Slideshows

Lip Gloss Shines in Luxe Packages with Innovative Applicators

A lip gloss formulation often dictates the right package, and applicator.

By Marie Redding, Associate Editor 10.31.15
When it comes to lip gloss, the package clearly affects the product’s performance. And the type of package that is chosen, is always dependent upon the formula. Lip gloss is often in a tube with a dispensing tip, but bottles with an applicator wand are more popular at the moment. Lip gloss pencils and crayons are also trending.

The right type of wand applicator and tip will affect how precisely gloss is applied, as well as how much product the tip picks up. Brands - and product development teams - are hard at work testing different shaped applicators, as well as the softness levels of different materials. New types of flocking make doe foot applicators more comfortable to use, while other types are molded from soft, bendable plastic in innovative shapes to compliment the outline of the lips.

Formulations are also evolving. Many brands are launching lipstick-gloss-stain-balm hybrids. There is more of a demand for lip gloss in colors that are highly pigmented, and as dense as a lipstick - but, with the moistiurizing qualities of a balm. Some of these formulations are designed to last as long as a stain.

Shown in the slideshow above are high-shine glosses like Makeup Forever’s PlexiGlass and Too Faced’s Molten Metal; matte glosses that include Lime Crime’s Velvetine and Ciate's Liquid Velvet, plus a few long-wearing lip stains that are moisturizing and glossy.

There are also some brands working with unusual ingredients - and marketing innovative packages. True Lipz has done both - see more about this brand below.

Lip Gloss Trend: A “Matte” Moment

As formulation trends change, packaging, as well as applicators, must adapt.

One lip gloss trend affecting applicator choice right now is a textural one. “It’s a moment of matte right now, for lip,” says Sharon Garment, product development expert, referring to Fall/Winter 2015 and early 2016. “But it's always a cycle, in every makeup category. We go from a nude face to dramatic and back again. And now we’ve had so much shine and sparkle that it’s been a natural progression back to matte,” she adds.

Garment says the matte trend for lip color has been fueled by advances in formulation technologies. “Matte lip color doesn’t mean dry anymore,” she says, explaining that in the past, matte lip color often cracked and was drying on the lips, so consumers were dissatisfied," she explains.

“Suppliers are now offering lip color in new textures that are hybrids of moisturizing and matte qualities. Some are semi-matte, others look like velvet on the lips - and they’re comfortable to wear," Garment explains. "These new textures are evident in both classic lipstick formulas as well as glosses, which is new and fresh."

And brands are taking advantage. See the slideshow above to see lip gloss on the market now - and the applicators each brand has chosen.

A High Shine Formula in a Truly Functional Package

True Lipz markets a line of high shine lip gloss that takes the concept of “packaging that performs” a step beyond the norm, with packages that can double as mini flashlights. The caps are equipped with buttons on top that light up and blink.

Lisa Rabinovich, the company’s co-founder, knew the packaging would help get the new brand noticed, but hopes that its formulations will attract even more attention. The formulations include an ingredient called Dragon’s Blood, sourced from the sap of a tree in the Amazon rainforest. “The bright red sappy resin acts like a liquid bandage and forms a protective barrier on the lips,” explains Rabinovich. 

True Lipz lip gloss also contains lanolin, for moisturizing benefits that last up to two days, according to Rabinovich. “We worked very closely with the lab to create the optimal formula.  We wanted high shine, but not sticky; hydrating but not too thick; and didn’t want any plumping ingredients. Over the course of nine months, we tweaked and re-tweaked the formula until we were happy with the results,” she says.

Next Trends

What trends can we expect to see in 2016, for lip color and texture in both lip gloss and lipstick? Stay tuned for an update.
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