London design studio Blond has developed a range of sustainable packaging products for skincare brand Daisyface, featuring flower-shaped aluminium vessels that contain recyclable refills.
Blond was asked by Daisyface founder Daisy Schaffer to create containers with a premium look and feel that would help elevate the brand and catch the eye of consumers.
"The aesthetic is unique and stands out in a busy marketplace," said Blond founder and creative director James Melia of the packaging's organic outline, which allows multiple pieces to nest neatly together.
Designed to evoke the shape of a daisy's head, the products had to be attractive enough to be retained and reused over and over, as well as looking good at home.
"We wanted to create something beautiful and long-lasting that people would be happy to have sitting out on a shelf or a vanity unit rather than tossing it in a drawer," Melia told Dezeen.
The designer added that the choice of materials and the attention paid to the quality of the mechanism and refill vessel could be justified in the context of reusable packaging.
"Refillables are pointless if the main vessel breaks after four or five uses," Melia said. "This product has to last much longer which is why it is intelligently engineered and made from quality materials."
The packaging comprises a "forever vessel" made from deep-drawn aluminium, with a custom-designed airless pump in one half and a refillable bottle in the other.
This manufacturing method minimises the amount of material required to create a shape with perfectly straight edges. It also limits the number of tools and processes needed to create vessels in different heights to suit the various skincare products.
The aluminium is treated with an anodised finish to give the products a scientific feel, while the choice of sage green reflects Daisyface's plant-based ingredients and was chosen for its neutral, universal appeal.
The design brief called for "an innovative and sustainable delivery system" which led Blond to develop an integrated airless pump that is concealed within the main container.
Whereas many other cosmetic refills feature mechanisms that make them impossible to recycle, the inclusion of the pump allows Daisyface to provide refills in recyclable bottles made from a single material.
"The airless pump, a naturally complex system, was designed and developed to be completely invisible, while being as sustainable and intuitive as possible," Melia explained.
"The outcome pushes the boundaries of premium refills in a way that is suited to Daisyface's mission and product quality."
The refills are accessed by pulling apart the two halves of the magnetised container. The bottom half contains the refill bottles, with the pump occupying the top part.
The dispenser heads sit flush with the top of the packaging when not in use, appearing as a coloured circle like the disk at the centre of a daisy. A simple half-turn raises the head so the product can be used.
The various products all utilise the same dispenser heads, which can be produced with a single mould. Different colours chosen to complement the main container help to distinguish between the eye cream, toner, exfoliator, cleanser, face cream and SPF.
James Melia founded Blond in 2015 as a studio with a conscious design approach that focuses on the social, economic and environmental impact of the projects it works on.
The east London-based studio has previously created products including a high-end heat pump and packaging for a refillable deodorant, as well as a minimalist bank card for financial services startup Revolut.
The photography is courtesy of Daisycare.