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What beauty product do you wish would get a makeover?

What beauty product do you wish would get a makeover? A complete redesign of packaging, reformulation…

I would like all pump packaging on cosmetic products to dispense what you need with ease, not some confounded technique I have to master while wasting half of the product!

Thanks to Erika for today’s question! Got a question idea? Submit yours here.

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Mavis Avatar

UGH, urban decay primer potion! I don’t want to cut open my tube but i dont want any to go to waste either… it costs about $25 here in Canada after taxes! :S all for an eye primer!

Kelly C. Avatar

They’ve put out a new “professional size” in the US at least in a reasonable squeeze tube, but its also substantially more expensive because its got more product in it than the original. Why did they have to do that? To stick it to everyone who complained about the genie bottle?

Hannah Avatar

They probably just have a ton of stock of the genie bottle PPs left so it wouldn’t make sense to release the normal sized ones in the tube until they knew the tube packaging was well received so they could start phasing out the genie bottle ones.

Mindy Avatar

That one is $35 in Canada, so basically it’s about the same price wise for the amount, only we’d be able to get it all out instead of wating half of it.

Lauryn Avatar

@Kelly- I don’t know if you bought the tube yet, but a TON of people, myself included experienced “tube blow-out”. The bottom seam of the tube literally came apart, w hile i was squeezing some out for application, product came flying out.. In my case, i didn’t even squeeze hard, not only did i lose product when that happened, but i had to cut the tube open and find something to put the rest of the product in. Ridiculous. I emailed Urban Decay when this happened, as i didn’t know at the time it was happening to many, and they didn’t even bother to answer.. 29$ for a busted tube & wasted product.

Kelly C. Avatar

Wow, that totally sucks. Shame on UD. I have not bought the new bottle, because I’ve switched to LORAC Behind the Scenes. In a nice tube, and works a lot better for my oily lids than UD anyway.

Lauryn Avatar

@ Kelly- I agree with you. I wasnt overly thrilled with UDPP either. I found that it made some shadows “hard” to blend.. And I figured something else out too, if you aren’t careful how much UDPP you use and WHERE you put it, you could end up with uneven color “streaks” by the end of the day. I didn’t realize that i hadn’t blended the UDPP all the way on the outer part of my eye, and by 4pm or so, you could see the “swipe” i made with my finger during application.. whoops..

Ani_BEE Avatar

Word… I went to see what the price was on it at Sephora in CAN dollars … $38 then you add 13% sales tax and it made it incredibly expensive purchase considering I would not be able to use it all up as an individual before the expiration date. It’s great for MA’s though.

Needless to say there still plenty of them in stock at Canadian store. It’s also why I’ve been sticking with TFSI.

Tricia Avatar

I’m not sure if it’s been changed lately, but Benefit’s You Rebel tinted moisturizer. The tube gets all bent up like an old tube of toothpaste, and the red paint chips and gets all over my hands. And of course, it ends up looking ugly. >:(

Anna Avatar

Since I like trying different products, I hardly ever finish one before they expire. So, it would be great if brands woud come out with smaller sizes (bigger than sample sizes but smaller than actual ones now).

Valentine Avatar

I agree with this 100%. First of all, I think it would get more people into makeup, since smaller packages would be sold for cheaper prices and so be far less intimidating to make purchases. Secondly, I always thought it was ridiculous that mascara is only supposed to be used for a few months, foundations what? a year I think? six months?, yet so many packages last for years and years even with daily use. I never understood this.

vivian Avatar

try asking a sales associate at a nars counter if they have any extras. i did that at nordstrom’s and the lady gave one to me free! granted, it had been used on one of their counter foundations, however after a quick cleaning, it’s as good as new!

Vijaya Avatar

UDPP. Yes, I know that they changed the wand, but the shape of the bottle is so impossible to store in a drawer with other things. I loved that tube they have right now. That should be permanent.

Also, UD Lipsticks. Those swords are awful.

Also, the bulkiness of the UD BOS.

Come to think of it, a lot of their packaging is ridiculous. Too bad their makeup is awesome.

Kayla Avatar

Ugh, I totally agree. I love the makeup but UD has the most impractical packaging. I didn’t even buy the latest BOS because I don’t have enough room to store it! And I won’t even touch their lippies because of those stupid swords.

Margie Avatar

Do you mean the Pro Longwear one? I started putting one pump in a sample jar and then use whatever is in there for like 3 days. It is probably not the most convenient way to use it but at least Im not wasting half of the product.

daria Avatar

Ughh MUFE HE foundation pump…not only does it dispense too much but you can’t untwist the pump…I know its for hygiene purposes but I like to see how much is left and can’t:(

Salvinia Avatar

Revlon colourstay really needs a pump. I use my fingers to apply it so that’s not the issue, but too much always comes out when I pour it and I hate having to put some back in the bottle. That seems so unsanitary to me (I do wash my hands before doing my makeup, but still!).

Hilde Avatar

The urban decay primer potion is the worst I have n terms of packaging. You can only reach straight down with the wand.

Every liquid foundation without a pump.

MAC’s pro longwear concealer pump(disperses WAY too much)

Katie Avatar

I wish UD would revamp their Book of Shadows by taking out all of the unnecessary junk. The way the Naked palette was designed is perfect. It’s simple and easy to store. Besides, if they eliminated the useless (but nice to look at) extras, I bet the price would be substantially cheaper too.

I think Estee Lauder as a whole needs some revamping as well. I don’t like the tacky gold packaging on their lipsticks. It’s a bit old lady-ish to me.

Valentine Avatar

I totally agree about the aesthetics of EL’s packaging. I would love to give more of their products a try, but I’m put off by the packaging on their eye shadows and lip products. I WILL say however, that their maximum coverage concealer is my favorite face product EVER. I use a tiny bit all over as a foundation and concealer in one, and after reading through many of these suggestions, I guess I should thank my lucky stars that this comes in a super hygienic squeeze tube (and in this case I think the dark blue package with gold cap looks quite purdy).

Kayla Avatar

I would love for a redesign of the Flirt! eyeshadows. I love the product, but it’s so bulky. It takes up way too much space for a single shadow shade.

Lauryn Avatar

i wish MAC did not change their pigment jars.. it would be so much better if they were short and squat with a sifter lid.. the new bottles are hard to manage and i always seem to spill some..

Ani_BEE Avatar

I love the formula of the MAC Liquidlast Liner but I detest the brush it comes with. If it was a tad bit firmer it would be more manageable to draw thinner liner.

Nic Avatar

Foundation packaging. Pumps are great in theory, but they can be a pain as far as getting the right amount of product. With the MUFE HD foundation, for example, I need about a pump and a half. But it’s difficult to get a half pump, so I often end up with too much, and that stuff’s too expensive to waste!

Marcela Avatar

i wish all nailpolish bottles had the Sally Hansen Salon-type of brush, flat and round-tipped. it is the absolute best brush! i hate getting a gorgeous, expensive bottle of polish and the crappy brush makes application a pain.

BethM Avatar

I don’t mind pumps that dispense different amounts, after all, the amount I need might be more or less than what someone else needs.
BUT, I would like more products to come in pump dispensers, or at least squeeze tubes. (Specifically the moisturizers I use, Clinique Moisture Surge and Philosophy Hope In A Jar.)

Also, I would like Urban Decay to put their lipstick into a more reasonable tube. Yes, the sword is cute and unique, but it’s also very bulky and impractical.

I also love if UD offered their eyeshadows in pans, like MAC does. They could offer cute empty palettes with their artwork on them, I’m sure a lot of devotees would buy.

BethM Avatar

One more- I love the shaver container that Smashbox Halo powder comes in, but it would be nice if there was a way to tell how much you had left.

Ashley D. Avatar

Yes, all concealers and foundations should have a pump that doesn’t dispense so much at once. As for UDPP, I wish they could make a permanent squeeze tube packaging (like Too Faced Shadow Insurance) and maybe with a brush applicator too.

Jamie Fox Avatar

Urban Decay’s Sparkly eye shadows. They are super pretty on my eyes but I don’t like the fall out they have. I feel like I am this glitter ball even after I try to remove the fall out. Glitter never goes away completely. The glitter seeps into the pores, to emerge at a later date. ha ha

Joy Avatar

The Rosebud Salve tin needs improvement, so that the top comes off easier. Nevertheless, I love it.

Flip tops trump screw-on tops; I’d like to see more of them.

Natalie Avatar

Oh I totally second this! I always try to wash my hands before I use lip products in a tin/pot, but that isn’t always possible, and I always feel so gross! Rosebud Salve in the squeeze tube was a blessing. It only took them, what, decades?!

Erika Avatar

Thanks for posting my question, Christine! It made my day!
I wish all of MAC’s eyeshadows were consistent in their texture and soft like veluxe pearl and matte2. Also, I can’t stand lip balm in a pot, they should all come as tubes or sticks.

May Avatar

Also the foundations with a pump, please make it a screw top so I can get the last bit of foundation out of the bottle. I’m talking about you Giorgio Armani.

MARGO Avatar

BATH AND BODY WORKS LIQ. SOAP. THEIR PUMPS NEVER MEET CLOSE TO THE END OF THE BOTTLE. I REALIZE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SPACE FOR PUMPS BUT I ALWAYS HAVE TO DILUTE THE LAST 1/8 OF THE BOTTLE TO USE IT ALL UP.

SOME PLASTICS IN GENERAL ARE SO HARD TO SQUEEZE. SOME REALLY PLOP WHEN YOU DO AND THEY MAKE A MESS. LUSH BOTTLES ARE TOUGH.

Valentine Avatar

Nothing should come in jars. I can’t count how many products I avoid that get rave recommendations from others simply because I think it’s unhygienic, bulky for travel (especially lip balms), and all that exposure to air causes the ingredients to break down quickly. I realize that sometimes a jar makes the most sense for a product’s consistency, but usually a squeeze tube would do the trick just fine.

shelly Avatar

Any foundation that doesn’t come with a pump should come with one.

Half-sizes of products (I’m thinking skin care, foundation, primer, that sort of thing) should be available for sale. Good for those who want to try a product or shade but want more than a standard sample size (and don’t live anywhere near a Sephora, Ulta, MAC counter or store, etc.), and good for those who want travel sizes but don’t want to decant their existing product into small jars.

(And am I the only one who doesn’t have much issue with UDPP in the genie bottle?)

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