As budgets tighten, people are buying luxury branded packaging to give the illusion of wealth without spending a fortune. From that iconic Hermès orange to Tiffany’s duck-egg-blue boxes, aesthetically pleasing packaging has become a covetable must-have and entry-level marker of luxury.

With aspirations to be ‘the Patagonia of the beauty industry’, Fluff is an ethical Australian cosmetics brand tapping Gen Zers. Its art deco-style refillable packaging, candid approach to beauty, and focus on keeping things simple shows how to engage mindful young consumers without the fluff.

As more plastic, paper and cardboard ends up in our rivers, oceans and landfill, people are looking at ways that they can cut back on packaging. How can shoppers achieve this and what is the grocery industry doing about it?

Long used to store everything from booze to grains to medical specimens, glass packaging is experiencing a resurgence in the beauty sector. But why are contemporary buyers drawn to products encased in this ancient and fragile material? And how can glass packaging influence perceptions of brands?