Twice a year, Quadpack managers, sales teams, designers, technicians and executives get together at the company’s global HQ in Barcelona for the Roadshow. It’s an exciting, inspiring event, where future trends in beauty packaging are presented. These predictions are based on solid market research, an intimate study of shifts in social and consumer behaviour, and most importantly, feedback from Quadpack’s clients and customers.

“One of our main considerations is ‘community’” said Katie Hoddinott, Head of Design at Quadpack. “In the future, people will be living in all sorts of different ways and this will affect their purchasing habits. ‘Clean packaging’ is going to be enormous; a simplified look with less components for more effective recycling, along with transversal formats that can segue from skincare to make-up and even fragrance. Small doses for frequent travellers, modern nomads and new environments such as co-living will also gain strength.”

So how does this drive direction in the three big beauty categories?

Skin Care

Sustainability continues to be the big theme in skincare. Brands, and customers, are driving a demand for eco materials such as PCR (Post consumer recycled) plastic, bio-plastics and sustainably sourced wood. Wooden caps, collars and other accents add artisan value to plastic, glass and industrial materials, creating out-of-the-box combinations. Increasingly sophisticated formulas call for double chamber jars and hygienic application tools such as spatulas.

Make-up

Hybridisation is the focus in make-up, a trend driven by the popularity of lighter, liquid formulas and the need to simplify make-up and skincare regimes. The once defined line between these categories is being blurred, creating a disruption of materials traditionally used in each one and crossover between the two. The trend for body make-up – shimmers, glows and oils – is leading to large 50ml + formats.

Fragrance

Catalogue lines will be the focus for Quadpack Fragrance; easily customised solutions that respond to new launches that eschew the established definition of luxury and instead communicate sustainability, value for money and integrity. The role of the fragrance celebrity ‘muse’ is being replaced by real people promoting fragrances where shared values and honest formulas are the priority.