Innovation Awards spotlight | Mascara ARMANI Vertigo Lift
In December 2025, our prestigious jury — featuring leading names including Chanel, Dior, PUIG, Interparfums, and many more — came together to evaluate the entries for the PCD Innovation Awards. The winners were then unveiled, celebrated, and honoured at the inaugural Innovation Awards Gala, held on the eve of Paris Packaging Week 2026.
The project brief was double, aiming to redefine the Armani mascara experience. The primary objective was to introduce a disruptive packaging design with a sculptural form, breaking away from previous brand conventions to project a more modern image to the consumer. This new shape had to be paired with an innovative brush capable of reaching every single lash.
The second core objective was a significant material innovation: creating the entire pack from Polypropylene (PP). This was a mandatory shift away from traditional materials like ABS, which are now restricted, requiring us to deliver a luxury aesthetic and feel within new sustainability and regulatory constraints.
How did the pack fulfil the brief?
The pack fulfilled the brief by overcoming two major technical challenges:
1. Mastering Polypropylene for Luxury Design: The sculpted, thick-walled cap design presented a significant challenge in PP due to the high risk of sink marks and surface imperfections. The solution required a deep optimization of the injection molding process. Through meticulous adjustments to the mold design and a highly controlled cooling cycle, we were able to manage the material’s behavior and achieve a flawless, premium finish.
2. The “Infinity-Loop” Brush Innovation: The innovative brush was engineered to deliver on the promise of reaching every lash. Its unique twisted geometry is designed to coat the formula evenly around the bristles, capturing both short and long lashes from root to tip. It holds the optimal amount of product for dramatic impact, delivering up to +5mm in perceived length without clumping or flaking.
Why do you believe this pack deserves to win an Innovation Award?
This pack deserves the award for successfully merging sustainability with uncompromised luxury, by mastering a challenging mono-material PP design that is fully recyclable. It redefines makeup performance with its innovative “Infinity-Loop” brush, proving that eco-conception can elevate both the aesthetic and the user experience.
Who did you work with on this project?
Suppliers :
Primary pack : ALBEA
Brush : SIMP/ALBEA
Wiper : SIMP
Filling & Packing : Usine L’Oréal de Lassigny (BRI)
L’Oréal team :
Dev produit : Perrine METIVIER
C&A : Rafik KERBOUSSA
Pack engineering : Nicolas LINSALE
Tech Design : Ronan GUILLOUX
Pack usine BRI : Edouard DELESPIERRE
Qualif compatibility : MAËLYS UTARD
Advanced pack: Gianluca LA MONTANA
