Great Products That Have Terrible Packaging
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Badly Packaged Beauty Products | Is it Worth It?

Great Products That Have Terrible Packaging

We all know it’s what’s on the inside that counts when it comes to the quality of a person. What about your makeup and skincare?

There are some really beautiful, high-quality products on the market that have the unfortunate circumstance of poor packaging. Some of these products are new. Others have been around since the dawn of time and still haven’t been addressed. I’ve gathered up several products I like/love but abhor the packaging (including some I couldn’t even photograph because they had to go in the bin thanks to their packaging!) to break down if they’re worth the faff, and if I would repurchase.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup* was easily the first and possibly most iconic product on this list! This glass-bottled wonder foundation has been around since 1997. With loads of new shades added in 2o18, it still isn’t sold with a pump. Now I know the MAC pump fits (because I use it with mine) and Estee Lauder now sells their own pump specifically for it. Why should the consumer have to spend an additional $12-15 to make this product user-friendly? Pouring it out sans pump equals a messy, wasted product experience. If I didn’t love this foundation so much, I simply wouldn’t bother.

Would I Repurchase: Begrudgingly yes, because it truly is an amazing foundation.

How Could They Make It Better: Pump included please!


The Indeed Labs Mineral Booster is my latest skincare purchase. While lovely, it’s clearly the case of the wrong package for the job when it comes to the dropper dispenser. The serum itself is rather thick, almost lotion-like; A pipette struggles to suck up the product which causes me to attempt several times before getting enough for an application.

Would I Repurchase: No. I don’t feel the product outweighs the packaging flaws currently. It’s a nice serum but doesn’t move mountains for my like Indeed Labs Hydraluron (which comes in an appropriate squeeze tube).

How Could They Make It Better: While I love the trendy frosted glass bottle, this viscosity of product needs a pump, preferably airless.


 

Speaking of dropper-style bottles, let’s talk about CoverFx Custom Enhancer Drops, shall we? Look how weathered my bottle looks. It sits in a drawer standing up, with no other products rubbing against it. It’s not in a makeup bag that gets toted around. It’s so worn I can barely read the labelling, just from… existing. Then there is the messy pipette that somehow gets the pearly goodness inside, everywhere, and always dispenses way too much.

Would I Repurchase: No. Not only is the packaging messy, but it leads to the product not ageing well. It becomes not nearly as fluid and blendable as it is originally. When I pulled this out to use recently (well within expiry I might add!) it just wouldn’t move and spread on my skin, and instead clung to ever spot I tried to apply it to.

How Could They Make It Better: The liquid nature of this product leads me to think it wouldn’t work well with a pump unless it was styled to dispense very slowly. Otherwise, it needs high-quality labelling and a more secure dropped that doesn’t allow the product to leak inside the cap.

 

Great Products That Have Terrible Packaging

Not to hate, but the Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix* makes a second strike with Estee Lauder for me. I love the Advanced Night Repair range thoroughly. Like the aforementioned foundation, this is just a case of the wrong packaging for the job. The bottle is glass, and the way you dispense the product is to pull out the wand to apply. This inevitably means loads will be left in the bottle when you no longer can move the wand around enough to reach the corners. Why on earth this is glass when the other ANR products are in plastic is beyond me, and there is no way to access the product without using the wand.

Would I Repurchase: No, mainly due to how poor the packaging works to get the good stuff on my skin.

How Could They Make It Better:  Get rid of the glass packaging and give us a pump.


 

Moving on to a product I adore, the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter*. I actually love the look of this packaging, and the doe foot applicator does work. However, I wonder about the longevity of the product and keeping it fresh and usable over time. I find a lot of Charlotte’s packaging erring on the side of unique and glamour, but sadly impacting the end goal (which is to be something people enjoy putting on their face).

Would I Repurchase: Yes, because the product is stunning.

How Could They Make It Better: Toss the doe foot and give us a pump like a glass bottled foundation would have. Oh, and please make the pump unscrew on glass bottles so we can get every last drop of goodness.

 

Not pictured, but most definitely worth mentioning:


  • The Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Oil – I’ve had the so-called newly designed bottle and it still leaks everywhere. This is a beautiful cleansing oil. I sadly just can’t stomach throwing half-used bottles out because they get so grotty.
  • Rimmel Stay Matte Powder – I actually love this powder and used to use it all day every day. BUT it cannot be kept anywhere other than a drawer because the lid always cracks, and it doesn’t stay on (there’s no hinge, snap or anything to keep it in place).
  • Any palette that pairs lip products with powder products. It just doesn’t work people.
  • Bobbi Brown Gel Liners – I have never owned one of these where the gel doesn’t dry out from the lid not screwing on tightly.

 

What product do you like, but hate the packaging for?

 


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