Whether through portability, decorative techniques, sustainability, innovative dispensers or digital connectedness, some of this season’s most popular Color Cosmetics packages—and anticipated reveals prove that beauty brands aim to capture consumers’ interest with a number of attributes that appeal to the senses. As always, suppliers are pushing the limits in bringing these wishes to reality.Jensen reports that makeup sales hit $8.1 billion in 2018, and “though it experienced soft growth, the category holds promise, as the number of consumers using makeup reached  in 2018—an increase of six percentage points over two years ago.

Among the fastest growing areas were makeup setting spray powder and false eyelashes.From a packaging standpoint, strong current trends range from customization to environmentally friendly components and ethical consumerism; dynamite deco to premiumization; new gestures to interactive packaging.As the Color Cosmetics market continues to sustain growth—and as consumers, especially Millennials and Gen-Z-ers seem always on the quest for the newest sensation it’s imperative that brands differentiate themselves in some way. Competition is tight, but the rewards can be bountiful for brands that develop captivating products and packaging.

Even a tiny piece of the enormous pie can be significant.CTK works to create versatile and customizable options and, of course, new gestures. One of their latest Color Cosmetics packages, the Open Mirror Palette, highlights the #satisfying sliding gesture, and offers options with shapes, inserts, windows and more. Inspired by mirror cellphone cases, the Open Mirror Palette features the mirror on the outside surface instead of on the inside of the palette. Yun says having the mirror on the outside simplifies the application process and introduces a new opening system. The palette easily slides open with one hand, and the mirror opens to a perfect angle for makeup application.

We designed the palette with space below the mirror for brushes and applicators, and having the mirror on the outside surface also keeps it free from product.Yun tells Beauty Packaging the greatest challenge with the package was to create a proper space for brushes. She explains, “The initial palette was designed for eyeshadow, and the applicators were thinner. When we started the development on large sizes for blush and highlighters, the brushes needed more room. We had to be careful to grow the palette to accommodate the applicators, but keep the portable size. Our engineers have come up with multiple designs and sizes.