It's all about the Package

When I buy products, packaging is super important. If there are small differences in quality, what sets apart the competition?


For example, some recent make up purchases:




There are many blushes out there, but this Jill Stuart one is the prettiest. So I bought it.

A little pricey. But in Asia, even the drug store cosmetics are great quality. Shiseido, Kanebo, etc. all have many sub brands.

I bought this two-way foundation case (by Majolica Majorca -a sub-brand of Shiseido). A pretty gold case with intricate design:




Lucky for me, I can buy the case separately. I ended up buying a different product to put inside.



It didn't fit exactly, but a little 3M tape does the trick.


And they also sell an eyeshadow/blush compact.




The cosmetic product itself is in my opinion, average, but I love the packaging and the fact that I can personalize my colors. I much prefer this over pre-selected color palattes.




My next example/obsession, is buying magazines. I love free gifts! I've only seen this in Asia. And I'm so spoiled by it that I won't buy it if there isn't a gift. Here's my recent collection:


Marie Claire Taiwan with free Mineral Powder Blush, kabuki brush and tinted moisturizer:



Sweet Magazine from Japan with free Jill Stuart pouch:



And I had mentioned my InRed magazine already in my Okinawa post with the free Marc Jacobs wristlets.



Jessica magazine from Hong Kong with free ostrich print/texture pouch. I use it to hold my passport. It fits exactly.



Beauty magazine from Taiwan with many many product samples for skin care. I've used some, so it's not all shown here.



TopShop magazine with clutch purse. Ok, this one is cheating a little bit because it's more of a fashion catalogue for this brand.



Since there are so many choices. I've tried to become more practical and buy the magazines with the freebies that I'll actually use. I've seen a lot of nice stuff like mirrors, make up pouches, hair accessories, etc. And once in awhile I see name brand products including Coach and Chloe. Sometimes it's really tempting to buy them all!

But I don't


Third example,

Hey you...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!


Here's a little something I got you...




are you curious, excited and drooling all at the same time?

No?

Why not? There could be a brand new ipod video in there for you.



Because, this is more like it!




This has happened to me before. Someone hands me a gift that couldn't bother to be wrapped other than in the bag from the store they bought it from or some bag sitting around at home so that I wouldn't know where they bought it from.

I'd say mostly men do this as it's not in their nature to pay attention to detail.

My point is, to me and a lot of people, packaging is VERY important. First impressions are important. Even if all that's inside is a lipstick or some chocolates.


They say, don't judge a book by it's cover. But I do, literally.

I'll buy a book if I like the cover. Of course I also read the back to make sure it sounds interesting. But the cover should capture the essence.

In a world where there's so much competition, detail is important!

-hatai-sa ;)
愛包裝