Fresh, Sleek and Fun

By Cathy Maisano

Any notions of packaging design inhibitions in the cosmetic and personal care sector have been swept away by newfound confidences set to dazzle the industry and consumers alike.

The latest packaging indicates impressive clarity and style, suggesting brands are getting comfortable with exploring different forms, textures, color palettes and other characteristics.This has given rise to fresh and edgier design routes, thus destined to keep suppliers on their toes as to what they can create and deliver.

The Top Trends

Apothecary Appeals – Clean, pharmaceutical whites and blues used with clinical silvers to communicate wellness for the consumer and the natural, medicinal benefits of product. Whether decorated with nostalgic old-world effects or sharp, modern looks, the end design holds a therapeutic aesthetic.

Interactive Art Form – Tactile packaging has merged with classic to produce designs to be admired like a museum piece of artwork. Historically the perfume package designs of the first half of the 20th century had qualities such as these, and we are beginning to look at fragrance packaging with an air of classic artistic admiration once again.

Ergonomic Excites – More rounded, curvy, soft forms. Well-evidenced in bottle design but more interestingly making impacts in dispensers.
Pink Pleases – Strong evidence of pink in fragrance fill, especially pale pink through nude pinks.

Sensual Surprises – Alongside rounded forms, we are seeing a confident use of sharp lines, such as square shaped bottles, delivering a smoothness that exceeds such attempted designs in recent years.

Decoration Differentiates – In the midst of the enormous growth in off-the-shelf designs, greater emphasis on decoration being unique and differentiated abounds.

Transparency Transcends – A much greater clarity in P.E.T is being seen. There is less use of frostiness.

Environmentally Friendly – Greater interest in organic, natural and recyclable in terms of packaging is moving from brands such as The Body Shop and Aveda to multinationals including Unilever and Procter &Gamble that are starting to ask the questions about the environment and their packaging.

Adult-escent Tones – Fun for adults is coming more and more into vogue, with ‘adolescent-like’ whimsical packaging in products such as Stila and Benefit in the U.S., and Sexy Mama and Soap and Du Wop’s Lip Venom in the U.K.