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Rant & Rave: Cardboard Packaging

Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Cardboard Packaging!

my answer: I love that if I drop something in cardboard, it’ll probably be fine, and the packaging won’t crack or nothing will snap off. They often are quite slim, too. I don’t like how corners can wear down, or that you have to be careful about getting them wet!

24 Comments

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Sunny Avatar

Cardboard packaging probably bothers me more than it should. That’s the reason why I don’t own any Benefit blushes or anything from theBalm. I think subconsciously I feel it’s too flimsy, even though with the way I usually handle my stuff, it should be fine.

xamyx Avatar

I absolutely abhor cardboard packaging. For one, it just looks cheap/tacky; if I’m spending upwards of $30 on something, I expect it not to look like something I’d buy for my 8-year-old. If a brand is trying to be seen as “ecologically-correct”, why not just make sturdy, refillable palettes, and sell individual pans? Second, they aren’t the most “hygienic” method of packaging. If left in a room that is moist/humid, the material acts as a magnet for said moisture, and as we all (should) know, moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria… Finally, most of the time, it tends to be more bulky than necessary.

imaginary Avatar

To be honest, it doesn’t bother me. If it’s done ‘right’ way, of course, to protect cardboard from humidity and wearing down. I like that this kind of package is usualy slim, so it’s easy to transport and doesnt take much of storage space. And also it doeasn’t break that easly – it’s hard to control ones movement when applying make up early in the morning…

Sylirael Avatar

I like that it is lightweight…but its often bulky.

I like that it’s shock resistant…but it can warp and peel and tear.

I suppose it’s technically more recyclable, but since a lot of it is plastic coated to make it glossy or ‘satin’, I wonder how many actually meet local recycling requirements (actually curious sbout this one).

StrangeOne Avatar

Initially I felt really disappointed to see something so expensive come in a cardboard box but the product is compact and more durable then I imagined it to be. I’m still wary of putting it near my sink and that’s where I do most if my makeup.

Katherine T. Avatar

Love it if it’s sturdy but lightweight. And it can cushion the product if I drop it. But if I get it dirty, sometimes it’s hard or impossible to clean or wipe off.

Lila Avatar

For me cardboard packaging (for beauty products) is a BIG no, no. It looks too juvenile and it wears off very easily. I like my beauty products to look precious and cardboard definitely doesn’t.

Rachel R. Avatar

Rant: It doesn’t hold up to being thrown into your purse as well. Even with magnet closures, the tops can open. Can look cheap if not done right.

Rave: Inexpensive, can be printed with any design, lightweight, recyclable, usually very easy to de-pot from these.

Emilie Avatar

I love cardboard packaging – it doesn’t crack or snap or break and it’s much lighter and usually far less bulky. It’s absolutely what I prefer for travelling, a small palette with cardboard packaging is perfect for me. (The only exception is I much prefer the tin case packaging of the Naked2 and Naked3 over the original Naked cardboard packaging because those get so beat up due to frequent use!)

Kirsten Avatar

It’s not something I’ve really thought about before. On the one hand, I like that it’s more ecologically friendly. But also I worry about it bending or smashing if I take it traveling, especially the bigger palettes. I do occasionally miss it when they don’t have mirrors in them though.

Also I worry that they don’t seal all the way around the edges. I had a business card slip into one once, but it didn’t damage the shadows, although I think it could have. It doesn’t affect my buying decisions though.

Mariella Avatar

I have water issues where I apply my makeup so I’m always a bit worried that the cardboard will get wet and soggy (mind you, it has never happened, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying!). I also don’t like that cardboard seems to encourage goofier, less sophisticated graphics – most of the TF permanent and some LE palettes, UD’s Pulp Fiction, TheBalm….the art/illustrations/decoration just look cheap and cheapen the look of the package/palette and of the product.

Steph Avatar

Honestly I don’t really like the look of cardboard packaging so much but I am very clumsy so I love that cardboard packaging is shock absorbent. I have cardboard packaged products from Sugarpill, Tarte, and TheBalm and none of them have gotten damaged or battered down (even ones I use all the time).

zainab Avatar

I like that it’s light and shock resistant (up to a point) and recyclable (mostly?).

I don’t like that it tends to wear out and look tired pretty quickly, you can’t really clean it because moisture will wreck it over time, it often looks tacky and is bulky, it’s usually not refillable, if something does break or melt the packaging usually won’t contain it, the pricing is often comparable to other forms of packaging from similar brands, and mostly it just feels cheap and crummy, which unfortunately can affect how I regard the products. The biggest thing I cannot understand re cardboard packaging is putting lipsticks in cardboard tubes- you’re going to put this meltable, squishable product in your handbag and carry it around with only cardboard protecting it?

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