Haircare, Cosmetic Tools, and Fragrances.
Examples of eligible businesses in “Wellness”: include but are not limited to: Supplements, Vitamins, Meditation Tools, Sleep Aids, Aromatherapy, Fitness Tools, and Wellness Services or Apps.
The Small Business (in the case of those Small Businesses that have launched) must be incorporated (or equivalent) and operating in the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia). In addition, each Small Business must:
(a) Fall within 1 of the following stages:
Planning: Just starting out with an idea and business plan.
Development: Currently in branding, prototyping, sourcing, or product development.
Recent Launch: Launched an ecommerce store or “physical” store within the last 12 months.
(b) If Entrant does not already have a Shopify account, they must create one for free at the time of entry, at shopify.com/sonsie. There is no obligation to purchase a Shopify subscription.
(c) If Small Business has launched, it must be operating in a lawful manner, including but not limited to having all required licenses and registrations
At least one founder of the “Small Business” (also referred to as the “Entrant”) who was one of the original founders of the Small Business and must be a female resident of the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) who is at least the age of majority in their state or place of residence, herein “Entrant.” NOTE: if there are multiple Small Business Founders, only 1 may enter on behalf of the Small Business. In addition, if an Entrant is a founder of more than 1 eligible Small Business, they may only enter this Contest for 1 of their Small Businesses. Otherwise eligible Small Businesses that are founded by employees of Sonsie Skin Inc. (“Sponsor”), Shopify, Inc., Merkle Inc. (“Administrator”), their promotional agencies, and any of their parent and affiliate companies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible to win.
2. Sponsor: Sonsie Skin Inc., 276 Greenpoint Avenue, Suite 235, Brookyln, NY 11222. Administrator: Merkle Inc., 3000 Town Center, Suite 2100, Southfield, MI 48075. Shopify Inc. is not the Sponsor or Administrator of this Contest and is not responsible for its execution or administration.
3. Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in this Contest constitutes the Entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and Administrator, which are final and binding. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited. In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between any other statements contained in any Contest-related materials and the Official Rules as posted on the Contest Site (defined below in the “How to Enter Section”), the Official Rules as posted on the Contest Site shall prevail, govern and control. Entrants agree that they may not submit entries by any automated means or use multiple different identities, registrations, or email addresses to submit more Contest Entries than permitted by these Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.
4. Contest Period: The Contest Period (defined as the period when Entrants can submit initial entries) begins on October 27, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. United States Eastern Time ("ET"), and ends on December 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The chart below provides the timing for activities after the Contest Entry Period. Dates associated with these post Contest Entry Period activities are subject to change in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
| Activities | Start Date at 12:00 a.m. ET | End Date at 11:59 p.m. ET | Notification Date (as applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finalist Judging (Applies to the top 3 prizes) | October 27, 2025 | December 14, 2025 | n/a |
| Initial Contest Entry Judging | December 15, 2025 | December 18, 2025 | December 19, 2025. 10 Finalists will be notified by email and phone. |
| Finalist Video Entry(For the 10 Finalists) | December 19, 2025 | December 31, 2025 | n/a |
| Finalist Judging (Applies to the top 3 prizes) | January 2, 2026 | January 8, 2026 | January 9, 2026. Potential Winners will be notified by email. |
Administrator's computer is the official time-keeping device for the Contest.
5. How to Enter the Contest: During the Contest Period, visit www.sonsiexshopify.com (“Contest Site”) and follow the links and instructions to accurately complete and submit the Contest registration form, including providing all of the following:
- Full name
- Valid email address
- Shopify Store account (you will be asked to log into your account or create one for free. Shopify accounts are subject to Shopify’s Terms of Service. There is no requirement to pay for a Shopify plan if you are not currently using one for your Small Business; your chance of winning will not be impacted if you do not wish to have a Shopify subscription.) The Released Parties are not responsible for any issues related to the creation or maintenance of a Shopify account.
- Small Business address (this may be your home address if you are operating out of your residence),
- Phone number (used only to contact you if you are selected as a Finalist),
- Small Business name,
- Social handles for the listed platforms, where applicable (include your personal handle if you have not yet created a handle for your Small Business).
You must confirm that you and your Small Business meet the eligibility requirements at the time of entry and you must also agree to these Official Rules.
Next, follow the instructions to submit a response in English to each of the following questions about your Small Business (note character limitations for each question).
Q: What first inspired you to start your brand? [500 character maximum]
Q: List and describe three core principles relating to mindfulness that guide your company or the company you are developing? [300 character maximum]
Q: Share one example of your core principles in action in your everyday life. [300 character maximum]
Q: What does “mindful beauty” mean to you – personally and professionally? [300 character maximum]
Q: Describe the impact (or anticipated impact) of your brand on the physical or mental health of your customers and/or the planet. Include data, if you have any, to support your claims. [300 character maximum]
Q: Tell us what you sell (or plan to sell) and why it matters. If your ecommerce store is live, share a link to the product that best captures your brand spirit. [350 character maximum]
Q: Tell us how your company will practice or practices sustainability. [250 character maximum]
Q: List three concrete ways you would use this award and how they would accelerate your growth. [500 character maximum]
Your completed registration form and responses to the above questions compriseyour Contest Entry. Note that your answers must abide by the following Content Restrictions. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may disqualify you if it believes that your Contest Entry fails to conform.
Content Restrictions: applicable for your Essay and if a Finalist, Video Content Restrictions:
- Your Contest Entry or Finalist Video must be your original work;
- Your Contest Entry need not include any reference, positive or negative, to Sponsor’s products or services or to the services provided by Shopify. Including a reference to Sponsor’s or Shopify’s products/services in your Contest Entry will not improve your chances of winning;
- Your Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not convey any claims about your Small Business that have not been or cannot be substantiated or are inaccurate or deceptive;
- Your Small Business, Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not infringe on another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or any intellectual property rights,
- Your Small Business, Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not disparage Sponsor or any other person or party;
- Your Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not contain material that is inappropriate, offensive, indecent, obscene, sexually explicit, tortious, defamatory, slanderous or libelous;
- Your Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not make reference to or include: alcohol, marijuana, illegal drugs, tobacco or firearms/weapons, any activities that are or appear to be dangerous, or any political agenda;
- Your Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; and
- Your Contest Entry or Finalist Video must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of, or contrary to the laws or regulations in any state where your Contest Entry is created.
Limit: Each Entrant may submit 1 Contest Entry during the Contest Period.
Sponsor and Administrator will rely on the information submitted by the Entrant to register, including their Shopify account, for this Contest. If any additional information provided by Entrant is inconsistent with the information provided at registration, Sponsor and Administrator, in their discretion, may require additional documentation from Entrant to show proof of Entrant’s identity. Released Parties (as defined in Section 11, below) are not responsible for lost, late, stolen, damaged, incomplete, invalid, un-intelligible, garbled, inaccurate, delayed, or misdirected Contest Entries; all of which will be void.
6. Finalist Determination and Finalist Requirements:
A. Initial Judging of Contest Entries and Selection of Finalists: A panel of qualified judges with subject matter expertise, determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, will review the Contest Entries and select 10 Finalists with the highest scoring Contest Entry using the following judging criteria.
Personal Story (23% of the score):
Responses to the questions demonstrates your passion for your business; that you have a well-thought-out plan, and that you have the industry experience to make your business a success.
Mindfulness (24% of the score):
Responses to the questions reflect a sustained commitment to “mindfulness” for Entrant on a personal level as well as a plan to have it incorporated in the business.
Positive impact (30% of the score):
Responses to the questions demonstrate that your company has or will create a positive impact on its customers’ mental or physical health or to the planet because of the business’ sustainability plans. NOTE: Include concrete details (such as empirical, study-supported data) to support claims included in the relevant responses; unsupported statements or goals will carry little weight.
Product/Collection Plan & Use of Funds (23% of the score):
Your responses identify specific realistic plans for the use of the prize funds including realistic expectations of the results of the use of these funds
In the event of a tie, the Entrant whose Contest Entry received the highest score for Positive Impact, as determined by the qualified judges in their sole discretion, will be deemed the applicable Finalist from among the tied Entrants. Sponsor reserves the right to select fewer than 10 Finalists, if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Contest Entries. Sponsor will not disclose any judging scores.
B. Finalist Notification; Finalist Requirements and Video Entry:
Finalist Notification: The potential Finalists will be notified by email (and phone) on or about December 19, 2025 and will be advised that they have until December 31, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET to submit their Finalist Video Entry (as outlined below) to Sponsor. If a Finalist cannot be contacted, fails to timely respond and provide their Finalist Video and execute and return the Declaration, or does not comply with these Official Rules, potential Finalist forfeits the opportunity to be considered for either the First or Second Prizes.
Finalist Requirements – Video Entry: Finalists will be required to create a video that is in English and is no longer than 3 minutes. Finalists may upload the Finalist Video to YouTube using YouTube Studio or the YouTube mobile app and set the visibility settings to "Unlisted" and then submit the YouTube link as directed or Finalists may upload their (non-public) video to a Google Drive folder and set visibility settings to “Anyone with the link” and then submit the link as directed. The content of the Finalist Video must not be public and meet the Content Restrictions listed in Section 5, and respond to the following questions:
1. What’s your “why”? (20%) You should consider the following prompts in answering this question:
- Show the moment you knew this brand had to exist—don’t just tell us.
- Let your passion and past experience prove mindful beauty is your core.
2. How do you help people and the planet? (40%) You should consider the following prompts in answering this question.
- Back it up with clips, before-and-after’s, testimonials, or hard numbers.
- Spotlight your sustainability wins—smart packaging, certifications, planet-first stats, supply chain transparency and traceability.
3. How will the award transform you and your brand? (40%). You should consider the following prompts in answering this question.
- Outline your high-level use of the prize money.
- Tie each spend to a clear result: sales jump, new SKU, pop-ups, R&D breakthrough.
7. Sponsor and Promotional Partner’s Use of the Contest Entry and Finalist Video: Submitting a Contest Entry constitutes Entrant’s consent to give the Sponsor and its Promotional Partner (Shopify Inc.) a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display both Contest Entries and where applicable Finalist Videos in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes. If requested, Entrant will sign any documentation that may be required for Sponsor, the Promotional Partner, or their respective designees to make use of the non-exclusive rights Entrant is granting to use the Contest Entry and where applicable a Finalist Video.
8. Winner Determination:
Determination of First and Second Prize Winners: A panel of qualified judges with subject matter expertise, determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, will review the timely submitted Finalist Videos, scoring their response to each of questions based on the clarity, thoroughness, level of detail provided and overall level confidence Sponsor has that Finalist’s Small Business will be successful. The Finalist with the highest scoring video will be the potential First Prize winner and the next 2 highest scoring Finalists will be the potential Second Prize winners. In the event of a tie, the Finalist whose Video Contest Entry received the highest score for their response to Question 3 “How will the award transform you and your brand”, as determined by the qualified judges in their sole discretion, will be deemed the applicable potential winner from among the tied Finalist. Sponsor reserves the right to select fewer than the stated number of winners, if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Video Contest Entries. Sponsor will not disclose any judging scores. If there are fewer than 3 Finalists who have submitted a qualified Finalist video, these prizes will not be awarded.
Determination of Runner Up Prize Winners: All Finalists (whether they submitted a Finalist Video or not) who are not selected as First or Second Prize winners will receive the Runner-up Prize. In addition, the 43 Entrants whose Contest Entries received the next highest scores (after the Finalists) will also receive the Runner Up Prize.
9. Winner Requirements: Each potential First and Second Prize winner will be notified by email on or around January 9, 2026 and will be required to sign and return a Declaration of Compliance, Liability Waiver, and Publicity Release and an IRS Form W-9 to Administrator within 3 days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim the prize. These winners will have the option to accept the entire prize or just accept the money element of the prize (if they don’t have or wish to create a Shopify store for their Small Business). If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to execute and return the required prize acceptance documents described above within the required time period, does not comply with these Official Rules, or if prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits the prize. Runner Up Prize winners will be notified after the First and Second Prize winners have been confirmed. If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the prize may be awarded to a runner-up, if any, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Only three (3) alternate winners may be determined, after which the applicable prize will remain un-awarded.
10. Prizes:
1 FIRST PRIZE: Small Business will receive a check for $25,000. At their option, Small Business may also accept all or none of the following Shopify related prizes: equivalent of twelve (12) months of Shopify Advanced plan in Shopify Subscriptions credits, Shopify POS hardware, $500 Shopify App Store credits, a 1 hour 1 on 1 coaching session for winning Entrant ONLY with a Shopify Growth Advisor, scheduled at a mutually agreement time within 12 months of the winner confirmation, and Shopify merchandise determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. The maximum approximate retail value (“ARV”) of the prize is $32,239.
2 SECOND PRIZES: Small Business will receive a check for $12,500. At their option Small Business may also accept all or none of the following Shopify related prizes: equivalent of twelve (12) months of Shopify Advanced plan in Shopify Subscription credits; Shopify POS hardware; $500 Shopify App Store credits; a 1 hour 1 on 1 coaching session for winning Entrant ONLY with a Shopify Growth Advisor, scheduled at a mutually agreement time within 12 months of the winner confirmation, and Shopify merchandise determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. The maximum ARV of the prize is $19,739.
50 RUNNER UP PRIZES: Small Business will receive the following $100 in Shopify App Store credits; 1 year of Basic Shopify plan; and Shopify merchandise determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. The ARV of this prize is $632.
For All Prizes: Shopify Subscription credits do not expire unless or until winner’s Shopify account is terminated or suspended for any reason. App Store credits expire 6 months from issuance, so long as the Shopify account has not been terminated or suspended. If the Shopify account is terminated or suspended, any remaining Shopify Subscription credit or App credit balance will expire 60 days later. Prizes are non-transferable, and no substitution will be made except as provided herein at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize (or a component thereof) for one of equal or greater value if the designated prize should become unavailable for any reason. Winners are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use. First and Second Prize winners will receive an IRS Form 1099 MISC reporting the actual value of the prize received. ARVs are determined as of the time these Official Rules were published and the value of a prize may fluctuate. A winner is not entitled to any difference between the ARV and the actual value of the prize at the time the prize is awarded. Where applicable, prize style, size, and all other details will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. All other costs and expenses associated with acceptance of the prize that are not expressly set forth herein shall be solely the winner’s responsibility. Prizes are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Check prizes will be fulfilled approximately 8-10 weeks after winner confirmation. Limit of one (1) prize per Entrant.
11. Release: By receipt of any prize, each winner agrees to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, Shopify Inc., Administrator, and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and each of their respective parent companies and each such company’s officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or useor misuse of any prize, including any related travel.
12. Publicity: Acceptance of any prize shall constitute and signify each winner’s agreement and consent that Sponsor, the Promotional Partner (Shopify Inc.) and its designees may use the winner’s name, city, state, province, likeness, photo, Contest Entry/Finalist Video, and/or prize information in connection with the Contest for promotional, advertising or other purposes, worldwide, in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, including the Internet, without limitation and without further payment, notification, permission or other consideration, except where prohibited by law.
13. General Conditions: Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Contest if any fraud, technical failures, human error, any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest, or any event or cause beyond Sponsor’s control (e.g. events such as natural calamities, national emergencies, wide spread illnesses, declarations of war, acts of God, acts of terrorism) interferes with any aspect of the Contest, including but not limited to fulfillment of the prize(s), as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. If terminated, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine the winners from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above. Sponsor may also modify the prizes offered. In addition, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the Entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of the Official Rules of this or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner and void all associated Entries. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
14. Limitations of Liability: Released Parties will not be liable for any loss, damages or injury, claims or fees (including, without limitation, any injury, damage, death, loss, or accident to person or property) related to or arising out of: (a) incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by Entrant, printing, typographical or other errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; (b) any technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in the Released Parties’ websites, platforms, phone lines or network hardware or software; (c) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the Contest Entry process or the Contest; (d) printing, typographical, technical, computer, network or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest, the uploading, the processing or judging of Contest Entries, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials; (e) late, lost, undeliverable, damaged or stolen mail; (f) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize (including any travel/activity related thereto); or (g) the failure of any entry to be received, captured or recorded for any reason; and/or (i) any combination of the above. Released Parties are not responsible for misdirected or undeliverable Contest Entries or for any technical problems, malfunctions of computer systems, servers, providers, hardware/software, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission or any combination thereof. Released Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized third-party use of any Contest Entry.
15. Disputes: Except where prohibited, each Entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan or the appropriate Michigan State Court located in Oakland County, Michigan; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Michigan, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Michigan or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Michigan.
16. Entrant's Personal Information: Information collected from Entrant is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy and Shopify’s Privacy Policy.
17. Winner List: To receive a list of winners, send an email to hello@sonsieskin.com. Requests must be received within ninety (90) days after the conclusion of the program.
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