Beautiful to behold

28 March 2011



The 7th edition of PCD (Perfumes, Cosmetics & Design) was held in February in Paris. Over 1,400 participants from 40 countries representing brand packaging experts and their main packaging suppliers (80 exhibitors) networked and heard about the latest trends in the sector. Maureen Byrne was there.


PCD is always a delight to attend: apart from the beautiful packaging on display at the exhibition, the conference programme gives a wide-angle view of the many innovations that come from this high-end sector. It attracts top professionals from the world of cosmetics, beauty and perfumery.

A testimony from Daniel Saclier, Purchasing Director of Guerlain, LVMH Group bears this out: “This event is a structure that enables decision-makers to discuss the theme of innovation. PCD drives innovation backed by market trends. I meet my partners and colleagues there.”

A different approach this year was to have a series of workshops, which invited interaction and discussion between brand owners and their suppliers. Themes included issues related to preservative-free products; packaging to enhance consumer well-being; and sustainable development of materials, processes, finishing and artwork.

The exhibition was compact and allowed companies to find out more about what suppliers had to offer. Weener, for example, was demonstrating its new Exclusive Jar, made from PET but almost indistiguishable from glass.

Another innovation on show was the Fancy Jar. Dr Matthias Prox, Head of Sales, was on the stand. He explained: “It is possible to have one colour on the inside, and another on the outside.”

A patented thick wall jar, the Crystal Jar, is constructed with a low profile and a large diameter. One ‘breakthrough’ for this jar is that the body of the container has a somewhat larger diameter than the neck, which was not possible before for PET, according to Dr Prox.

German company Rebhan was also promoting its glass look-alike polymer thick walled containers, for pump-mechanism spray bottles. These are extrusion blow-moulded and lacquered to give the appearance of glass. Finishes such as hot stamping, silk screen printing and metallisation are possible, but colour can also be incorporated into the raw material, obviating the need for laquering, explained Sidney G Schwarz, a Director of the company. Customers such as L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson and Armani have taken advantage of this type of packaging for their products.

Development work for airless pumps continues, and several companies were showing their particular systems at the show. Megaplast, for example, offers a range of airless dispensers which are suitable for creams, gels, emulsions, pastes and lotions. The patented double-valve construction is said to deliver a precise dosage every time, and has no metal parts. It also dispenses in any position.

Eco-design

Even the most eye-catching, elaborate packs can be sustainable, and this was a theme that ran throughout the conference and exhibition.

For glass bottles, Lumson was demonstrating its patented TAG-System. TAG stands for Techno Airless Glass, and is claimed to be the ‘first airless system for glass’. Marina Chiesa, Marketing & Communcations Officer with Lumson explained that the containers with this system are completely recyclable, as it can be split into two parts after use – the glass body, and the PP cap - thanks to a new Ecolock system. “When in use, it is perfectly sealed to prevent contamination, so fewer preservatives are needed,” said Ms Chiesa. “Distribution is regular from beginning to end: there is a pouch inside the container which collapses gradually when the pump is pressed.” Applications include pastes, gels, creams and other viscous products.

For sustainabe fragrance packaging, Rexam was demonstrating its XD11 Twist, a premium metal pump which is said to be the first TCS (The Crimpless System) pump on the market that can be easily separated from the bottle once the fragrance is used, allowing recycling. The risk of conterfeiting is limited, and integrity is preserved, as it is impossible to re-attach the pump to the bottle once it has been removed.

Valerie Jacob of SGD explained the company’s latest idea for sustainable packaging – using glass from household recycled coloured glass, which has been dubbed ‘infinite glass’ and is said the be the first recycled glass used for cosmetics products. “The glass has a slightly green tinge, but there are many decorations that can hide this,” explained Ms Jacob.

For a totally eco-friendly packaging concept for Emoi Infini (a project completed in 2010 for three perfumes inside a carton), SGD worked in partnership with VPA to produce caps, SCE on the formulation; Rexam for the spray pump; M-Real for the carton and Wauters for printing. The latter’s contribution was to print the leaflet on the inside of the box.

SGD is also working on ‘smart’ packaging, ie barriers between a pack and cream inside, to prevent leaching of materials into the product.

Awards

The PCD congress and exhibition closed with the PCD Awards ceremony. Twelve Prizes were awarded in all. Chanel’s Blue Shower Gel won in the Care category (bottle: Pinard; case and wavy pattern: Wauters/Nicollet).

Terracotta 4 Seasons Powder by Guerlain (supplier: Albéa); and Helena Rubinstein (supplier Cosfibel) won in the Make-up category. Also a winner in the in the Make-up category was Lash Queen Sexy Blacks Mascara,Helena Rubinstein (silkscreen techniques by Seidel and its partners).

Voyage Perfume, by Hermès won in the Men's and Unisex Perfume Category (a ‘stirrup’ turn around a glass bottle: SGD; drawing by Pivaudran; injection and assembly by Ipack; and packaging from CNP Vaudreil).

Fleur de cristal Perfume from Lalique took the prize in the Women's perfume category with little bells suspended in the upper segment of the bottle (glass: Pochet; Surlyn shoulder segment: VP!; pump: Rexam; and cartonboard: Cartondruck.

L’air du Temps Perfume by Nina Ricci won in the Collector category (lacquer wood box: C Group/LF Beauty; protection box: ECR1.


Weener’s Fancy Jar features an eye-catching inner jar. Weener Brand owners could talk one-to-one with suppliers at the recent PCD exhibition in Paris. PCD

Weener Weener
PCD PCD


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