Color Cosmetic Packaging: Supplier Scoop
MG New York Combines Materials
MG New York (New York City) can count quite a few major beauty brands as its regular customers. The supplier says that aluminum has been the most popular material for compacts lately. Many customers also request that metal charms be added to compacts.
MG New York works with a number of different factories overseas to meet the demands of its clients. “One of our factories specializes in jewelry, such as charms. Another pours resin, and another produces wraps. We have the ability to pool our resources and put all of that together to create a very unique package,” says Gary Korba, COO, MG New York.
MG New York helped Stila Cosmetics create an aluminum compact adorned with a mother-of-pearl finish, which launched this spring. The mother-of-pearl finish was applied to the top of a metal plate, which was glued to the cover of the compact.
MG New York also works on limited-edition compacts for MAC Cosmetics every holiday season. Last season, the brand created aluminum compacts decorated with different colors and textures. “We poured a tinted resin on top of an embossed crocodile-skin pattern. The center area had an injection-molded acrylic stone,” says Korba. “We’re continuously combining different processes and unique materials to create unusual compacts. This is where our expertise lies.”
MG New York also developed Hello Kitty compacts for MAC Cosmetics. The aluminum compacts were decorated with a metallic sparkle spray and an injection-molded plaque on top. The luxury edition of MAC Cosmetics’ Hello Kitty compact is brass, sprayed red, and adorned with a Zamac plaque.
Zorbit Resources’ Paperboard Compacts
“Paperboard has been making a comeback,” says Scott Kestenbaum, vice president of marketing, Zorbit Resources (New York City). “While plastic remains the predominant vehicle for color cosmetics, we’ve noticed an upswing in the demand for paper from many of our clients.”
Paper compacts are an attractive option for startup brands because their shapes and graphics can be completely customized, without requiring a brand to spend a lot of money on tooling, says Kestenbaum. By Lauren Luke, a brand that launched on April 27, uses paperboard compacts for different makeup kits. The brand was created by makeup artist Lauren Luke, Zorbit Resources, and global marketing firm Anomaly.
From a marketing perspective, paperboard also plays into the green trend. “Whether it is truly greener than other materials or not, I think the consumer perceives paper to be a more environmentally friendly material than plastic or metal,” says Kestenbaum. “Using biodegradable paper is a very attractive selling point for any brand today,” he adds.
With paperboard, decorating options are vast. “Paper is also a phenomenal substrate for seasonal programs,” says Kestenbaum. “The decorating capabilities for paper are a lot less expensive and more versatile than for other substrates.” Laminations and varnishes can be applied, and any type of printing can be used, such as embossing and hot stamping. A paperboard compact can also be wrapped with different materials, or flocked. “We have even gone as far as to add electronic devices to paper compacts, giving them the ability to play sounds or light up,” Kestenbaum says. “The possibilities are endless.”
Topline’s Embellished Stock Compact
“Many brands are looking for packages with more embellishments as a way to turn cosmetics into a luxury item—even for mass-market products,” says Serena Eng, vice president of marketing, Topline Products (Wayne, NJ).
“Consumers have tighter purse strings now, so beauty products that look like a luxury item, at an affordable price, are selling,” says Eng.
Topline Products created a stock compact that has separate applicator compartment and opens with a swivel mechanism. It can be decorated with a metallized finish in any color, silk-screened with any design, and adorned with sparkling crystals.
“The way it’s decorated gives it a more upscale effect, but it’s still an affordable price point for a mass-market brand,” says Eng. The crystals are embedded in the plastic rather than being glued on, to ensure that they stay in place. They crystals are applied by hand using special glue that won’t affect the shine of the stones.
PKG Group’s New Airtight Compact
PKG Group (Somerset, NJ) is seeing requests for more types of airtight packages. “As cosmetics, such as water-based or silicone-based formulas, become more sophisticated, airtight packages are necessary to protect volatile ingredients,” says Eddie Csaszar, vice president of sales, PKG Group.
The supplier developed a refillable airtight compact that’s available as a stock item. The compact is manufactured by supplier Yonwoo in South Korea and is sold exclusively through PKG Group in North America.
The compact has two compartments; an upper tray for an applicator, and a lower compartment for the product. Customers can simply lift the hinged upper tray to access the product in the lower compartment.
The compact closes with an airtight seal. When the compact’s lid is closed, customers can rotate it a few inches on the base. This action locks the lid closed on the base so that the compact can’t be opened.
“The fact that the compact is designed to be refillable is a great advantage. Consumers pay once for the airtight system, so it will work within a lot of price ranges,” says Csaszar.
Csaszar says that this package fulfills an important industry need. “Most cosmetic products that require airtight packaging are now in glass. This compact now offers these brands a better option.”
PKG Group has also been using a new type decorating technique for its standard line of compacts. Graphics can be applied to cover an entire package, including its curves. “The challenge was to be able to offer our customers a cost-effective way to decorate around corners, and we are now able to offer this,” says Csaszar. One of the designs that can be done resembles a wood-grain finish. PKG Group is just presenting this decorating option to its customers now.
Another new decorating option that PKG now offers is what it calls rainbow metallizing. “This utilizes color-shift technology. When you turn the compact, it turns from pink to green, depending on where the light is hitting it,” says Csaszar.