Cosmetic products applicator

Abstract

The applicator for cosmetic products, or lipstick, is a double ply card with an embossed pattern that retains a sample of cosmetic, primarily lipstick. The pattern includes projections from a top ply and a bottom ply opposite the top ply. The pattern shears lipstick from a source onto the applicator. Additionally, the sample can be deposited onto the top ply similar to printing. This applicator also has the cosmetic sample retained within projections upon the top ply that separates from the bottom ply affixed to a card or magazine page. In use a woman folds the applicator, moves it to her mouth, and transfers the sample to her lips.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This non provisional patent application claims priority to the Continuation-in-Part patent application having Ser. No. 11 / 899,720, which was filed on Sep. 7, 2007, which claims priority to the non provisional patent application Ser. No. 11 / 190,752, which was filed on Jul. 27, 2005, which claims priority to the provisional patent application having Ser. No. 60 / 598,013, which was filed on Aug. 2, 2004.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This applicator for cosmetic products relates to sampling devices and more specifically to a two ply card for mailing cosmetic samples in separate mailers or within a printed publication. A unique aspect of the present applicator is an embossed field upon the top ply that collects a sample of a cosmetic and that is then heat sealed to a bottom ply.[0003]People have adorned themselves with perfumes, colognes, powders, mascaras, and other cosmetics for centuries. Samples of a cosmetic encourage more sales to discr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]The preferred embodiment of the cosmetic products applicator is a dual ply applicator upon a release liner that affixes the applicator to a card, a magazine, a mail piece, or other means of conveyance. The applicator has a top ply, a base ply, and a release liner, each with its own function. The top ply has a pattern embossed downwardly so that the bosses, or projections, abut the base ply located below the top ply. The top ply is heat sealed upon the perimeter of the base ply as both the top ply and the base play have the same shape. The base ply then has an adhesive layer opposite the top ply for placing the applicator upon the release liner. Then in an alternate embodiment, the applicator is a single ply card with an embossed pattern that retains a sample of lipstick. The pattern forms a friction field that shears lipstick when applied directly from a tube onto the applicator. Also, the pattern assists in visually targeting the deposit of a cosmetic upon the applicator.

Problems solved by technology

However, women approach some cosmetic products skeptically, like lipstick.

Multiple uses of a cosmetic sampler invite customer complaints.

The miniature versions remain subject to contamination at the retail counter.

Further, cosmetic suppliers still incur the cost of producing and distributing the miniature samples for each of the color or product line variations.

These alternatives when used commercially caused messes, inconvenienced customers, and proved ineffective.

This product was produced on wide web offset printing equipment and therefore offered significant cost efficiencies for mass marketing.

However, this was still a dry sample since the moisture in the deposited fragrance slurry would quickly wick into the paper substrate and leave the product sample dry.

The draw back with this product was that it did not replicate the actual wet perfume product very well.

The draw back of this product is that the fragrance material is often forced into and through the seal areas under pressure from the stacking forces of many magazines or inserts in distribution.

The Greenland concept also adds additional material cost and slows the process as the liquid plastic material needs to be deposited and bonded to the top and bottom ply.

Further, the hot liquid plastic material introduces foreign odor and can contaminate the cosmetic or fragrance sampling material.

Also, this sampler uses screen printing and is not capable of delivering a wet liquid dose of cosmetic material.

Again, this sampler is not designed to deliver a wet fragrance.

Further no embossing is envisioned to hold a cosmetic dose or to create seal wall integrity.

This does not create a wet fragrance sampler and no seals by embossing that will contain a wet cosmetic sample.

This product is not pressure sensitive has no embossed wells or seal walls and does not deliver a wet sample.

This product does not render a wet sample and create wells or seal walls either.

The difficulty in providing a removable sampler is shown by the operation of a typical product sample at a cosmetics counter, or department store.

However, most cosmetic suppliers produce about 150 shades of lipstick, making individual counter display and sampling impractical and expensive.

During testing, some samples may render a formula incompatible and deter marketing of a formula.

The logistics and expense of testing pose obstacles to cosmetic vendors, raising the cost and time involved in a sampling program.

The two ply construction of the prior art, the compatibility and stability testing, shelf space requirements, and packaging make existing applicators more expensive to use in a sampling program.

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