21 Drops combines innovative product, graphic and structural design to shake up personal care.

The Old Faithfuls

Tried-and-true beauty brands are not losing traction as they remain relevant to today’s consumer.

Written by Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher

Today we are led to believe that it’s all about the new… Newer products are better products. They are researched better, often use newer (and perceived to be) “better” ingredients, and are marketed to us as more suited to our evolving lifestyle and beauty needs today. True to a point—but only to a point. It’s very hard to make a change when you have found the perfect facial moisturizer to suit your skin—whether it’s the one your grandma wore all her life or you are on a list for the most exclusive cream in the world. If it works, we tend to stick with it and satisfy our craving for the new with some other beauty addition.

We are now seeing the resurgence—or maybe just a new or renewed recognition particularly by the media—of the old faithfuls. It’s not about cost per se although it could be indicative of a climate in which value checking is central to consumer motivation. A good price point combined with efficacy and trust makes for a highly valued brand, and brands such as Vaseline Intensive Care, Pond’s Cold Cream, E45 and Neutrogena are still topping the “must have” and sales charts. These brands are not losing traction because they are still relevant. And a new generation of brands is now testing the water and trying to emulate the all-around value—and desirability—of these heritage buys.

Fast Fixers

In this age of fast beauty fixes from the inside out—with, for example, lunchtime Botox followed by a skin shake—we expect so much more from our beauty products. But some beauty stalwarts, such as Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, for smoothing eyebrows, soothing burns, softening cuticles, using as hair serum… are still hard to replace. However, that does not mean that these brands are standing still and not aware of the needs of the zeitgeist. And while it still has a multitude of uses, Petroleum Jelly has evolved from a very pharmaceutical looking product into a range of variants under the banner of Lip Therapy, conveniently housed in one handy little lightweight tin.

In the age of the lipgloss, Vaseline shrewdly launched a new variant intended to both soothe and bring out the rosy tones of the wearer’s lips—named aptly Rosy Lips. Cute naming and the original retro packaging take on a complementary cute pink hue and play up the natural and cosmetic ingredients of rose and almond oil. Combined with a pocket money price point, it’s a no-brainer that this little tin seems to be in the bags of women from 15-50+. It’s a beautifully simple iteration of an old faithful, known and loved and now loved even more for giving us just what we want.

It’s the recognition of something that has stood the test of time and is still about matching an efficacious product with simple, bold, lucid and pared down brand identity and design. And this renewed interest in these brands, probably also pays testament to an overarching reaction to the continued pace of technology and the overwhelming choice faced by consumers. In an attempt to stay ahead of the game, many brands are engaging in knee jerk reactions—with online launches and collaborative initiatives—as they try to fill an emotional void and engage in new ways. But, actually, we are starting to see consumers kick against this, and brands need to find new ways to engage as consumers seem to want increasingly limited—not more—interaction with brands and products. Yes, cosmetics are—and always will be—about self-expression, but we want limits. And, on a day-to-day basis, we want brands to make it easy for us with stylish products that clearly offer utility and solution.

It could be argued that this is nothing new and that products such as YSL’s Touche Eclat—and new versions such as Radiant Touch to keep this brand fresh and forward facing—have already filled this niche in a more glamorous and contemporary context. There are new products hitting our shelves all the time that promise to be the saviors of our daily beauty woes—Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer, Boscia Blotting Linens, the list is truly endless… and while they have their place, there is still room for the truly new and innovative.

The new generation of fast-fixers that are trickling through are tapping into the evolving consumer mindset and providing a new twist on our perennial favorites.

The New Utility Chic

Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer is a new product that promises to cure daily beauty woes.

There is no denying that beauty has taken a recent utilitarian turn. Top Shop’s feted new makeup range is just one acclaimed new addition to the marketplace. But, this summer, utility chic is making its presence felt. The new “it” bag among the style cognoscenti does—at first glance—appear to be a new take on the carrier bag with no logos, no leather (acetate don’t you know) and no weighty hardware. It represents masterful understatement at its best—a contemporary “carry-all” from design queen Jil Sander. Beauty is not just following fashion’s lead this time but falling into line with it.
Founded by a mother and her two daughters, Ms. & Mrs. is the ultimate purveyor of beauty, fashion, and personal care survival kits. Their portable and affordable assortments are packed with solutions for everyday emergencies. Whether you’re prepping for college life or equipping a bride-to-be with essentials for her big day, these colorful kits contain must-haves for any personal care predicament—and are packaged in a cute and stylish bag—in a choice of metallic silver or gold—making them as chic as they are comprehensive.

It’s interesting to note that these kits contain a mixture of branded—Blistex Lip Ointment and Ice Drops Breath Freshener—and understated own-branded products. The generic products are plain and un-designed apart from the very simple but oh so stylish Ms. & Mrs. logo that can easily attract and embrace all ages and attitudes. And there is no branding whatsoever on the reusable pouch. It’s all about bold simplicity and function—à la Ms. Sander.

Form & Function

Synergy between stylish form and function is as important as ever, and still so terribly hard to get just right. Also recently launched—and aiming to straddle beauty, pharma and lifestyle—is new brand Solyvia. Its range of essential oil boxes contains sets of three essential oils in roll-on format with descriptive naming—such as The WeekBox or The CityBox.

Solyvia does boast a beautiful but functional design. The predominantly white and pharma feel lifted by a three-color coding system reflects the nature of the different oils, and a subtle leaf motif reflects the natural and bio quality. But the design and purpose still seems a little bit too prescriptive and doesn’t leave a lot of scope for future development.

Colorful and pretty, but a world away from other newcomers, 21 Drops—which I mentioned in last month’s issue of Beauty Packaging—successfully combines innovative product, graphic and structural design to really shake up not just the oils and aromatherapy category but personal care per se. (Ed note: Read about 21 Drops’ packaging designer in this issue.)

Design for Life

For brands to now keep tuned to the consumer wants and needs, there is a very real opportunity for this market to embrace a new breed of lifestyle brands that base themselves on the mission of providing an eclectic and evolving collection of useful and beautiful things.

Ms. & Mrs. is pitch perfect. It’s limited but liberated with plenty of scope for the brand to extend into full-size versions of its products or to produce other contemporary everyday essentials. In terms of brand design, the brand logo acts as a subtle endorsement, but heroes the product over brand personality, and this approach—as we are now seeing with so many new and successful lifestyle brands—appeals to a more discerning consumer base that is looking for clarity of purpose in both the behavior and the aesthetic.

About the Author
Jonathan Ford is a designer and creative partner of Pearlfisher— www.pearlfisher.com