Jamie Matusow, Editor12.18.14
The 27th edition of Luxe Pack Monaco opened on October 27th, for three days of packaging “wow-manship.” More even than in years past it seemed, both visitors and exhibitors kept commenting on the level of quality of the components and decorative techniques that were being presented. One exhibitor who had just returned from a survey of the show floor, told Beauty Packaging: “There are some amazing things here—unbelievable.”
Welcome to Luxe Pack Monaco, the international packaging show located where the cliffs of the Alps meet the Mediterranean Sea.
Traditionally, many of the exhibitors (407 this year up from 384 in 2013, with 40 new ones and 18 formulation suppliers) gear up to launch their most innovative new offerings at the highly regarded show, and the stunning effects of their work could not be missed. Overheard, too, throughout the three days, were lots of exclamations regarding how crowded the show was, that the number of attendees appeared to be greater than ever. In fact, the perception was true. When the numbers were tallied, Luxe Pack Monaco organizers reported 8,525 visitors—a 15% increase over 2013.
With the global prestige market still going strong, many high-end packages from bottles to bags stood out. Heavy glass, rich decorations, jeweled flacons and caps, mirror-like surfaces and lots of glitter were all representative of the trend. Also noted was the opinion by many that luxury goods allow higher markups, so the more appealing the packaging, the greater the chance of a pricey sale. Genuine metals (rather than metallized plastics), tactile paperboards,covetable coffrets and even shopping bags with graphics “to die for” were all meant to captivate upmarket buyers.
Mass market goods, however, were certainly not forgotten. With consumers of every level looking for luxe appeal, packaging suppliers have found innovative ways to add an upscale look to almost any product, through cost-cutting measures such as eliminating magnets or other metal parts, or by using labels to add extra pizazz.
As individualized looks play to consumers’ delight in unique objects, several suppliers revealed new decorative effects that provide ways to produce whole lines of product in which no two are exactly alike.
Noticeable too were the many partnerships between suppliers to create something that would be difficult to do with their own resources, such as various material/component combinations. There were also efforts that simplified purchasing decisions for brands—such as developing a container with a specific, compatible formulation in mind; or creating mix-and-match makeup systems.
Environmentally responsible packaging concerns were not lost on suppliers either, as glass for cosmetic jars, recyclable and PCR plastics and wood packaging appeared to also have gained ground this year. Throughout the show, there were examples of many supplier partnerships adding up to packages that combined wood with everything from metals to tubes to glass.
Grounds for Sustainability
Luxury defined: Les Gemmes de Bulgari. Qualipac executed the brilliantly colored caps and HeinzGlas manufactured the exquisite flacons.
In fact Nathalie Grosdidier, executive director of Luxe Pack, told Beauty Packaging that she would like to see more emphasis on sustainable packaging at Luxe Pack, which is one reason the organizers had created the Luxe Pack in Green award at all three shows (New York, Monaco and Shanghai). This year’s award at Monaco went to the cosmetic jar T-eco from Eurocosmetics Asia, associated with Sanyo Chemical. The jury also recognized HeinzGlas for its initiative to recover heat from its furnaces to power a tropical greenhouse in the heart of Franconia.
Grosdidier said she wants Luxe Pack in Green to become more important. “We need a coordination to create common rules for sustainability,” she said, “for what we want.” She feels strongly that Luxe Pack is the perfect platform because it’s international. Also, she said, “Luxe Pack is cross-market. Manufacturers can share the same rules—beauty, spirits, luxury. We must give an example to others.”
Papers and Cartons
With 25% of Luxe Pack Monaco exhibitors presenting paper and carton offerings, evidence was high as to recyclable products and stamps from various sustainable forestry groups. Foils, flocked papers and dazzling prints also wooed attendees.
Beth Corbett, of Neenah Paper, showed Beauty Packaging their “wow” piece created for Luxe Pack Monaco: a complicated box made of a variety of papers and designed to serve as inspiration for how marketing people can use their premium products for everything from set up boxes to hang tags, gift tags and brochures.
Metsä Board showed its extensive portfolio of lightweight packaging boards designed to give premium presence combined with sustainability. Its new cartonboard, Carta Allura, has been developed especially for luxury end uses. Also shown were the new fully bleached Modo Northern Light liners, ideal for microflute as well as providing quality print results on corrugated displays and packaging. According to Liette Gagne, sales director, Moto Northern Light liners can be embossed and, if desired, laminated. The board can replace corrugated, and has a brightness level between 88 and 89. It also comes in a coated version, and can be used as an inner or outer liner, or to protect the product without contaminating it.
Jars and Bottles
The 2014 Luxe Pack in Green award went to the product “T-Eco,” from Eurocosmetics Asia associated with Sanyo Chemical. This cosmetic jar was completely eco-designed: a reduction of 40% plastic, fully recyclable, reusable and refillable.
Barcelona-based FACA Exports offered thousands of premium cosmetics jars and caps.
Barcelona-based FACA Exports’ Lluc Coll, international sales director, showed Beauty Packaging a number of examples of the thousands of premium cosmetics jars and caps the company is noted for. FACA also offers a variety of decorating techniques, such as spray metallization inside the jar. Perfectly straight sidewalls offered beautiful luminosity. A new powder jar keeps the product well under the cover.
Target’s new home scent product launch with Method features Airopack’s unique “green” dispensing system, driven by air only, and the finished product made for a colorful and impactful backdrop at the supplier’s booth at Luxe Pack Monaco. Pointing out smaller bottles for body care and skin care, Jolanda den Rooijen, marketing director, said they can get all kinds of looks with this technology—including many new designs for prestige products—so they continue to focus on innovating packaging options. “All looks are possible; everything’s custom-made,” she explained.
Color Cosmetics Packaging
Working our way through the crowds at Jackel, vice president Eric Bigotte showed BeautyPackaging the Reverso palette. Based on gravity, the 360-degree opening system allows for a 2-in-1 palette, with a collection of colors on each side. Thus, in a small compact, you can get twice as much bulk; one tray is “hidden” beneath a mirror. Another new product, a lipstick with no mechanism, is designed for mass market applications. It cuts costs because it can be pushed up gently with an intuitive gesture.
HCT Group, which had stands in both the regular exhibitor area as well as in the newly added turnkey/formulation area, displayed an expansive number of products from compacts to brushes to bulk. Ashleigh Earl, one of HCT’s packaging designers, told Beauty Packaging, “We’re continuously looking for ‘something more’ when it comes to cosmetics; concealers with treatment benefits, anti-aging primers, color tinted line-minimizing lip enhancers, etc. Our packaging should do the same…so we’re taking a fresh look at how consumers interact with their products, how we can create something that will give ‘something more’ than being a package. The package could have a hidden function—perhaps it becomes the applicator, or the material choice might evoke an emotion. We innovated a previous concept of a brush cleanser recently, by adding a pump pack to the handle of a face brush; thus the handle becomes something more.”
A new set of mascara packages at Geka, called The Luxe Pack, “took the name of the expo as its inspiration,” according to Pilar Gonzalez-Gomez, global head of marketing and head of sales northern and Eastern Europe. Julia Kiener, marketing manager, explained how the collection had been created to show decorative alternatives for the packaging—and how to provide a more luxe look with lower cost options. A new cigar-shaped mascara package lent itself to various types of decorative techniques, including a sleeve with up to 10 different colors. A mini cigar-shaped pack had been designed to fit a large brush. Using a masterbatch with particles was an alternative to lacquering. A new lipgloss in a PET bottle drew attention with a metal cap and regular silkscreen printing with haptical silkscreen printing and glitter for a tactile feel. For a cigar-shaped eyeliner, a metallic masterbatch gave a shiny effect thanks to a special pigment, laser decoration and a scratchproof finish.
HCT Group’s new Airless Pump Brush Series added an airless pump pack to the handle of a face brush, making it “something more.”
Clas, a French company, showed a standout collection of bottles and jars that came to life thanks to intricate, multi-color laser “paint” decorating.
HCP was featuring metallic soft touch packaging with a glitter effect. A glitter finish on mascaras provided a 3D look.
Texen is comprised of a number of small companies with various specialties from mascara to fragrance caps. The company recently acquired C+N. At Mayet France, Guillaume Moins, technical group director, showed Beauty Packaging Dior’s fluid stick lipgloss which required a very specific molding process, using real metal, and overmolded. They developed a specific process to keep the metal between the two layers of plastic. The key is tooling,” said Moins.
For a new mascara, Surrealist, for Helena Rubenstein, Mayet overmolded the black plastic with a clear plastic layer so the inner area looks like a droplet. Another mascara for Hypnose used real metal glitter (so each is unique in how it settles) topped with a clear coating. Moins said, “Combined techniques and multi-layer decorating are in demand as the customer wants to add value perception to packaging—visually.” He pointed out how for the Hypnose mascara, each new launch received a new technique added to those in the previous version (as shown in this photo of the three mascaras).
Attraction is the name of Albéa’s new plastic hinge system that delivers a gentle, pleasant closing for luxury compacts. The system’s innovation lies in a fully plastic, pin-less hinge, which does away with the need for magnets to close the compact. With no opening button, Attraction is more streamlined and offers more design possibilities, without the additional cost of magnet closure systems. In addition, with no pin or magnet, Attraction is a more environmentally friendly system.
Woodn’t It Be Nice
The Technotraf area at Quadpack was all about color, with a selection of makeup packaging that integrates wooden caps, components and purse sprays. Luxurious glass packs with different closures have been created so customers can easily mix and match. A dropper system option for prestige brands features automatic loading. There are also two types of pumps: a pump shoulder that covers the bottle and an aluminum-finished luxurious pump that can be topped with a wood cap. Both offer clients a complete solution. Compatibility and functionality highlight the supplier’s all-metal, magnetic lipstick, with its smooth and smart way to close. The integrated wood cap has a fine, thin wood wall.
Pujolasos offered a full range of wooden componentry for vials, dropper caps, cosmetic jars, compacts, lipsticks and fragrance caps. The new Slim Mascara range was developed with its own mold and the plastic design was conceived to come with a wooden cover, creating a stylish and elegant form. On display were the Maison Incens perfumes for which Pujolasos crowns each with an exclusive hardwood cap.
For the Hypnose mascara, Mayet France added a new decorative technique to each of the previous versions.
Halls of Mirror-like Tubes
At Luxe Pack Monaco, tubes got the royal treatment, continuing to attract attention with their many features including low-cost, decorative effects, ease of use and more. Several tube manufacturers had also incorporated a touch of wood into special offerings.
CTL Packaging displayed a number of innovative tubes at its stand. The company had just introduced its EasySupplyTube to the European market, and reaction was highly favorable. Through a partnership with Quadpack, plastic tubes were capped with wooden closures. High Stamp tubes featured raised lettering. But perhaps what stood out most were CTL’s holographic tubes, made using a holograhic cold-stamping film available in a variety of colors, films and shapes.
Manuel Diez, managing director Americas, CTL, told Beauty Packaging that interest in tubes continues to grow “as they are more economical than rigid packaging and can be sealed in the same process.”
Another of Cosmogen’s featured product lines is brushes. Recently they designed special brushes made to work with cosmetics from Alkos and Ancorotti, so customers can launch complete products immediately. Cosmogen was the winner of Formes de Luxe Instrumental Beauty Award 2014 for it’s Lancome Blur Kabuki brush, used to apply bronzing powder over the entire face and neck.
Albea’s all-plastic Reflexion tubes illuminated the manufacturer’s stand due to their shiny mirror-like metallic effect, displayed in a range of finishes and colors. A hot stamp-like effect makes the tubes easier to produce and because there’s no aluminum layer, there’s good bounceback. A nearly invisible side seam and 360-degree decoration add to its appeal. Albea says the Reflexion tube also has a reduced carbon footprint.
The message was loud and clear at MWV, with the the latest addition to its skincare dispensing portfolio—Amplify, a pump-on-a-tube, which the company says was developed with “functional and emotional benefits in mind for consumers, and leads to an enhanced experience.” The airless pump system protects the formula, offers clean, precise dosing and requires no squeezing for evacuation. The solution combines the convenience of a pump-on-a-tube with the protection and soft actuation of the company’s patented Rolling Bellow engine technology. The pump was developed to provide a more premium feel even at a mass price point.
A new set of mascara packages at Geka, called The Luxe Pack, took the name of the expo as its inspiration; the collection had been created to show decorative alternatives for the packaging.
Luxe Pack’s Grosdidier pointed out that the show continues to attract a large number of glass manufacturers, with many that offer spirits bottles as well as fine fragrance flacons. The similarities are often remarkable. (Watch for a special feature in the January/February issue of Beauty Packaging on the synergies between the two.) Here, we look at a number of the fragrance offerings at the show.
There was lots of evidence of gluing, heavy glass, multiple decorative techniques, pr estige-looking caps, flowers—and in many cases, technologies were applied on stock bottles. Though there were lots of striking custom flacons as well.
Eurocosmetics Asia, in Hall Atrium, displayed striking white opal glass manufactured in Japan. Meant for very high-end skincare products (and alcohol, including Japanese whiskey), according to managing director Tammy Wu, the bottles can be engraved in any color. Many of the jars feature refillable pop-out tubs of creams, making the packages “green” as well. As noted earlier, the company’s T-Eco jar received Luxe Pack Monaco’s Green award.
At its expansive, light-filled stand, SGD displayed a number of fragrance bottles they had produced, including Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, Narciso, Juicy Gold, Givenchy, Lucky and many more. Sheherazade Chamlou, vice president of sales and marketing, SGD North America, explained many of the multi-decorating techniques now used—a trend that was noted throughout the show.
The new Taylor Swift bottle featured a white spray with a label for an artistic look. The new Paris Hilton launch used a stock bottle with multi-passes of pad printing for a lacy effect, topped off with silkscreening. “The use of more labels makes decoration more cost-effective,” said Chamlou. Perfect for Monte Carlo, Davidoff’s The Game looks like a pile of poker chips, with the bottle and cap a perfect match.
At Coverpla, CEO Bruno Diépois pointed out the manufacturer’s beautiful new Damier bottle with a subtle checkerboard pattern, scheduled to be in stock at the end of November 2014. The coordinating double-injected cap can be produced in any color chosen by the customer. A wraparound blank space on the bottle (2/3 on the front; 1/3 on the side) leaves plenty of room for printing the name of the fragrance.
Olga Bursac, vice president of sales, gave Beauty Packaging an overview of some of Bormioli Luigi’s newest launches in fragrance (the Italian glassmaker also had a second stand which featured packaging for spirits). She said that there has been more call for glass packaging and lots of decoration including hot stamping and spraying. Lancôme’s La Vie est Belle is now available in a 100ml size. Bursac said that producing the thickness of the glass and controlling the “U” effect was extremely difficult. Si by Giorgio Armani featured an interior coating accomplished with a black spray. Lacoste LIVE, a square bottle, required “extremely complex machinery to apply plaques on all four sides.”
HeinzGlas, which also won a Luxe Pack in Green award, showcased a number of beautiful bottles including Les Gemmes de Bulgari (see sidebar for additional information). But another grouping that attracted attention was Wood by HeinzGlas, which honors the forests and countryside that surround the centuries old glassmaker. One flacon features wood and glass through material application and micro engraving. Slate by HeinzGlas, which combines glass and slate, takes its cues from the slate roofs on village homes. And the Leather collection, which applies cowhides to glass, is inspired by cattle, which help to preserve unused meadowland.
Piramal Glass displayed bottles that could be mistaken for beautiful art glass. Another example had a batik look. P Mohanty, vice president marketing, said the effect was achieved with two processes. “The beauty lies in their individual uniqueness,” he said, “that no two are exactly alike.”
A fragrance bottle designer was on hand at Pavisa to present a collection of sample forms meant to fire up visitors’ imaginations about what is possible when it comes to fabulous glass perfume flacons.
Technotraf highlighted a selection of makeup packaging that integrates wooden caps, components and purse sprays, so customers can easily mix and match.
For the Hypnose mascara, Mayet France added a new decorative technique to each of the previous versions.
A new set of mascara packages at Geka, called The Luxe Pack, took the name of the expo as its inspiration; the collection had been created to show decorative alternatives for the packaging.
The message was loud and clear at MWV, with the the latest addition to its skincare dispensing portfolio—Amplify, a pump-on-a-tube, which the company says was developed with “functional and emotional benefits in mind for consumers, and leads to an enhanced experience.” The airless pump system protects the formula, offers clean, precise dosing and requires no squeezing for evacuation. The solution combines the convenience of a pump-on-a-tube with the protection and soft actuation of the company’s patented Rolling Bellow engine technology. The pump was developed to provide a more premium feel even at a mass price point.
Luxe Pack’s Grosdidier pointed out that the show continues to attract a large number of glass manufacturers, with many that offer spirits bottles as well as fine fragrance flacons. The similarities are often remarkable. (Watch for a special feature in the January/February issue of Beauty Packaging on the synergies between the two.) Here, we look at a number of the fragrance offerings at the show.
There was lots of evidence of gluing, heavy glass, multiple decorative techniques, pr estige-looking caps, flowers—and in many cases, technologies were applied on stock bottles. Though there were lots of striking custom flacons as well.
Eurocosmetics Asia, in Hall Atrium, displayed striking white opal glass manufactured in Japan. Meant for very high-end skincare products (and alcohol, including Japanese whiskey), according to managing director Tammy Wu, the bottles can be engraved in any color. Many of the jars feature refillable pop-out tubs of creams, making the packages “green” as well. As noted earlier, the company’s T-Eco jar received Luxe Pack Monaco’s Green award.
At its expansive, light-filled stand, SGD displayed a number of fragrance bottles they had produced, including Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, Narciso, Juicy Gold, Givenchy, Lucky and many more. Sheherazade Chamlou, vice president of sales and marketing, SGD North America, explained many of the multi-decorating techniques now used—a trend that was noted throughout the show.
Technotraf highlighted a selection of makeup packaging that integrates wooden caps, components and purse sprays, so customers can easily mix and match.
The new Taylor Swift bottle featured a white spray with a label for an artistic look. The new Paris Hilton launch used a stock bottle with multi-passes of pad printing for a lacy effect, topped off with silkscreening. “The use of more labels makes decoration more cost-effective,” said Chamlou. Perfect for Monte Carlo, Davidoff’s The Game looks like a pile of poker chips, with the bottle and cap a perfect match.
At Coverpla, CEO Bruno Diépois pointed out the manufacturer’s beautiful new Damier bottle with a subtle checkerboard pattern, scheduled to be in stock at the end of November 2014. The coordinating double-injected cap can be produced in any color chosen by the customer. A wraparound blank space on the bottle (2/3 on the front; 1/3 on the side) leaves plenty of room for printing the name of the fragrance.
Olga Bursac, vice president of sales, gave Beauty Packaging an overview of some of Bormioli Luigi’s newest launches in fragrance (the Italian glassmaker also had a second stand which featured packaging for spirits). She said that there has been more call for glass packaging and lots of decoration including hot stamping and spraying. Lancôme’s La Vie est Belle is now available in a 100ml size. Bursac said that producing the thickness of the glass and controlling the “U” effect was extremely difficult. Si by Giorgio Armani featured an interior coating accomplished with a black spray. Lacoste LIVE, a square bottle, required “extremely complex machinery to apply plaques on all four sides.”
HeinzGlas, which also won a Luxe Pack in Green award, showcased a number of beautiful bottles including Les Gemmes de Bulgari (see sidebar for additional information). But another grouping that attracted attention was Wood by HeinzGlas, which honors the forests and countryside that surround the centuries old glassmaker. One flacon features wood and glass through material application and micro engraving. Slate by HeinzGlas, which combines glass and slate, takes its cues from the slate roofs on village homes. And the Leather collection, which applies cowhides to glass, is inspired by cattle, which help to preserve unused meadowland.
Piramal Glass displayed bottles that could be mistaken for beautiful art glass. Another example had a batik look. P Mohanty, vice president marketing, said the effect was achieved with two processes. “The beauty lies in their individual uniqueness,” he said, “that no two are exactly alike.”
A fragrance bottle designer was on hand at Pavisa to present a collection of sample forms meant to fire up visitors’ imaginations about what is possible when it comes to fabulous glass perfume flacons.
Polywood tubes, made in partnership with TuPlast, stood out at Hoffman Neopac. The tubes feature a thin layer of wooden particles between the plastic.
Dispensers
Polywood tubes, made in partnership with TuPlast, stood out at Hoffman Neopac. The tubes feature a thin layer of wooden particles between the plastic.
Thanks to lots of developmental efforts, Albea has now moved its Panache dispenser, with its fine, dry, spray mist into skincare, body care and hair care. Lancôme recently used the system with its Ultimate Beautifying Lotion, which enables consumers to spray lotion directly on skin without having to spread it on manually.
At Dieter Bakic, Dominic Bakic showed Beauty Packaging a bestselling Head and Shoulders package they had created for P&G. It uses a special applicator to directly target the scalp with the formulation.
Safety & Antibacterial Efforts
With consumers becoming more aware of hygienic and safety issues in their cosmetic products, suppliers were offering remedies from locking lids to antimicrobial-active packaging.
Janvier Plastic Packaging displayed both stock and custom lines for perfume and cosmetics, including tamper-resistant plastic caps with locking mechanisms, along with a lot of standard Surlyn caps.
Derprosa transparent and specialty films ranged from its classic transparent film to a soft touch laminate, a metallized soft touch laminate—and one of its newest innovations—an antibacterial film, which claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria that comes in contact with it.
Taiki Group was focusing on some interesting things they’re doing as far as raw ingredients and preventing contamination. EcoG is an antimicrobial resin for any package that has a setback, and has now been expanded from mascara packages to include lipgloss tubes, jars and containers for makeup and skincare uses. This antimicrobial-active packaging allows preservatives to be eliminated from the formula and provides complete protection of the product. Jim Perry, president, CEO, also explained how Tafre-Taiki Fibre is the latest scientific breakthrough for Taiki. Taiki had worked with DuPont on plant-based fibers; silver particles are added to AgTafre, a synthetic, antimicrobial material for cosmetic brushes, that feels softer than natural hair.
More Luxe Pack
Luxe Pack New York will take place May 13-14 at Pier 92 in Manhattan.
The new Paris Hilton launch, produced by SGD, used a stock bottle with multi-passes of pad printing for a lacy effect, topped off with silkscreening.
Coverpla’s beautiful new Damier bottle glows with a subtle checkerboard pattern.
v
Piramal Glass displayed bottles that could be mistaken for beautiful art glass.
At every Luxe Pack New York and Monaco show for the past seven years, international packaging designer Marc Rosen and I make it a habit to do a quick walk around the show floor to gain perspective and form impressions of what defines each event as far as exhibitor offerings. The first thing that came to mind this year was the overall appearance of luxury in the componentry and finished products on display.
Rosen proclaimed it “a real return to luxury in packaging.” While high-end suppliers such as Pochet and Qualipac especially stood out, Rosen felt that in general, movement was toward a premium trend—“perhaps after consumers have tired of celebrity fragrances.”
At Pochet, the flacon for Cartier illustrated the trend, with a real metal top and the iconic panther head “carved” in the glass inside. Even the J’adore by Dior EDP now uses gold zamac to add weight. Qualipac had executed the brilliantly colored luxe caps for Les Gemmes de Bulgari. The cap is made of Surlyn with a ring in zamac.
HeinzGlas had manufactured the exquisite flacons for Les Gemmes de Bulgari—which Emanuele Mazzei, CEO, HeinzGlas USA, told us is a showpiece due to decoration techniques and masking—six different jewel tones for 100ml bottles that retail at about 250 euro for each EDP. Rosen deemed the design a “return to luxury on the highest end.”
Mazzei also showed us how the company is getting more involved in fine metallization—metallizing glass, as well as partial metallization with spray techniques. The new Black Opium bottle combines spray metallization and glitter. “Spray coat on metallization is a complex process,” said Mazzei.
Cartons and setup boxes also gave off a luxurious look with an assortment of intricately decorated secondary packaging, pop-up boxes, and elaborate coffrets.
At Model, we were told that the elaborately printed cartons with vines and floral motif for Rosabotanica by Balenciaga had been very difficult to produce. Offset printing included 11 different colors on a polyester laminate.
At Autajon, folding cartons and set up boxes had been engineered to house luxury products made in France. The carton for La Vie est Belle included two hot stamping passes plus silkscreening. Perfect square lines were a final, exacting luxury touch. Merging the playful with the luxurious, at Dupont, a Surlyn bracelet with a fragrance spray had been launched just 10 days prior to the show.
Welcome to Luxe Pack Monaco, the international packaging show located where the cliffs of the Alps meet the Mediterranean Sea.
With the global prestige market still going strong, many high-end packages from bottles to bags stood out. Heavy glass, rich decorations, jeweled flacons and caps, mirror-like surfaces and lots of glitter were all representative of the trend. Also noted was the opinion by many that luxury goods allow higher markups, so the more appealing the packaging, the greater the chance of a pricey sale. Genuine metals (rather than metallized plastics), tactile paperboards,covetable coffrets and even shopping bags with graphics “to die for” were all meant to captivate upmarket buyers.
Mass market goods, however, were certainly not forgotten. With consumers of every level looking for luxe appeal, packaging suppliers have found innovative ways to add an upscale look to almost any product, through cost-cutting measures such as eliminating magnets or other metal parts, or by using labels to add extra pizazz.
As individualized looks play to consumers’ delight in unique objects, several suppliers revealed new decorative effects that provide ways to produce whole lines of product in which no two are exactly alike.
Noticeable too were the many partnerships between suppliers to create something that would be difficult to do with their own resources, such as various material/component combinations. There were also efforts that simplified purchasing decisions for brands—such as developing a container with a specific, compatible formulation in mind; or creating mix-and-match makeup systems.
Environmentally responsible packaging concerns were not lost on suppliers either, as glass for cosmetic jars, recyclable and PCR plastics and wood packaging appeared to also have gained ground this year. Throughout the show, there were examples of many supplier partnerships adding up to packages that combined wood with everything from metals to tubes to glass.
Grounds for Sustainability
Luxury defined: Les Gemmes de Bulgari. Qualipac executed the brilliantly colored caps and HeinzGlas manufactured the exquisite flacons.
Grosdidier said she wants Luxe Pack in Green to become more important. “We need a coordination to create common rules for sustainability,” she said, “for what we want.” She feels strongly that Luxe Pack is the perfect platform because it’s international. Also, she said, “Luxe Pack is cross-market. Manufacturers can share the same rules—beauty, spirits, luxury. We must give an example to others.”
Papers and Cartons
With 25% of Luxe Pack Monaco exhibitors presenting paper and carton offerings, evidence was high as to recyclable products and stamps from various sustainable forestry groups. Foils, flocked papers and dazzling prints also wooed attendees.
Beth Corbett, of Neenah Paper, showed Beauty Packaging their “wow” piece created for Luxe Pack Monaco: a complicated box made of a variety of papers and designed to serve as inspiration for how marketing people can use their premium products for everything from set up boxes to hang tags, gift tags and brochures.
Metsä Board showed its extensive portfolio of lightweight packaging boards designed to give premium presence combined with sustainability. Its new cartonboard, Carta Allura, has been developed especially for luxury end uses. Also shown were the new fully bleached Modo Northern Light liners, ideal for microflute as well as providing quality print results on corrugated displays and packaging. According to Liette Gagne, sales director, Moto Northern Light liners can be embossed and, if desired, laminated. The board can replace corrugated, and has a brightness level between 88 and 89. It also comes in a coated version, and can be used as an inner or outer liner, or to protect the product without contaminating it.
Jars and Bottles
The 2014 Luxe Pack in Green award went to the product “T-Eco,” from Eurocosmetics Asia associated with Sanyo Chemical. This cosmetic jar was completely eco-designed: a reduction of 40% plastic, fully recyclable, reusable and refillable.
Barcelona-based FACA Exports offered thousands of premium cosmetics jars and caps.
Target’s new home scent product launch with Method features Airopack’s unique “green” dispensing system, driven by air only, and the finished product made for a colorful and impactful backdrop at the supplier’s booth at Luxe Pack Monaco. Pointing out smaller bottles for body care and skin care, Jolanda den Rooijen, marketing director, said they can get all kinds of looks with this technology—including many new designs for prestige products—so they continue to focus on innovating packaging options. “All looks are possible; everything’s custom-made,” she explained.
Color Cosmetics Packaging
Working our way through the crowds at Jackel, vice president Eric Bigotte showed BeautyPackaging the Reverso palette. Based on gravity, the 360-degree opening system allows for a 2-in-1 palette, with a collection of colors on each side. Thus, in a small compact, you can get twice as much bulk; one tray is “hidden” beneath a mirror. Another new product, a lipstick with no mechanism, is designed for mass market applications. It cuts costs because it can be pushed up gently with an intuitive gesture.
HCT Group, which had stands in both the regular exhibitor area as well as in the newly added turnkey/formulation area, displayed an expansive number of products from compacts to brushes to bulk. Ashleigh Earl, one of HCT’s packaging designers, told Beauty Packaging, “We’re continuously looking for ‘something more’ when it comes to cosmetics; concealers with treatment benefits, anti-aging primers, color tinted line-minimizing lip enhancers, etc. Our packaging should do the same…so we’re taking a fresh look at how consumers interact with their products, how we can create something that will give ‘something more’ than being a package. The package could have a hidden function—perhaps it becomes the applicator, or the material choice might evoke an emotion. We innovated a previous concept of a brush cleanser recently, by adding a pump pack to the handle of a face brush; thus the handle becomes something more.”
A new set of mascara packages at Geka, called The Luxe Pack, “took the name of the expo as its inspiration,” according to Pilar Gonzalez-Gomez, global head of marketing and head of sales northern and Eastern Europe. Julia Kiener, marketing manager, explained how the collection had been created to show decorative alternatives for the packaging—and how to provide a more luxe look with lower cost options. A new cigar-shaped mascara package lent itself to various types of decorative techniques, including a sleeve with up to 10 different colors. A mini cigar-shaped pack had been designed to fit a large brush. Using a masterbatch with particles was an alternative to lacquering. A new lipgloss in a PET bottle drew attention with a metal cap and regular silkscreen printing with haptical silkscreen printing and glitter for a tactile feel. For a cigar-shaped eyeliner, a metallic masterbatch gave a shiny effect thanks to a special pigment, laser decoration and a scratchproof finish.
HCT Group’s new Airless Pump Brush Series added an airless pump pack to the handle of a face brush, making it “something more.”
HCP was featuring metallic soft touch packaging with a glitter effect. A glitter finish on mascaras provided a 3D look.
Texen is comprised of a number of small companies with various specialties from mascara to fragrance caps. The company recently acquired C+N. At Mayet France, Guillaume Moins, technical group director, showed Beauty Packaging Dior’s fluid stick lipgloss which required a very specific molding process, using real metal, and overmolded. They developed a specific process to keep the metal between the two layers of plastic. The key is tooling,” said Moins.
For a new mascara, Surrealist, for Helena Rubenstein, Mayet overmolded the black plastic with a clear plastic layer so the inner area looks like a droplet. Another mascara for Hypnose used real metal glitter (so each is unique in how it settles) topped with a clear coating. Moins said, “Combined techniques and multi-layer decorating are in demand as the customer wants to add value perception to packaging—visually.” He pointed out how for the Hypnose mascara, each new launch received a new technique added to those in the previous version (as shown in this photo of the three mascaras).
Attraction is the name of Albéa’s new plastic hinge system that delivers a gentle, pleasant closing for luxury compacts. The system’s innovation lies in a fully plastic, pin-less hinge, which does away with the need for magnets to close the compact. With no opening button, Attraction is more streamlined and offers more design possibilities, without the additional cost of magnet closure systems. In addition, with no pin or magnet, Attraction is a more environmentally friendly system.
Woodn’t It Be Nice
The Technotraf area at Quadpack was all about color, with a selection of makeup packaging that integrates wooden caps, components and purse sprays. Luxurious glass packs with different closures have been created so customers can easily mix and match. A dropper system option for prestige brands features automatic loading. There are also two types of pumps: a pump shoulder that covers the bottle and an aluminum-finished luxurious pump that can be topped with a wood cap. Both offer clients a complete solution. Compatibility and functionality highlight the supplier’s all-metal, magnetic lipstick, with its smooth and smart way to close. The integrated wood cap has a fine, thin wood wall.
Pujolasos offered a full range of wooden componentry for vials, dropper caps, cosmetic jars, compacts, lipsticks and fragrance caps. The new Slim Mascara range was developed with its own mold and the plastic design was conceived to come with a wooden cover, creating a stylish and elegant form. On display were the Maison Incens perfumes for which Pujolasos crowns each with an exclusive hardwood cap.
For the Hypnose mascara, Mayet France added a new decorative technique to each of the previous versions.
At Luxe Pack Monaco, tubes got the royal treatment, continuing to attract attention with their many features including low-cost, decorative effects, ease of use and more. Several tube manufacturers had also incorporated a touch of wood into special offerings.
CTL Packaging displayed a number of innovative tubes at its stand. The company had just introduced its EasySupplyTube to the European market, and reaction was highly favorable. Through a partnership with Quadpack, plastic tubes were capped with wooden closures. High Stamp tubes featured raised lettering. But perhaps what stood out most were CTL’s holographic tubes, made using a holograhic cold-stamping film available in a variety of colors, films and shapes.
Manuel Diez, managing director Americas, CTL, told Beauty Packaging that interest in tubes continues to grow “as they are more economical than rigid packaging and can be sealed in the same process.”
Another of Cosmogen’s featured product lines is brushes. Recently they designed special brushes made to work with cosmetics from Alkos and Ancorotti, so customers can launch complete products immediately. Cosmogen was the winner of Formes de Luxe Instrumental Beauty Award 2014 for it’s Lancome Blur Kabuki brush, used to apply bronzing powder over the entire face and neck.
Albea’s all-plastic Reflexion tubes illuminated the manufacturer’s stand due to their shiny mirror-like metallic effect, displayed in a range of finishes and colors. A hot stamp-like effect makes the tubes easier to produce and because there’s no aluminum layer, there’s good bounceback. A nearly invisible side seam and 360-degree decoration add to its appeal. Albea says the Reflexion tube also has a reduced carbon footprint.
The message was loud and clear at MWV, with the the latest addition to its skincare dispensing portfolio—Amplify, a pump-on-a-tube, which the company says was developed with “functional and emotional benefits in mind for consumers, and leads to an enhanced experience.” The airless pump system protects the formula, offers clean, precise dosing and requires no squeezing for evacuation. The solution combines the convenience of a pump-on-a-tube with the protection and soft actuation of the company’s patented Rolling Bellow engine technology. The pump was developed to provide a more premium feel even at a mass price point.
A new set of mascara packages at Geka, called The Luxe Pack, took the name of the expo as its inspiration; the collection had been created to show decorative alternatives for the packaging.
There was lots of evidence of gluing, heavy glass, multiple decorative techniques, pr estige-looking caps, flowers—and in many cases, technologies were applied on stock bottles. Though there were lots of striking custom flacons as well.
Eurocosmetics Asia, in Hall Atrium, displayed striking white opal glass manufactured in Japan. Meant for very high-end skincare products (and alcohol, including Japanese whiskey), according to managing director Tammy Wu, the bottles can be engraved in any color. Many of the jars feature refillable pop-out tubs of creams, making the packages “green” as well. As noted earlier, the company’s T-Eco jar received Luxe Pack Monaco’s Green award.
At its expansive, light-filled stand, SGD displayed a number of fragrance bottles they had produced, including Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, Narciso, Juicy Gold, Givenchy, Lucky and many more. Sheherazade Chamlou, vice president of sales and marketing, SGD North America, explained many of the multi-decorating techniques now used—a trend that was noted throughout the show.
The new Taylor Swift bottle featured a white spray with a label for an artistic look. The new Paris Hilton launch used a stock bottle with multi-passes of pad printing for a lacy effect, topped off with silkscreening. “The use of more labels makes decoration more cost-effective,” said Chamlou. Perfect for Monte Carlo, Davidoff’s The Game looks like a pile of poker chips, with the bottle and cap a perfect match.
At Coverpla, CEO Bruno Diépois pointed out the manufacturer’s beautiful new Damier bottle with a subtle checkerboard pattern, scheduled to be in stock at the end of November 2014. The coordinating double-injected cap can be produced in any color chosen by the customer. A wraparound blank space on the bottle (2/3 on the front; 1/3 on the side) leaves plenty of room for printing the name of the fragrance.
Olga Bursac, vice president of sales, gave Beauty Packaging an overview of some of Bormioli Luigi’s newest launches in fragrance (the Italian glassmaker also had a second stand which featured packaging for spirits). She said that there has been more call for glass packaging and lots of decoration including hot stamping and spraying. Lancôme’s La Vie est Belle is now available in a 100ml size. Bursac said that producing the thickness of the glass and controlling the “U” effect was extremely difficult. Si by Giorgio Armani featured an interior coating accomplished with a black spray. Lacoste LIVE, a square bottle, required “extremely complex machinery to apply plaques on all four sides.”
HeinzGlas, which also won a Luxe Pack in Green award, showcased a number of beautiful bottles including Les Gemmes de Bulgari (see sidebar for additional information). But another grouping that attracted attention was Wood by HeinzGlas, which honors the forests and countryside that surround the centuries old glassmaker. One flacon features wood and glass through material application and micro engraving. Slate by HeinzGlas, which combines glass and slate, takes its cues from the slate roofs on village homes. And the Leather collection, which applies cowhides to glass, is inspired by cattle, which help to preserve unused meadowland.
Piramal Glass displayed bottles that could be mistaken for beautiful art glass. Another example had a batik look. P Mohanty, vice president marketing, said the effect was achieved with two processes. “The beauty lies in their individual uniqueness,” he said, “that no two are exactly alike.”
A fragrance bottle designer was on hand at Pavisa to present a collection of sample forms meant to fire up visitors’ imaginations about what is possible when it comes to fabulous glass perfume flacons.
Technotraf highlighted a selection of makeup packaging that integrates wooden caps, components and purse sprays, so customers can easily mix and match.
A new set of mascara packages at Geka, called The Luxe Pack, took the name of the expo as its inspiration; the collection had been created to show decorative alternatives for the packaging.
The message was loud and clear at MWV, with the the latest addition to its skincare dispensing portfolio—Amplify, a pump-on-a-tube, which the company says was developed with “functional and emotional benefits in mind for consumers, and leads to an enhanced experience.” The airless pump system protects the formula, offers clean, precise dosing and requires no squeezing for evacuation. The solution combines the convenience of a pump-on-a-tube with the protection and soft actuation of the company’s patented Rolling Bellow engine technology. The pump was developed to provide a more premium feel even at a mass price point.
Luxe Pack’s Grosdidier pointed out that the show continues to attract a large number of glass manufacturers, with many that offer spirits bottles as well as fine fragrance flacons. The similarities are often remarkable. (Watch for a special feature in the January/February issue of Beauty Packaging on the synergies between the two.) Here, we look at a number of the fragrance offerings at the show.
There was lots of evidence of gluing, heavy glass, multiple decorative techniques, pr estige-looking caps, flowers—and in many cases, technologies were applied on stock bottles. Though there were lots of striking custom flacons as well.
Eurocosmetics Asia, in Hall Atrium, displayed striking white opal glass manufactured in Japan. Meant for very high-end skincare products (and alcohol, including Japanese whiskey), according to managing director Tammy Wu, the bottles can be engraved in any color. Many of the jars feature refillable pop-out tubs of creams, making the packages “green” as well. As noted earlier, the company’s T-Eco jar received Luxe Pack Monaco’s Green award.
At its expansive, light-filled stand, SGD displayed a number of fragrance bottles they had produced, including Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, Narciso, Juicy Gold, Givenchy, Lucky and many more. Sheherazade Chamlou, vice president of sales and marketing, SGD North America, explained many of the multi-decorating techniques now used—a trend that was noted throughout the show.
Technotraf highlighted a selection of makeup packaging that integrates wooden caps, components and purse sprays, so customers can easily mix and match.
The new Taylor Swift bottle featured a white spray with a label for an artistic look. The new Paris Hilton launch used a stock bottle with multi-passes of pad printing for a lacy effect, topped off with silkscreening. “The use of more labels makes decoration more cost-effective,” said Chamlou. Perfect for Monte Carlo, Davidoff’s The Game looks like a pile of poker chips, with the bottle and cap a perfect match.
At Coverpla, CEO Bruno Diépois pointed out the manufacturer’s beautiful new Damier bottle with a subtle checkerboard pattern, scheduled to be in stock at the end of November 2014. The coordinating double-injected cap can be produced in any color chosen by the customer. A wraparound blank space on the bottle (2/3 on the front; 1/3 on the side) leaves plenty of room for printing the name of the fragrance.
Olga Bursac, vice president of sales, gave Beauty Packaging an overview of some of Bormioli Luigi’s newest launches in fragrance (the Italian glassmaker also had a second stand which featured packaging for spirits). She said that there has been more call for glass packaging and lots of decoration including hot stamping and spraying. Lancôme’s La Vie est Belle is now available in a 100ml size. Bursac said that producing the thickness of the glass and controlling the “U” effect was extremely difficult. Si by Giorgio Armani featured an interior coating accomplished with a black spray. Lacoste LIVE, a square bottle, required “extremely complex machinery to apply plaques on all four sides.”
HeinzGlas, which also won a Luxe Pack in Green award, showcased a number of beautiful bottles including Les Gemmes de Bulgari (see sidebar for additional information). But another grouping that attracted attention was Wood by HeinzGlas, which honors the forests and countryside that surround the centuries old glassmaker. One flacon features wood and glass through material application and micro engraving. Slate by HeinzGlas, which combines glass and slate, takes its cues from the slate roofs on village homes. And the Leather collection, which applies cowhides to glass, is inspired by cattle, which help to preserve unused meadowland.
Piramal Glass displayed bottles that could be mistaken for beautiful art glass. Another example had a batik look. P Mohanty, vice president marketing, said the effect was achieved with two processes. “The beauty lies in their individual uniqueness,” he said, “that no two are exactly alike.”
A fragrance bottle designer was on hand at Pavisa to present a collection of sample forms meant to fire up visitors’ imaginations about what is possible when it comes to fabulous glass perfume flacons.
Polywood tubes, made in partnership with TuPlast, stood out at Hoffman Neopac. The tubes feature a thin layer of wooden particles between the plastic.
Dispensers
Polywood tubes, made in partnership with TuPlast, stood out at Hoffman Neopac. The tubes feature a thin layer of wooden particles between the plastic.
At Dieter Bakic, Dominic Bakic showed Beauty Packaging a bestselling Head and Shoulders package they had created for P&G. It uses a special applicator to directly target the scalp with the formulation.
Safety & Antibacterial Efforts
With consumers becoming more aware of hygienic and safety issues in their cosmetic products, suppliers were offering remedies from locking lids to antimicrobial-active packaging.
Janvier Plastic Packaging displayed both stock and custom lines for perfume and cosmetics, including tamper-resistant plastic caps with locking mechanisms, along with a lot of standard Surlyn caps.
Derprosa transparent and specialty films ranged from its classic transparent film to a soft touch laminate, a metallized soft touch laminate—and one of its newest innovations—an antibacterial film, which claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria that comes in contact with it.
Taiki Group was focusing on some interesting things they’re doing as far as raw ingredients and preventing contamination. EcoG is an antimicrobial resin for any package that has a setback, and has now been expanded from mascara packages to include lipgloss tubes, jars and containers for makeup and skincare uses. This antimicrobial-active packaging allows preservatives to be eliminated from the formula and provides complete protection of the product. Jim Perry, president, CEO, also explained how Tafre-Taiki Fibre is the latest scientific breakthrough for Taiki. Taiki had worked with DuPont on plant-based fibers; silver particles are added to AgTafre, a synthetic, antimicrobial material for cosmetic brushes, that feels softer than natural hair.
More Luxe Pack
Luxe Pack New York will take place May 13-14 at Pier 92 in Manhattan.
The new Paris Hilton launch, produced by SGD, used a stock bottle with multi-passes of pad printing for a lacy effect, topped off with silkscreening.
Coverpla’s beautiful new Damier bottle glows with a subtle checkerboard pattern.
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Piramal Glass displayed bottles that could be mistaken for beautiful art glass.
Examples uncovered in a walk around the show floor with Marc Rosen
Rosen proclaimed it “a real return to luxury in packaging.” While high-end suppliers such as Pochet and Qualipac especially stood out, Rosen felt that in general, movement was toward a premium trend—“perhaps after consumers have tired of celebrity fragrances.”
At Pochet, the flacon for Cartier illustrated the trend, with a real metal top and the iconic panther head “carved” in the glass inside. Even the J’adore by Dior EDP now uses gold zamac to add weight. Qualipac had executed the brilliantly colored luxe caps for Les Gemmes de Bulgari. The cap is made of Surlyn with a ring in zamac.
HeinzGlas had manufactured the exquisite flacons for Les Gemmes de Bulgari—which Emanuele Mazzei, CEO, HeinzGlas USA, told us is a showpiece due to decoration techniques and masking—six different jewel tones for 100ml bottles that retail at about 250 euro for each EDP. Rosen deemed the design a “return to luxury on the highest end.”
Mazzei also showed us how the company is getting more involved in fine metallization—metallizing glass, as well as partial metallization with spray techniques. The new Black Opium bottle combines spray metallization and glitter. “Spray coat on metallization is a complex process,” said Mazzei.
Cartons and setup boxes also gave off a luxurious look with an assortment of intricately decorated secondary packaging, pop-up boxes, and elaborate coffrets.
At Model, we were told that the elaborately printed cartons with vines and floral motif for Rosabotanica by Balenciaga had been very difficult to produce. Offset printing included 11 different colors on a polyester laminate.
At Autajon, folding cartons and set up boxes had been engineered to house luxury products made in France. The carton for La Vie est Belle included two hot stamping passes plus silkscreening. Perfect square lines were a final, exacting luxury touch. Merging the playful with the luxurious, at Dupont, a Surlyn bracelet with a fragrance spray had been launched just 10 days prior to the show.
