Business of Beauty

MakeUp in Paris 2026: Minis, Foodification and Asian Influence

Cool Color's metal mascara brush won the packaging award at MakeUp in Paris 2026, where minis, foodification and Asian-driven innovation dominated the 16th edition at Carrousel de Louvre.

Updated

MakeUp in Paris 2026 Reveals Shifting Packaging Trends
MakeUp in Paris 2026 Reveals Shifting Packaging TrendsTunisia_Photos / Openverse

The takeaway

  • Cool Color's metal mascara brush won the packaging Innovation & Trends Award; Arcade Beauty's ThermoShade was runner-up.
  • Show Director Asmaa Cherraff-Bonneville identified strong Asian influence and emotional beauty as defining themes of the 16th edition, held June 17 at Carrousel de Louvre.
  • Mono-material packaging, mini formats with phone chains, and 'foodification' drove supplier launches ahead of PPWR legislation.

Cool Color's metal mascara brush won the packaging Innovation & Trends Award at MakeUp in Paris 2026, with Arcade Beauty taking runner-up for ThermoShade, a single-material sampling technology for pressed powder formulas. The show's 16th edition opened June 17 at Carrousel de Louvre and ran two days, drawing exhibitors from Italy, Poland, Korea, France, the U.S., UK, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Over 100 entries competed in this record-breaking edition across four categories—Formulation, Contract Manufacturing, Packaging and Accessories—plus two new special awards, Full Service and Ready to Market.

"Beauty is becoming more emotional, with emphasis both on packaging as well as the product," said Asmaa Cherraff-Bonneville, Show Director, MakeUp in Paris. "Beauty is now a mix of color, ingredients, primary packaging, and sustainability." Cherraff-Bonneville said Asia continues to drive innovation, from formulations to tools, and that this year's show reflected a strong Asian influence on beauty.

Trend-Spotting: Minis, Chains and Potato Heads

Color broadcast through packaging itself—neons, pastels, multi-colors—dominated the floor. Mono-material packaging was in large supply as suppliers prepare for the pending European PPWR legislation.

Mini sizes stole the show. Small, novelty-type items came with chains that attach to a phone or handbag, holding take-along cosmetics and charms. CCS Industrial built an entire packaging line around "the couch potato," with potato-head packs and charms. One supplier said such collections could work as promotional or gift sets for non-beauty brands, appealing to a younger audience. There was also talk of a trend toward mass over premium as brands court Gen-Z and Alpha consumers.

Small sizes must deliver big impressions. Consumers want the same look and feel as full-size packs for on-the-go use, boosting demand for standout lip packaging and applicators.

"Foodification" also emerged—naming and packaging that appeals to the senses through food cues.

Exhibitor Highlights

Anisa International. Founder & CEO Anisa Telwar Kaicker targeted "prosumers" with travel artistry tools, including the Multi-Level Retractable Brush, which combines three shapes into one twist-transformable, hygienic enclosed brush.

Arcade Beauty. ThermoShade comes in single- or four-blister formats. "ThermoShade delivers an experience identical to the retail product and is made from a single-material design," according to Arcade.

Brivaplast Group. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the supplier launched the NINETIES collection. "After the neon strobe of the eighties, we dive into a decade defined by raw attitude, digital dawn, and the effortless cool of the 'off-duty' icon," said Marketing Director Valentina Manera. Components feature glitter violet finishes, white silk-screen print, hot-stamped pink accents and round caps.

CCS Industrial. Marketing Specialist Rebecca Wang showed novelty cosmetics, sponges and charms for quick eye and lip fixes and sunscreen.

DY Packaging. The foundation-bottle specialist drew attention with premium multifunctional bottles and small sizes, offering full production, injection molding, printing and assembly.

Edelmann. Cédric Babron demonstrated new machinery using digital embellishment without tooling to mimic hot stamping and embossing, applying varnish "with perfect register" or a 3D effect that "can replicate a ribbon."

Essentia Beauty. Arianna Fagone presented a mascara system with six formulas and brushes matched to lash length and thickness, from long and thick to short and sparse.

ICONS Beauty Group. Marketing Manager Elita Kung said brands "are increasingly seeking lip packaging that stands out, especially when it comes to applicators that make everyday routines feel like an elevated and sensory experience." The Jelly Applicator's "smooth silicone tips deliver a pillowy, gel-soft feel," in stick, wand and pencil formats. Pebble-shaped tottles and the Airless Push Button Dropper in 10- and 15ml rounded out a PPWR-focused sustainable offer.

Libo. Emanuele Grasso showed the patented Bunny Stick, a slim press-button pack with a slanted tip for blush, highlighter, concealer, bronzer, suncare and deodorant, plus a liquid blush in PET with an integrated cushion sponge and three tip options.

Lumson. The Sunday Morning collection builds on Lumson's 100% PP lipstick, available in shiny and matte finishes straight from the mold—simplifying decoration and easing recycling. Silvia Losacco said the six decorated versions translate the skincare gourmand trend, in shades including Cherry Smoothie, Coconut Milk, Blueberry Pancakes and Honey Butter.

Nuon Medical. The beauty-tech supplier paired red light, vibration and massage across formats: the Nourish Scalp Roller Comb with 5ml reservoir, a Body Application Tube targeting sun-exposed skin, and the Contour Roller Applicator with four cooling metal beads.

Schwan Cosmetics. LIPLIFT (Skip-the-Filler Lifter Liner) combines long-wear color with clinically proven lip care, reflecting what Schwan calls "a broader shift away from instant plumping solutions toward long-term lip health." Sacré Beurre Butter Glide Eyeshadow Stick taps the foodification trend; Schwan cited forecasts that food-inspired beauty and multi-sensory formats will shape 2026 and beyond.

Édition Spéciale by Luxe Pack

The sustainability-focused event ran alongside the show. Materials included molded fiber and discarded grape vines from Planet of the Grapes, cut from industrial-scale rolls, and Shellworks' Vivomer, a vegan compostable material made from microbes that "behaves like plastic and feels like polymer," already used by Unilever's Wild deodorant brand. A Lancôme "bottle-box" in recycled paper and molded fiber by James Cropper looked luxe.

With PPWR looming and foodification forecast to define 2026, the show signaled where supplier roadmaps—and brand briefs—will concentrate next.

Source: Beauty Packaging

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Grace Kim

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Correspondent covering media and advertising at Eurasian Beauty Journal.

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