Cosmetic packaging is typically viewed as being more immune than other sectors to two things: recessions & environmental issues. In times of economic difficulty, sales of make up & other products traditionally remain buoyant. They are viewed as "luxury" items & likely to be bought as gifts or as a treat regardless of what's happening on the stock market. This can be advantageous for glass as luxury packaging needs to feel expensive & in customers' minds that means heavy, so lightweighting has not traditionally been at the top of luxury brand owners lists. At the recent Luxepack exhibition, Hot Fix was on display. This is a system which automates the application of Swarovski crystals on to a pack. The stones are placed on to a transportation material in the desired pattern that is then transferred to the pack using a method of heat transfer similar to foil blocking.
