5) The blurring of beauty, health and oral care
“From protein powders and adaptogen gummies to the explosion of the status-candle, ‘sexual wellness’ accessories and CBD-infused sanitary care, non-traditional beauty buys happily sit alongside our skin care and make-up on the shop shelves (and in our #shelfies).”- Bridget March, Bazaar.
This year the ocean was literally on fire. We had a record-breaking ‘heat dome’ here in Vancouver. Supply chains lit up our lives, blowing up prices everywhere, and the watermelon-mustard challenge trended on Tik Tok, all while the global pandemic raged on. A lot happened–like a lot. This preamble alone probably made you feel a bit stressed. That stress is why it should not surprise anyone that wellness, mental and physical, has become the rallying cry across industries this year.
Wellness and self-care are beautiful now. I think that’s part of what March is getting at; non-traditional beauty is beauty now because, really, it’s all about wellness. That signaling, that’s what’s evolving, and we’re seeing labels evolve right alongside it.
So what are some of these wellness visual cues popping up?
- Meditative, zen-inspired imagery
- Blocked soft and neutral colours with matte or satin finishes
- Minimalist designs
- Fine details, textures, and embellishments
Meditative, zen-inspired imagery
Adaptogen powders, gummies, drops, it’s all about inner beauty! Or so says The Beauty Chef from Beautylish. Products like Rainbo, Olybird, and ADAPTOGEN swirl around and play between the lines on industry categories. Is it food? Is it a supplement? A beauty product? Either way, it’s based in wellness and at home on the cosmetics shelf. Each package sees neutral backgrounds and natural textures with small zen icons or delicate geometric patterns to soothe the senses and gently draw in consumers.
Blocked soft and neutral colours with matte or satin finishes
Oral care’s seen massive changes in the last few years. Before, companies like Crest or Colgate would use holographic to catch users’ eyes and signal cleanliness. Now, natural is king. Mimicking cosmetics soft, neutral, matte cues, brands like Bite, Huppy, and Equre self-identify as enjoyable luxury goods instead of just a paste that ¾ dentists recommend!
Minimalist designs
These CBD roll-ons from Rubicon Organics use the same soothing colour tones as other traditional cosmetic products; they even resemble a lipstick or a concealer stick with their twist-out containers and smooth, unbroken lines. Meanwhile, peel backs become the answer to the infamous regulatory content the cannabis industry is known for. Tucking away the majority of the required information to maintain a simplistic meditative vibe.
Fine details, textures, and embellishments
Hollow Tree candles use textured paper stocks, gold details, and geometric shapes on a matte black box to signal a zen and sophisticated brand. If these boxes remind you of luxury perfume packaging, it’s no accident. It’s all beauty now. It’s all wellness.
By YuriyBaranov by Rosemarijn
6) Beauty tech growth: from advanced personalization to make-up in the metaverse
“Of course, like science, tech is embedded in every aspect of beauty and the future of the industry depends on both…Here, personalization of formulas and services is a big focus, from AR-assisted ‘custom cosmetechs’ – so coined by Clare Varga, head of beauty at WGSN, (think virtual make-up try-ons, and home devices like YSL's Rouge Sur Mesure, a revolutionary lip colour creator), to the digital dermatology and dentistry boom.” - Bridget March, Bazaar.
Alright, I’ve been banging on this particular drum for a while now, and I’ll yell it again loud and proud through cupped hands “customization sells!”
Listen up cats; hyper-personalization is the norm now. It’s not even a ‘nice-to-have’ for satisfaction; it’s a ‘marketing-for-dummies’ 101 course. Hello, Millennials grew up with the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign and those kicky named keychains at tourist traps and gas stations. Now that other companies have embraced it (and way improved on it), technology has made the ‘push a button for exactly what you want concept a reality. Why? Because it makes for seriously loyal, happy followers (and higher prices.). In retail alone, Deloitte found that 1 out of every 5 customers is willing to pay 20% more for a personalized or exclusive product.
So big surprise that 2022 is heralding more cosmetic tech to personalize your palette? Service is personalized, formulas are personalized, so it seems only right the next step is labeling and packaging.
Brands like Nurish have hoped on the custom formulation train and are riding it into the sunset. A nutraceutical marketed as a beauty routine offers personalized vitamin subscriptions, with packages designed around an individual’s needs (as determined by an online quiz, of course!).
The package is high-end, embracing the unboxing experience we’ve seen again and again in cosmetic and tech spaces. With zen colour-blocking and a matte finish, it looks sophisticated, fresh and designed just for you. It’s an experience - topped off with personalized daily vitamin packets with, that’s right, your name on them. Now that’s walking the personalization talk.
If you’re still not sold on the Gen Z millennial love around personalization and brand loyalty, let’s talk about the Kylie Jenner Lip Kit. This bad baby sold out within 10 minutes of launching. 10. Minutes. Yes, it was brilliantly marketed, and it had an A+ influencer behind it, but the loyalty to the brand goes beyond that. It’s exceptional and well-curated. Take the package below. A sexy unboxing experience - for a highly sought after, scarce product - and when you crack into this exclusive treat? How about a ‘handwritten’ note from your favourite founder and brand ambassador?
The same things are coming for cosmetics. Online quizzes and tech innovators have personalized formulations and beauty routines curated just for you, boxed beautifully. These embrace minimalism and use only minor cues to create a harmony between sets of products - designed to be interchangeable - these are the perfect candidates for Variable Content.
This is nowhere near the first time we’ve talked about this killer software (you can read more about it here), so I won’t go too deep, but personalized signatures, numbers, names? It’s all possible, and thanks to technology, well within financial and lead time reach for any brand. If you come away from this section with one note, it should be; personalize, personalize, personalize. Whatever you can think up (numbers like Your, names like Nurture, written messages like Kylie), we can make it happen.
See you next week:
Tune in again later this week for the finale post of our four-part 2022 Beauty Trends series! It’ll be a serious gas since we’ll be chatting about Y2K aesthetics, vintage trends resurfacing, and social media shareability. Of course, all while answering that ultimate question - how do you capture the magic in your labels?
Questions or comments? Did we miss something here that you think is important? Just want to give her a much-needed compliment? Reach out to Sarah directly via email: sarah@summitlabels.ca or through Linkedin @sarahjfcampbell.
See you next time!
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