Only a few years ago, the arrival of Memorial Day signaled the beginning of summer and the kickoff of vacations for most executives. But in recent years, cosmetic industry executives have had to put any thoughts of pleasure trips on hold. After all, HBA Global Expo, the biggest trade show of its kind in the U.S., will be held June 10-12 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. After that, there are new product launches throughout the summer and marketers will barely get a chance to catch their breath before the busy holiday season gets underway. As one packaging executive told contributing editor Ellen Wuagneux, “April through July is our big season. This is when we manufacture for Christmas, and it’s also the time of year we gather new ideas at trade shows.”

To find out how some of those ideas get translated into new packaging concepts, be sure to read Ms. Wuagneux’s article on color cosmetics packaging, That Summertime Sizzle, which begins on p. 52.

The Summer edition of Cosmetic Packaging & Design also includes an in-depth look at the growing use of aluminum, tinplate and other metals in personal care packaging (A Time to Shine, p. 47). According to industry experts, metal is gaining a larger following thanks to the introduction of both futuristic personal care products and, paradoxically, the natural product movement.

We’ve also included a comprehensive report on the latest developments in product labeling. As associate editor Veronica MacDonald notes in her article, which begins on p. 41, today’s labels are available in a variety of forms including clear, foil-stamped and silk-screened. But in addition to creating an eye-catching look, today’s labels must also convey more product information than ever. These labeling requirements have also helped spur innovations in the category. The personal care industry is often labeled mature, that’s why it is important to learn more about up-and-coming cosmetic and personal care manufacturers. In this issue, associate editor Kerry Pianoforte reports on two of them—La Bella Donna Cosmetics (p. 26) and Davies Gate, a California-based manufacturer of personal care products (p. 40). This issue of Cosmetic Packaging & Design also includes an article on packaging design (Survival of the Fastest, p. 22), a new hair care line from Goldwell (Trendline Provides Any Style You Want, p. 28) and a preview of HBA Global Expo (p. 44).

Astute readers may notice that we’ve tinkered with the format of Cosmetic Packaging & Design. We’ve added more departments, such as reader service and personnel, included a regular columnist and increased the number of features which typically appear in the magazine. In addition, we’ve added the Supplier’s Gallery, where our readers can find out more about some of the unique packaging ideas that are available from advertisers in Cosmetic Packaging & Design. All of these additions signal the beginning of a redesign of Cosmetic Packaging & Design which will be unveiled later this year. We hope you enjoy the expanded coverage and, as always, we welcome your comments.

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]