Editors’ Choice Award Winner: Cosmetics
Beauty Library Set
by Laura Mercier
Those who love to collect a lot of makeup products but don’t like clutter would love the Beauty Library Set by Laura Mercier. The cosmetics collection comprises a trio of palettes—one for cheeks, one for eyes, and one for lips—that pack away neatly into a carrying case so that they can sit attractively on a bathroom counter or shelf.
The Library Set launched in October 2005 as a limited edition. “They were an instant hit with department store buyers,” says Carlene Gregg Victor, vice president of product development for Gurwitch Products, which owns the Laura Mercier brand. “New York magazine even used the Library Set in an illustration for its 2005 Gift Lists article. Most importantly, they were a hit with consumers, and we sold out early in the holiday season.”
Gregg Victor designed the packaging, which was supplied by HCT Packaging. “My inspiration for the concept came suddenly while at the bookstore,” says Gregg Victor. “The Laura Mercier customer always wants something chic, convenient, and valuable. Why not collect her favorite color cosmetics in separate color-coded booklets—peach for cheeks, lavender for eyes, and burgundy for lips—and then bundle them in a convenient, fashionable case? Together, they look like a collection of limited-edition library books.”
Awards panelist Lisa Carroll, group creative director for Coty Inc., says, “The marketing concept was very clever.”
Panelist Maiken Erstad, design director for Dragon Rouge, adds, “I think it is a very neat way of doing it. It harkens the look of an upscale Filofax or a collectable three-piece set of expensive books. It’s got a different kind of quality to it, which is very good.” Panelist Henry Renella, vice president of package development for The Estée Lauder Companies, says, “It’s definitely a unique package that gives you the ability to keep your makeup on your counter while displaying something a little out of the ordinary.”
Each palette contains product pans, mirrors, and magnetic closures. A closure on the Library carrying case—comprising an elastic loop and a button—keeps the palettes tucked securely away. “I sketched this idea out using actual product pans and booklets and presented the design to HCT Packaging, which enthusiastically embraced the idea and did an excellent job executing it,” says Gregg Victor.
Both the palettes and the carrying case were wrapped in custom color-matched paper with a faux– lizard-skin finish, giving them an upscale feel. Panelist Maureen Kelly, founder of Tarte Cosmetics, says, “These palettes actually remind me of my own blue, faux–lizard-skin Filofax, except this one is much more fun! This would make the perfect gift for a friend.”
Gregg Victor says that the biggest challenge was working with cardboard rather than plastic for the palette’s base. “The biggest production challenge was ensuring the pans would fit during the production run, as we were using a paper base rather than a plastic base,” she says. “The timeline was also aggressive, especially since this was a new concept for the brand.”
HCT Packaging’s Andrea Stelluto adds, “It was a bit challenging to produce the library holder due to the button closure because Gurwitch Products wanted to have the button wrapped in the lizard paper.”
The Beauty Library Set is practical, offering customers a range of different color palettes in a compact package. It also looks attractive as home décor. “In the end, the customer has a superb collection of products in a unique package—versus yet another typical upscale compact that everyone already has,” says Gregg Victor.