It’s easy to identify a classic. The timelessness of a tweed blazer. The strong curves of a ’55 Thunderbird. The imperfect symmetry of a pearl necklace. Each is simple yet distinct in its display, providing a look that never goes out of style.
For manufacturers of upscale beauty and fragrance products, attaining the status of a classic often starts with the package. The right design and the right materials at the right time can launch a product that will not only be successful, but last for decades to come. It’s one of the reasons that great care is taken when creating a luxury package.
A luxury package is also a reflection of the product manufacturer itself. Shoddy workmanship indicates a company that isn’t concerned about its image in the marketplace. The more impressive the package, the better the company’s image.
“We’re concerned about aesthetics first, primarily to transmit the image and what we’re trying to portray, and from the aesthetics (we demand) functionality that works—that the pump sprays and the lipstick swivels up and down and that it is user friendly,” remarked Jim Detwiler, executive director of package development and purchasing for Chanel.
Luxury packaging for the beauty market must encompass form, function and more. While the materials have to have a high-quality look, there are so many subtle things, according to Dennis Desrochers, vice president sales and marketing, Rexam Dispensing Systems, Purchase, NY. “How comfortable it feels in your hand when dispensing, the feel of the pump, the sound and feel of the cap as it is removed from the bottle, the sound of the cap clicking back into position onto the pump,” it’s all important, he commented.
“Meeting the aesthetic demands are among the most significant challenges in today’s market, because everyone wants to be unique,” stated Stephen Pearlman, president, Risdon-AMS, Watertown, CT. He noted that in years past fragrance packages were glass bottles that were a bit creative but nothing exceptionally challenging. “Now, manufacturers push the envelope in design, so you have very complex bottles, complex overcaps and complex metal collars. It’s much more technically challenging than just providing a simple component.”
Bond’s New Number
For the upscale cosmetics and fragrance market, glass is still the number one packaging material. Though fragrances, color cosmetics and skin care packages may be enhanced by metal trims and exotic materials, glass is usually the starting point.
Working with glass has its own unique challenges, according to industry experts. Even the most straightforward-looking bottles can be difficult because, when it comes to luxury packaging, no flaws are allowed.
“Each bottle poses a different challenge,” stated Patrick Etchaubard, president of Bormioli Luigi, Langhorne, PA. “Though a 3-oz. bottle and a 2-oz. bottle may have the same design, each has specific challenges. Glass is a material that is very difficult to handle and problems arise when you don’t expect them.”
Bormioli Luigi recently worked with Laurice Rahmé, president of the Paris-based House of Creed, the oldest perfumerie in the world, according to Etchaubard. Rahmé launched the Bond No. 9 collection, a series of 16 different fragrances that each represent a different neighborhood in Manhattan, where the company operates three Creed Perfume stores.
One bottle developed for the line is very thin and tall, making its production very difficult. Etchaubard said, “There’s a lot of technology involved in it. It’s difficult to do a tall, thin bottle because, when the gob of glass falls into the mold, it is very thick and big. So, if you have a small bottle, very thin, you have difficulties when the gob drops inside the mold.” With this type of bottle, companies often have to slow down the machine, which slows the bottle production process. “By slowing things down, the gob can be made thinner before it gets inside the mold. It’s a difficult thing, and it’s also very costly,” Etchaubard stressed.
“We have high-speed machines, and with certain bottles you can make 100,000 a day, while with other bottles you can only make 30,000 a day, depending on what the shape and weight are,” said Patricia Reynolds, sales director, Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres, New York, NY. “So, it really is about matching the industrial situation with the creative idea.”
Estée Lauder tops off its DayWear Plus with a carefully chosen cap. | The bottle for Bond N0. 9 is topped off with an elegant glass stopper. | Ralph Lauren Blue for women takes shape with soft curves in a fresh blue bottle, topped by an embossed silver-toned cap. |
Crowning Achievements
In addition to glass bottles, some upscale fragrance companies go a step further by offering glass stoppers to top off their perfume packages. “A glass stopper is very rare these days, as most companies use plastic or metal,” Etchaubard reported. Rahmé chose a glass stopper for the Bond No. 9 collection to complete the look. “The stopper looks magnificent on the bottle,” Etchaubard observed.
Bormioli Luigi also topped the perfume bottle of Chanel’s Chance with a glass stopper.
Higher-end materials such as Eastman Chemical’s Eastar copolyesters and DuPont’s Surlyn are clear resins that are also used regularly to top off luxury fragrance packages. “Such exotic materials are chosen for upscale packaging because of their clarity, because they look like glass, and because they are fragrance resistant,” reported Pearlman. “With some, you can mold a thick section and make it look like glass. So, you have aesthetics, compatibility and durability.”
Detwiler noted that the clear plastic cap featured on the Chance EDT bottle was a very difficult piece to construct because it has no inner cap. “It’s just a straight cap. Maintaining the tolerances of that cap with the collar—the cap/collar fit is a very, very difficult challenge,” he reported.
On skin care products such as Estée Lauder’s DayWear Plus Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizers, the cap help makes the statement through the use of color. The simplicity of a heavy clear glass jar is enhanced through the use of plastic and resin tops shaded to coordinate labels and logos, yielding an overall elegant effect. The soft blue/green cap of DayWear Plus complements the same soft tone on the label, which is embellished with a rim of gold.
Technological Triumphs
While the classic shape of the traditional Chanel No. 5 bottle poses some difficulties for packagers because of its need for a perfect surface, the latest Chanel fragrance, Chance, brought a whole new set of requirements to the table.
“Chance is a huge departure from where we used to be as a company,” commented Detwiler, “because we moved away from the beveled edges of the traditional bottle and went to a round bottle.” The goal was to attract a different audience. “We wanted to say that we’re presenting a newer version of a Chanel, another entry into another area.”
In its creation, Chanel’s artistic director Jacques Helleu imagined the Chance bottle “as a circle, the only shape that can coexist in harmony with the square of No. 5 and share its timelessness,” the company reported. What emerged was a round bottle rimmed with silver metal and topped with a clear jewel cap. “While the look is dramatically different from where we have been with Chanel, the cap has the beveled square edges, so there’s still the tie-in right back to No. 5, which is our heritage,” Detwiler stated.
In creating the Chance bottle, fabricators needed to work with a draw mold, one that opens up in more than the usual two parts. “With Chance, we had to make a multi-part mold because of the complexity of the bottle and the fact that it has a metallic band around it that has to be flush with the side of the bottle,” he explained.
The banding itself was the most significant challenge for packaging of the Chance fragrance. “We looked at a multitude of ways to keep the band on the bottle tight, and settled with pinning,” reported Detwiler. The two ends of the bracelet band slide into a plate on the bottom of the bottle, and it is hit with four prongs that make a depression that acts as a staple. “It’s a difficult process, because you need to do it hard enough that it forces the metal into place without breaking the bottle,” he added.
Ocean Pacific, a new scent from Parlux Fragrances, also features packaging that required technological innovation. “It is the first time that we’re using a process called ColorPour,” said Pearlman.
The fragrance package features an irregularly surfaced, textured glass bottle inside an outer clear PCTA tube, Pearlman explained. A transparent blue fluid is placed between the sleeve and the bottle, which when tipped creates a wave motion. “ColorPour is used as a sealant between the two components to keep the bottle and the sleeve together,” Pearlman explained.
The packaging for Ocean Pacific’s latest fragrance uses ColorPour, a technology from Risdon and Rexam’s pump with the brand name silk screened on the collar. | Breathless from Victoria’s Secret features a low profile metal pump and collar with “Victoria’s Secret” silk screened around the circumference of the collar. |
Lancôme’s Juicy Rouge Lasting Juicy Shine LipColour features holographic effects on the metal tube that appear to glimmer and change color as the package is moved. |
Fashions Are Hot Around the Collar
Ocean Pacific also plays on another popular concept this year in upscale packaging. “Decorating the anodized pump collar with the name of the product or company has been a real trend this season,” reported Desrochers. The Parlux scent’s package features an aluminum, anodized matte silver collar silk screened with the Ocean Pacific name around the circumference.
Breathless from Victoria’s Secret features a low profile metal pump and collar that are anodized metal in a color that matches that of the package. The name, Victoria’s Secret, is silk screened twice around the circumference of the collar to give it a distinctive and stylish look.
Also sporting a band with fragrance name is Aramis Life, the latest men’s scent from Aramis. The shiny aluminum band stretches across the top of the bottle, and “the logo is discreetly engraved on the front of the cap,” noted Roger Caracappa, senior vice president global packaging, Estée Lauder.
The Allure of Metal Shines On
In addition to adorning fragrance packages, metals of all types continue to be used in luxury packages, particularly in the area of color cosmetics. Anodizing, lacquering and embossing are just a few of the finishes that provide each package with a distinct, upscale look.
Lancôme recently introduced Juicy Rouge Lasting Juicy Shine LipColour, a lipstick with aqua-reflect pigments that refract light through tiny particles to produce sparkling effects, according to the company. In keeping with the product concept, the lipstick is housed in a two-piece silver case with a hologram finish. The color of the case appears to change as it is moved. The traditional Lancôme rose logo is stamped onto the case in gold.
In the Pink…and Blue
Another trend that is still on the rise is the use of colored glass for everything from fragrance bottles to skin cream jars. Technology allows for special features, surfaces and shadings that give each package an individualized look.
“Color can be achieved by glass coloration, directly into the batch at the furnace,” said Daniel Saksik, president, Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres (SGD). “Or, you can get it by using a spray.”
Colored glass can be bold or subtle, with each making a customized statement. The latest skin care introduction from Christian Dior, Hydra-Move Dynamic Moisture Booster with Water Movement Technology, is packaged in a quietly elegant frosted pink glass package. The product comes in both a creme and lotion. Both are housed in the soft pink glass package, with a rimmed gold collar and white cap. Lettering in gray wraps around the package, enhancing its overall softness.
Ralph Lauren makes a bolder statement with its signature blue in a powerful cobalt shade for its Polo Ralph Lauren Blue collection of products, introduced last fall. This season, the company is using a more subtle blue shade for Ralph Lauren Blue, a cool, fresh floral fragrance for women. The fragrance is a reflection of a “new, modern casual elegance” from Ralph Lauren, according to Caroleen Mackin, vice president of global marketing, Ralph Lauren Fragrances.
“Ralph Lauren and his team created the watery, blue glass bottle to reflect the beauty of blue skies and the inviting, fluid look of water,” said Mackin. The silvery metal cap features an antiqued finish that is reminiscent of something cherished from the past, she added. The cap is inscribed with the “RL” initials on the top and signature Ralph Lauren hallmarks on the side. “Elegant and feminine, the bottle slips perfectly into a woman’s hand,” Mackin added.
The Aramis Life container combines the latest trends with ribbed blue glass and a smooth, metal spray-through cap that also features the brand name. |
Aramis also has the ‘blues,’ as seen in the cool blue tone of Aramis Life. “The packaging was chosen to create a modern look for the brand, but not stray too far from the traditional,” said Caracappa. Estée Lauder believes that the cool, crisp, clean fragrance, created specifically for the 25- to 40-year-old customer, is captured and exhibited through its packaging.
The bottle is a custom fluted design in cool, clear blue with a custom spray-through cap from Pivaudran Manufacturing in shiny aluminum. The ribbed bottle design added to the complexity of the package production, according to SGD’s Saksik. "The sharpness of the edges made it very difficult to develop. The ribs have to be very sharp," he noted.
While glass in single colors is everywhere these days in the luxury beauty and fragrance market, multiple colors and color effects are popping up as well.
In defining a new category of floral fragrance—a Prismatic Floral—the packaging for Estée Lauder's Beyond Paradise was created “to represent an emotional paradise,” said Caracappa. “The glass, from Pochet Industries, has been sprayed in a seven-color rainbow effect referring to a spectrum of emotions,” he explained. “The spray through actuator from Rexam Manufacturing has been created to look like a crystal ball using Surlyn and clarified polypropylene parts.
“The spray technology used by Pochet for Beyond Paradise was an enormous challenge in order to maintain the exceptionally high quality standards that both Pochet and the Estée Lauder Corporation insist on,” stressed Caracappa. “The technology used by Rexam to develop the locking system for the actuator also required months of prototype tooling and new approaches to automated assembly of this part.”
Packaging for Aveda’s Uruku lipstick is both stylish and environmentally correct. |
With the Environment in Mind
For all the importance of fashion, luxury packaging must have more than a pretty face. Sometimes, it’s what can’t be seen that makes all the difference in the package.
For Aveda, it’s not about how sleek and upscale the package looks that is important to its image; rather it’s about being environmentally responsible. The company recently worked with Risdon-AMS to create a lipstick package that is made with plastic, natural fiber and metal components produced from post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials. The lipstick is also designed with a refillable cartridge to further enhance its environmental friendliness.
The lipstick cap, featuring the Aveda logo, has a unique reverse taper and is molded of a flax-filled, recycled polypropylene material. The lipstick’s A-shell is made of recycled aluminum with an inner body and cam molded in post-consumer high impact polystyrene material.
“Working with the package did pose different challenges because the material doesn’t react the same way as traditional polypropylene,” reported Pearlman, “not so much because it was recycled, but because it’s flax filled. There’s an additive, which posed some issues as far as keeping consistency.”
Aveda also developed a reusable accessory case to hold the lipstick cartridge, according to John Delfausse, vice president, package development for the company. “This unique design is made from a base cup that is up to 65% PCR aluminum, with a hole in it so that you can read the shade label on your cartridge,” said Delfausse. “The flax not only reduces the resin content of the cover by 30% and replaces it with a renewable resource, but also gives the cover its unique look.”
The secondary package was also a great environmental step forward, according to Delfausse. Rather than using a standard folding carton, which usually has only 35% PCR, “we were able to use a molded pulp clamshell with a sleeve. Although this cost more from a materials and labor standpoint, it enabled us to use 100% recycled newsprint for the clamshell and 100% PCR board for the sleeve, and create a very unique secondary package.”
The clamshell if supplied by UFP Technologies, Georgetwon, MA, which also molds primary packages.
The new classics draw from the latest in technology and the best of tradition to yield packages that both inspire and awe. Simple, elegant, sophisticated never go out of style.