Smooth Applicators

When packaging a formulation, don’t forget the wow factor that the right tool can bring.

By Christine Esposito, Contributing Editor

In the world of color cosmetics, the right tool means success for the end user.  Precisely engineered mascara wands deliver lush, clump-free lashes, finely crafted brushes create the appearance of higher cheekbones and the right tip on an eyeliner can unlock the secret to the smoky eye.
  
Beauty companies spend a considerable amount of cash tracking color trends, developing effective formulations and crafting clever ad campaigns, but all too often the applicator is an afterthought.
  
For the most part, cosmetic companies stick with tried and true basics, regardless of the market. Whether a consumer is shopping at CVS or Bloomingdale’s, odds are she’ll come home with the ubiquitous sponge-tip applicator in her new eyeshadow and the standard short handle brush in her blusher.  Both are serviceable, but neither will make a great impression.
  
Packaging experts say it’s time to rethink the role of the applicator. The right tool, they say, can wow consumers and help set a brand apart in an increasingly competitive marketplace. On the flip side, the wrong brush, wand or pencil could adversely affect an end user’s at-home experience and might even squash chances for repeat purchase.
  
From his office in Paris, Michel Limongi, creative director of Alcan Packaging Beauty, told Beauty Packaging about a company ready to launch a new bronzing powder with an applicator that was sure to frustrate end users and detract from their experience. “The formula was fantastic, but the brush was so small you couldn’t even spread it evenly . . . Why do companies put so much emphasis in the formula and not enough in the quality of the brush?” Limongi asks. “You risk spoiling the effectiveness. End users want good tools.”

Road Trip!

For an applicator to provide real value, beauty companies must take into account how and where the consumer will apply and stow the product—then design a tool that will deliver the best performance in those situations. For example, since today’s consumers are always on the go, color cosmetics—and their applicators—need to be at home even when they are on the road.
  
This issue is a key concern in one of the hottest categories in the beauty business at the moment: mineral makeup. As more women flock to these loose powders for their light feel and excellent coverage, they are realizing that it’s not easy to stow the product’s kabuki-style brush in a purse.
  
“The popularity and effectiveness of mineral powders, combined with the consumer trend of consuming on-the-go and convenience creates a real challenge. Women want to take their favorite mineral powder with them, but don’t want the inconvenience of messy application when they’re using it on-the-go,” says Jill McCurdy, innovation director of Rexam Personal Care, which recently patented a loose powder compact designed with a brush applicator and sifter that work together to control powder flow and avoid spills.
  
Alcan Packaging Beauty is also out to make loose powder applicators more user-friendly with Eureka, a new all-in-one loose powder box that includes a base, sifter and “self-instructional” applicator. A key design element is Eureka’s ergonomic handle, which gives users a better grip and encourages the “right tapping gesture” aiding application, according to the company.

Honey, I Shrunk the Applicator

While it is often necessary to design brushes and wands that fit tight spaces, experts advise against simply shrinking down full-size applicators to fit a small, compact case.
  
“Brands no longer want to design a nice case and then make the parts inside smaller,” notes Limongi. “It is the not the way anymore.”
  
To that end, Alcan Packaging Beauty has developed a new pressed powder case designed around the applicator. The Sliding Brush portable powder case gives users full-size benefits, complete with a mirror housed under the base and a professional style brush that pops out with the push of a finger. The customizable brush is easily repacked by pulling on a decorative ribbon or chain.
  
Qosmedix recently added a new pocket-sized dispensing brush for powders. At just 3in., a retractable sleeve shields the domed goat hair bristles and a removable clear overcap keeps the brush clean, making it an alternative to sifter jars and separate brushes, according to the company.

Right on Target

Formulation advances in skin care are driving demand for more task-specific applicators. The more efficacious and targeted the treatment, the greater the need is for an applicator that can deliver the correct dosage to the right area with little chance for contamination.
  
Seeking a packaging and delivery solution for Clarity, a new blemish treatment product, Australian skin care firm Intraceuticals turned to Cosmopak, which crafted a needle pen with interchangeable applicators that would deliver 30 separate applications of treatment. The Melbourne-based company also wanted a flocked applicator, which would prove challenging for such a small tip.  “We were able to solve the problem by using a special process to adhere the flocking to the tip,” says Cosmopak’s Walter Dwyer.
  
According to Sarita Young, Intraceuticals’ marketing manager, the sponge tip applicator is a perfect fit for the new blemish treatment, which bowed in July. “It allows for precision and frequent replacement, thus avoiding cross-contamination, and is a perfect example of innovation with a purpose.”

Material Matters

Advances in materials are opening the door for applicators that deliver enhanced feel and greater longevity.

“The increased usage of manmade materials like nonwovens and nylon have opened up a larger marketplace for new and different types of applicators,” says Nancy Klimpel of Qosmedix. “Manmade brushes can be created to be more resilient and stand up to more abuse than a natural brush.”

Flocked applicators are becoming more common in the shadow and blush categories. To that end, Geka Brush has created a flocked eyeliner that combines the precision of nylon with the softness of a brush, making it more forgiving for consumers.

Focusing on improved feel, Cosmopak offers two new puffs made from Sensium and Elexium, which are memory silicones that morph shape when pressure is applied and return to their initial shape when pressure is removed. The result, according to Dwyer, “isa revolutionary way to apply silicone-based powders via a puff that delivers a softer feel on the face.”

Not Your Mother’s Blush Brush

Savvy companies recognize that the applicator isn’t the place to cut costs or continue the
status quo.
  
It’s a strategy that mascara makers take to heart. From mass to prestige, companies constantly introduce more sophisticated brushes that promise improved results. Take Oriflame’s newest mascara Lash Extreme. Using Geka Brush’s Hypno brush technology, Lash Extreme reportedly plumps lashes by 600% in a single stroke, according to Oriflame.
  
In the end, a serviceable applicator won’t scare users away, but brands that tout modern, value-added tools are likely to garner more attention from consumers on the prowl for something new.
  
“One of the keys to success is the applicator,” says Limongi. “You can’t launch a new blusher color with the same small brush consumers had to deal with 20 years ago.”