2018-09-29 16:16:42

Double Feature

2018-09-29 16:16:42

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.