35th Edition of Luxe Pack Monaco Carries on Its ‘Green’ Tradition

Luxe Pack Monaco (LPM) may be known as the first major trade show in the beauty industry to put an emphasis on sustainable packaging. Their prescient introduction of the “Luxe Pack in Green” awards back in 1987 brought an increased awareness to what lay ahead as a priority in the industry—and everywhere.

At this year’s show, held in the eco-responsible Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, sustainable solutions were abundant throughout the extensive show floor. Many of the 450 exhibitors from 50 different countries shared their latest advances in sustainable packaging and formulations, including in refillables, recyclables, deco, glass, wood, mono-materials, “new materials,” customizations, ease-of-use and more. Replacements were offered for the continued removal of soon-to-be-banned styrenic materials such as ABS.

Visitors lining up for this year’s show couldn’t miss the vast construction project underway in the area. In 2025, as the exhibition center perched adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, celebrates its quarter century, it will become a vast “eco-district” as newly reclaimed land will not only expand the Grimaldi considerably, but will also become home to hotels, shopping, housing and even a pine forest.

Adding to this year’s packaging and formulations exhibition in Grimaldi, LPM premiered a new Luxe Home space, dedicated to indoor fragrances and accessories including candles, incense holders, diffusers wick trimmers and more.

Given its name, the crux of the show obviously centered on luxe packaging primarily for the Cosmetics, Skincare & Fragrance market in which “small luxuries” and upscale refillables are boosting sales. Spirits is also a lively category.

Following is a look at some of the exhibitors and highlights spotted on this year’s show floor. Exhibitors are listed in alphabetical order for easy access.

On the Show Floor: Report from Luxe Pack Monaco 2023

Here are a few highlights from the beauty packaging suppliers on the show floor at Luxe Pack Monaco 2023. 

ABA Packaging — Envases

This year, the ABA Packaging sales team joined the Envases Group team at the Grimaldi Forum. ABA offers the Envases Group lines of high-quality aluminum bottles and cans exclusively to the U.S. and Canadian cosmetic, fragrance and personal care markets.

Two of the highlights in the Envases Group stand were their enhanced decoration capabilities, and their latest developments in mating newly developed threaded-neck aluminum bottles with some of the industry’s best foamer pumps, including new flush fit variants.

Thanks to Envases’ unique and exclusive hot-stamping technology and silk-screen printing effects, they now offer an aluminum can partially metallized (full lower 2/3 of the can), which is achieved in-line to the manufacturing process.

While foamer packages have always been mated with plastic bottles, Enavses has now developed and offers a sustainable aluminum bottle alternative with a special neck finish that can be used in many applications with standard foamer pumps.

Envases says this is the first threaded neck aluminum bottle to be developed for specific use with 43mm foaming pumps. The Envases bottles are 100% recyclable and available up to 100% PCR content. This beautiful flush-fit package is available from 125- to 250ml.

Arkay Packaging

Arkay’s CEO Mitchell Kaneff and sales directors Gregg Goldman and Heidi Savinovich were on hand at Luxe Pack Monaco, curating the booth they shared with Model Group, their European partner. On display were selections of some of Arkay’s most recent luxe and sustainable packages for high-end global brands. The U.S. company holds an EcoVadis Platinum certification.

Cosmogen

One of the lines that Cosmogen featured at LPM was their range of 100% PET and RPET sticks, for all types of wax and/or anhydrous formulas.

Round or square sections, variable diameters and heights for this collection of tubes of lipsticks, concealers, sun creams, etc., are fully customizable with a capacity of 3.7g.
 
With its modern and original design, Cosmogen’s new eye applicator, the removable Squeeze’n Fresh, features a removable tip, replaceable on a refill and separable at the end of its life. Its patented on/off closing system allows distribution (on), application and cleaning (off). The tube and cap are available in recycled plastic.

HCP Packaging

Known for their fabulous decoration capabilities, HCP Packaging did not disappoint. From lip to eye to skin, the varieties of innovative techniques were plentiful. Vibrant top plate effects were especially eye-catching, many with tactile treatments. For the Aphrodite collection, a muted palette and pearlescent and gold (aluminum) treatment is reminiscent of the ocean.

Also of interest, HCP has “transformed” some of its stock packaging with non-styrenics (including ABS, which is soon to be banned). Their popular Meridian and Magni pots are now geared for sustainable solutions, with a newly developed PP cap, also available in PCR. Two base options are available.

HCT Beauty

At Luxe Pack Monaco, HCT’s emphasis was on new stock tools that are already in production for mono-material PET (among others), to help brands transition from ABS to newer materials for “which they are overcoming challenges for testing and cost.”

Among the new stock tools shown at their stand was the Monument Pump, which features a simplified refill process by allowing the consumer to reuse the actuator and base. The refill bottle comes with the mono-material pump already assembled and can be recycled as one piece. Hush jars are mono-material featuring a unique recessed design on the lid, allowing the jars to easily stack on top of each other. A typical refillable jar has a narrower neck, making it difficult to access all the product. The Hush Jars feature a wider opening with a hidden thread inside, allowing for easier access to the product until the last drop. Pure Essence Lipgloss features a unique visual aesthetic while also maintaining its mono-material design and recyclability.

Holmen Iggesund

Holmen Iggesund invited brands to collaborate on creative solutions.

Johan Nellbeck, CEO Holmen Iggesund, said, “Beauty brands are facing a more complex consumer landscape than ever. The new generation of consumers is redefining what they consider to be luxury and premium. They expect brands to address sustainability and inclusivity in their offerings. To meet these demands, conscious brands must develop in several areas—not least, packaging.”

​Nellbeck added: “The look and feel of packaging have always been important, but that’s no longer enough. Today, premium brands must address how their packages are manufactured, what they are made of, and whether they allow for more inclusive communication.”

To meet brands’ needs, Holmen Iggesund showcased its Creator Kit Beauty for insight into trends and the possibilities available with their premium paperboard, Invercote, which is “renewable, recyclable and completely biodegradable with a low climate impact.” It is made from leftover wood parts from Holmen’s sustainably managed forests, and the energy used in the manufacturing process is bio- or hydro-based.

Pinard Beauty Pack

At LPM, France-based Pinard Beauty Pack presented its first refill bottle range, called Pin Pack.

The trademarked Pin Pack is a new 100% recyclable solution which Pinard says “is positioned between the flexible refill bag and the Berlingot.”

The exhibitor explained that the Pin Pack “was born from a unique industrial know-how in bi-oriented injection blowing,” which offers the possibility of creating ultra-thin bottles and which demonstrates the main strength of plastic: Its excellent weight/strength ratio.

Further, Pinard says that the aim of the Pin Pack was to create packaging which was also “an example of an eco-designed product, not limited to recyclability but taking into account each stage of the product’s life cycle.” The entire life cycle of the Pin Pack has been designed to minimize its environmental impact, from its design to its end of life. The bottle’s unique design differs from traditional cosmetic bottles, but is recognizable as a refill by the consumer. Pinard describes its shape as “above all the choice of an optimized design with an industrial and modern style, which highlights the functionality of the product.” Ergonomically, it offers a better grip than soft pockets, “which are generally not very stable.” Its light weight allows good restitution of the product and a “good crushing” after use.

Procos

Procos is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and presented its Grace Box at Luxe Pack Monaco. Elegant, refined and eco-responsible, the box “embodies the perfect fusion of strength and lightness, offering an incomparable experience each time it’s opened,” said Leander Kritikos, CEO of Procos. He added that the box, which is made of eco-friendly materials, “pushes the boundaries of sustainability.”

Three versions are available: a lacquered version with a magnetic closure, a single-material version without a magnet in two colors and two constructions (Construction 1: Box + lid; Construction 2: Box with groove + lid). At the core of the “Grace Box” is an innovative composition made mainly from ultra-condensed recycled brown cardboard. This ensures that this new box is fully recyclable and reusable, depending on the finish, significantly reducing plastic waste and its harmful impact on the environment.

Pujolasos—Matsos

At LPM, Pujolasos introduced what they call “their new sustainable brand” called Matsos.

Long known as experts in the design and manufacturing of sustainable wood packaging solutions for the beauty industry, Pujolasos presented its latest innovation, “Renew,” as part of the launch of its new brand, Matsos.

Angel Pujolasos, CSO at Pujolasos said Matsos is committed to creating sustainable solutions through innovation, reuse, and the circular economy, with the aim of promoting responsible and eco-friendly consumer behavior.

What makes Renew truly groundbreaking according to the manufacturer is its ability to transform waste from “one of the world’s most polluting industries into high-quality perfume closures.” This unique initiative brings together two seemingly separate but intimately connected industries: fashion and luxury perfumery, as each cap created with Renew is made from recycled materials such as textiles, leather, wood and cork.

Pusterla 1880

Pusterla 1880 displayed the first examples of its “glocalization” project with global client L’Oréal. The two companies are working together to regionalize production of its rigid gift-sets, and holiday boxes for Lancôme and Armani were the first to undergo the move.

Teams in France and the U.S. worked hand-in-hand to move production from France to New York for sets that will be distributed to the American market. The newly-named Pusterla U.S., (formerly known as Burt Rigid Box), produced the sets to be 100% identical to sets made by Pusterla France. This glocalization project reduces L’Oréal’s carbon footprint, shortens time to market and creates a more secure supply chain with full capability redundancy on both sides of the ocean, while maintaining the exacting standards of the L’Oréal brand. 

Quadpack

Quadpack highlighted a way for brands to add a “wow” to their formula with the exhibitor’s new, refillable ShapeUp Stick, that delivers product in a personalized shape.

According to Quadpack, it’s “the ultimate interaction between pack, formula and consumer.” Thanks to a custom design plate, the 12.5ml stick dispenses high-viscosity formulas in just about any shape or form—a logo, a symbol or any geometric pattern that adds meaning and helps tell a story.

What’s more, as an airtight solution for skincare and makeup formulas, it protects the product from drying out, keeping the formula fresh, every time. The bulk is actuated through a twist gesture in a personalized shape, which is then picked up with a swipe or stamping gesture—perfect for fun content on Instagram or TikTok.

ShapeUp Stick is easily refillable and recyclable and available with recycled content. The whole pack is mono-material PP, while the cap and base can be made of PCR PP. It can be used for moisturizer, foundation, blush, highlighter and many other formulations.

Quadpack also highlighted its Woodacity wooden cosmetics range.

SGD Pharma

SGD Pharma presented a number of high-end glass packaging innovations, including its exclusive Constellations range of premium glass products and exclusive decoration capabilities.

The exhibitor also presented its new range of pharmaceutical-grade fragrance mini samplers alongside its eco-designed full packaging solution Eclipse refillable glass jar. SGD Pharma says that the Eclipse refillable glass jar is “a versatile and sustainable option” for a wide range of beauty and wellness products, offering simple replacement and recycling ease. This eco-designed full packaging solution features a twist and lock system which allows the inner plastic capsule to be easily loosened and secured to the glass jar without any adhesive or tools. 

SGD Pharma also highlighted their collaborative development of a range of standard size mini-sampler vials available plain or with crisp, customized ceramic ink labels. SGD Pharma offers standard vials in 1.5-, 2.0 -and 2.6ml which are readily available and can be custom silkscreened in 19 monochrome PMS colors, including grey and black. The mini sampler sizes can be supplied to customers in North America, Europe and Asia.

Stoelzle

At Luxe Pack Monaco, Stoelzle introduced their inner lacquering decoration technique for glass fragrance bottles. According to a representative at the show, “The water-based technique is a revolutionary approach exclusive to our company, aligning with eco-friendly practices in the industry, that coats the bottle’s interior.”

In this way, Stoelzle says the interior of the bottle is “elevated,” providing a distinctive enhancement, defining glass bottle aesthetics by focusing on the interior surface. This technique allows precise control over the bottle’s shape, depth, and thickness. Despite direct contact with the liquid product inside, the unique formulation of the lacquer prevents any fragrance transference, even with alcohol-containing products, eliminating the need for an internal pocket. The lacquer’s formulation, free from CMRs and SVHCs is in-house crafted, allowing for customization.

Texen

Texen offered a number of beautiful packages at LPM, particularly in fragrance. One of the standouts was the bottle and cap for the new Yves Saint Laurent men’s fragrance MYSLF.

For this major launch, the house of YSL chose “an ultra-premium,” refillable pack, and counted on Texen for the development of a specific cap that required numerous technical and esthetic challenges—as well as an eco-design.

With an understated, minimalistic look, the EDP with woody notes, is available in three formats with an identical, subtle, and highly technical cap.

Once the body of the cap and its insert were injected, each component was decorated and assembled in-line—and the finished product delivered pre-assembled to the brand. The YSL logo is engraved inside the insert and on top of the cap, both perfectly aligned with the cap and the face of the bottle.

Virospack

The new Duo Dose Dropper System, by Virospack, offers an easier accurate, dosage of the product, for a variety of skincare formulations such as lotions, creams, oils and serum.

The package was designed for user-friendly application, with a clear indicator in the push button, making it convenient to measure and dispense the required dosage of product (0.3- or 0.7ml).

With this more precise fixed dose, it is possible to customize the use of the product according to the type of skin (oily or dry skin), period of application (day or night), or even according to the climate or season of the year. In addition, brands can personalize the decoration, with techniques that range from painting to metallization in a custom color.

Save the Dates for Luxe Pack 2024

The next edition of Luxe Pack Monaco will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2024.

The next edition of Luxe Pack Los Angeles will be held February 14-15 at the LA Convention Center. It will be co-located with MakeUp in LosAngeles.