Latest Launches
Sensory Appeal
Hair care brand Rusk is unveiling brand new packaging for its new Sensories line, launching this fall.
“The new packaging is sensual in its shape, tying in with the Sensories line better than our old packaging,” says Maria Hannon, director of marketing operations. “The conditioning treatments are user-friendly, with pump dispensers making storage and use in the shower easier than ever.”
The products feature natural botanical ingredients and scents that are meant to soothe and rejuvenate the senses. Soft colors were chosen to convey the products’ sensory nature. “The coloring of the packages is inviting without being harsh. The soft pastel colors convey the botanical and floral ingredients.”
A new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle was created for the line. Originally, the HDPE bottle was supposed to be PETE, says Hannon. “Rusk started with a PETE material and after a year of it not looking its best, we decided to proceed with the natural HDPE. This was a great decision, as the natural HDPE fits the line much better.”
Weathered Finish
Anomatic Corp. (Newark, OH) used metal anodizing to create a weathered, vintage finish on the caps for Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hollister Sessions personal care line.
“Our team was able to create [a look] that until now no one has been able to accomplish through anodizing,” says Scott Rusch, Anomatic’s executive vice president.
Durable Metal Is Eco-friendly
A metal cosmetics package is sturdy enough to last long after makeup is finished. For this reason, Canada-based cosmetics brand Groupe Marcelle chose a tin for its Bronzing Palette.
Denyse Beaulieu, creative manager, Groupe Marcelle, says, “We were able to reduce our use of materials by fitting five products into one package. Once the products are finished, the case encourages reuse by turning into a handy little box. Also, both the tin and plastic clasp are recyclable materials. We love it when a package encourages the ‘three Rs’—reduce, reuse, and recycle.”
The tin is supplied by J.L. Clark (Rockford, IL). The metal lid and base are held together by a plastic hinge that makes metal containers easy to lock and unlock, and that provides a more-secure close.
J.L. Clark worked with the team at Groupe Marcelle to design a thermoformed tray with cavities for the makeup products. When the makeup is finished, the tray can be removed.
Instant Foam
Rexam Airspray’s (Pompano Beach, FL) instant-foam dispensers were chosen for the MomSpit line of no-rinse cleansers. The cleansers are designed to be used by parents to clean their children while on the go.
Rexam provided its M3 and F2 mechanical finger-pump dispensers for the products’ 2- and 7-oz bottles.
“No matter how big [your company is], new product success in today’s marketplace depends upon an exciting, creative offering that captures consumers’ attention and meets a real need,” says Lucie Hunter, one of the cofounders of MomSpit. “These foamers are an integral part of MomSpit cleansers’ appeal. They are fun to use, look great in the purse or on the kitchen counter, work flawlessly, and deliver with outstanding quality and efficiency.”
Double Duty
A new mini dispenser from Alcan Packaging Beauty (New York City) not only applies product but also massages the skin. The package’s applicator features three small metal balls that customers can use to massage product onto their skin.
Givenchy Man is the latest brand to use the Tri-Ball package, for its Défatiguant Yeux Lift Intense treatment for tired eyes. The package was decorated with hot-stamping, metallic blue film, a colorless glossy varnish, and a silk-screened logo on the cap.
Luxury Skin Care for Men
Zirh’s new Platinum line provides men with luxury skin care products in sleek, contemporary packaging. “The combination of black and silver is extremely upscale and in line with the positioning of Platinum,” says Brian Robinson, president of Zirh Holdings LLC.
Airless dispensers protect the products’ active ingredients. Packaging suppliers include Rexam (Suresnes, France) and ATP Health & Beauty Care (Stratford, CT).
Packed like Sardines
Named a best new product winner at the Ex-Tracts trade show in New York City, Honeycat Cosmetics’ Chick of the Sea Foaming Bath Crystals package is attention-getting. The bath crystals are housed in a recyclable sardine can.
On how she came up with the idea to use a sardine can, Honeycat founder Theresa Spruill says, “My advice is to always think outside of the box. Anyone can put bath salts in a jar, right? Initially, I wasn’t sure how well bath salts in a sardine can would go over, but the response has been overwhelming.”
According to Spruill, there were no compatibility issues between the can and the product. Also, she adds, the Honeycat cans were lined.
Spruill and her employees seal the cans by hand using a can sealer. The product is also manufactured at Spruill’s home. “My biggest production challenge has been getting help to seal cans for all of the orders.”
Spruill says that she found the can through the Internet. “You can find just about everything you need through the Internet, including a can sealer,” she says.
When asked how she came up with the feline theme, Spruill says, “I use the cat as a symbol of female strength and sensuality. All of the products in the line adhere to that theme.”
When finding a message for your brand, think about what your company stands for, advises Spruill. “What are you trying to say with your packaging? Do you have a theme? Seek out less-conventional packaging solutions. Don’t be afraid to experiment.”
Sleek Square
The bottle for Calvin Klein MAN epitomizes Calvin Klein’s minimalist style. “We knew what we wanted from the beginning—a design that was sleek and powerful in its graphic simplicity,” says Fabien Baron, who designed the fragrance bottle. “The thin, rectangular bottle feels modern and masculine, and the color palette is pure Calvin.”
The bottle sports black aluminum plates, which were UV-cured to the bottle’s glass walls. The cap was made from PCTA. The outer carton is glossy and black, with chrome accents. Heinz Glas (Linden, NJ) and Saint-Gobain Desjonquères (New York City) supplied the glass bottles. Northern Engraving (Green Bay, WI) and Qualipac (Wayne, NJ) produced the aluminum plates. C+N Packaging (Wyandanch, NY) and Qualipac provided the caps, and Cultech (Edison, NJ) made the cartons.
Hexagonal Jar
Japanese brand Sekkisei will launch its newest eye cream this fall. Like the rest of the bottles and jars in the Sekkisei line, the eye cream jar is hexagonal, a shape inspired by the contours of a snow crystal. According to the company, this design concept ties in with the firm’s marketing message that its products help to achieve a radiant, translucent skin complexion “as bright and as pure as snow.”
The PET jar was produced in a deep blue color reminiscent of a lapis gemstone. The jar was decorated with silk-screening.
Silicone Valve
Dr. Scheller chose Alcan Packaging Beauty’s 19-mm Pinpoint plastic tube for its antibacterial skin care line. The tube features an applicator with a soft silicone valve. This valve permits precise, no-drip application and is designed especially for skin care applications.
Pinpoint technology is trademarked and developed by supplier Seaquist Closures (Mukwonago, WI).