Features

Cosmopack/Cosmoprof Bologna: Bright Colors, Cheery Outlook

Now in its 47th year, the world's largest beauty event continues to provide a vast showcase of packaging and cosmetic trends and attendance has soared.

Jamie Matusow, Editor05.30.14

Cosmoprof holds the reputation as the major event that brings together professionals in the cosmetics and beauty sector from all five continents. This year, the B2B trade fair held in Bologna, Italy, topped all previous attendance records with 207,238 visitors, an increase of 7% over last year. The number of foreign visitors rose 21% to 59,319.

“It was an even greater triumph than we expected, with huge numbers,” said Duccio Campagnoli, president of Bologna Fiera and So.Ge.Cos, the company that organizes Cosmoprof.

Multi-colored hair, nails and eyes—and brightly colored bottles, brushes and tubes—lent to the show’s upbeat vibe.

Attendance at Cosmoprof reached 207,238 visitors, an increase of 7%.
More than 400 exhibitors from 33 different countries participated in Cosmopack.

Cosmopack—the portion of Cosmoprof that is dedicated to the entire cosmetics industry production chain from raw materials to machinery, packaging to formulation—also broke new ground. For the first time, the show-within-the-show went solo for two days (April 2-3) prior to Cosmoprof’s opening on April 4. This gave brands, contract manufacturers and others plenty of time to visit the many suppliers from all over the world before the bustling scene of Cosmoprof pervaded the fairgrounds. Cosmopack closed April 5, two days earlier than Cosmoprof.

Exhibition space in Cosmopack totalled 14,000 square meters, up 9% over last year with 400 exhibitors from 33 countries.

More than 250,000 products were exhibited at Cosmoprof. To fuel distribution and sales, Cosmoprof organized 2,000 meetings with more than 400 top buyers from Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, the U.S., Canada, UAE, Iraq, Russia and South Africa.

The annual event also includes an educational component, which this year comprised 66 meetings, workshops and international conferences.

Dino Tavazzi, CEO of So.Ge.Cos, said Cosmoprof/Cosmopack has been thoughtfully designed to increase participants’ business throughout the world. “Rather than a ‘fair, ’ ” he said, “We prefer to talk about a ‘showcase’ of trends, innovation and research, which are the cornerstones of the event.” He added that they have “invested a great deal in order to have an increasingly qualified audience of visitors in Bologna”—and that it is an occasion not to be missed for experts throughout the world who want to expand their business.

A Colorful Cosmopack

Brighter-than-ever nail polishes were the rule.

A buzz of excitement and a jolt of vibrantly colored packaging captured the senses of attendees immediately upon entering the vast pavilions of Cosmopack. Lots of bright and neon shades called out for attention in formulations for both nail polish and color cosmetics, as well as in brilliantly hued plastic and metallized containers, pencils and sponges. Multicolored looks for eyes, lips, nails and hair were prevalent throughout the show, and ombre looks were also very much in style. Mascara brushes, too, took on edgy color palettes, with a vast number of lash-enhancing choices available from suppliers. In the halls of Cosmoprof, even beauty accessories took on a fluorescent glow.

In fact, Jackie Mantle, managing director, HCP Packaging UK Ltd, told Beauty Packaging, “Neon aimed at the mass market is a leading trend story.”

In general, both suppliers and attendees exhibited a noticeable enthusiasm for the industry and an optimistic outlook for the coming years. Many said that the “crisis” was behind them, that things were getting better in Europe, and attributed the turnaround to a recovery in the U.S.

With U.S. opportunities in their sights, many suppliers told Beauty Packaging that they were opening offices in New York to be nearer to their customers.

While Beauty Packaging’s publisher, Jay Gorga, and I roamed the expanses of the fairgrounds, our focus of course, was on Cosmopack. Following is a look at some of the many products and observations that drew our interest on the show floor.

A Collection of Compacts

Compacts were abundant at Cosmopack, including this mini model at Albéa.

Compacts in general, and especially those with creamy foundation, seemed to be hotter than ever at this year’s show. In fact, Cosmopack presented a special section called The Powder Factory, which paid tribute to the manufacturing cycle of pressed powder, one of the industry’s oldest sectors. Several Italian manufacturers took part in walking attendees through the process, which included embellishing the powder with logos or designs of choice.

One compact in particular stood out at HCT. What just a few years ago would have seemed like science fiction, comes to life

HCT’s collaboration with Master Card brings contactless payment to compacts and other cosmetic packaging.

via a collaboration between HCT and Master Card. The exciting development combines compacts with contactless payment. But the technique can be applied to any plastic or metal item (except Zamac). The cosmetic item is loaded with a set amount of money so the consumer can go out for a night on the town with just her compact (and her contactless cash) thanks to a tiny chip. Components that contain the chip can also be linked to social media. While already rapidly gaining ground, the trend is bound to spread like wildfire as the London Underground sets up to go contactless by next year.

At Joycos, company president Soon U. Kim was especially proud of what he emphasized as “strong airtight compacts,” available in two sizes. The packaging underscores the current trend toward more solid foundations. Some of the compacts are also refillable. Dome blushers displayed at the

Italian brush manufacturer Pennelli Faro created a “brush wheel” using some of their products.

booth included a sponge in a separate compartment in the bottom.

Mini compacts were included with Albéa’s display of cosmetic rigid packaging. My Little Case can house foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick and more. The simple, one-piece injection-molded compact is made of PP, and is ideal for inclusion in sample or travel kits.

A Broad Array of Brushes/Applicators

With so much attention focused on the importance of tools and applicators for achieving the “right” look with cosmetic products, there seemed to be more brushes than in years past—for both makeup and mascara. Coordinating brush cases were also on the increase.

Italian brush manufacturer Pennelli Faro heightened customer awareness at Cosmopack with a “brush wheel” enhancing the outside walls of their booth.

HCT was highlighting its expansive brush collection, which Cindy Lim, vice president global cosmetic brush division, says continues to be a very successful part of the company. The gift packs, in particular, sell very well, she said. Additionally, applicators including sponges and accessories such as false eyelashes all had their place within the sprawling stand.

Among Albéa’s many new releases was its new family of four fiber mascara brushes cut in different shapes to highlight different features, including volume and definition and extra length, volume and curl.
HCP presented a range of six regular and six jumbo mascaras with functions from volumizing to separating. Some have soft touch caps with metallized bottles.

One of Cosmogen’s central themes revolved around cosmetic brushes, as the company has launched new collections for spring/summer and Christmas, among others. A full set of professional brushes includes more than 150 choices, from cheek to eyebrow. Aside from brushes, a cute eye-shaped jar held a contoured sponge applicator in the same design. New flocked applicators for eye and lip, and a special applicator designed with a tiny hole for a “cure” were also on display.

Anisa International’s Curve Clutch & Ombre Handles are part of the company’s new Graphite collection

Anisa International was highlighting its recent expansion from cosmetic and nail art brushes to inclusion of clutches in different silhouettes and with different embellishments that match the brush collections, as well as wipes designed to clean natural and synthetic brushes. A wide array of stylish brushes stood out. Anisa International’s new collection, Graphite—which founder Anisa Telwar told Beauty Packaging, is “the edgier, cooler black” featured beautiful handles achieved through sprays, crackle, ombre and metallic effects. The company’s new bath collection features a range of soothing and cleansing mitts and sponges, some made of hydrophilic foam, which Telwar says is an “excellent alternative to loofah.”

Geka had developed a new mascara collection especially for Cosmoprof Bologna. The Made to Measure Beauty line targeted four distinct groups of consumers: Natural, Luxurious, Experts and Pioneers. The Beauty Experts line, for example, is a highlight of the collection, with a curved brush that adapts to the shape of the eye. In the lip arena, a dual-ended lipgloss serves consumers who want a choice—or who want to pile on color for an ombre effect on lips. It’s a trend Pilar Gonzalez-Gomez says, “was taken from the hair industry.”

Technotraf produced the wooden packaging for the Armand Basi fragrance.

One highlight at Nest Filler was a pulsating applicator, which can be used for BB creams and foundations. A dual-mix applicator, with two chambers, automatically mixes two formulations when the user presses down.

Another dual-mix product caught our eye at Ningbo Beilun Bolan. Here, it was a dual chamber bottle designed for cleansing. Water fills the pump side, and the other side holds a mini expanding towelette; just press for a moist mini washcloth. It’s great for travel or a quick cleanse any time, anywhere.

At Meepo, pore-cleansing brushes, which were also popular elsewhere in the aisles, were displayed beside brushes filled with powders, as well as lip and nail brushes.

Turnkey Services

One of HCT’s growing specialties is Turnkey manufacturing, including exclusive brands for retailers and private label. At Cosmopack, HCT displayed a new high-end niche fragrance launched in the UK for well-known makeup artist Mary Greenwell. HCT supplied everything but the glass; the brand is sold exclusively at Harrod’s. In the U.S., the Eddie Funkhauser brand is a top grosser in Rite Aid. Rare, HCT’s branded nail kits sold in Spain, contain everything you need to create fabulous nails—all-in-one kits, including tools, decals, step-by-step tutorials—and of course, several shades of polish.

At Coverpla, a heavy glass bottle with silkscreen printing with silver enamel on the back was especially attractive.

Nail expert Polychromatic also specializes in turnkey services, including branding, formulation, packaging sourcing and defining trends. One of the company’s latest formulations had bridged the gap between gel and traditional nail polish lacquer, so consumers could get the same look at home. In addition to a broad spectrum of colors, special finishes, such as a fish scale appearance and a matte finish, were available. A mix-and-match nail polish bottle gives consumers the ability to snap six different colors together in a single unit.

Wood for Texture and Sustainability

At HCP, droplet metallization gets a second glance as it looks like there is condensation on the surface.

In an effort toward sustainable packaging—and to incorporate the beauty of textural surfaces, wood packaging made a showing in everything from compacts and lipsticks to fragrance bottles.

Alba Carandell, marketing team leader at Quadpack/Technotraf, which manufactures high-end wooden packaging exclusively for cosmetics and fragrance, showed Beauty Packaging the Armand Basi fragrance. It comes in a glass bottle with a wooden cap and base that can be disassembled for recycling.

The convenience of pencils for lips and nails has definitely become a mainstay in cosmetics, and chubby and thin versions were abundant at Cosmopack. New plastic and wooden eye and lip pencils from iTiT Cosmetics—from outside Milan—went on particularly smoothly. The company was also highlighting gel and emulsion eye shadows.

Bottles and Jars Fill Stands

Bottles, jars and caps in innumerable shapes, sizes and colors popped up throughout the show floor.

At Kingsbox Perfume and Cosmetics, fragrance bottles with caps shaped and decorated like pretty faces stood out in glass showcases.

HCP’s gel cap for Nails Inc. matched the polish. HCP’s Mantle says she sees a trend in brands going from glass jars to plastic. One standout effect at HCP featured droplet metallization, which fools the eye, asking for a second glance as it looks like there is condensation on the surface. The texturization also allows for a better grip.

Baralan was highlighting the Italian innovation behind its expansive collection of bottles and jars, with creative collages of components organized into images of iconic Italian symbols including the Coliseum, a Venetian gondola, a pizza and a high-fashion shoe.

Nikolas Baranes, new product development, Baralan, told Beauty Packaging that Cosmoprof Bologna is a great vehicle for the introduction of new products to see how they are received. “Some are just prototypes,” he said, “and customer reaction determines how we proceed.” A nail polish bottle shaped like an inkwell received a lot of attention, as did three different sized, larger bottles that use the same over cap. A new family of nail bottles, alterPack, delivers the quality Baralan is known for, but may include some slight imperfections such as a bubble here and there. The line is offered to customers searching for an economical solution.

Coverpla featured an extensive selection of stock items, including fragrance bottles and caps. A new square-shaped Zamac cap is now available. A heavy glass bottle with silkscreen printing with silver enamel on the back was especially attractive.

Faca revealed new beauty jars in 50-, 200- and 400ml, with straight walls and thick bottoms; the manufacturer can even add weights to jars. Faca is also adding two square jars—one high-end and one economical. Design, manufacturing and decorating are all done in house.

Cobalt blue glass jars called attention to a brand new anti-aging skincare line from wipes/eco-wipes leader Diamond Wipes/La Fresh. Called Be Good, the line features packaging with little messages inside (like a fortune cookie)—and everything—formulation to packaging—is manufactured in the U.S., and is recyclable. The line also includes a mask, which was another popular product offered throughout the show. These were targeted to various parts of the body from face to foot. In fact, I saw an exfoliating foot mask.

Multifaceted octagonal bottles and caps with matching caps and collars, done for a specific customer, stood front and center at Premi.

At Kingsbox Perfume and Cosmetics, fragrance bottles with caps shaped and decorated like pretty faces stood out in glass showcases.

Tubes Pump It Up

CTL Packaging displayed a wide variety of tubes, including pump tubes with 35-, 40- and 50ml diameters. Total range is 15- to 250ml. The smaller diameters are ideal for skincare while the larger ones match up well with body care, sun care and deodorants. Lotion pumps and spray pumps are airless.

Cartons with Textural Appeal

At Cosmopack, Utility Printpack, known for its highly decorated prestige folding cartons, announced its merger with The Manipal Group, which operates a large, home fragrance manufacturing and packaging enterprise. The merger resulted in Manipal Utility Packaging, now “the predominant exporter of folding cartons from India,” with five new plants, including in the U.S. Jinesh Mehta, executive director expressed what many suppliers told Beauty Packaging at the show: “You have to be closer to the customers; think global, act local.” Cosmetic cartons on display highlighted decorative techniques including soft touch with seven-color foil stamping, abrasive varnish and special shapes, including pop-ups, with openings and closures enhanced with the use of magnets. And of course, fluorescent, neon-colored packs.

Filling Machines Speed It Up

Dispersed throughout the packaging pavilions were a number of fillers. At Coesia Group, where Kalix is a cartoner, lipstick and tube filler for the cosmetic and pharma industries, Laurent Hery, Kalix product manager, explained some of the various processes and told Beauty Packaging that they offer “the fastest solution, with very flexible machines, and a quick changeover of tubes.”

More Cosmoprof Coming Soon

The next edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna will be held in March 2015.

The North American edition—Cosmoprof Las Vegas—will take place July 13-15, 2014.

For more on Cosmoprof/Cosmopack Bologna, including a short video with ICMAD president & CEO Pam Busiek, on the show floor, please go to beautypackaging.com