Mascara Packaging Options Grow as the Market Evolves 

Editor’s Note: From fashion-inspired decoration and unconventional opening gestures to treatment formulas and precisely engineered brushes, mascara packaging offers brands more ways to differentiate than its slim silhouette might suggest. Here are insights on the market, recent brand launches—and an in-depth look at the new types of mascara packaging suppliers are offering.

Mascara is helping fuel the demand for eye makeup. According to Circana’s Larissa Jensen, Sr. Vice President and Global Industry Advisor (and member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors), the prestige eye makeup category improved last year, reversing the previous year’s decline. Mascara sales contributed to the rebound and fueled category growth.

Packaging suppliers are responding to market demand by offering brands more options. Suppliers are developing new ways to mold, finish, and decorate mascara tubes, or more accurately, slim bottles—and some look as luxe as any designer lipstick.

A mascara brush greatly affects the mascara’s performance, so it’s no surprise that the demand for innovative mascara brushes is expected to rise. Future Market Insights values the global mascara applicators market at $36.1 million in 2025 and projects it will reach $58.8 million by 2035, growing at a compound annual rate of 5%.

As Mascara Packaging Evolves, Formulas Are Too

While mascara packaging is evolving, formulas are, too. The “skinification” of makeup has reached the lash category. Some mascaras are doing more than delivering color, curl, length, and definition, as more lash care products enter the market. The category is expanding and now includes strengthening lash serums, conditioning primers, and brush-on removers that look like mascara and come in similar packaging. 

Every Part of a Mascara Pack Has a Role to Play

As lash products become more specialized, every part of the package has a role to play. The brush, wiper, stem, bottle, and formula must work together to deliver the intended effect—while a unique shape and decoration help the product stand out.

Read on as we discuss the newest mascara packaging innovations with suppliers—while reporting on a few stand-out launches in the category from the beauty brands at the forefront of the latest trends. 

New Looks for Mascara Packaging

Beauty brand Kiko Milano’s recent launch has an eye-catching look. The brand partnered with Just Cavalli to launch its limited-edition Maxi-Mod Mascara Rebel Edition. The mascara pack is metallic gold, with a cap “dressed” in the fashion designer’s statement zebra print. The matching carton is also decorated with a zebra print. 

The mascara comes in black, plus purple and green, which are colors inspired by Just Cavalli’s vibrant fashion looks. “The collaboration turns Just Cavalli’s bold aesthetic into a decoration that makes an immediate impact,” according to the brand. The “mini brush” is designed to coat the lashes more effectively from base to tip for extra volume.

For brands inspired by Kiko Milano’s creativity, packaging suppliers are offering numerous options. These include distinctive shapes, finishes, and tactile effects.

Suppliers Offer New Designs

Albéa Cosmetics & Fragrance debuted its food-inspired Sugar Rush collection earlier this year. The packaging collection includes five designs with rounded forms, soft-touch finishes, and intuitive features. The supplier describes the collection as “a sensory beauty experience.” Sunset Mascara is one of the collection’s key designs.

Brivaplast also uses soft, organic curves in its new 1389 Round Mascara. The bottle and cap have rounded corners, creating an ergonomic shape that’s comfortable to hold. 

“It’s a playful, on-trend addition to our catalog,” says Valentina Manera, Marketing Director at Brivaplast. “It perfectly captures the current market momentum toward soft, organic curves, offering an instantly memorable and iconic shape that stands out on any shelf.” The cap securely clicks to close. The bottle’s 13mm neck size is compatible with most of Brivaplast’s standard mascara applicators.

HCT by KDC One’s Lash Lab Collection features a more streamlined design. The supplier’s Pure Mascara Pack has an aluminum overshell, which looks premium. The same pack houses several of the supplier’s lash products, including a conventional mascara and a tubing formula. (More about this collection and a photo follow.) 

Prioritizing Aesthetics—Lancôme’s Curvy Bottle

Lancôme is prioritizing aesthetics with eye-catching packaging for both mascara and lash care products. The brand’s Curl Goddess Mascara, which launched earlier this year, is in a curvy, hourglass-shaped mascara pack. 

The bottle shape draws attention to the brush’s unique curve. (More details about the brush and formula are below.) The packaging looks upscale, with unique rose gold decoration that looks like etched lines, an embossed logo, and a matte finish. 

Eye-Catching Deco That’s Also Eco-Friendly

A matte finish can make a mascara pack look and feel more upscale. Geka’s Classic Lashes Mascara has a matte look, achieved with a low-environmental-impact decorating process. 

Geka’s patented all-over Shadow Printing decoration technology doesn’t require ink or foil. It also uses less decorating material, preserves recyclability, and reduces carbon emissions when compared with conventional matte lacquering, according to Olivier Wattripont, Head of Global Sales, at Geka. The supplier counts some of the largest mascara brands among its customers, and produces the packaging and decoration for Maybelline’s Colossal WOW Mascara. 

The team at ICONS America also sees demand for more decorative mascara packaging to differentiate on the shelf, while still maintaining an eco-friendly focus. ICONS America says it specializes in transforming ideas into market-ready products that stand out in the highly competitive mascara category. The supplier has in-house design, development, and engineering teams.

Marianna Cilauro, vice president of sales and marketing at ICONS America, says, “We’re seeing a strong demand for custom in-mold branding, including embossed or debossed logos and graphics. These are sustainable decoration methods that remove the need for secondary decoration processes.”

ICONS America used this approach for Soshe Beauty’s Peptide Lengthening Mascara and Waterproof Tubing Mascara, which are both in distinctive square bottles in bold colors. Embossed Soshe logos decorate the outer bottles and caps, creating a premium look. “It’s a tactile effect that doesn’t require a secondary decorating process,” says Cilauro. “The brand took a more sustainable manufacturing approach while delivering a premium look and distinctive tactile experience,” she adds.

Both of Soshe Beauty’s mascaras are also refillable. The system is shown below—read on.

Mascara Packaging Is More Than Aesthetics

Beyond its outer design and decoration, mascara packaging requires complex engineering to be successful. The brush and wiper system must fit the bottle well. Every component must also be compatible with the formula to achieve the desired lash result. 

“The secret to a successful mascara is the marriage of formulation, brush, wiper, and stem,” explains Cilauro. “Each element can influence product performance, so even a small change to one element can affect the overall consumer experience.”

For brands, the development process should begin with a clear idea of what the product should deliver, suppliers advise. “Whether a brand is developing a mascara to achieve lash volume, lengthening, curling, separation, or all-in-one effect, the first step is to identify the brush and formulation combination that will deliver the desired performance benefit,” explains Cilauro. “Next, we ensure the correct wiper and stem fit to achieve the optimum product pickup, wiping, and application experience.” 

Consumers most often hear about the formula and brush, but the stem and wiper help control application in important ways. The wiper determines how much product reaches the lashes by removing excess formula as the brush exits the bottle. The stem’s dimensions and flexibility affect how well the user can control the brush, influencing the application experience. 

Every Component Plays a Role

Brivaplast’s Manera explains that every component in a mascara pack affects product performance. “In the act of extracting the applicator from the bottle and depositing the product onto the lashes, the formula’s physical characteristics, its viscosity, and rheological properties come into play—activated and stimulated by the packaging components,” she explains. “Each component must be carefully selected according to the formula and testing results. The same formula applied with different application methods can change the final result,” she says.

Geka invites brands to explore its mascara development center in Bechhofen, Germany. During its mascara workshops, brands can develop and test a brush with the goal of completing a new design in one or two days.     

Geka’s capabilities include in-house fiber development, brush engineering, packaging design, decoration, and filling. The supplier’s specialists will work with brands on a project to adjust every variable in mascara packaging. These include fiber shape, fiber diameter, and brush geometry. The supplier collaborates with brands throughout development until a specific application result is achieved. 

Mascara Brush Innovations

What do beauty consumers expect from a mascara? “Today’s biggest mascara trends are defined separation, buildable volume without clumping, lifting effects, and natural ‘your lashes but better’ looks,” says Geka’s Wattripont. “At the same time, social media continues to drive demand for dramatic lash transformations with lightweight wear.”

These trends directly influence Geka’s package development innovation pipeline, Wattripont says. “Due to our in-house fiber development and brush engineering expertise, we can tailor fiber shapes, diameters, and brush geometries to create very specific lash effects,” he says.

Geka has expanded its twisted wire brush lineup with an advanced brush-finishing technology. “This allows us to create highly precise and previously unachievable brush geometries, such as sophisticated helix and snowflake-inspired designs, opening up new possibilities for specific lash effects and brand differentiation,” Wattripont explains. 

In addition to creating new shapes, Geka’s brush technology improves contour accuracy, reproducibility, and manufacturing consistency. “This ensures that innovative brush concepts can be reliably reproduced at scale,” says Wattripont. 

Geka’s Brush Beats Collection, showcased at Cosmoprof Bologna earlier this year, features unique brush designs made with sustainable fiber to deliver specific lash effects. The brushes in the line include star-shaped, heart-curved, and helix-twisted. 

Geka’s Lancôme Curl Goddess mascara shows how a brand can pair a specialized brush with an innovative formula—with highly specific performance claims. The mascara’s 40-degree Twisted Brush has a unique curve designed to wrap and load lashes from root to tip. 

The brand says its fast-setting formula was inspired by professional hair technology. It “instantly lifts, locks, and holds each lash, no lash curler required.” It claims to deliver a 1.5x curl boost and up to 800% more volume. Plus, it lasts up to 30 hours, the brand states in a press release. 

‘Easy-to-Launch’ Solutions, New Brush Shapes, & More

Albéa Cosmetics & Fragrance is also offering brands more options—and specializes in “easy-to-launch” solutions. Its Volume on Demand Mascara Collection, developed by Albéa Beauty Lab, includes five fiber brushes designed to create different bold-volume effects. It demonstrates how changing the brush alters how the formula loads, separates, and builds on the lashes.

Albéa recently opened a second Beauty Lab in Matamoros, Mexico, to support brands in North America and Latin America. The creative hub allows brands to co-develop and test brushes and formulas, explore new concepts, and receive technical guidance.  

Brivaplast is also responding to the demand for unconventional brush shapes. “Our new asymmetrical brush designs are in line with the trend towards non-conventional shapes for better lash coverage,” says Manera. 

The supplier’s two new asymmetrical molded brushes, Pink Hawaii (APP661) and Eclectic (APP662), offer multiple benefits in a single brush. “By merging the functionalities of two entirely different mascara brushes into one single, high-performance tool, these applicators deliver unprecedented versatility,” Manera explains. 

Pink Hawaii has shorter bristles on one side to load the lashes with product. After applying, the user rotates the brush so that the longer bristles on the other side can comb and define. Plus, extra-long bristles at the tip help reach small lashes and the corners of the eyes. 

Brivaplast’s Eclectic brush has shorter bristles that form a cone on one side to load product for a one-stroke application. The longer bristles on the other side comb and define lashes. Both brushes also feature Brivaplast’s patented intertwined kernel-shaped bristles, which collect the mascara bulk, and extra-long bristles at the tip to define and reach tiny corner lashes.  

The Brush Creates the Lash Look

ICONS America’s collaboration with Soshe Beauty demonstrates how different brushes support different formula technologies and lash effects. “From a technical perspective, the packaging and formulations were carefully matched to deliver distinct performance benefits,” says Cilauro.

Soshe’s Peptide Lengthening Mascara uses a precise cone-shaped brush, with a tapered tip, that evenly distributes the formula and fans out lashes for a wispy effect. “This mascara lifts, lengthens, and separates in a single coat. The tapered brush tip allows precise application on hard-to-reach lashes,” says Cilauro.

Soshe’s Waterproof Tubing Mascara uses a fiber brush paired with a tubing formula. “The formula and brush work together to deliver fluffy, voluminous lashes in a single coat for eye-enhancing effects,” says Cilauro. The formula lifts, lengthens, and separates lashes.

Lash Care Meets Mascara

Consumer interest in lash care is creating opportunities beyond traditional mascara. Grande Cosmetics says it sells one bottle of its GrandeLASH-MD lash serum every 15 seconds.

The brand recently launched its Lash & Brow Confidence Project, following 25 consumers over four months as they used its lash and brow products. Participants included consumers experiencing lash and brow changes related to aging, hormonal changes, postpartum recovery and other health-related factors.

Grande Cosmetics’ project highlights the growing interest in fuller-looking, healthier-looking lashes—and the role lash serums now play in many consumers’ beauty routines. 

Mascara Packs for Complete Lash Regimens

Suppliers are responding by developing packages and applicators for complete lash regimens. “Brands increasingly ask for solutions that deliver volume, length, separation, and care in one product,” says Geka’s Wattripont.

Geka is offering lash care packaging solutions with its micro-bristle applicators. Made with pharma-grade materials, the applicators are designed to precisely dose and apply serums and hybrid products that combine makeup with lash care. “These answer the consumer need for precision and individual dosing—and combine wellness, care, and makeup,” says Wattripont.

On-trend and aligned with the move toward expanding the mascara category into lash care is HCT by kdc/one’s Lash Lab Collection. The line includes six products that move from daily care through mascara application and removal. 

The Lash Serum features a twisted-wire brush and a formula designed to hydrate, nourish, and strengthen lashes. The Lash Primer, housed in HCT’s Parker Mascara Pack, combines serum and primer benefits. Its twisted wire brush applies the lightweight tinted formula to prep, condition, and define the lashes. 

Three mascaras address different performance goals—Full Volume Mascara with a curved molded brush; Extended Wear Mascara with a tapered twisted-wire brush for length, separation, and lift; and Lash Extension Tubing Mascara with a pink twisted-wire brush with a tapered tip. 

HCT completes the routine with Gentle Melt Mascara Remover in its Mascara with Comb Pack. The comb applies a conditioning formula directly to the lashes to dissolve waterproof mascara without rubbing or tugging.   

An Innovative Brush-On Mascara Remover & More

Lancôme is at the forefront of the move toward lash care with its Mascara Melter, a brush-on remover that looks like a mascara. It’s a first-of-its-kind formula, according to the brand’s representatives, designed to melt away mascara so it slides off the lashes. 

“At Lancôme, the future of mascara innovation doesn’t stop at application,” the brand states. The formula is 93% skincare-based, with jojoba oil and squalane to condition and protect lashes for 24 hours. Apply it with the two-sided Lash Hugger Brush (which resembles a comb) that coats each lash with precision. “It’s a luxurious new ritual that transforms mascara removal into an act of lash care,” according to the brand.  

Another brand, Twenty Twenty Beauty, launched Clean Sweep Mascara, which combines color with lash-nourishing benefits. The brand collaborated with the team at GPI Beauty to develop the mascara’s clean, high-performance formula and packaging as a turnkey project. The formula meets stringent eye-safety standards for sensitive eyes. 

DIBS Beauty, an influencer brand known for its unique, fun, functional packaging, sells a mascara and primer in a double-ended package. Double Standard Primer & Mascara Duo has a brown tubing primer on one end and a black volumizing mascara on the other. 

The primer has an elastomer-bristle brush, and the mascara has a “290-fiber” bristle brush. Use each formula alone or layered for more lifted, thickened, and defined lashes. The formulas are infused with shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin B5 to nourish lashes.

Rethinking the Twist: New Ways to Open Mascara

A mascara package’s opening and closing gesture may not seem like an opportunity for innovation. Several suppliers, however, are finding ways to rethink the traditional twist-off cap. 

Brivaplast’s patented Click ’n Go system replaces the conventional two-handed twisting motion with a one-handed click. “This design introduces a completely new, patented gesture,” says Manera. “The fun one-handed ‘click’ system, for both opening and airtight closing, is a smooth, intuitive motion that effortlessly simplifies mascara application from start to finish,” explains Minera. “It also significantly improves accessibility, proving especially helpful for individuals with physical or motor impairments,” she says.

After pressing the slightly curved top of the cap, the user removes the applicator, then clicks it back into place after use. The curve accommodates the fingertip, while the closure provides tactile confirmation that the package is securely closed. Ulta Beauty uses the package for its Pop Star HD Volumizing Mascara.

A New Gesture-Driven Design & a Two-Way Mascara Pack

GPI Beauty takes a different approach with Pinch Perfect, a new gesture-driven mascara package. The responsive squeeze mechanism is playful, while the pack’s streamlined silhouette looks modern. 

“Instead of a standard twist-off cap, users simply pinch the sides to release it, turning a routine motion into a tactile, fun interaction,” explains Megan Gunn, senior director, strategic marketing at GPI Beauty.

Pibiplast’s Two-Way System lets consumers open a mascara by twisting the cap clockwise or counterclockwise. The ambidextrous gesture accommodates the user’s natural hand movement rather than requiring a predetermined direction. 

The dual-direction system doesn’t require additional components compared with a conventional mascara package and can integrate with existing filling and assembly lines. It is compatible with fiber and molded brushes and can be made in mono-material PP or recycled PP. “The goal is to improve user experience without increasing technical complexity or environmental impact,” says Paola Mazza, Marketing Director at Pibiplast. 

These three opening systems, ideal for mascara packaging or lash care products, show that packaging innovation can mean a subtle but impactful change. Brivaplast changes a twist to a click, GPI Beauty asks users to pinch, and Pibiplast allows a twist in either direction. Each turns an everyday motion into a point of differentiation.   

Finding a More Sustainable Path

Mascara can be challenging to make more sustainable. Its packaging contains several small components, and each has a specific role in protecting the formula and controlling its application. 

Suppliers are offering several types of eco-friendly designs for mascara packaging. These include using PCR materials, mono-material designs, recycled and bio-based fibers, refill systems, molded decorations, and lower-impact finishing processes. 

Geka presented its Classic Lashes Mascara at Cosmopack Bologna 2026 as an example of how these strategies can work together. The package is made from 100% PCR materials, while its brush incorporates Geka’s fiber technologies, including PCR-based material options.

Geka says combining PCR materials with its Shadow Printing process reduces carbon emissions, while delivering premium decoration effects. The deco process creates up to 26% lower CO₂ emissions compared to conventional matte lacquering.

“We also developed the industry’s first bulk- and formulation-compliant PCR-PP material for cosmetic packaging, enabling up to 75% CO₂ reduction compared to virgin PP,” says Geka’s Wattripont. “In addition, our portfolio includes PCR and bio-based fibers that combine sustainability with high application performance. We marketed the first PCR-fiber filaments for mascara and eyebrow application,” he says.

When we asked Wattripont about refillable packaging for mascara, since several brands are already marketing the concept, he suggested other eco-friendly solutions. “While refillable mascaras may become relevant in the future, we currently see the greatest sustainability potential in scalable solutions such as PCR materials, mono-material concepts, sustainable fibers and low-impact decoration technologies,” he explains. 

Refillable Mascara & Mono-Material Packs

Soshe Beauty is one of the few brands pioneering refillable mascara. Its Peptide Lengthening Mascara and Waterproof Tubing Mascara, described above, are in the patented refillable pack, shown. The brand commercialized the patented design in partnership with ICONS America. Recyclable PP inner bottles are housed inside a refillable PET outer bottle and cap. Even its decoration looks premium while being eco-friendly.  

Mono-material packaging is another eco-friendly solution, and Pibiplast’s Two-Way system pack can be produced using a single material. The supplier also developed a Recycled PBT Peanut Brush made with 60% PCR. Its star-shaped fiber cross-section creates grooves that increase formula pickup and retention before releasing the mascara progressively onto the lashes.

Brivaplast’s Click ‘n Go packaging system is available in PCR material, offering brands an innovative design that’s also eco-friendly.

Sustainability is complex—and there are many paths a brand can take to design and produce more eco-friendly mascara packaging. The formula, manufacturing process, and expected consumer behavior all factor into a brand’s decision.   

The Bottom Line

For mascara, as with all beauty products, design attributes help convey a brand’s identity to consumers. A mascara pack’s shape, decoration, and opening gesture, along with the use of eco-friendly materials or refillable designs, are all ways to “speak” to the consumer. 

It’s exciting to see so many suppliers partnering with brands to create distinctive mascara packaging with innovative design attributes.