As I review the feature stories in this issue a final time before going to press, I am amazed once again at the ingenuity of both brands and suppliers in the cosmetics world. 

Faced with beauty consumers who increasingly want it all—more bang for their buck, long-lasting, efficacious formulations—and of course, dynamite packaging—marketing and manufacturing teams are tasked with creating constant newness and desirability. Add to this the accelerated launch factor for a new product amid stiff competition, and the process becomes nearly overwhelming.

In this issue, we look at three areas facing these challenges: Sample and Single Dose Sizes; Made in the USA; and Fragrance Packaging.

The opportunities for small-sized products have exploded in the last few years with beauty box subscription services popping up nearly every month. Fascinating is that some of these purveyors have opened brick-and-mortar stores—and now the reverse is happening, too. Sephora is one of the newest on the scene and its reach and breadth promise stiff competition. Even outside of a box, small sizes have become an effective means for brands to build equity, especially in “try before you buy” promotions that can lead to purchases of full-size products down the road. Today’s on-the-go lifestyle also means consumers want mini amounts of everything from lipsticks to fragrances that are no-mess and travel friendly. See some of the latest creative solutions in the article, and check out BeautyPackaging.com for an Online Exclusive on Sample Packaging from Viktorija Gnatoka, global packaging analyst, Mintel.

With speed to market a growing factor for brands that want to launch quickly, U.S.-based packaging manufacturers are gaining ground in providing services to the domestic marketplace in particular. But advantages go beyond rapid delivery, and are even expanding to companies overseas, as you’ll read in the feature story.

While the Fragrance market has seen its ups and downs, there’s no lack of beautiful launches for Fall 2015—and many of these bottles have taken on romantic decorative designs and glamorous shapes and colors to tantalize consumers. Please view them in the article.

This issue also previews and reviews a number of major industry events—so stay tuned as we bring you the highlights of those that are coming up this fall.

We hope you enjoy this issue.