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Inside Design: Mascara Magic

"Mascara packages are some of the most difficult packages to develop," says Adrian Hook, vice president of sales for supplier Geka Toly USA (Edison, NJ). "I would say that the success of a mascara depends 50% on having a good bulk product and 50% on matching the right brush to that bulk."

One of the challenges in choosing or creating a mascara package is measuring its performance. "Mascara is tough because there are so many variables," says Bob Reinhardt, vice president of sales for World Wide Packaging (Florham Park, NJ). "When you test other products, you can more easily conclude whether the packaging works or not. With mascara, it comes down to what type of formula a particular consumer likes, how she applies it, and what she expects the product to do on her lashes. I would bet that every time you asked 10 people about the same mascara, you would always get completely different opinions."

According to David Rohloff, Sephora's director of animations, at a retail store like Sephora, it helps a mascara if its packaging visually conveys the product's benefits to the consumer. "Benefit BADgal lash is the perfect example," Rohloff says. "It comes in a larger-than-life bottle with an even larger mascara brush inside. It must be the biggest mascara brush I've ever seen. Just by looking at the package, the consumer will feel that the mascara will create longer, thicker lashes. How could it not? Both the product and the packaging convey this brand message with conviction."

Benefit Cosmetics' (San Francisco) cocreators and founders, twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford, tell us they wanted their mascara to be unique. Jean says, "It was our mission to create a super-sized mascara wand and brush that would deliver clump-free, voluminous lashes like no other." Jane adds, "The best part is, this mascara tube is so big that you can easily find it in your bag."

Twice As Nice

Double-ended packages are often chosen for various reasons. Sometimes, they are chosen to suit two-step formulas. Other times, double-ended packaging is selected because it is convenient for a customer to use. Passport Cosmetics (San Francisco) chose its mascara package because, unlike most double-ended components, both containers house the same mascara formula, but in different colors. The package is supplied by Ariel in New Jersey.

"The popularity of duo packages has greatly contributed to the recent growth of the mascara market," says Garry Wilson, director of sales and marketing, eye care, for supplier Crown Risdon (Watertown, CT). Maybelline New York's new double-ended XXL mascara consists of a white base coat to lengthen lashes and a colored top coat to thicken them.

"When we developed XXL, we wanted the formula to address the two key claims of lengthening and thickening," says Stephanie Rinaldi, assistant vice president, marketing, eyes/nails, for Maybelline New York. "After testing, our R&D lab told us that using two separate formulas with two different types of brushes would work best to achieve the look we wanted, instead of choosing a two-in-one formula with just one brush."

Bourjois Paris has taken the double-ended trend a step further by introducing an entire "wardrobe" of eyelash makeup. Different types of formulas are housed in packages with uniquely shaped caps that allow the packages to be clicked together in any combination. "We like to think of new unique ways of packaging to make our products more convenient to use," says Poupak Sionit, director of marketing for Bourjois.

The new line of mascaras, uniquely crowned with a metallic hollow ring, launched last April and included a choice of three basic product formulas: volumizing, lengthening, and waterproof. Next, the accessory formulas, with an elongated end-piece designed to click into the hollow top of any of the basic-formula packages, began launching in August. The "accessory" formulas, which are meant to provide additional benefits, include a Conditioning Base Coat, Wet Look Topcoat, and colored highlighters. Last December, gift sets were created to help consumers understand the concept of the line and ideas about which products to use together.

"Wet Look has been our most popular one," says Sionit. "It completely sold out of most Sephora doors within a couple of months." Bourjois plans to launch a convenient click-on eye makeup remover next. "Our Lash Makeup takes the category to the next level," adds Sionit. "It's a new way of using mascara to achieve different results."

Dissecting the Parts

A mascara package is made up of four main parts: the cap; the brush or another type of applicator, including the rod; the container to hold the bulk; and the wiper, which is a small part inserted into the top of a bottle or tottle. "The brush, wiper, and vial are three of the key parts that all have to work together in order for the mascara to function properly," says Julio Russ, vice president, research and development, color cosmetics, for Revlon. "One part affects the rest, so each has to be chosen correctly." Crown Risdon's Wilson agrees: "There is a correlation between the diameter of the rod, the diameter of the brush, and the size of the wiper."

The wiper controls the amount of mascara that is loaded onto the brush. It is one of the main things Alison Raffaele looks for in a mascara package. Raffaele was Bobbi Brown's protégé from 1992 to 1995 and now has her own cosmetics line, Skin Alison Raffaele (Englewood Cliffs, NJ). Raffaele is working on developing her first mascara now, which will possibly launch sometime in the near future. Raffaele explains, "The wiper must be tight, but it's a challenge because if it's too tight, then it will pull the brush right off the rod. Too much mascara on a brush equals disaster. You want to try to get it just tight enough, so that the brush has practically no product on it. It's a fine line, and it takes some finesse to get just right."

A Brushless Mascara

The Magic Wand by i.d. Bare Escentuals (San Francisco) launched last June. The idea for the brushless mascara came about when the company decided to address consumers' problem of being able to reach the base of the lashes with mascara.

"You could never get to the very base with a regular brush," says Sarina Godin, director of product development for i.d. Bare Escentuals. "This alwaysleaves a gap, which must be filled in with eyeliner. When we discovered the component, we knew it would be perfect in order to get the type of application we wanted."

Next, the soft-gel formula was developed in order to work with the brushless wand. "It had to be thin enough to be evenly applied, but not runny," says Godin. "It was difficult to get it to be just the right consistency, because without any bristles, application depends solely on the formula by itself."

The product is meant to be applied from lash root to tip, for a deeper, more intense look on the eye. It doesn't claim to give any major volume, but fills in just like eyeliner. It can also be used in conjunction with other mascaras. The package's silk-screened label is also unique and colorful. The cap has a shiny silver metal overshell. Application tips are printed on the box.

An equally important consideration for a mascara package is the feel of the cap in a customer's hand. Estée Lauder's Lash XL, supplied by Alcan Packaging Techpack, features an extra-long wand with a very user-friendly rubber-grip coating in the cap.

"People go berserk thinking about the brush and then usually don't put enough thought into the other parts of the package," says Raffaele. The length of the wand is also very important to Raffaele, who has specific opinions on the subject. "If the wand is too short, I end up poking myself in the eye. If it's too long, I can't get enough control over it. For me, the ideal length is anywhere from 4 to 4 3/4 inches from the end of the brush to the end of the cap."

Bottles, Tubes...and Now Tottles

Round, narrow vials or square-shaped bottles continue to be the most popular choices for mascara. "It really comes down to the ease and speed of filling for many mass-market customers," says Geka Toly's Hook. "Square bottles perform just as well as rounds, in our opinion."

Maybelline's new Unstoppable mascara launched in January in a modern-looking silver vial. According to the company, the vial's shape was inspired by the sleekness of electronics and the modern curves and edges seen in the furniture industry. "Consumers have said to us that the look of the package plays a big role in the decision to buy mascara," says Maybelline's Rinaldi. "A mix of form and function is important. It must be comfortable to grip and easy to apply."

Herbal Mascara by Tony & Tina Vibrational Remedies (New York City) is packaged in a shiny silver-metal bullet-shaped bottle supplied by World Wide Packaging. It is perfectly suited to the look of the brand. "Deciding on a shiny finish was a no-brainer for us," says Tina Bornstein, cocreative president for Tony & Tina Vibrational Remedies. "We consider our special touch to be adding the color shade onto the component. This helped us mix our modern packaging aesthetic with our holistic color therapy philosophy." The deco is accomplished with a one-pass silk-screening process.

Not too long ago, there was a time when it seemed as if tubes might completely revolutionize the look of all mascaras, but the trend never became widespread. This may have been due to the fact that there are several challenging factors to understand in order to be sure a mascara will work well in a tube. Some companies have had more success with this than others.

"When choosing a tube mascara, one must consider the product viscosity, the brush size, and the wipe requirements. It is truly about the quality of application and function with the formulated product," says Gary Korba, vice president of package development for Estée Lauder and Beauty Bank. Korba explains that this type of package has two limitations: the absence of a separate wiper, which may be required for some product applications; and the softness of the tube, which may adversely affect the brush or the amount of product on the brush.

Bobbi Brown Mascara was the first mascara to be packaged in a tube, according to the company, and has been a best-seller ever since. It was specifically formulated to work well in its rigid laminate tube, which is protective and provides enough of a wipe. Korba says, "Bobbi Brown has had success with this mascara because of the formula's characteristics—it functions well in a tube."

Beauty Bank's Flirt brand elected to go with an injection-molded tottle for its mascara. The tottle is supplied by Crystal International (Toronto). The bottle has the look of a tube but has a separate wiper that improves the performance of the formula.

The Brush—A Subjective Science

"A brush is an engineering feat," says Revlon's Russ, who recently worked on the development of Revlon's new Fabulash Mascara. "There are hundreds of variations, and decisions are made through trial and error. You know what you are looking for as a result of previous experiences." Fabulash Mascara's patented brush is meant to deposit a large amount of formula onto the lashes quickly. Its elongated shiny vial is hot-stamped with a gold "wedding band" decoration.

"I'm not one for curved brushes," says Skin Alison Raffaele's Raffaele. "I think they're all nonsense. And I don't like combs because they create spikes on your lashes. A larger, fluffier brush works best for me, but it also needs to work with a wiper in order to pick up just the right amount of formula."

Erin Cotter, creative director for Passport Cosmetics, says, "The brush is what really does the job." The cylinder-shaped brush on both sides of Passport Cosmetics' double-ended mascara becomes narrow at the end to lengthen lashes.

Tony & Tina Vibrational Remedies' Herbal Mascara contains a hollow-fiber, straight-cut brush. "Brush type can make or break a mascara," says Tony & Tina's Bornstein.

The asymmetrical shape of the brush inside Vincent Longo's Volume Riche mascara has shorter bristles on one end for better lash separation, and longer ones on the other end to create volume on eyelashes near the outer corner of the eye. "Our formula is so rich and creamy that our brush had to be made less dense in order to pick up more of the formula," says Linda Treska, product and brand development analyst for Vincent Longo Cosmetics (New York City). "At first, you might think it picks up too much, but you need to apply that much in order to create long, thick, dramatic-looking lashes." Treska worked with Mascara Plus (Torino, Italy) in order to test several brushes before deciding on one. The brush had to sit in the component with the formula for 90 days to ensure there were no compatibility issues. As soon as the lab approved the ingredients and the testing period was finished, the production began. "The brush is the main focus—that's the secret to a great mascara," Treska adds.

Revlon's Russ agrees, and stresses: "It has to be a perfect marriage between the brush and the formula."

"There is really no such thing as a great mascara brush," says Fran Marchiel, product development manager for Alcan Packaging Techpack. "Any brush can be great when its paired with the right formula. One doesn't stand apart from the other. The real trick is in finding the right combination." Marchiel should know. For the past 10 years her job has been to do all the testing required to pair formulas with the right brushes.

Marchiel is one of the specialists in the supplier's laboratory in Melville, NY. Another lab is located in Paris, France, and both are specifically dedicated to developing perfectly customized applicators in order to optimize the performance of a clients' bulk, in light of its claims. Marchiel explains, "A lot goes into the testing. It can be a long process, and there are so many variables to consider." Making generalizations about how certain shaped brushes will perform is not something Marchiel recommends. "Customers will sometimes tell us they know what a certain type of brush is meant to do. However, those general rules don't always apply, because every formula is so different."

Brush development wasn't always the science it has evolved into now. "In the early days of mascara, you made a brush and away you went. Today, that's not the case," says Crown Risdon's Wilson. "When mascara formulas first changed from cake form to semiliquid, everyone's brush was the same. The formulas were only meant to darken lashes. The market has changed a great deal due to competition. Now, there are so many different, very specific claims made against the formula, so the brush must help meet that criteria. The brush and its performance in terms of application have become very important parts of the package."

Wilson often refers to a library Crown Risdon has of every brush ever created. "We examine how each brush met the formula's claim," he says. "Some did and some didn't—but you have to remember that when it comes to how a brush performs, it is much more subjective than scientific."

When Crown Risdon creates a brush for a customer, Wilson will suggest a fiber diameter, fiber type, and fiber count. At the same time, he is careful not to interfere with any existing patents, many of which relate to the number of bristles used in a brush. According to Wilson, it is the relationship between the wiper rod and brush that makes the brush perform, so a particular combination is not something that can be patented. "Probably one-third of all the mascara brushes out there now fall under a patent," says Wilson. "L'Oréal holds the most patents for brushes in the industry. They work very hard to be the first to market new types of brushes, and they are definitely leaders in this area."

Blinc's Kiss Me mascara by Blinc Inc. (Herndon, VA) is a unique product. Its brush is smaller than most, and its gel-like formula is acrylic-based. It was developed by Japan-based company Kiss Me. The innovative formula forms tiny tubes that adhere to each lash. In order to remove the product, applying a combination of plain water and pressure will cause the tubes to loosen and slide off. The product's brush was designed to separate the lashes, while the tubes do the job of volumizing and lengthening them.

The Filament Factor

If even just one aspect of a brush is changed, its performance will change as well. For example, one slight change could result in an improved lengthening effect and a decrease in curling. "We indicate the types of fibers used when suggesting brushes to our customers," says Geka Toly's Hook. "Certain brushes might have the same shape but the thickness of the fibers will vary, resulting in a completely different effect."

"[Vincent Longo's] Volume Riche Mascara brush is super soft and very elastic because its fibers are made from a new material that enables them to be two to three times larger in diameter than most others on the market now," says Treska of Vincent Longo Cosmetics. "When the bristles are large and soft, and the fibers are extremely fine, the brush is not as dense. This enables it to pick up a large quantity of mascara in the center of the brush."

Maybelline—A Mascara Icon

When Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara was developed 33 years ago, it was considered revolutionary. It was the first mascara to come with a brush, since only cake formulas had existed before. Its eye-shocking pink square bottle and green cap, inspired by the colors of Lilly Pulitzer, were representative of the times. Since then, it has become an iconic symbol for the brand..

The product is described as an all-purpose mascara. Makeup artists swear by it. You can lengthen or thicken lashes depending on how it is applied. The formula stays wet longer than the more modern ones, allowing customers to build on it for a longer period of time. The spiral-shaped brush has bristles that are very dispersed, which allows more product to adhere to them.

Certain customers love Great Lash Mascara, while others hate it. Those who love it do not want to see anything about its package or formula changed. "We changed the shape once during the 1980s, and people revolted," says Stephanie Rinaldi, assistant vice president, marketing, eyes/nails, for Maybelline. Throughout the years, the only changes to the mascara's formula have been a few ingredient substitutions in order to keep up with new FDA compliance regulations. "At one time, we thought about upgrading its formula," says Rinaldi. "We found out that consumers in test groups who were Great Lash users wouldn't stand for it, but the testers who weren't already Great Lash users loved the new formula. Instead of changing Great Lash, the new formula became a new mascara, Full & Soft, which launched in 1999."

During the 1990s, different-color caps were added to differentiate between the waterproof formula and the one with the curved brush. Great Lash isn't even advertised anymore. "We do promote it at the retail level, and on our Web site, but there are no ads—at this point, they're not necessary," says Rinaldi. "It has a fiercely loyal following."

According to Tom Vichich of DuPont's Filament Business, filament, rather than fiber, is the most correct term for what is used in a mascara brush. Both filament and fiber are made from nylon pellets, but they are achieved through different processes. Filaments range in thickness from two-thousandths of an inch to 11- or 12-thousandths of an inch. Fibers, which are spun and drawn, are much thinner. There are many different types and sizes of filaments that can be used in brush development. "Nylon fibers from DuPont are the most widely used, and polyester is second," says Crown Risdon's Wilson. "We specify what we need in terms of a fiber, and then DuPont will create it for us."

Thermoplastic elastomer, or TPE, can be used as an alternative to nylon filaments. DuPont's trademarked TPE-based material is a specialized polyester called Hytrel. The difference from a stiff filament that might result in better lash separation is that softer material like TPE will be more pliable, and can possibly provide a curling effect. However, the results of whichever type of filament a company chooses depends entirely on how the filament works with its formula. Nylon is still more commonly used, but the request for Hytrel is increasing, according to Vichich. "Nylons have dominated because they are more chemically resistant than plastic, but more and more, people are trying out different types," he says.

After deciding on filament type, companies must choose their size and shape. DuPont offers 10 differently shaped cross sections of filaments in four different sizes. This amounts to 40 different choices. The solid, round-shaped filament is the most popular choice, although DuPont has been seeing an increased interest in other shapes, such as diamond and hollow. After the filaments are chosen and obtained, brushes are made by a brush supplier using a twist-and-trim process. The filaments are quickly rotated and twisted around wire, then trimmed. "Hollow filaments offer unique characteristics," says Vichich. "They will 'explode' or split at the end after they are cut, resulting in the creation of hundreds of tiny microfibers."

Another option Geka Toly offers is its own patented fiber called Eos. "The secret of a good fiber for a mascara brush is an irregular surface in order to pick up and deposit the formula onto the lashes," says Hook.

Explaining a little bit of mascara history, Hook says, "The first mascara brushes were made from various animal hairs. Natural fibers were the most ideal, but they did cause some problems. Then, after the development of nylon, the use of natural fibers greatly declined." Eos is shaped irregularly, and Geka Toly works with its own supplier to obtain the raw materials to manufacture it. "Since nylon is extruded, its fibers are usually smooth, which is not always ideal for a mascara brush," says Hook. "Irregular-shaped strands of fiber can provide better application results. Our patented fiber comes very close to the texture of human hair, which is naturally irregular."

Final Words of Advice

"The difference between creating something good and something great are little, subtle things," says Skin Alison Raffaele's Raffaele. She recomends testing a product on people with different eye shapes.

Crown Risdon's Wilson tells us that the key is: Advertising and marketing efforts combined with a great product equals success. "Many of the items we've done are very popular in large numbers, which says a lot about how the product works," he says. "Advertising and marketing will only get the consumer to buy it once. After that, it is up to the mascara to live up to its claims."

In terms of packaging, the real expertise when it comes to developing a mascara might come down to combining a good bulk with a good brush. Hook says, "Testing always depends on a number of factors, such as how the consumer is applying a product and what type of lashes they have. There is a huge degree of variation of lashes throughout the world, due to people's genes. At the end of the day, it is important to remember that there is definitely an element of subjectivity to all of this."

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