02.04.09
A Sense of Scents
The fragrance package is a challenging work of art that must at once capture the essence of the perfumer while providing the consumer with both visual and functional appeal.
By Jennifer Hagemann, Contributing Writer
The word “fragrance” conjures up emotions and sensations as varied and complex as the number of synthetic and essential oil combinations used to craft a single scent. When it comes to perfume, the medium most commonly associated with fragrance, the perceptions are as unique as the individuals who handle them.
| New High Glass used pink snakeskin to marry visual and tactile appeal. |
But not all fragrance sensations are perceived via the sense of smell. It is in this case that we look to those who fall in the middle of the spectrum—the artists, designers, craftsmen and marketers who handle the scent between creator and consumer. For these individuals, the fragrance package is a challenging work of art that must at once capture the essence of the perfumer while providing the consumer with both visual and functional appeal.
The Fragrance Package
Perhaps the most visual aspect of any fragrance package is the bottle, and among the many materials used since antiquity—alabaster, ebony, porcelain, gold, stone—glass reigns supreme. “Glass is still a modern package element used in a variety of ways to achieve a luxurious look and feel, while providing clarity that is unsurpassed by other materials,” says Benny Calderone Jr., sales director, PKG Group. Yet the bottle alone does not complete the package. Instead, Calderone explains that the goal is to incorporate all of the design elements using new materials and modern technologies into a single, fluid look that is exemplified by the entire package.
Case in point: John Galliano’s signature fragrance, which debuted in Europe late last year. In true haute couture panache, the fragrance package is a stunning representation of the 19th century’s Belle Époque era considered by many to be the golden age for the upper class. In a perfect matrimony of fashion and fragrance, the sculpted, draped fabric-like glass bottle design is adorned with an intricate closure and pump assembly comprised of a metallized English Rose and a black-lacquered Gothic “G” over-actuator.
“The degree of detail of the collar and the rose, and the actual depth of the relief, underscores the complex injection,” says Elisabeth Benoit, cosmetic closures sales director, Rexam Personal Care. “Our lacquering, metallization and injection capabilities result in nuanced components that elevate fragrance packaging to an art form.”
Dalila Safir, director of communications, Alcan Packaging Beauty, says that the use of innovative materials and a variety of components is key to making a difference in the fast-paced perfume business. Consider Guerlain Homme. Designed by Pininfarina—a famous designer of luxury and exotic cars—and brought to life by Alcan Beauty Packaging, Guerlain Homme is a masterpiece dedicated to the male form. The sleek lines of the solid cap, obtained by overmolding a copolyester insert, form a flowing yet forceful design. The crucial overmolding stage is based on a Modflow 3D simulation, resulting in a perfectly smooth surface finish. The metallic-effect, galvanized gloss chrome ABS sheet, is held in place by UV gluing. Finally, the part is fastened to the bottle by a natural PP ring that brings out its understated design.
Another tribute to design and technological expertise is Givenchy Play. Alcan Beauty Packaging realized the sleek, stylish vision of sculpture from its designer Serge Mansau by constructing a cap consisting of four separate parts, each demanding a different technical feat. Obtained by overmolding a Surlyn insert and using Modflow simulation, the cap has no visible gluing lines. It’s then covered with a black matte plastic strip made from a specific Alcan Packaging Beauty blend, guaranteeing softness
to the touch. The result factors smell, sight and touch into a single fragrance and its package design.
Fragrance As a Tactile Experience
“We are now able to push the boundaries to create a real polysensual experience with the materials we can use,” says designer Denis Boudard, president and founder of QSLD, in a 2007 interview. “By combining different materials, we are able to create entirely new tactile experiences that were never before possible. The choice of a precise material can be crucial for expressing the values of a brand. For example, using wood in place of polymer or metal clearly sends a message to the consumer.”
| Rexam manufactured the intricate closure and pump assembly for Galliano’s first fragrance. |
Taking advantage of the technology and materials at their disposal, New High Glass decorates stock items for a custom look and feel. “One of the most beautiful and unique is the Sarkany Women limited edition bottle from Argentina,” says marketing director Len Loffler. “It features our Delacroix bottle with a shiny silver rectangular cap with pink snakeskin accent.”
Another noteworthy fragrance package from New High Glass is the Eclat and Eclat Sea, developed by TVG for celebrity fashion model Karina Rabolini. “The powerful yet elegant look was achieved by combining the robust shape of the Botero stock bottle and a custom silver cap with aqua and light emerald colored fragrance,” explains Loffler.
Yet, however elaborate the fragrance package is, the design should not distract from the line of sight—and it should not compromise function.
Function Meets Design
“Functionality has taken on an important role in today’s fragrance packaging design,” says Calderone of PKG Group. “Small, lower profile, non-intrusive components that do not distract the eye from the package are most desirable.”
Julie Vergnion, personal care product manager at Rexam, agrees, stating that today’s fragrance packaging takes into account much more than the bottle and the cap; it factors in the value of the pump as well. “It’s more about function for consumers,” she says. “Consumers like it when you have new features that are easy to understand. For instance, they like the invisible dip tube, and will say, ‘Oh, that’s nice. I can’t see the tube in the bottle.’ This brings value to the full package. However, if they like the package, but not the function…if they spray one, two, 10 times and then the pump doesn’t work, they won’t buy that fragrance again.”
| The Givenchy Play cap manufactured by Alcan Beauty Packaging consists of four, technically challenging components. |
Fragrance Goes Green
Keeping true to customer and consumer wants, and to the environment, Lumson Cosmetic Packaging Industries recently announced several collections of eco-sustainable packaging solutions that include caps, pumps, bottles and more. This Ecocert certification denotes a rigorous analysis of the environmental impact—or lack thereof—of Lumson’s products and production systems. Jay Ebbets, U.S. sales manager, explains, “Our packaging and our manufacturing procedures have been certified by Ecocert Italia, and this classification means that we meet all the European requirements for the environmentally friendly manufacture and disposal of our packaging and raw materials.”
One example is Lumson’s Victoria Collection, which is manufactured using a new material patented by Lumson called 3D, a combination of PP and PA. PA is a plastic material that comes from castor-oil vegetable plants, therefore from a bio-renewable source. The use of PA for the Victoria collection has been chosen for both a low environmental impact and a luminous package surface. The line includes three different complete packaging solutions, each slightly different enough to change the final look of the collection according to the selected accessories. Its Slim Collection—a timeless, simple family that also holds an Ecocert label—can be easily customized for a unique look as well.
Best available techniques (BAT) technology is another Lumson practice that further minimizes environmental impact. According to Ebbets, glass bottles that run in colors can be difficult to manufacture since large amounts of the color are needed. Lumson overcomes this challenge and maintains its green stance by painting the bottles with a water-based organic varnish that is applied in a fully supervised, self-enclosed organic system designed to capture, filter and safely dispose of particles. “Nothing is leached into the air or the ground,” Ebbets says. The success of this process is seen in decreased global emissions of carbon dioxide and other volatile organic compound gases, both of which threaten the environment.
Using “precycled” solutions is another way for fragrance packaging to go green. McKernan Packaging buys surplus pre-consumer fragrance packaging—glass bottles and jars, fine mist sprayers and actuators—direct from manufacturers throughout the world, including Emsar and Calmar. The products are rigorously tested for quality and then repurposed for resale.
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and the state of California both recognize McKernan’s precycling efforts as a green initiative since the items are purchased before reaching the landfills, says Gina Crespo, McKernan’s advertising manager. Some of the precycled products, such as the company’s 3- and 5ml glass vials with brushed silver and gold metal shells, and a frosted 8mm fine-mist sprayer bottle that’s an ideal sample size, are in such high demand that they were brought on as continuous stock items. “People are looking for quality and discounts. We can offer them both while giving them the peace of mind that they are doing something environmentally friendly by not wasting valuable, natural resources,” says Crespo. “This gives [our products] the ‘life’ that they need to see.”
And breathing life into the individual components—whether through sight, touch, function or form—is the goal of any fragrance package.
