Editors’ Choice Award Winner: Cosmetics
Go Light on My Lips, Go Light on My Eyes
by EG Gorgeous
Emmy award–winning makeup artist Elena George, founder of EG Gorgeous, knows a practical packaging concept when she sees it. George first discovered light-up lipstick packages at a trade show and began passing out samples to her clients, many of whom are well known in the television and music industries. “Everyone loved the light-up concept so much that I knew I had to do something with it,” George says.
George decided to go with her instincts and create her own light-up cosmetic collection. She launched Go Light on My Lips lip gloss and Go Light on My Eyes mascara. Both the lip gloss and mascara packages have mirrors on the outside. The lip gloss has a doe-foot applicator, and the mascara has a wire brush. There are two LED lights, and a band of light is located on the rims of the caps. The lights can be turned on and off with the push of a button.
Although a few other brands have marketed similar light-up packages, George’s are unique in that they can be personalized with customers’ initials spelled out in sparkling Swarovski crystals. “The whole personalization concept is really important today. Most customers want to feel as though they’ve been singled out, so from that perspective, it’s a really nice package,” says awards panelist George Kress, vice president of corporate package innovations for The Estée Lauder Companies.
George had always felt that the market is flooded with too many cosmetic brands, so she never seriously considered launching her own line—until she saw this packaging concept. “I just knew there was a need for this type of product,” she says.
Our panelists agree. “It is a real challenge to find interesting packaging options as the market becomes more and more crowded,” says panelist Peter Hargraves, section head for Procter & Gamble global packaging and device development, cosmetics. “I congratulate the boldness of taking technology and using it in this way for a cosmetic.”
Panelist Dennis Furniss, vice president of strategic branding and design for Kaleidoscope, also feels that it is an interesting and compelling concept. “It sets itself apart and will definitely attract attention from the user. It’s a package that is meant to be seen.”
Panelist Hana Zalzal, president of Cargo Cosmetics, agrees, and tells us that these items are not designed to be buried at the bottom of a purse. “They’re really meant to be shown off,” she says. “These packages are useful, fun, and have an element of frivolity.”
Robert Du Grenier, president of the design firm Robert Du Grenier Associates, and his business partner, Brad Levy of Fragrance International, supply these packages. Levy came up with the idea for this concept, and the pair designed the patent-pending light-up mechanism, which consists of tiny LED lights incorporated in the packages. George worked with Du Grenier to customize the band of light used in her collection. Du Grenier and Levy manufacture and fill the patent-pending packages using custom tooling at their factories in China and Taiwan.
In just a short time since starting her company, George has managed to build a Web site following and to create a buzz around her collection. The products have already been featured in several magazines. “I’m so happy I met Robert. He is so creative. I am a true believer in his vision and will stick with him,” George says.
Sometimes all it takes to market a successful product is an idea—paired with the right supplier. George seems to have found her match and will no doubt soon be expanding the Go Light collection.