Givenchy’s Soin Noir Yeux contains the concentrated black sap of living algae; the slick black packaging is in tune with the brand.

Tough Love?

Trends in packaging show that beauty is not afraid to get tough to truly design the new.

Written by Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher

Earlier in the year, many brand owners bought into the cult of Alice (in Wonderland) and took beauty packaging into a more fantastical and fancifully feminine expression. And this has not been a short-lived trend by any means with new brands, such as successful newcomer Tarina Tarantino, firmly rooting its brand values and expression in this sentiment. But, as always, in a market shaped by polarization, it hasn’t taken long for this trend to be countered. We are now seeing a radical change of direction with beauty showing a harder and more ferocious side that is not hiding behind frills and flounces. Beauty is about to get tough. And by and large—it’s looking good.

The Beauty Big Cats

The autumn/winter 2010 runways have been dominated by nude tones and understated classics, but these have had to work hard alongside the equally popular trend for Big Cat prints and an abundance of fur. And, just as in fashion, beauty has indulged in the power of animal magnetism for a while now: from classic and pretty bird and butterfly motifs to the more twee and cutesy Hello Kitty. Animal motifs are, if anything, becoming increasingly popular, but beauty is now favoring a more realistic and less warm and cuddly representation.

Paul & Joe has teamed up with Urban Outfitters to create a new set of Kitty Lipsticks. The outer packaging for the set utilizes the latest fabrics of the Paul & Joe Fashion Collection for autumn/winter 2010 with subtle and beautifully graceful repeat patterns and motifs. And this subtle exterior in no way prepares you for the sense of reveal and the cat face sculpted into the top of the lipstick itself. Not practical and, if I’m honest, slightly creepy, but full marks for innovation. (Editor’s note: Please see more on Paul & Joe in the feature on Innovative Packaging in this issue.)

And while the domestic cat is very much in evidence, so too, is the Big Cat. In a similar vein to Paul & Joe, Ultraflesh has recently launched its Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara with a fierce panther head “carved” into the end of the outer packaging. If you look at this in the context of the overall darkly innovative, high-fashion brand, then this design device seems fitting rather than forced. Elsewhere, big cat prints are starting to subtly infiltrate.

And we are not just stopping at Big Cats, but embracing the power, excitement, sense of adventure, pride and beauty embodied by all wild animals, which is perfectly evidenced in the design of the new Kings 1965 male grooming range.

The brand promotes classic British style with a contemporary twist. The Kielder hair care range utilizes a range of wild animal images, such as wolves and elephants, which highlight the brand’s mission to do things differently. It’s a very simple and graphic delivery but retains a timeless appeal and a focus on quality, power, intensity and elegance.

Extreme nature is also being evidenced in other ways.

Extreme Nature

We spoke previously about how beauty is reviving and celebrating the ancient traditions by turning more to the power of alchemy and “wildcrafting” ingredients. New organic brand Natura Girl embraces the “wildcrafting” process, but provides a fresh design iteration by moving from the more mystical and darkly sensuous packaging we have been seeing to this colorful, bold and graffiti-esque design. It bluntly and succinctly packs a punch through its short, symmetrical message.

Renowned for forever pushing boundaries, Rodial has introduced its new Glamoxy Snake Serum. The serum is comprised of a neuropeptide that mimics the effects of the Temple Viper’s potent venom to instantly lift the face, freeze muscles and plump fine lines and wrinkles. Rodial always keeps packaging simple and reliant on naming and color—and maybe the unadulterated and plain black packaging is appropriate for such a “speaks for itself” product.

Back to Black

Boscia has employed the same tactic for its new, mineral-rich Luminizing Black Mask. The brand literally swaps its trademark white packaging for black. Like Rodial, there has been no attempt to dress it up. It’s strong and direct and there is no mistaking the product message.

Boscia and Rodial are not the only brands to go back to black. Black has of course always been enduringly prevalent as the tone of choice for premium cosmetics packaging, but several brands are now going one step further with their production of innovative black products.

Giorgio Armani and Givenchy have both created black eye creams. Purportedly inspired by volcanic lands, the black composition of Armani’s Crema Nera Revitalizing Eye Cream goes completely against all long-held beauty sensibilities. However, the beautifully contoured, black lacquered compact with slide-out mirror and little black spoon for precise and clean dosage creates overwhelming desirability and adds to the unexpected nature of the total product offer and package. Similarly, and following Soin Noir Visage, Givenchy has created Soin Noir Yeux. Containing the concentrated black sap of living algae, the part gel, part emulsion is a deep black that becomes subtly transparent on contact with the skin. Again, because it is Givenchy, no one is in any doubt as to its efficacy, and the slick black packaging sits very comfortably inside the brand’s existing skin and cosmetic portfolio.

But it’s not just the giants taking the plunge. Smashbox’s new seasonal offering is its Smashbox O-Gloss Noir Intuitive Lip Gloss—a sumptuous gloss that goes on black and then transforms into a perfect berry hue unique to the individual wearer. This transition is reflected in the effortlessly simple, but deliciously effective, graded colored packaging.

Industrial Strength

However, it’s not about just going back to black. We are also seeing a more rebellious and industrial approach and look.

Topshop’s brand new makeup range is called Heavy Duty. Sarah Thorne works for Topshop as the senior creative designer, and designed the packaging. “It’s completely different from our previous limited edition range. The new range is called Heavy Duty, and the packaging focuses on darkness, gunmetal finishes, jewel-like facets and industrial detailing.” (Source: www.sarahthorne.co.uk)

While the male grooming category has always been dominated by monochromes, here, too, we are witnessing a more industrial approach that is not just all about function. A good example is the simple and typographically driven packaging for Mesoestetic’s Ms Men line of men’s skin products. The numbers represent the steps involved for treatment, but each of the individual packs also fits together in a sequence to unite the whole process.

Although it’s been around for a while now, Burberry Sport’s Shower Gel for men with its matte black and rubberized container is bang on trend with this move towards a more industrial and hard-hitting visual language.

As we go into a New Year, it’s great to see such a radical embrace of creative change. It’s a change that is not necessarily aiming to please (in a traditional sense) or re-working a previously trodden path, but shows that beauty is not afraid to get tough to truly design the new. The field is wide open.

About the Author
Jonathan Ford is a designer and creative partner of Pearlfisher. [email protected]; www.pearlfisher.com; http://twitter.com/Jforddesigns