How important is packaging to you [in a beauty product]? What do you look for? What about pretty/cute packaging?
First and foremost, I want functional packaging. I want it to be airtight if it needs to be, pump out just enough for one use if that’s the case, and so on. Cute/pretty is nice, but I’d rather functionality and storability – I don’t want tons of excess packaging!
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Packaging is not 100% important, but things with super cute or limited edition packaging tempt me even more. I find at MAC, i buy things more because I want the packaging. It’s easier to pass on the plain black. Confessions of a shopahollic, much?? LOL! Anyways, functional packaging rocks, but there are products I love regardless like my UDPP!
if UDPP didnt work SO well, i probably wouldnt buy it just because the packaging is TERRIBLE! 🙁 id rather have functional packaging as well. pretty and cute is fun… but it always sucks when you get too much of something and you end up wasting it, or can use something fast enough/all the way because the packaging sucks D:
they’ve announced that they’re coming out with new packaging sometime this fall or with their holiday release. it’ll be like the face primer packaging.
ugh that packaging is soo wasteful!
I don’t think packaging is too important in some cases. Like, if it were a lipstick, it has to bee good because when I throw it in my bag, i dont want my lipstick to smear everywhere like it has in the past. But if its blush, then it doesnt really matter because I depot everything and put them into palettes. So, it just depends on the product I guess. for me personally, i like to have everything in palettes because its easier to see all ive got in one palette rather than to have to dig through all of my drawers.
Yep, totally with you there. I’m so tired of finding night cream with antioxidants NOT in a tube (always in a tub for some reason) 🙁 Same with eye cream @_@ Tres frustrating, also means I can’t try out other brands 🙁
I’m completely obsessed with packaging. A lot of the time I will buy products just because of their packaging!!! I’m completely obsessed with NARS, Chanel and MAC packaging… I have been for years now 🙂 I avoid products with cheap looking packaging, that’s why I tend to avoid drug store products.
Totally with you! I hate drug store products’ packaging.
As long as it’s functional and travels well, packaging doesn’t really affect my purchase. Although cute packaging is always a bonus.
Super cute is what first attracts me to a brand, then functionality. If a product has ugly, annoying packaging then I won’t buy it. There are so many products out there that it is easy to find something else in better packaging.
Packaging design is important to me when it comes to function and getting the product out. Case in fact: Urban Decay Primer Potion. I refuse to buy it because of the poorly designed bottle. You can’t get all the product you bought out, except with a hack saw, and I also find the design too juvenile/girly for me. I also think every liquid foundation now days should come with a pump. Excessive packaging is completely unnecessary, not to mention a waste of resources/materials and space (looking at Urban Decay again for their book of shadow things I’ve seen- but could never ever imagine owning, let alone trying to use) I appreciate special/limited edition packaging, but only if it’s well designed.
I bought UDPP and I don’t like it, but I still feel like I was ripped off because of the packaging. I mean, who really wants to crack open a tube just to get out the excess product? That should never be a concern, yet here it is. I think they designed it very poorly. You have a good point about their shadow boxes too, it’s like you’re paying more money for the packaging than the product itself.
I totally agree with you. I’ve bought my last UDPP – now that other, reliable primers have hit the market. While I love my Sin primer, I cannot abide basically throwing half of it away when the wand can’t get to the product clinging to the sides of the needlessly curvy tube.
Competing brands have figured out that we don’t mind paying a premium for a quality product, but we want to be able to use/extract all that we’ve paid for.
Good question! I love a pretty looking package but I would much rather it be travel friendly nothing nice about a bulky product ..I liked this question 🙂
If the packaging is so awful that it makes the product impossible, nonfunctional and/or annoying to use then yes it matters.
Nice packaging to me is sort of like a bonus or icing on the cake, but on the other hand if it’s totally tacky/unappealing I probably wouldn’t buy it unless the product is freaking amazing. So it can’t be terrible but it doesn’t have to be incredibly attractive either.
There’s something to be said for modern, sleek packaging though.
Your thought are mine!
its a bonus for me and attracts me more.
Packaging effects me when it comes to eyecreams in pots because my nails r really long . but i found that i can use my nail as a spatula lol
Non-functional packaging is usually a dealbreaker. Anything that meets the functionality requirement and is also cute or pretty is even better!
There are times when I dont buy a product because of the bad packaging especially if that product is expensive but it doesnt make or break my purchases. It is a factor that I take in but if I really like the product and then I dont mind what packaging it is in
Although it really is nice to have an item that is both practical and cute at the same time
Totally Agree! The UD Book of Shadows are so bulky and made of cardboard. It’s not really easy to store and the cardboard box/drawer is unnecessary. I would prefer if their Book of Shadows were like their NAKED palette or the MAC Propan x15 palette designs.
I love more simplistic and uncluttered designs like MAC. NARS and Chanel. It’s probably why Urban Decay never really appealed to me.
Skin care:when it comes to creams that contain antioxidants , it has to be in packaging that has a pump , in general I really hate jar packaging !!
makeup: I only care about the packaging of lipsticks and glosses , they have to look luxurious and elegant 😀 I dunno why lol
and I hate colorful packagings with so much graphics on them :S
Just totally agree with Christine on this :-))
Like you, I find functionality most important. Ugly designs on the packaging, such as the new vegan Urban Decay palette with its terrible (in my eyes) artwork can be a complete turn off, though.
I prefer my creams in a tube rather than a pot, so I don’t have to get product under my nails every time.
hey chrisitne! what was that really helpful tip one of the commenters had about MACs manufacturing dates? those A69 numbers and all. i completely forgot. oh and i just bought my by candlelight 😀 woot woot!
girls with UDPP problems. just put the tube vertically in a cup of warm water to get it all out; the creamy liquid stuck on the side will slide right off
packaging is important to me in the sense that it must be functional. lids need to close properly and not fall off, for example (rimmel bronzer)
sometimes I do feel like I want to give into a product because of the cute packaging, but I still REALLY have to be interested in the product itself. If the packaging exceeds my desire for the product, then I have to pass.
I was SOOO excited about mac to the beach this summer! I just adored the packaging, but then none of the colors or products really attracted me. I wanted to settle for something but.. I just couldn’t justify it! so I passed entirely.
It is important because, initially, this is what makes me buy that product.
But, of course, the quality of that product makes me buy it over and over again.
Packing has to be functional for the most part. Does it do what it’s suppose to? Does it keep things secure? Other then those to factors, packaging is simply the outer wrapper of what I’m buying. It is a plus if it’s cute/pretty, but I’m not going to go out and buy something just for the box it comes in.
It’s not super important to me, but I need it to at least be FUNCTIONAL and REASONABLE. By reasonable I mean that if I spend a lot of money on a product, I expect the packaging to reflect that. I really hated, for instance, how Stila eyeshadows (which come out to almost $20 for a single) don’t come with a container. Instead, you’re supposed to shell out the extra $2 for one (which used to be made of CARDBOARD!!!) I know that they are now made of metal, but still seriously!? For $22.26 (the cost of both with tax) I expect to have some decent packaging INCLUDED. I also dislike Urban Decay packaging. The products are superb, but the packaging looks like something from a teen clothing store. If you like it, no offense intended, but it just doesn’t suit my taste. Not only are some of the products packaged dysfunctionally (ahem, UDPP even with the new packaging), but they look juvenile, like something a pre-teen would use. As far as functionality goes, I’d like it to be sanitary at the very least. Drugstores should have protective seals on ALL products, especially lipsticks, liners and foundations because people are sooo gross. I went into Target and looked at Rimmel lipsticks just yesterday morn and four of them had the lipstick smushed into the cap. That’s ridiculous. Oh, and foundations need to have a pump!!! I cannot stress this enough. I loved my Almay foundation until the cap came off in my bag and the product seeped into my purse, ruining it and much of it’s contents. At least with a pump it wouldn’t have been as bad and definitely would have been more sanitary to use.
Ok, that’s my rant. You can tell that I’ve been thinking about this alot, haha! I like pretty packaging as much as the next girl, but I need it to be at least functional and reasonably justifiable.
I find packaging very importent however i want the product to good no matter what but i want cute and pretty packaging and i want it to be effetive i think 40% packing 60% product
Unfortunately, packaging means a lot to me. If the packaging is really odd or just tacky I won’t buy it. Sad to say. For example, TokiDoki. I love the TokiDoki makeup bag, but I had to return that liner because the packaging is tacky…sorry. I also think Tarina’s packaging is silly too. That’s all of the opinions I’m going to share although I have so many more. *shrugs*
I love cute or expensive packaging – particularly with cosmetics. For skincare I’m more interested in function and preserving what’s inside.
I love packaging!! 🙂 I’m a huge fan of art and design!! The real matter though is if the product is good. I did happen to get two of the Liberty of London blushes (before they sold out) on impulse. Good thing the blushes are gorgeous and the packaging too!
I pretty much have same opinions like you in this case. The packaging should be sturdy, practical and not bulky. I hate palettes with unnecessary drawers…I dont like palette that have powder and cream products in one. Also, single eyeshadows in Chanel, NARS, etc are also difficult to store and use if you have more than 7-8….Oh, one more…I hate serums in bottle wth pump…tube is better. At least I can cut open the pricey product when I am running low…either ways they are mostly 30 ml!
I like designs that are either simple or just plain pretty. Nars is Simple. Fresh is pretty. That’s why I gravitate toward those brands, but they also have to perform really well or I won’t buy them again. I also don’t want to buy Benefit because as nice as their packaging is, kitschy isn’t my style. Love MAC’s limited editions…sometimes…but I probably won’t buy anything from Villains because I think the packaging is just awful!
Same here. Functionality is necessary, cuteness helps after the fact and I can appreciate it for sure but if it’s poorly designed then that’s a major flaw for me. MUFE HD blush has promblematic packaging for me, the pump gives out way too much product, it all becomes about the user I suppose, but I think the company should consider EVERY aspect of their product before it comes out.
Pretty packaging is nice, but not a big deal. My biggest concern is the product itself the durability of the packaging. I love Rimmel’s pressed powder, it does its job and it’s so inexpensive but I hate the packaging it comes in. It’s so flimsy and the top comes off like nothing. I must have broken the powder five times already so I have to be extra careful with it. I know a lot of people are disappointed in the packaging for Venomous Villains, but the products are so amazing that I don’t think the packaging matters!
VERY. It’s more important to me in high end brands than drugstore. I won’t buy a high end brand if I don’t like the packaging.
Packaging plays a big part in what I buy. For example, MAC products are perfect. They’re just the right size and they’re clean looking. If a product does not have great packaging but is amazing, it won’t stop me from buying it. Except if the packaging is really cheap and its like, an online product, the packaging sometimes tells me a little about what the product may be like.
It’s nice, like it might draw me to a product faster, but it doesn’t usually affect my decision to buy or not. But the better the packaging looks the more I might look around that one brand’s section and I usually find something I like, so it must help!
I don’t care much at all if the packaging is limited edition, or pretty and all that. My favorite thing in a company’s packaging is that it’s uniform. For example, all square shaped eyeshadow quads, easy for stacking.
And honestly, I’ve purchased products because of this shape before, because I know that I can fit them into my makeup case, and use the small space efficiently… maybe I’m slightly OCD…
Packaging is the one thing that makes me like one product from the next! If something is semi quality with amazing packaging, then i will like it more than something with horrible packaging and pretty good quality!
Packaging is definitely important to me. I like clean and modern packaging, think NARS or MAC. Cute packaging is too girly for my taste.
My biggest packaging need is STURDINESS. I will NOT buy products in packing i know i’ll drop, wreck, etc. or if I do, I end up depotting products for my palettes. I have tendonitis in my hands, and am a bit clutzy anyways, so that palette with both powders and creams, no dividers? Drop it once, and they’ll be smashed into each other. That cardboard BoS packaging? I’ll have difficulties getting the drawer open and end up flinging a brush in and taking a dent out of the shadows!
I don’t really look at decorative aspects of packaging beyond a “well, its cute”. Most of my makeup NEVER gets carried around to show it off, and if its something I’ll depot, I’d feel too guilty about ruining the packaging. Embarrassed to admit that I passed on Sweet N Punchy for that reason! I’d rather not have it, than be irritated in its original packaging, or sad to remove it. I guess that’s weird.
But yeah, wear and functionality is key. It loses points if it’s functionable, and strong, but has parts that click when its shaken. That freaks me out, that something might be broken!
I’m in agreement. Function is key, as well as storage. I like stuff that fits easily into my drawer dividers, and lines up well. If that makes sense..
I will never buy another UD Book of Shadows, unless I plan to depot them all. That is the worst packaging ever!
Packaging is super important! I originally made the switch from drugstore to high end cosmetics because I was so sick of the cheap packaging always breaking. I do not depot either so the packaging needs to be sturdy, efficient, and nice to look at too.
I totally agree with Christine. While I am a sucker for all things pretty, when it comes to beauty the packing must functional. I prefer products that come with a pump because for me it is the most sanitary and you can dispense the amount you need with a light pump or a heavier pump. I don’t really like products especially face and lip products that I have to dip my hands in. It is not a total turnoff but I don’t prefer it. I try to say away from lippees in containers that you have to dip in. Unless, it is used strictly at home.
I like packaging to aid in the functioning of the product. Squeezing till my hands hurt is not a plus (i.e. philosophy). With perfumes, however, I’ve been known to buy one more for the bottle than for the smell, although the fragrance has to be good (but not great!). Those Tocca bottles still call to me . . .
Packaging rarely matters. To me, it’s the quality of the product that is important. But sometimes, something really clever catches my eye such as the Wicked Queen MAC compact. So obvious, yet so clever! And I need a new compact anyway….
The package is very important for me!!!(:i like some chic package like NARS,Chanel,MAC,etc.
Sometimes,even if the products are so amazing,but according to their “bad” package,i’ll give them up.I know it’s sad,but whatever,there’re a bunch of great products there in wonderful packages!
I like the packaging to be cute! I love packaging like Urban Decay stuff 🙂 That’s actually part of the reason I’ve never tried M-A-C because (NO OFFENSE) the packaging is boring to me.
It is important to me to an extent, if I buy drugstore items, it would be nice if the packaging was cute, but I wouldn’t mind if the drugstore product worked well. Department store on the other hand, I would be a bit more picky and want to get my money’s worth. Such as I like Lancome packaging, but many of their products just suck for me. But it’s mostly a win-win to me for Estee Lauder, Benefit, NARS in both packaging in product (sleek packaging and mostly good products).
Packaging is important. The product itself has to be good of course, but if the packaging is ugly, not functional or breaks/tarnishes easily that’s a huge bummer. I also have a bit of a personal vendetta against ugly or tacky packaging. I prefer elegant packaging any day.
Extremely important.
“I want functional packaging. I want it to be airtight if it needs to be, pump out just enough for one use if that’s the case, and so on. Cute/pretty is nice, but I’d rather functionality and storability – I don’t want tons of excess packaging!” I am 100% in agreement with your comment. However, the packaging is the attention getting a a few years ago in my teenage life I would have bought an item because of the package. Older and slightly wiser I am now I look for the best value for my money and the practical aspects you pointed out, but everyone once in a while I linger on a product because of it’s packaging before I come to my senses. 🙂
I Loathe excessive packaging
I definitely look for functionality, unique and minimalistic design, and overall packaging. For instance, I love that NARS packaging is rubberized, so you aren’t chasing your eyeshadow around the table when you go back for a second dip with your brush. I like that all MAC eyeshadows are round and fairly thin and that MUFE rouge artist instense is square and flat so you can stand it up. Also, Lime Crime packaging is really sturdy and heavy duty plastic. However though, I find bobbi brown products to look cheap overall, and tarina tarantino’s packing very tacky