03.11.10
Front Row Beauty
Some of the beauty industry’s best-selling products have taken their cues from fabulous fashion runways and dazzling jewelry collections. From metallic plaques to hand-tied ribbons, here’s a look at how some leading beauty brands are using accessories to dress their packages in style.
By Jamie Matusow, Editor
Bold patterns, feathery accents, metallic details, ribbons, sunglasses, jewels and charms. No, these finishing touches are not just the trends marking this season’s runways of New York’s Fashion Week, but the latest in beauty packaging accessories adorning products on cosmetics counters and in retail aisles worldwide. From bottles swathed in gold sheaths to color palettes blooming with appliquéd flowers, suppliers are pulling out the stops and teaming with brands for complete beauty ensembles that flaunt all the fashionable trimmings.
While the decorative details vary, the dual goal remains the same: to provide consumers with added value and bring products into the retail spotlight.
“Embellishments always enhance the perception of added value and they have a unique way of attracting consumers to products on counter,” says Scott Kestenbaum, vice president marketing, Maesa Group.
Dan Schwartzbach, vice president sales and marketing for The Papillon Ribbon & Bow Company, says, “When you add an embellishment, it enhances the entire value of the package. The cost of the embellishment increases the value to one hundred times the cost of the enhancement.”
It’s not just as easy as adding any decorative detail though; it has to lend just the right touch at the right price point.
Jon Dinapoli, creative director, Coty Prestige—and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors, says while ornaments contribute to the products’ perceived value, accessories can depend on a number of factors, including whether the product belongs to mass market or prestige.
“In my opinion,” says Dinapoli, “I see two parallel trends arising in the use of decorative accessories. One is ‘more is more,’ meaning in the economic state we are in, consumers want more for their money.The more ‘stuff’ you put on a bottle, the higher the value seems.”
This, he says, tends to work for mid-price point brands. Prestige brands may follow a different strategy.
Dinapoli says the second trend he has noticed is with the higher end brands. “Instead of adding accessories for the sake of decoration,” he says, “we are focusing more on the meaning/purpose as well as the quality of the design, materials and execution. This is not to say there would not be an accessory, but if so, it would be one item that is of the best quality.”
Ties to Fashion
Whether mass or prestige, there’s no doubt that fashion plays a strong role in influencing the accessories that adorn packaging for the beauty industry.
Maria Sansotta, sales and marketing manager for Tarte Cosmetics, says the prestige naturals brand has often been inspired by the fashion industry in developing its cosmetics packaging. She explains, “As the first brand to regularly incorporate embellishments on our packaging, we’ve always been keenly aware of trends within the fashion industry so we can translate them for our clients. In the past two years, we have seen an explosion in the use of embellishments on clothing, accessories and shoes, and it’s only fueled our fire to create more show-stopping palettes decked out in studs, gems and florets, to name a few.”
Sansotta says “It’s all about the idea of luxury for less—maybe haute couture isn’t easily attainable, but we can all splurge a little on a beautifully adorned palette that looks designer and makes us feel trendy.”
Lately, says Sansotta, more brands have embraced the same idea by incorporating fabric at the very least, most notably around the holidays. She says, “This is definitely the time of year where everyone is looking for glam gifts, whether for friends, family or themselves, so it’s the opportune time to use embellishments on seasonal palettes. We expect that this will become standard procedure as it is for us at Tarte, as opposed to a trend, as clients are starting to expect these added touches on a regular basis.”
Floral appliqués stand out on Tarte’s new Tina Turnbow Flower Child Palette. |
Glass supplier Bormioli Luigi has also witnessed a growing trend in enhancement of fragrance bottles with the fashion-inspired addition of ribbons, charms, metal plates and application of crystals in the last few years. Olga Bursac, vice president of sales for the company, says, “It seems that a high-end glass bottle and cap are no longer sufficient in the eyes of our fragrance clients, in conveying to the consumer the luxury feel and look of a new product; these extra accessories add a new level of glamour, uniqueness and detail to an already beautiful product.”
A Little Bit of Luxe
While ribbons have adorned beauty items for quite some time, other items, such as metal plates, are relative newcomers, entering the scene from other luxury categories. Nica Lewis, head consultant, Mintel Beauty Innovation and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors, notes, “The obvious link for ribbons is with lingerie, but it also ties in (no pun intended!) with general fashion trends, such as the current popularity of ribbons and bows in hair accessories, shoes and belts.”
Embellishments such as metal plates, seals, lockets and charms, says Lewis, are part of a broader trend in which prestige skin care and fine fragrance borrow packaging codes from luxury goods such as champagne, spirits, jewels and fine stationery, in their use of fabric-lined boxes, pedestal forms, engraved plaques and such.
Whatever the luxe touch, Lewis says, “It maintains the gift aspect after you remove the outer packaging—it reinforces the ‘preciousness.’ ”
Ribbons, Plaques and Charms
Ribbons often provide a relatively inexpensive means of stepping up the fashion quotient of a package, and Howie Greenberg of Allstate Paper Box, says, “We have been noticing an increased trend toward embellishments. Several of our customers have been asking about ribbons and bows as embellishments to their packaging. Adding a ribbon, pre-tied bow or other accessories, is an easy and cost-effective way to enhance the package.”
Lewis notes that the latest round of ribbons on fragrance packaging was kick-started by fashion house Prada in 2005. Since then, a variety of ribbon-bedecked launches has been unfurled, many tying in with fashion lines.
Elizabeth Arden’s wildly popular Viva La Juicy fragrance features an array of accessories. |
Trendy fashion brand True Religion launched its best-selling fragrance in an antiques-inspired bottle adorned with cast zamac plates with crystals. Kestenbaum of Maesa, which produced the packaging, says the decorative features “were very expensive and difficult to keep consistent in production, but really took that bottle to another level.” He adds, “We are hearing many stories
of collectors clamoring to get these bottles for their collections.I feel that is largely due to the front embellishment.”
The Si Lolita fragrance, from Parisian designer Lolita Lempicka, incorporates a “scarf” instead of a ribbon to visually link the striking, floral-shaped fragrance bottle to the fashion house. This, says Gérald Martines, director, new product development and innovation, makeup, Rexam personal care division, which handled the project, maximizes the purpose of an embellishment. “The accessory must have a legitimacy,” he emphasizes, “like in the Lolita case, otherwise the risk is to be perceived as ‘just a gimmick.’ ”
Legitimacy unites with function in Clinique’s recent partnership with New York feminine fashion designer Milly for a stylish cosmetics bag with added-value features.
Ukachi Anonyuo, director, Clinique global package development for fragrance and makeup, explains how the brand incorporates embellishments. “At Clinique,” she says, “we frequently use accessories such as charms, ribbons and metal plaques in our packaging. Commonly seen in Clinique’s seasonal trends and limited edition items, they give our loyal consumers something special. The recent Milly for Clinique gift included a functional and sleek key ring with two portable lip products as charms. The designer cosmetics bag also featured a small teardrop-shaped charm which doubled as the mechanism for opening and closing the bag.”
Anonyuo adds, “The most popular items tend to be those that provide the consumer with an exclusive item that is both convenient, multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing.”
Coty’s Dinapoli agrees with Anonyuo. “We have learned that the embellishments that provide the most value are those that have dual purpose,” he says. “More times than not, the accessory I design will have an aesthetic impact on the bottle, but when removed, it becomes an accessory for the woman to wear. Most commonly a necklace, bracelet or ring tend to work the best for both purposes.”
Perhaps Dinapoli’s best examples of functional accessories are those he designed for Jennifer Lopez’s fragrance, Glow by J.Lo. The original Glow featured a jewel-encrusted J.Lo charm that hangs from the neck of the bottle. Dinapoli says, “For each flanker following the initial launch, we reinvent the accessory, from pink lucite charms, to beach shells with leather cords, to silver bracelets with pave charms, to a large cocktail ring.”
Dinapoli hints that other functional embellishments are in the works. “We are currently working on some new innovative accessories that are a bit more ‘out of the box’ but I cannot reveal those just yet.”
Labels Without the Garment
For label-conscious consumers who love the brand, but are intimidated by the fashion-forward price tags, embellished fragrance bottles can fill the desire to own the signature in accessory form.
Such is the case with Viktor & Rolf, whose fragrances gain added dimension through embellishments such as ribbons and plaques. A designer from Raison Pure, which developed the packaging, says embellishments like these are growing in popularity in the beauty industry, because they help to make the product into more of“a personal accessory, a fashion accessory, a signature of the brand. “It signifies status,” says the designer, “and can enable the consumer to access the icon or logo at a much more attainable price point.”
When it comes to luxury shopping bags, Scott Cole of RiverPack USA, says embellishments are the rule rather than the exception. For “Perles de Lalique,” Cole’s client had the idea to create a bag with handles using bird feathers for a spectacular result. |
Piling on the Precision
While the challenges involved in the fitment of plaques to bottles can be daunting, the decorating project that Coty’s Dinapoli undertook for Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers (HL) line of fragrances, lends new dimension to the art of embellishment.
The innovative, doll-like HL caps are each decorated with multiple, hand-applied decals, which was incredibly labor-intensive. Dinapoli says, “If you look closely at different samples, there are tiny differences within each one. It was a painstaking process to set the standards and ranges that were acceptable.”
For each new collection in the HJ line, Dinapoli says they try to accessorize the “girls” in different ways. For instance, in the new Sunshine Cuties collection, one of the girls is wearing sunglasses, which are molded out of plastic and glued on. “Surprisingly,” he says, “this kind of accessory is less challenging than applying the decals. It is more of an exact science to mold and produce a plastic piece, as there is less handwork and more precision.”
Cost Versus Value
Even though the application of the decals for the HJ line was labor-intensive, Dinapoli says, “This was the most economical choice that would give us the result we were looking for.”
While embellishments such as those noted in this article obviously have the potential to add value, cost-conscious brands continue to evaluate the increased expense.
Maesa’s Kestenbaum notes: “Every project is different, but it is always challenging to meet cost parameters when doing value-add embellishments.There isn’t only the cost of the piece, but the added labor cost of application.”
He adds: “The economy has taken its toll on embellishments as well. Recently, we are being asked more and more for ‘cost-effective embellishments.’ ”
Eco-Friendly Options
Many brands are also requesting eco-friendly adornments, and suppliers are responding by ramping up the options.
Kestenbaum says, at Maesa, “We are experimenting with natural materials and twines instead of manufactured plastic ribbons or plastic molded solutions.We’ve looked at wrapping setboxes with things like banana leaves and used other natural dyes and substrates.It really depends on the brand and design direction.”
Scott Cole, of RiverPack USA, says, “We have a complete line of green solutions called Natural Trend, which includes recycled and FSC papers as well as vegetable-based inks, varnishes and biodegradable laminates. We have taken the initiative to offer a range of 100% eco-friendly materials that can be used to produce traditional luxury paper shopping bags.”
Greenberg, of Allstate Paper Box, says they offer eco-friendly options such as raffia and paper twist to organic cotton and environmentally friendly dyes.
Papillon, too, has seen a growing interest in eco-friendly ribbon, and has recently added a new silk satin variety, says Schwartzbach.
Add-Ons or Takeaways
Still, when it comes down to economics and sharpened environmental concerns, embellishments, whether natural or not, may not make the cut.
Rexam’s Martines notes, “In my opinion, accessories can be perceived by some green-oriented consumers as being contrary to anything eco-friendly.They are by definition not functionally indispensable and would be the first element to be eliminated in any serious attempt to limit the environmental footprint of a package.”
While bows and charms are fun accessories, they’re at risk of taking the same non-essential route as that tangerine-colored patent tote or jeweled stilettos that you coveted as they pranced down the runway. In the end, it’s the individual brand and consumer’s call as to what works best.
Fashion-Forward Caps
When is an accessory not an accessory? When it’s an integral and functional part of the packaging itself.
Nina Ricci recently launched its new fragrance Ricci Ricci in a beautiful, feminine bottle, supplied by SGD, and capped with a top in the shape of a hand-tied, flowing, fuchsia ribbon.
Incanto Bloom, from Salvatore Ferragamo, features a cap reminiscent of the iconic Vara bow, one of the most recognizable symbols of the Ferragamo brand, and which represents pure Ferragamo style and femininity. The opalescent white flacon, designed by Sylvie de France, enchants with an appealing contrast of black and pink floral blooms. The outer packaging is accented with a Vara bow closure with a grosgrain effect.
The package for Bloom was produced entirely in Italy, with the bottle manufactured by Bormioli Luigi; the cap by G. Candiani; and the carton by Isem-Poligrafica.
Both fashion-conscious packages successfully offer added value by maintaining the luxe gift aspect long after the outer packaging is removed.
