For the ninth generation of its Double Serum, Clarins has teamed up with Aptar Beauty to completely redesign the bottle for its flagship product. The new packaging, the fruit of more than three years' development, embodies the technical expertise, innovative capacity and industrial strength of Aptar, a global specialist in beauty distribution systems.

The result is a patented dual-chamber bottle that gives the illusion of being suspended in a transparent body. This system embeds two distinct phases - hydrous and lipidic - which mix together at the moment of application. The tailor-made pump offers progressive dosing, from a single drop to a dab of product: turning the knob to the right delivers progressive dosing, while turning the knob to the left locks the dispensing system.

The new case is also distinguished by its eco-responsible design. According to Clarins, it contains 94 % of recyclable materials and 24 % of recycled materials.¹ of recycled materials. Some 85% of the total product weight contains recycled PET (R-PET²) chemical and mechanical, including the double-chamber bottle and push-button. Aptar Beauty's Custom team rose to the challenge of decorating these recycled materials with a quality equivalent to luxury standards. ABS plastic was replaced by PET for key parts.

Made-to-measure

This tailor-made solution is an example of the dual sourcing service that Aptar Beauty can deploy for custom projects, thanks to synergies between its plants in Oyonnax, Charleval and Verneuil, as well as other industrial sites such as Le Neubourg (France) and Chieti (Italy). These interconnections help to secure manufacturing and logistics, right through to delivery of the final product. Aptar Beauty also relies on a well-established network of French subcontracting partners.

The Custom Beauty teams bring together all Aptar's know-how - in design, engineering, manufacturing technologies, decoration and logistics - to offer unique solutions for the luxury market. 

For Clarins Double Serum, numerous molds were developed and qualified at two different sites, requiring several fully automated machines. The four formats (30, 50, 75 and 100 ml) were developed simultaneously, grouping common sub-assemblies for greater efficiency.

"We are very proud of this latest edition of Clarins' iconic Double Serum, for which we worked hand in hand with the customer, from creative concept to delivery of the finished product. This project embodies the full potential of our made-to-measure "Custom" business, our technical expertise and our manufacturing synergies."says Florence Muh, Director of Customer Service & Development at Aptar Beauty.

<sub>1. At least 40% of mechanical recycled resin or chemical recycled resin ISCC (Mass Balance)
2. Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate</sub>

To mark the first anniversary of LVERS, Louis Vuitton has unveiled an ultra-limited edition of its iconic fragrance, the result of a collaboration between Pharrell Williams and master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. 

To enhance this fragrance: a pure copper bottle, the result of high-precision work by Artema Firenze craftsmen and the technical expertise of the Texen group, a benchmark player in luxury packaging.

"Inspired by the regenerating energy of the sun, LVERS reinvents itself through an objet d'art that reflects light, warmth and vitality. The fragrance captures the sun's abstraction in a holistic, sensory composition, composed of lively essences such as galbanum, cedarwood, sandalwood, bergamot and ginger, for an elixir of well-being that is both subtle and profound."says Texen.

The copper bottle, a tribute to the metal plates found on the trunks of 19th-century explorers, revisits the codes of the Louis Vuitton house. It is handcrafted using the lost-wax technique by Artema Firenze's master foundrymen. The Texen group was chosen to ensure perfect compatibility between the metal and the fragrance formula.

Flex" technology in the spotlight

To preserve the olfactory integrity of the juice and avoid any contact with copper, Texen has designed and developed a specific internal protective coating inserted by hand into each bottle.

This coating consists of a multi-layer flexible film guaranteeing watertightness and compatibility.Exclusively developed by the Group's experts to perfectly match the shape of the bottle, a pocket head has been positioned with millimetric precision at the neck. 

A true feat of engineering in the service of aesthetics, this customized solution combines performance, durability and discretion. Already used by the Texen Group to produce innovative, made-to-measure packs, this "Flex" technology opens up a whole new world of possibilities. 

"Thanks to its expertise in the design of innovative components and its ability to solve complex problems, the Group is strengthening the functional and sustainable dimension of an object designed to stand the test of time.the company says.

Since the acquisition of the Capardoni group by the Meazza family in 2003, this Italian SME operating in the packaging sector has multiplied its strategic acquisitions: no less than seven companies have been bought out in fifteen years (Packplast, Cosmar, B&B, Guiros, Novapack, Packtrade and recently Capsol, in November 2024). The result: sales in excess of €50 million, with a workforce of 149. 

The company, historically based in Gorgonzola near Milan, is now able to serve the beauty, perfumery, pharmaceutical and food sectors, with a wide and differentiated range of packaging.

An integrated offer, between standards and exclusive creations

Capardoni intends to guarantee total industrial control of its processes: mold design and manufacture, management of renewable energy sources, in-house manufacturing in Italy. 

Its portfolio includes standard and customized packaging for skin care (jars, glass and plastic bottles), nail polish (complete solutions), perfumery (customizable bottles and caps), hair and body care (PE, PET, PETG bottles), as well as innovations for the food segment, notably caps for aluminum tubes.

"One of Capardoni's strong points is supplying customized packaging: our customers come to us with an idea, and we develop exactly what they're looking for. But, increasingly, we are also launching standard packaging, analyzing market trends so that we can offer interesting solutions that are immediately available. This is crucial: the market is changing so fast that responsiveness is essential for our customers, explains Filippo Meazza, Vice-President Sales and Marketing. We avoid materials that are difficult to recycle at the end of their life cycle.

Innovation and sustainability

In recent years, the company has stepped up the pace of innovation in response to changing usage and regulatory pressure. Recent launches include:

• Tottle Nevis 30 ml: a compact, all-purpose bottle, ideal for liquid or creamy formulas such as foundations, serums and hair care products. Made in HDPE or PP.
• PP single-material dropper: an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional models, made entirely of polypropylene (even the tube), which simplifies collection and recycling, while reducing the risk of breakage during production and shipping.
• Diamond" dropper: uniquely designed dropper with diamond-shaped tip, offering an ergonomic and precise grip, 100 % PP.
• Ruby panstick: a compact, single-material skincare stick designed to diversify cosmetic applications beyond lip balm (skincare, make-up, masks).
• Chico: a new designer glass bottle with a rounded base, designed to hold foundation and serums.
• FlipTop "360° security" flip-top cap: a patented, anti-theft, tamper-proof innovation designed for e-commerce. Once screwed on, it can no longer be unscrewed, avoiding the use of shrink sleeves which ensure product tamper evidence.

The merger between Capardoni and Capsol has enabled us to develop more sustainable packaging solutions than those already on the market, such as the single-material PP dropper or the FlipTop cap, which fully preserves product integrity.

Capardoni also offers wood and r-PP stoppers in various colors. "At the moment, there's a lot of recycled plastic on the market. But this poses a lot of problems for us, especially when it comes to color. Our market, especially the make-up and skincare market, is very colorful. So when you tell the customer that you can only get dark colors, they're not always very happy. So we tested and selected an r-PP material which contains 70 % of post-consumer recycled plastic, and which can perfectly match the pantone color the customer needs. In fact, the recycling system sets aside all the white and natural recycled plastic, enabling us to obtain the Pantone color required by the customer. So we're able to go beyond the dark color and get any color the customer wants.explains Filippo Meazza.

Capardoni sets its course for sustainability:

• Massive integration of post-consumer recycled plastics in its industrial processes.
• Use of renewable energies, installation of photovoltaic panels, and ISO 14001 certification.
• Validation of its climate targets by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
• In January 2024, the company was awarded the EcoVadis Silver Medal, placing it in the top 15% worldwide for corporate social responsibility.

A partnership with Intimissimi 

Intimissimi, a brand known for its lingerie collections, called on Capardoni to love its perfumes, beauty kits and home fragrances, which are appreciated by customers. "Of course, Intimissimi's core business is not perfume or cosmetics, but the brand is starting to invest more in this category, particularly as a gift idea or as part of promotional offers. The aim is to accompany the end customer and stimulate sales through this type of product".explains Filippo Meazza.

Two fragrances have been created for a men's fragrance. They are presented in a 50 ml black-lacquered glass bottle, decorated with a monochrome silk-screen print, with a weighted cap. For the women's fragrance, Intimissimi has chosen the standard 50 ml bottle with a round cap.

Quadpack's Kierspe plant in Germany expands its injection molding facilities to include PET and PCR single-component lip gloss bottles.

Packaging manufacturer and supplier Quadpack has invested in new equipment to manufacture PET lip gloss bottles at its flagship plant in Kierspe, Germany. This initiative capitalizes on the company's know-how in thick-walled PET injection molding, and diversifies its product range towards make-up. The plant currently manufactures and decorates jars, bottles and airless packaging for skin care and make-up, and its customer base is mainly European. Thanks to this project, Quadpack will be able to cut production time while reducing the carbon footprint of one of its most important product categories.

"There's a gap in the market for dip-in packaging suitable for products containing a high proportion of alkanes, including 6-ml lip gloss solutions made entirely of PET. We are now in a position to meet this demand in the region for the majority of our customers, while strengthening our references in the make-up sector."explains Pierre-Antoine Henry, Senior Director - Marketing, Innovation & Strategic Development.

The new equipment is dedicated to the manufacture of single-material dip-in lip gloss bottles, made from recyclable PET with high PCR content options.

Quadpack's dip-in packaging is an example of its hybrid model, which is the result of design and manufacturing collaboration with strategic partners worldwide: the bottles are manufactured locally, then complemented by a wide range of the brand's state-of-the-art applicators. "This is an important step in bridging the gap between Asian technology, costs and know-how, and European manufacturing expertise."says Pierre-Antoine Henry.