You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but shoppers definitely judge cosmetics by their packaging. And that’s no surprise — the beauty industry is built on aesthetics, so the outward appearance of any beauty packaging is important.
In fact, consumers will often buy cosmetics based on the packaging alone.
The product itself, of course, still needs to work, but to get the attention of today’s beauty customer, you have to dress up your packaging.
How to make your beauty packaging stand out
In a world with many beauty brands, how can you make yours stand out?
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Keep it simple.
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Get creative with your beauty packaging.
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Use trends.
Read on to learn how you can beautify your beauty packaging.
1. Keep it simple, sweetie
Your beauty packaging has about three seconds to wow your customer. And you can’t do that with packaging that's crowded. A huge trend in the beauty world is minimalism. If your packaging is over-designed — with too much copy or unnecessary graphic elements — your message can get easily lost. Minimalism ensures the customer will focus on the most important parts of your messaging. Simply designed beauty packaging will clearly and boldly express your brand identity — and what the product actually is!
There’s nothing worse for your bottom line than packaging that’s confusing.
In an interview in Entrepreneur, Sensio CEO Shae Hong says, “In most consumer product categories, packaging is your only communication with customers.” So that communication better be effective!
Your brand and product messaging doesn’t have to be expressed in just words. The right color and font choice on your packaging will also help express the right message.
Choose the right font for the job
As 99designs.com explains it, different types of fonts convey different personalities.
- Urban Decay uses a bold display font to convey an edgy brand personality.
- Too Faced uses a script font to express fun and whimsy.
- Chanel is clean and sophisticated with a sans serif font.
- Clinique stays classic and elegant with a serif font.
Keeping with simplicity, use a maximum of two fonts on your packaging.
Related: What’s your brand personality? Take our quiz to find out!
Use the psychology of color
Color is a powerful marketing tool. In fact, according to a 2006 study, 62 to 90 percent of people’s first impression of a product is determined based on colors alone. So when you have a short amount of time to make a big impact (think a full beauty aisle), the use of appropriate colors is vital.
The colors you use should match the personality of your brand.
Greens, for example, promote a sense of nature, peace and health, which is why you’ll see natural and wellness-based brands incorporating green into their packaging. Pink is a go-to color for cosmetics because it symbolizes romance, femininity and creativity. Take time to look into the psychology of color to see which color bests represents your brand and product.
2. Get creative with your beauty packaging
Simple design, however, doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean boring. There are so many beauty products to choose from, spanning from indie to international brands, in-store and online.
To get noticed, you’ll need to get a little creative.
Take a page from Fenty Beauty, which was named as one of The Best In Beauty Packaging of 2018 by Into The Gloss. Into The Gloss featured Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix on the list — and for good reason.
The packaging is pretty simple: It’s a solid-colored hexagonal tube. But, each tube is magnetized and can be stuck to another tube to create more fun shapes. The Match Stixs are sold in bundles of three, which conveniently are all held together by magnets.
This unexpected twist has not only intrigued customers but made selling easier.
Who can forget the launch of the Christian Louboutin lipstick with the iconic textured and spiked bullet that can also be worn as a necklace? Or Too Faced’s Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette that was actually shaped like a chocolate bar. Additions like these can be added to your products to further delight your customer and elevate your beauty packaging.
3. Use trends to make your beauty packaging Instagram-able
Social media has a huge influence on how we buy and sell products, especially Instagram. The most beautifully designed packages become Instagram stars in their own rights
There are hashtags and even entire pages dedicated to sensational beauty packaging.
These pages can be pretty fickle — one day you’re in and the next day you’re out. Here are some hot trends from beautypackaging.com, that will create a buzz on social media:
Customization and personalization
Who doesn’t love something that’s unique and personal to them? This trend makes beauty users feel cherished and respected by a company — as if the company was keeping them personally in mind while creating the product. Think build-your-own palettes, engraved bottles or choose-your-own mascara wands.
Sustainability
Beauty users want to feel good about their purchases, and sustainable or eco-friendly packaging helps to elicit that emotional response. Think refillable, partially recycled or other sustainably sourced beauty packaging options.
Related: How to make a difference with your small business this Earth Day and every day
High-shine
Instagram loves pearlescent, holographic and other high-shine beauty packaging. Traditionally used in lower-end cosmetics, even high-end brands are getting in on the fun — in more subtle ways of course.
Geometric fun
Like the Match Stix from Fenty Beauty, other brands are looking to incorporate fun shapes in their beauty packaging.
“We notice that our customers are drawn to more ergonomic and interesting geometric shapes, so we are creating new shapes in all types of packaging,” says Judith Hsieh, director of project management packaging and product innovation, at HCT Group.
Make your beauty products Insta-famous
The beauty world is no doubt a crowded playing field, but with billions of dollars in sales each year, it can also be a lucrative field. One of the most important messaging tools you have as a beauty business owner is effective, well-designed packaging. When creating your beauty packaging, remember to keep it simple (but not boring), get creative and keep up with new trends to make your beauty products Insta-famous!
