Sunday, November 6, 2011

YouTube's Effect on Product Packaging

I remember when YouTube was a place for pirated TV episodes and funny clips of cats being the divas that they are. Of course, this was before Google bought out the video platform and slapped ads everywhere. I also remember when Blogger was mostly personal blogs about teen angst and the daily lives of career-battered adults.

How far we have come, the beauty community, on these two media outlets. From blogs to vlogs, I couldn't help but notice a somewhat calculated shift in beauty product design. Have brands watched videos and read blogs so closely they now subliminally manufacture products to cater to specific wants and needs?

Noticeable Names


Chanel Recourbe Cils de Chanel Precision Eyelash Curler

Most eyelash curlers either have the brand name engraved on the arc or nowhere at all. Chanel has decided to starkly print CHANEL in white on a black curler, making the name obviously noticeable in blog photos and YouTube videos.



Shu Uemura, Shiseido


Displaying Designs


NARS Danmari All About Cheeks Palette

From watching many makeup storage and organization videos, I've found that a lot of people store their large, flat palettes (MAC, Make Up For Ever, BH Cosmetics) in letter/folder organizers that are often placed in reachable areas. NARS has designed their new Danmari All About Cheeks palette similar to other large, flat palettes making them more easily accessible thus perhaps rendering more frequent use.

Other brands that have released blush palettes have opted for a more eye-appealing or somewhat "bulky" design.


Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Palette, Benefit POWda WOWza


Convenient Carry-Alongs
To be honest, I haven't been keeping up to date with fragrance trends and news until recently. I have noticed however that many brands are coming out with rollerballs. Thinking long and hard about this observation, I cannot recall ever seeing fragrances in rollerball form from years ago; this seems to be a modern innovation to me.


Sephora Favorites Rollerball Collection for Her

How did we carry around fragrances with us for quick reapplication or travel purposes before rollerballs (and now atomizers) came along? It seems that we no longer have an excuse to be without our favorite fragrances--the perfumers have trapped us! *giggle*

Perhaps I'm just acting like an over-enthused English teacher who picks apart every sentence for deeper meanings and examples of symbolism. I've just always been the kind of person who notices random or possibly unintentional patterns. I mean, why are all social networking sites blue? Has anyone else noticed these product design patterns or is it just me? Let me know what you think!

2 comments:

  1. I am SO glad that you are blogging, Joyce! I have never got to see how well you write, and now that I have I want to read MORE, MORE, MORE! Your writing and the way that you say things... you should be on TV!

    I never thought about it that way, you you're right! Products probably ARE designing their products because of the new advances in the way that their products are becoming known. Chanel was smart to put their logo in white on black so that, if by chance someone is watching a makeup video, they will easily be able to see what kind of curler the person is using.

    I really don't like the roll on fragrances. My mom actually bought me one accidentely for my birthday - I wanted the bottle of perfume and she ordered it online and when it came it wasn't what she thought she was ordering. In any case, I did open it just to smell it and it didn't smell the same as the perfume I smelled in the bottle!

    I have to say, I giggled at the last paragraph about the English teacher reference. ;)

    I am looking forward to reading more of your blogs!

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  2. @Jess - thanks love ;) this makes me blush! I kind of get annoyed with my writing style sometimes. It's so sarcastic and pushy, haha!! I opened my personal blog too if you didn't know?! I'll give you the link on Twitter!

    Mama Cutesicle cracks me up. She is a jokester that one xP did it really smell different in the bottle than rollerball? Ugh that's like when eyeshadows are different in "value sets" than single pots. So frustrating! I want consistency!

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