Beauty consumers don’t want guesswork—they want efficacy, convenience and simplicity. Pairing two or more products together is nothing new to brands, but rather than simply shrink-wrapping individual product containers together, more brands are exploring exciting, all-in-one formats such as double-ended lip, eye and nail color packages, and layered compacts and palettes that combine products in convenient configurations with distinctive visual interest.

Double-duty, multi-functional packaging has been embraced by brands across the beauty strata, as seen in ELF’s affordably priced Sweat Resistant Mascara & Brow Duo dual-ended product; Maybelline’s Superstay 24 Liquid Lipstick Super Impact, a single unit that pairs a long-lasting lip color on one end with a moisturizing lip balm on the other; and Lancome’s Visionnaire Crescendo Progressive Night Peel, which makes beautiful use of a double-ended airless unit to dispense a dual-phase product.  

Another inventive example of this two-in-one concept is ColorEyeDefine, by Susan Posnick Cosmetics. Combining a specially angled liner on one end with a self-dispensing eye shadow on the other, the product is presented in a sleek, stick format. The eyeshadow, which is housed in a colorful, bullet-like cap, is dispensed using a spring-loaded applicator that picks up the shadow as the cap is twisted off.

“The convenience of double-duty packaging is a perfect solution–saving time, space and money yet allowing consumers to still look their best and experiment with their beauty look,” comments Benny Calderone, senior director of sales, HCP Packaging USA Inc., New York. “For example, a double-duty lip or eye product can combine two formulas for an easy transformation from day to night or offer application and grooming within one pack.”

HCP Packaging offers a variety of multi-purpose packaging, including Cover & Blend, a 3-in-1 configuration that combines a doe foot applicator for liquid formulations, a twist mechanism for a solid stick, and a rollerball blending tool that serves to “massage” the formula into the skin for an even finish. The company also offers two sizes of its mirrored, Fusion Double-Level Pot, which combines a hinged top section and screw-threaded bottom section that can be fitted with a range of PP and mesh sifters in the base, as well as a variety of double-ended lip gloss, eyeliner and mascara packs capable of combining different colors or different formulas within one package.

Kevin Jean, creative lead of innovation at World Wide Packaging (WWP), Florham Park, NJ, says double-duty packages allow consumers to free up valuable “pocketbook real estate,” which he says dovetails with today’s fast-paced, less-is-more mindset.

He points to Tarte cosmetics as a front runner in this trend. “Tarte Lock & Roll is a really unique package,” he says. “One side has an eyeshadow brush for traditional high-impact shades and on the other side there’s an unconventional rollerball for a more sheer eyeshadow formula. We love the fact that it offers the customer the ability to either apply one of the formulas or the combination of the two.”

WWP’s most recently developed double-duty package is a dual eye kit that combines an eyeliner and mascara in one package, giving consumers the convenience of addressing two eye makeup tasks with a single packaged product. “Through our research, we found a gap in the eye category that addresses eyeliner and mascara in one package,” he says. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and be first to market.”

WWP’s Dual Eye Kit is comprised of Poly Pro and measures 127mm tall and 18mm in diameter. “By keeping the overall size and footprint of a traditional mascara, we believe our customers will find value in this package,” Jean explains.

Additional Benefits

Double- and multi-functional packaging offers brands distinct advantages beyond conveniently cross-promoted product combos, according to Jean Paul Corbeil, general manager and owner of Germany-based Corpack GmbH.

“[There is] less shelf-space and reduced transport costs when compared to having two products on the shelf or in transit,” he says, “[There’s also] half the deco-costs necessary when compared to having two separate packages that need decoration.”

Corpack recently launched its “first generation” Twin Pack with a deliberately unnamed major German drugstore chain, which sold it as a limited-edition shampoo/conditioner combination. After the units were sold out in the first week, the chain decided to list it permanently.

Comprised of PE bottles and PP caps, the package features two top and bottom bottle compartments that keep the shampoo and conditioner tidily separate from another while dispensing. “The customer chose the smaller of the two sizes (2 x 50ml), which conforms with ‘carry-on’ regulations for liquids at the airports,” Corbeil comments. “It launched just prior to the travel season, making it a great hit for vacationers.”

Corpack is also prepping a second generation “Mix & Match” Twin Pack that can house two different “asymmetrical” volumes. Corbeil says the tooling for this new iteration will be finished in September.

He adds that the new design works well with products that tend to get used in different volumes, such as shampoo and conditioner. “If you need more shampoo than conditioner, which seems to be the case on average, you can, for example, use the 175ml side for shampoo and the 125ml side or bottle for the conditioner,” he says. “The volumes can be adapted in size for any product combination.”

In addition, the new Twin Pack compartments can be clicked together interchangeably, giving the consumer the ultimate flexibility in terms of product combinations.

Creative Combinations

Jessica Cahalen Tarangioli, vice president of business development, Fusion Packaging, Dallas, TX, has observed an uptick in the request for multi-functional beauty packaging, partly because of its inherent convenience and also because it encourages customers to customize their beauty regimens, depending on the skin’s behavior and environmental factors.

Fusion Packaging’s Power Couples Collection is a stock offering of four components that offer a contemporary, sleek look coupled with the maximized versatility of housing two formulas in one package. “These components allow consumers the option to use as little or as much of each product, all while keeping the portability aspect in mind,” Tarangioli says.

The collection is comprised of Duet, a dual-ended airless-to-rollerball concept that has the look of a direct applicator with a pump on one end and a rollerball in the other; Hook Up, an airless bottle package that allows for color cosmetic and skincare formula blending with a multi-tasking dual connector; Hybrid, a 30ml PP jar plus a 7g upper “booster” combo package; and Encore, a two-jar system comprised of a 10ml upper jar threaded onto a 30ml lower jar.

While some packages visibly emphasize the two-in-one concepts, others cleverly integrate the functionality inside of an otherwise standard looking package. Toronto-based Viva IML Tubes markets a sophisticated dual chamber tube that enables precision mixing of two formulas at the point of use.  According to Viva’s Bruno Lebeault, marketing director, North America, a dual-chamber tube is more cost effective than two single chamber tubes, and also uses less material to manufacture and to recycle.

Marc Anthony Cosmetics Ltd., one of Canada’s largest independent hair care brands, chose Viva dual-chamber tubes to house its Marc Anthony Styling Cocktails product range, pairing products like a volumizing cream with a root lifting soufflé, a smoothing cream with a glossing lotion, and a light-weight volumizing lotion with a texture cream.

Both tubes in the configuration are 100ml and made of 100% PP. Inside, a PP wall separates the two formulas. A clear window on the outside panel of the package allows the consumer to glimpse the two formulas inside the tube, which is completed by decoration that includes pearl color, cold foil, spot matte and spot gloss varnishes. A dual-flip cap gives consumers the option to dispense one or a blend of both products at the same time.

Modular Flexibility

Modular packaging holds a unique role as a multi-functional package, especially in the realm of color cosmetics.

“Smart, modular systems are on the rise as consumers demand ever greater personalization,” says Sonia Cerato, category manager makeup division at Barcelona-based Quadpack Industries, which maintains a U.S. distributing partnership with East Hill Industries of Carrolton, TX. “There are some great systems on the market today that allow you to choose various colors or products and put them together in a single, portable palette or pack.”

Quadpack recently worked with Trinny London on The Stack, a configuration that lets consumers build their own personal makeup kit from a choice of cream-based face, eye, cheek and lip colors. Each product is housed in a transparent, 5ml, custom-designed jar and cap and the jars conveniently and interchangeably click together to form a customized stack of products. The Trinny logo appears in a silver band that’s hot-stamped across the bottom edge of the package.

Cerato calls the configuration’s two-part cap a study in smart engineering simplicity. “A metallized inner cap has a wide base and screw neck which provides an audible click closure [and] the sides feature a matte, in-mold decoration, which adds a delicate relief pattern, while leaving the bottom edge glossy,” she explains. “The outer cap is transparent and sits raised on the inner part, like a viewing window of the silver interior. The top edge has a smaller diameter with a discreet rim that grips on to the base of another jar when stacked.”

Trinny maximized the customization angle of the products by pairing the stackable products with an online color picking platform called Match2Me, plus a comprehensive social media campaign to completely connect with consumers.

“Millennials especially want something unique and this is one concept that gives them exactly that in a way that’s fun, practical and engaging,” says Cerato.

Quadpack offers a number of double-duty packages. One of its most recent debuts is the Dual Slim Jumbo, which holds a product formula such as eye shadow, blush or concealer on one end and an integrated brush or sponge for product blending on the other.

For brands in search of stick options for more solid formulations like foundations, concealer/highlighter sticks or solid fragrances, Quadpack also offers a cylindrical Double Panstick format that holds a generous 4.5ml of product on each end, as well as a sleeker, ABS Dual-Ended Stick with a ring on the barrel that can be color-matched to the product it contains. 

As packaging suppliers continue to design, engineer and produce packaging that combines distinctive looks with double and even triple-function functionalities, it’s clear the demand for multi-functional packaging has expanded beyond the role of niche beauty and personal care. In fact, Fusion’s Cahalen Tarangioli predicts the industry will see more of these types of configurations as this beauty packaging trend continues to broaden in appeal to consumers and retail brands alike. “We don’t see this trend going away—if anything, this could be an on-going trend,” she exclaims. “Consumers look for convenience in their daily routine; these packages offer this, plus aesthetically look unique, innovative and are often portable.” 

Double-Duty Applicators

Ronkonkoma, NY-based Qosmedix specializes in innovatively designed applicators for beauty and skincare formulations. The company’s Danielle Venticinque, marketing coordinator, says living in a fast-paced environment makes it vital for consumers to have products that not only get the job done quickly, but also get the job done well. The company recently launched two applicator solutions that eliminate the need for consumers to carry multiple tools, while at the same time, facilitate a more efficient application process.

The company bills its new Rose Gold Dual-Ended Foundation Brush with Silicone Applicator as perfect for use with liquid skin color formulations. Product is initially applied using the silicone applicator side, then blended into the skin using the nylon brush side.

Likewise, Qosmedix’s new Dual-Sided “Macaron” Blending Sponge, made from Latex-free HDPU, silicone and TPU, is comprised of a sponge with a thin protective film on one side that acts as a barrier (preventing product absorption during application), and a flip side that can be used to blend or set product.