According to this article by Cosmetic Design Europe, a company called RPC Beauté has created two new ways to decorate cosmetic packages:  HotFix and EcoCoat.  Hotfix is an automated process for setting gemstones into plastic.  Up to now, placing stones into plastic had to be done by hand, rather than mass-produced, which upped the price of the finished item.  RPC Beauté general manager Gerald Martines noted that with HotFix, “capacity can match typical
production outputs for million-unit ‘blockbuster’ launches as well as
limited series…by ensuring a uniformity of cost in affixing stones to the
pack, the biggest decision facing brands is how much to spend on the
stones themselves.”  Does this mean we can get emerald-studded compacts and ruby-encrusted lipsticks for mere pennies?   Probably not, but I thought this was a pretty interesting development.

The other innovation is Eco-Coat, a new environmentally-friendly alternative to varnishing on plastic but one that looks just as nice.  Eco-Coat does not emit the greenhouse gases the way regular varnish does, and the fact that it is thinner than varnish coats means “logistics and handling are significantly simplified and reduced.”   What’s more, it can come in a variety of finishes, including metallic.  Shiny AND eco-friendly?!  I’ll be waiting to see which company employs this new technique first – will it be the usual suspects (Cargo or Urban Decay) or a cosmetics giant like L’Oreal?  Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Picture 2

So instead of looking at pretty packaging and today, I'll be examining the more technological side of cosmetic design.   Estee Lauder released its Turbo Lash mascara in July, while Lancome has just released its Oscillation mascara.  "Feel the buzz, as the gently vibrating LashSonic Brush™ with micro-pulse bristles works its magic, moving rapidly through lashes…the motion brush keeps lashes clump-free," reads the copy for Turbo Lash.  And according to Lancome, "the actions of the oscillating brush that moves with 7,000 vibrations per minute, organizes and evenly coats the lashes with an ultrafine formula designed specifically for the product."  

Sounds pretty cool, right?  But does this really work better than the usual stable mascara wand or is it just a pricey marketing gimmick?   Despite the hefty price tag I'm itching to try one of these to compare it to its non-moving counterparts to see if it's really superior.   On the other hand I have a feeling this is just another marketing ploy - there are some great mascaras out there already, and I see this as more of a short-lived fad rather than something that will permanently take hold.   

In any case, if anyone has tried these latest marvels of technology, post your comments below! 

(photo from lancome-usa.com)