In a world of corporate giants eager to gobble up niche companies, one would imagine that independent companies are finding it harder than ever to stand out these days.

However, cosmetic and personal care professionals ad-amantly insist that this is not the case. Specialty companies, boutiques and spas are not only surviving today’s merger-and-acquisition frenzy, but in fact are leading many of the trends in personal care, according to industry experts.

Interestingly, the majority of the independent cosmetic companies whose names are the hot news today began with a much more localized premise. Focusing on younger, trendier consumers as opposed to marketing to the masses, these feisty companies dared consumers to let loose with glitter, unconventional color and new mediums. Rather than romancing the consumer, today’s independently-owned cosmetics companies put forth a host of dramatic and unconventional offerings, and allow customers to come to them.
And they do. Consumers are flocking in droves toward the products and lines that bespeak fun, individuality and multifunctionality rather than conforming to one basic look.

Breaking into the big leagues as a new cosmetics company is easier than ever these days. As consumers insist on expressing their own individuality, independent cosmetic companies have come into their own. Specialized and trendy products can bloom quickly to penetrate the mass market, as long as one knows where to begin.

For example, Shawn Haynes, founder of Girl Cosmetics, selected small boutiques such as Fred Segal to introduce his glitzy, glamorous product line in 1997. Starting off with impulse-purchase display units in boutique-style locations, Girl caught the attention of retail buyers who quickly demanded line extensions, according to Mr. Hayes. A tie-in with the movie “Velvet Goldmine” produced a makeup collection by the same name, and Girl moved on to larger sales locations, including Bloomingdale’s and Sephora.

That’s not to say that Girl—or any of the numerous new independently owned cosmetics companies appearing on the market—will be forever immune to the call of larger companies looking to expand their own offerings. For example, last year, LVMH snapped up newcomer Urban Decay. And such well-known names as Jane, Bobbi Brown and Stila have been acquired by Estée Lauder. However, industry experts agree that niche market-style operations continue to shape today’s cosmetic industry, making an impact on retailers and consumers alike.

Too Faced, Irvine, CA, utilizes packaging that is a combination of glamour, femininity and technology in order to get its message across to today’s woman.

The Bold and the Beautiful
Many of the companies contacted by Cosmetic Packaging & Design expressed the desire to stay independent, despite the rash of acquisitions in the industry during the past several years. “We’re fresh because we eliminate the middle man and work our own ideas,” insisted Jerrod Blandino, founder of Too Faced, Irvine, CA. “We’ve had some lucrative offers, but this is our baby. If Too Faced were bought out, it would lose its momentum and edge.”

In fact, it is that edginess that is fast becoming the trend in today’s over-saturated personal care industry. It isn’t easy to make a bold or personalized statement when creating products for the masses. As a result, trendy, creative independently-owned companies are gaining a voice among the larger and more well-known names.

But how do independent companies stay that way in an era of mergers and acquisitions? Though numerous factors will account for a company’s eventual success—or failure—the first hurdle on any manufacturer’s agenda is to gain attention in the midst of an already-established market.

According to industry experts contacted by Cosmetic Packaging & Design, a product’s outward presentation must be as unique as the line itself, and should communicate both fun and functionality in one convenient package. Though this is sound advice for any marketer, large or small, independent cosmetic companies insist that creativity is a bigger factor in niche vs. mass marketing. Though lacking the safety net of a parent company, they have the advantage of almost limitless creative options without the holdup of red tape, according to industry experts.

Bold statements, retro sentimentality and unique combinations of packaging colors, styles and materials are the hallmarks of today’s self-maintained personal care retailers. Their daring approach is the perfect fit for today’s consumer, who demands individual attention and a look that stands out from the rest.

Girlie Glamour: Too Faced
Too Faced, Irvine, CA, approaches the packaging of its products with the company’s dual message in mind: powerful, yet feminine, cosmetics for today’s woman. “I think it’s really important to not just convey makeup and glamour, but attitude,” said Jerrod Blandino, Too Faced’s founder and chief executive officer. “Today’s packaging means that a product needs to look just as great outside as it works inside.”

The company’s signature packaging, which incorporates diva-style indulgence with devil-may-care fun, reflects the options open to women today, according to Mr. Blandino.

“Most of our boxes are hot pink or have ultra-feminine packaging,” he explained, “but the components themselves are more hard-edged, almost industrial. What we want to convey with our packaging is that women can be flirty and feminine, but at the same time, powerful. No longer does the customer have to be one or the other; today, she can have it all.”
Being independent has helped Too Faced keep its creative edge, according to Mr. Blandino. “At Too Faced, we design and create every box, logo and print ourselves,” he revealed.

Latest in the company’s lineup is Sealed With a Kiss, a lip brush filled with lip gloss for instant convenience, bubble-styled eye shadow compacts and double-sided foundation sticks for complete coverage in one tool. “We take the prints and patterns we like in stylish shops and fashion houses, and incorporate them,” Mr. Blandino stated. “The result is a package that is attractive and functional. Women are proud to pull these pieces out of their handbags.”

Too Faced also recently introduced Candy Glam, a collection of indulgent shades for eyes, lips and cheeks, according to company executives. The line contains another important element in packaging and presentation: catchy names that draw attention to the products and the woman who uses them. Highlighting the company’s ultra-glamorous, fun theme, the collection’s products sport such names as Femme Fatale for lips, Money Maker lip gloss, Coco Pop eyeliner and Who’s Your Daddy cheek color.

Alchemy’s copper packaging is both memory-evoking and modern, according to company executives.

Other products in Too Faced’s cache include Gossip Gloss in Back Stabber, Tabloid, Snitch and Tattle Tale; After Glow multifunctional powder in Love, Lust and Betrayal and First Base eye shadow base.
The packaging itself must be fun and convenient to use, Mr. Blandino nsisted, while maintaining a whimsical or artistic element. The company’s Sparklers box has a techno-type stripe to soften its functionality, while a faux Louis Vuitton-style container encases Sealed With a Kiss.

“You want something innovative with your product, packaging and components,” Mr. Blandino said, “something that makes people say, ‘Hey! Why didn’t anybody else think of that?’”

A Holistic Approach
On the flip side of high-glamour but no less on-trend is Tony & Tina, New York, NY. The company takes a holistic approach with products that the founders believe positively manipulate the user’s energy. This highly specific approach has taken the homegrown company to such retail and e-tail locations as Sephora, Nordstrom and the company’s website, www.tonytina.com.

Tony & Tina uses the same spiritualistic philosophy in housing its products as it does in creating them. “Our products are tools for the multi-sensory being,” insisted Tony Gill, co-founder of Tony & Tina. “In packaging, we use high chrome to mimic silver, which we feel represents female energy. It also vibrationally amplifies the therapeutic qualities of our ingredients.”

The company’s lineup—a complete selection of products including color cosmetics, cleansers and tools—are considered not only useful, but art, company executives said. For example, the Millennium Key, a nail paint, is egg-shaped with grooves in the sides to make it easier to hold. The highly-stylized item is the only nail polish packaging in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, said Tony & Tina executives.

The company plans on releasing Aura Lights iridescent lip plumper, packaged in the style of “cosmic surgical equipment,” according to Mr. Gill, and nail pens are also available. “We are evolving beyond the limits of the five senses,” Mr. Gill said. “The style of Tony & Tina is new age meets science.”

Tony & Tina executives also believe that fragrance is an important component of total presentation, and a key element in a product that caters not only to the eye, but the mind and spirit. The company has introduced Mood Balance lipstick and Herbal lip gloss, which are aromatherapeutic, the company said.

Wrapping up the company’s unique products is a white outer packaging designed to cleanse and protect, according to Mr. Gill. This color-therapy concept makes Tony & Tina unique to the industry: though most marketers utilize colors and textures for visual effect, Tony & Tina believes that the colors it uses in its packaging and products have a direct effect on the mood and even the health of the user.

At the same time, the company remains staunchly committed to its original philosophy by refusing to conform to the norm. “The more we push a contemporary style, the more we validate a traditional one,” Mr. Gill explained. “As soon as a style is reacted against, it takes its place in history.” In that spirit, the company will continue to produce new products that surprise the consumer, and the competition as well.

A Not-So-New Brew
Though relatively new to the cosmetics market, Alchemy’s parent company, C.O. Bigelow Chemists, is the nation’s oldest apothecary, according to company executives. The New York, NY-based company was established in 1938.

Taking its name from an ancient philosophy—the transmutation of base metals into gold—and updating that idea for modern applications has been a significant factor in Alchemy’s formula for success. Though Alchemy’s products are based upon a much more realistic foundation, including the fusion of micronization technology and botanical essences with colors appearing in nature, the idea of the ancient belief in the practice of alchemy lends a mystical appeal to the presentation of the company’s innovative products.

Blending magical appeal with functionality has been a key factor in the company’s success. “We don’t want to be too trendy or too classic. We have reached a happy medium,” explained Sandy Mustion-Lemmerman, managing partner, Alchemy. “Our products need to be sophisticated, yet compact enough so that a woman can take them with her while she’s on the go. The materials convey the quality of what’s inside the packaging.”

Alchemy has recently added copper packaging to a number of products in its lineup, true to its alchemical origins, according to the company. “What’s outside—the packaging—must match the product inside, but it must also have the ability to quickly grab the consumer’s attention,” said Ms. Mustion-Lemmerman. “You want the packaging to say, ‘I’m different, but I’m functional.’”

The company recently revamped its packaging by changing its signature colors from black to copper. The outer cartons have been changed from black to white. “We’re a pharmacy,” insisted Ms. Mustion-Lemmerman, “so we’re now trying to convey more of a lab-type feel.” She also noted that the company has switched from stock-type plastic packaging to custom compacts and lipsticks that convey a one-of-a-kind feel.

The complete product line includes aromatherapy products, body lotions and creams and body glitters in addition to color cosmetics and treatment products. A number of Alchemy’s products will be made available in the new copper packaging in the near future, the company said.

Alchemy’s core line and Medic and Refreshing categories will all be extended in the future, but the company’s basic philosophy remains the same, according to parent company C.O. Bigelow: consumer diversity, education and an ongoing relationship between the company and its shoppers. This attitude is consistent across all categories, including the reputation of the efficacy of the products, the packaging and marketer-consumer relationships.

“It’s one thing to have high standards for your actual product; it’s another to have sophisticated packaging. When the two come together, you can present something special to the customer,” pointed out Ms. Mustion- Lemmerman. “The inside and the outside must be in unison.”

Hydration and Imagination
H2O+ opened its first store in 1989 and has been able to maintain control and selectivity of subsequent store openings due to its independent status. “We’ve had plenty of meetings and conversations about being bought, but we feel the creative and independent side is why H2O+ is successful,” said Cyndi Mills, the company’s founder and chief executive officer.

Being independent has also enabled the company to remain focused on the client as an individual, she insisted. “Our store, our philosophy, our products and our packaging all follow the same idea,” explained Ms. Mills. “We’re a refreshing alternative to the traditional. In packaging our products, we utilize a lot of transparency, streamlined containers and minimalized graphics. Our primary components are super-streamlined, as well.”

This follows the philosophy of the company, which encompasses natural, water-based ingredients. “We’re all about water and how it impacts internal and external health,” explained Ms. Mills. “To reflect this, we package in blue and other soothing colors, transparencies, and icy coloring. These forms all speak of water and allow us to continue to be true to our concept.”

The company averages 20-30 new product launches annually, according to company executives. The company functions as both a manufacturer and a retailer; its Chicago-based headquarters encompass research and development, compounding, manufacturing and packaging. Though the company does utilize outside vendors for some of its packaging needs, a keen eye is kept on the process to insure that all packages reflect the attitude of a balance between nature and science and the pure imagery of water.
“We have a very unique situation because we are able to control our demographics ourselves,” Ms. Mills stated. “We have a large international business, but we are selective as to where we place our stores and the quality of the stores themselves. We supply an experience to the consumer, rather than simply a product.”
This holisitic experience has brought clients running to the company’s boutique-style, clean-lined stores. “In the years to come, you’ll see H2O+ enlarging the consumer base by getting the word out in a stronger, more compelling way,” Ms. Mills commented.

A large portion of that message is integrity, which is part of why the company utilizes transparent packaging, according to Ms. Mills. “Transparency is a huge trend,” she said. “Excess is out; modern and clean continues to be on-trend, and transparency is huge. With transparent packaging, not only is the look clean, but it allows consumers to view fill levels and confirms the honesty of the manufacturer.”

Word of mouth and customer loyalty gave H2O+ its jump-start, but the company will rev up its marketing in the future to expand even more. “We get stronger every year,” Ms. Mills said. “Our customers are very smart, savvy and unpretentious. We’ve evolved dramatically to suit their needs, and we’ve excelled because of it.”

User-Friendly
When it comes to packaging, what’s printed on the label can make as much of an impression as materials, shapes and use of color of the container itself. Today’s logos, labels and decorations are following a more fun-loving and spirited trend than in the past. In addition, a common theme is clear plastic for easy visibility of the product, as well as bright, bold container colors.

Bloom Cosmetics, an Australia-based “young and dynamic company,” according to company executives, utilizes 1960s style female characters on its labels. The company logo itself is a simply-drawn flower. The overall image is innocence, youth and fun.

Bloom’s packaging colors mirror this attitude with lemon yellows, bright or dusky blues, purples and mauves. Clear plastic packaging in the company’s kits allow spirited or soothing colors to be immediately visible to the potential consumer, and whimsical line-drawings complete the theme.

Too Faced has its own cartoon character as well; Envy, a shapely silhouette, seems to embody the fashion-and-fun attitude of the company. Envy’s saucy expression—cat-eyes and lips—also graces a number of Too Faced’s products. The company additionally makes full use of what it calls “Holly-wood inspired” colors, with bright pinks, dramatic black and diva-style electric blue. Shapes are dramatic and glamorous, with long, pointed nail lacquer bottles and shapely Gossip gloss.

Girl Cosmetics’ school-girl script logo with silver stars complements the shape of its packaging, which includes eye products in clear-lidded, flip-top bubble compacts and slender lipsticks and glosses. These simplified themes give a user-friendly and festive look to the company’s packaging.

Other companies, such as English Ideas, Irvine, CA, dramatize packaging with gold, black and white motifs. English Ideas’ Perfect Powder, an SPF-15 talc-free pressed powder foundation, is contained in a round edged, gold container, while its Kolour Shadow eye shadows’ basic-black compact delivers understated sophistication. The company’s repairative products, including Eye Solution eye treatment and Eye Refine exfoliating cream, are encased in soft gold pump containers.

Scarlett Cosmetics, New Hope, PA, claims that its products were designed to set the trends, not follow them. According to the company, Scarlett’s clients include stars on the TV programs “Friends” and “Felicity” and MTV personalities. Sleek, round pot-style containers and compacts and slim eye pencils and mascaras are on-trend and make for both ease of application and portability.

While consumers eagerly await the next offerings that these creative companies will develop and distribute, independent companies continue to seek out the new and unusual in an effort to continue to stand out. As quickly as the concepts are marketed, they are snapped up by consumers—and sometimes, by larger companies seeking an even broader product base.

However, cosmetic companies that do relinquish their independence seem to maintain their individuality, adding a little spice and a niche segment to the offerings of their new owners. Wherever they go, indies are making their mark, and continuing to shape the industry and attract a firm following.