Welcome to Beauty Packaging’s annual Corporate Profiles issue—our largest issue ever! This alphabetical (by company) resource guide provides you with an invaluable compendium of corporate capabilities from companies offering primary and secondary packaging, to those providing decorating techniques, turnkey services and lots more. Fifty-nine of the industry’s leading suppliers have staked out a place in this month’s special section. You’ll no doubt refer to it often throughout the year, as all beauty industry predictions for 2012 show growth is in the air.

As I write this, the Dow Jones industrial average just broke the 13,000 mark and the numbers are rolling in for quarterly and full-year corporate sales results through 2011. For many large beauty brand manufacturers—including Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, Elizabeth Arden, LVMH and Unilever—it was a good year, with both mass and prestige beauty markets showing gains in 2011.

In fact, the prestige arena increased double digits—11%—in dollar sales in 2011 over 2010. The U.S. Food/Drug/Mass channel experienced a 4% increase in sales for total beauty in 2011, versus 2010, with makeup sales posting the biggest increase at 8%, followed by skin care at 3%.

Eye makeup, particularly mascara, continues to fuel the makeup category, as you’ll read in this month’s feature. With a seemingly never-ending array of lash-enhancing launches, packaging suppliers make all the difference, as the componentry is integral to function and results.

Airless packaging is another area headed for continued expansion in both the prestige and mass markets. This month’s in-depth look at the categoryhighlights the latest options from leading suppliers and explores why more and more brands are taking this route.

You’ll also find other examples of industry growth throughout this issue, from the increased interest in turnkey services to the expanded number of exhibitors slated to participate at Luxe Pack New York’s 10th anniversary show in May.

Growth is also in the air at nitesh_bp.rodpub.com, where visitors during January 2012 topped 30,671 (up 61%, compared to the same time last year) and page views rose over 40% (also compared to the same period last year) to more than 56,600.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue—both in print and online.

Jamie Matusow
[email protected]