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Beauty Packaging Design Through Time: My Inspiration for Modern Luxury Makeup

Hi beauties,

For me, makeup has always been more than surface beauty; it’s a powerful expression of creativity, identity, and humanity. As a beauty historian, studying makeup history inspiration and the artistry of bygone eras has shaped how I see modern beauty today.

The products we carry are not just functional objects they are part of a much larger story. Every compact, lipstick, and palette is the result of centuries of beauty packaging design, evolving through time to become what we hold in our hands now. It’s truly history in your handbag.

Over the past 30 years, I’ve built a collection of thousands of vintage pieces, from Portobello Market discoveries to rare finds at Christie’s. Each one represents historical beauty inspiration and classic beauty design at its finest. These treasures continue to inform my work, inspiring luxury makeup packaging that feels both timeless and modern.

Rouge Experience is rooted in beauty heritage inspiration, blending past and present in my approach to packaging design. I took design inspiration from the most iconic pieces in my vintage collection, many of which were considered radical for their time, and still appear as startlingly modern, sustainable and enduringly beautiful today as the day they were made.

My collection has always informed both my creative work and my own brand, and the jewel of my collection is Audrey Hepburn’s beloved Lipstick holder, which partly inspired the design and personalisation option of my Rouge Experience lipstick.

With customisable etched initials, each piece becomes uniquely yours, a piece of statement lipstick packaging that feels personal and enduring.

My Eyeshadow Palettes were years in the making! I was inspired by treasures in my vintage collection, the palette itself is the most beautiful, refillable slim and elegant compact and almost feels like one of those gorgeous 1930s makeup or elegant cigarette cases. The mirrored, slim, aluminium soft gold compact is rooted in my appreciation of the past, yet it has a thoroughly modern approach.

For me, the inspiration behind makeup packaging often begins with the past. When I study vintage pieces, I’m not just looking at how they were made, but I'm always thinking about how they made women feel at the time, confident, expressive, and completely themselves.

This is how I approach makeup packaging design: It’s about taking those extraordinary references and reimagining them in a way that feels relevant, meaningful, and beautiful today.

Love, Lisa Xx