The 4 Biggest Trends in Beauty Packaging From This Year’s Trade Shows
From MakeUp In Los Angeles to Pack Expo Las Vegas and Luxe Pack New York, our Alder Packaging team has been busy exhibiting and experiencing the beauty packaging industry’s most influential events. Here are the high-level trends and initiatives we are seeing as we head into 2026 and 2027 planning.
AORA’s eyeshadow palette has gone viral on social media and trade shows for its sleek metal packaging. They encourage their customers to recycle or keep the packaging shell as a trinket holder or travel container.
1. Luxgevity
Longevity = luxury. More and more brands are focusing on durable, refillable, and sustainable designs, selecting materials like glass and metal over plastic. This investment elevates the product’s perception so customers are more likely to keep, reuse, and proudly display it on social media and in their homes.
People Care Planet Care (formerly Haeckles) offers 100% compostable, biodegradable packaging. Each product incudes QR codes for customer to track how materials can be reused, refilled or composted.
2. Bio-intelligence
Brands are turning to bio-engineered and nature-inspired materials that work with the environment as a way of differentiating themselves through mere principle. These sustainable advancements combine artistry, science, and morality to create packaging that feels poetic and alive.
Did you know that people with visual impairments often label products with tape and rubber bands? Sisterwould partnered with Vision Australia to address this opportunity and add universal braille to their bottles.
3. Sensory Delight
The way a product looks, feels, tastes, sounds, and smells is a chance to turn everyday packaging into a unique and memorable experiences. From the soft click of a magnetic closure to the satisfying glide of a matte finish, every packaging detail is an opportunity to engage the senses and delight.
Rare Beauty is being praised for designing their perfume bottle with accessibility and hand dexterity in mind. Not only is this more inclusive, it’s also just comfier and easier overall.
4. Functional Design
Functionality is a vast frontier for brands to elevate themselves. It can be as simple as rethinking a cap or applicator to feel more ergonomic and intuitive — or as bold as combining product categories and reimagining the ritual. The sky’s the limit, as long as the focus stays on usability and efficiency (no gimmicks, please).
Alder Packaging’s dual applicator demonstrates how sensory design and multi-functionality can redefine the user experience. The sleek component features interchangeable wands, here shown with a classic spoolie and a precision comb. This empowers brands to customize their product application without changing the full package.