Trendwatch: To wrap or not to wrap?

Jo Malone’s PomegranateNoir and Green Almond & Redcurrant colognes in limited-edition bottles

 

In this season of gift-giving, the wrapping—or lack of it—is almost as crucial as what’s being wrapped.

Jo Malone, the famous London perfumer, has tapped fashion designer Jonathan Saunders to design its bold, bright, multi-patterned and crazy colorful Christmas gift boxes, such that the boxes feel like presents in themselves.

The Saunders collectible boxes come in square, round, rectangular, triangular and pentagon shapes, in varied prints and colors—floral, candy stripes, chevron. Even the grosgrain gift ribbons come in varied patterns this season.

A new scent, Green Almond & Redcurrant, comes in an opaque pink bottle with green and white label with a white cap. Some classic scents, like English Pear & Freesia and Pomegranate Noir, come in limited black-and-white striped bottles with a golden cap.

A very British tradition, the Jo Malone Advent Calendar is in a similarly colorful “house” with 24 windows, each bearing a much-loved Jo Malone product, including colognes and candles.

 

Jo Malone Body Creme Collection

‘Naked’

Meanwhile, at another British brand, Lush Cosmetics is taking the exact opposite approach for holiday gifting. In its effort to be eco-conscious, the brand highlights its “Naked” products for holiday gifting— meaning, it has done away with the packaging of at least 80 percent of its season offerings.

Lush solid products like soaps, bath bombs and massage bars are formulated with very little to no water, such that they don’t need preservatives.

Lush has replaced the water content in these products with ingredients that stay solid in room temperature, so there’s no fear of bacteria growing in the products.

Lush also encourages the use of recyclable packaging for gifting. At the Lush boutiques, there are organic cotton Knot Wraps in colorful prints for wrapping furushiki-style, and these large scarves are reusable.

There are also reusable boxes and tins with festive prints to fill with Naked products.

Festive Jo Malone holiday packaging by Jonathan Saunders

Jo Malone London’s Crazy, Colorful Christmas Collection is now available at Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, SM Aura, SM Megamall, S Maison, Podium, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu and Okada.

Lush is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists Inc., with branches at Alabang Town Center, Bonifacio High Street, Estancia in Capitol Commons, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Robinsons Magnolia,
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, SM Mall of Asia and Trinoma.

 

Jo Malone Christmas miniature soap collection

 

 

Lush Christmas Candy Box

 

Lush Cosmetics’ Snow Fairy collection

 

Evergreen Christmas gift set
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