MakeUp in Paris 2022: innovations from the show floor

Livcer presented its very first offer of recyclable mono-dose packs made of a paper complex. Featuring an 80% paper casing and 70% paper lid, the opaque single-dose pack (pictured) is suited to make-up and skincare formulas thanks to a thin PE barrier layer. Other advances include formats integrating up to 50% recycled PET. Research at the French company on bio-sourced materials is also underway.

Simp’s (HCP Packaging group) new range of molded plastic mascara brushes is a response to the trend for lengthened, curved lashes that are voluminous, but don’t “clump.” This often implies using curved brush heads with a fast-drying formula to prevent lashes from drooping. La Divine is an oval-shaped brush with two arches, while Skating comes with a choice of one or two arches that resemble an ice skate blade and are said to adapt to every type of lash, long or short. The Neo brush is made of a new type of 100%-plant-based elastomer developed in partnership with a German company to be used in micro-injection processing. Neo can be disposed of with the mascara’s other components, made of PE and PP, without disrupting the recycling process.

French luxury accessories specialist Zone K teamed up with brush manufacturer Léonard for a collection of brushes, jars and caps made of upcycled materials. Composed of between 70-75% production scraps from the production of perfume caps and accessories, among other products, the binding agent used is a polyester resin composite.

Global Bioenergies was promoting its star ingredient, Isonaturane 12, a patented bio-sourced isododecane targeting the cosmetics market with a base of beet or wheat sugars. Used to promote long-wear make-up formulas, the ingredient also offers a lightweight texture to skincare and haircare formulas. The company, in which L’Oréal-owned investment fund BOLD is a minority shareholder, also presented its masstige make-up brand, LAST, launched in 2021. The line, whose long-lasting high-pigment formulas are based on Isonaturane 12, includes 32 skus ranging from liquid lipstick and mascara to liquid eyeshadow.

For its Soul Craver makeup collection inspired by the self-care trend, Geka is pairing several of its packaging offers with plant-based formulas, illustrating its full-service offer. The collection includes a cigar-shaped mascara that can stand vertically on shelf and has a large decorative area; the product was recently made available in a large 20ml format. Another addition to the collection is a 3-in-1 gloss formula (for lips, cheeks, and eyelids) in a PETG gloss applicator with thick transparent walls and a “gooseneck” to conceal the unfilled area of the bottle and to prevent consumers from believing they have been deceived about its capacity.

In terms of plastic injection, Geka showed its single-component Fac C mascara brush made of TPE with nibs that lengthen lashes in a fan shape and a range of Micro Bristles, applicators with finely injected tips that resemble the bristles of a brush. This range responds to demand for hybrid skincare/makeup products.

Taiki Cosmetics Europe’s all-wood makeup brush (free of a metal ferrule) now comes with interchangeable brush heads. Consumers can now mix and match three handles with 10 brush heads, leading to a 40% reduction in material weight. The tuft is available in Naturlon 60, a new fiber made of 60% bio-based materials such as corn-based PLA, which reduces the share of PBT, a traditional polymer made from petrochemicals, to 40%. As plastic is still advantageous for handles with more complex shapes, Taiki Cosmetics combines it with 15 to 30% bio-based materials sourced from upcycled industrial or agricultural waste (coffee grounds, rice husks, tea, etc.).

The supplier’s sponge offer comes in PU versions that incorporate 20 to 30% plant-based powders, infusing the final product with the natural color and odor of the ingredient used (rose, lavender, green tea...). A more standardized sponge recently joined the line. White and odorless, it is made from coix, a plant in the grass family. These partially bio-based materials can also be used in high-density, multi-purpose sponges, meaning that one side can be used to apply compact blush and the other to apply liquid foundation.

HCP Packaging presented its refillable and mono-material formats, including new lipsticks. Two of these combine both characteristics: one is made entirely of PP, including the refill, and is suited for modest budgets; the other is in transparent PET. Other models are refillable but not mono-material, such as a high-end mechanism made of recycled ABS and clad in aluminum that is equipped with a patented security key to prevent the refill from being used without its case. Another lipstick case combines plastic and a paper sleeve and has just come out in a refillable version. This offer now includes the Super Slim Refill Lipstick: the slender 6mm diameter requires adapted packaging lines, which HCP has already implemented in Asia and is currently evaluating for its European sites. Also of note is a lipstick, non-refillable this time, but made entirely of aluminum. The technical challenge here was to find a balance between the tolerances and the positioning of the different components to limit friction during use.

In the mascara segment, HCP presented a brush made of a new bio-based material (also used by its French subsidiary Simp) and manufactured at its German factory (formerly Rusi). The group added pump manufacturing to its portfolio after investing in its Chinese sites and is now promoting a range of atmospheric and airless cosmetic pumps. The pump mechanism still includes a metal spring, but a 100% polyolefin solution is in development.

Faber Castell’s seasonal collection TriP, featuring what are described as clean and vegan formulas features natural additives including cellulose fibers and hemp seed oil. The range, which “fuses psychedelic and hyper natural trends” targets Gen Z and younger millennials with a product lineup for eyes (eyeliner/kajal, blush and brow color), lips (lip gloss pen, lipliner) and a highlighter. Faber Castell President Dagmar Chlosta noted that in line with the German company’s sustainable roadmap, every new product launched must be more sustainable than previous generation products. While currently 20% of the supplier’s pens are in wood, and the rest in plastic, it aims to grow the proportion of wood formats to 40-50% in the medium term. In line with its strategy to reduce the amount of virgin plastic, Faber Castell is aiming for 60% of its pencils to be made of PCR grade plastic by 2025.

See our coverage of the MakeUp in Paris' s Innovation & Trends Awards 2022 here.