Inside MakeUp in LA 2026: Our 3 Takeaways and Favorite Components
MakeUp in LA is the Super Bowl for beauty professionals. This year, Alder Packaging debuted our new Playground Collection, designed around customization and ease of use. We also kicked off the week with a private After Hours event alongside Autajon Packaging at Hotel Figueroa, welcoming over 100 guests from across the industry.
With everyone under one roof, MULA offers a rare opportunity to step back and read the room, making it a powerful barometer for what’s now and next in beauty. Here are Alder’s top three takeaways from MakeUP in Los Angeles 2026.
1. Human Touch
AI is transforming the world, but human-to-human relationships remain the backbone of the beauty industry. Events like MakeUp in LA remind us of the power of connecting face-to-face, demonstrating packaging in person, and building real relationships. Brands want to trust who they’re working with, and even better, enjoy their company.
This human-first principle is showing up in packaging. It is no longer just about looking good online. The best designs invite interaction through functionality and sensory experience. Products must be engaging to open, use, and close. They offer something that feels good, from textural details to the sound of the closure, prompting the need to be held and experienced in person.
Tubes are a cost-effective way to scale beauty and wellness products. With sensorial details like soft, unique applicators, brands can stand out on social media and on shelves, communicating a clear desire to touch and feel the product.
2. Sustainable Regulations
Driven by the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), along with retailer benchmarks like Sephora’s Clean + Planet Positive, brands are paying closer attention to material choices, recyclability, and overall environmental impact as expectations continue to rise.
This is showing up in packaging through simpler, more intentional design. Fewer mixed materials, clearer labeling, and formats that more easily fit within existing recycling systems. Our team at Alder Packaging is staying ahead of the latest regulations and evolving guidelines as we guide brands toward more informed packaging decisions.
Aluminum continues to gain momentum as a material that is infinitely recyclable and widely accepted across systems, The metal offers a clear path toward compliance while maintaining a premium look and feel.
3. Regionalization
Beauty brands are reassessing where their products are made and assembled. Whether for speed, sustainability, cost savings, or a more resilient supply chain, there has been a growing shift toward nearshoring and supplier diversification.
Rather than relying on a single region, we are seeing more layered supply chains take shape. For Alder Packaging, this means leveraging our global network of manufacturing partners while engineering with logistics in lockstep. A bottle may come from one country, the cap from another, and final assembly happens closer to the end market.
For Alder Packaging’s exhibit at MULA, we emphasized regionalization by organizing our packaging components with clear location markers. This level of transparency empowered beauty brands to discuss their current supply chain strategies.
Video: See It All In Action
During MULA madness, we asked our team members to pick their favorite packaging from the Alder showcase. Discover which components stood out — from upside-down mist sprays to Colombian-based mascaras — and why we love them!
