In its impressive 15th year, MakeUp in Paris (MUP) opened its doors on June 18, to thousands of fashionistas and “makeupistas” for a special anniversary edition, highlighted by 150 exhibitors from 20 countries. Sandra Maguarian, co-founder and show director of MakeUp in Paris, described attendees and exhibitors as “true trendsetters and innovation drivers.”

For two days, visitors evaluated the artistry and innovation in cosmetic categories from formulation to skincare, compacts to airless bottles, bags to brushes, as they spoke with exhibitors amid the showcases, stands, and aisles. Visitors also took part in the two-day educational program.

Post-show, Maguarian told me, “The 15th edition of MakeUp in Paris offered a moment of enchantment—one that underscored the remarkable resilience of the cosmetics industry. In the face of economic uncertainty, societal shifts, and global health crises, the sector continues not only to endure, but to evolve, innovate, and inspire.”

Maguarian said that this year’s event once again highlighted the industry’s capacity for reinvention, driven by the presence and commitment of leading suppliers that brought “unmatched passion and boundless creativity” to the table. “Their latest innovations don’t merely follow trends—they anticipate them,” explained Maguarian, “and they reflect a deep understanding of consumer expectations and a forward-thinking approach that keeps the industry ahead of its time.”

Each edition of MakeUp in Paris has its own identity, according to Maguarian, who noted, “This milestone year was defined by a unique sense of synergy—a kind of creative alchemy that gave rise to truly avant-garde cosmetic solutions. More than ever, our exhibitors demonstrated why this sector remains a benchmark for ingenuity and adaptability.”

Show Floor Talk

Despite the overall optimism on the show floor, there was also a high level of uncertainty about the near future of the industry. Many conversations focused on the unavoidable topic of tariffs, those already imposed and those that may lie ahead. A surprising number of suppliers, especially larger ones, mentioned that they already have alternate supply chains in motion. 

Many offered solutions via North America or Southeast Asia. Some said they were stuck in a quandary, waiting to see what the next few weeks or months would bring before making changes. Others said they were looking to connect with European suppliers and contract manufacturers at the show, to “try and skirt the tariffs by having Europe be the middleman.” Some exhibitors had posted information about their manufacturing facilities and tariffs directly on their stands to encourage suppliers and buyers to inquire about their export solutions.

Anxiety aside, brand enthusiasm was high, and many orders were being written. Several suppliers told me that they had scheduled back-to-back meetings, were very busy during the show, and even “mobbed” at times.

Notable Trends

One thing was for sure. Suppliers have been busy innovation-wise, exploring consumer trends, sustainability preferences, and current and pending legislation. There seemed to be an expanded array of compacts, from PET to cork, holding everything from intricately designed and colored powders to foundations. Colorful compact top-plates turned simple packs into luxe accessories. Chromavis offered a compact that held 3 different powder textures. Several sticks combined two different textures—either in the bulk or in the packaging. In skincare, large-size ceramic applicator tubes offered a greater contact surface.

Related: Feel-Good Color Packed in Luxe New Shapes

Mold-free, waste-free resins contributed to eco bottles, and 3D printing offered “great flexibility” in brush design. Silicone heads with on-off switches, flip-top one-handed opening packs, freeze-dried powders, brushes without glue, and holographic eyeshadows were all part of the mix on the show floor. Ribbed packaging and paper-based refillables were also among the selection at hand. 

A new highlight this year was a spotlight on African Beauty, which featured an African Beauty animation, bringing together leading brands in makeup, skincare, and haircare from across the continent to showcase their unique products, expertise, and storytelling. 

For this special event, MakeUp in Paris collaborated with Omolola Faleye, Founder of The Makeup Fair Series (TMUFS), West Africa’s premier beauty tradeshow. MUP called Faleye “a visionary Nigerian beauty and events entrepreneur who has revolutionized the African beauty landscape by creating inclusive platforms that elevate local talent and brands.”

This year, the prestigious Innovation & Trends Awards included the debut of MUP’s Ocean Beauty Award.

Up Close with Exhibitors

Following is a rundown of some of the suppliers and highlights we spotted on the show floor. Companies are arranged in alphabetical order.

Brivaplast

At Brivaplast, Valentina Manera, Marketing Director, said the market has been stable. A highlight at the stand was all-fiber brushes made in Italy. Manera said they have been following the trend of more brands selling in pharmacies, rather than in other retail outlets.

Beauté Lab is Brivaplast’s new collection, “inspired by the functional and effective nature of pharmacy-grade science solutions for skincare and makeup. It’s designed with ultimate expertise and functionality in mind.”

The Beauté Lab packaging collection boasts elegant matte acrylic gradient varnishes for a sophisticated touch. A delicate, minimal deco highlights the minimum recycled content within each pack, underscoring the supplier’s “commitment to transparency.”

Beauté Lab champions sustainable practices, utilizing recycled materials throughout. Brivaplast announced a major investment in the expansion of its production site in Ornago, Italy. 

Cosmei

Cosmei produces custom molds in Italy and offers stock from China. The company, which was recently acquired by Berlin Packaging, specializes in packaging, including mono-material components and multi-functional products (collections that can be used for more than one purpose). Isabella Milesi, Marketing Manager, explained that silicone material can be used to customize products, with the advantages of being less expensive and faster. An example was a plain plastic mascara with a silicone covering.

FR & Partners

At FR & Partners, Federico Reggiani, CEO & Founder, showed me several packs that relied on simple ergonomics for easy accessibility. A mono-material PET compact with just two pieces highlighted a one-handed opening movement. The mirror can be made of PET. Functional, fast, and easy-to-open, users will not break their nails when they go for a touch-up. A deodorant for Glossier opens with a one-handed touch, similar to the flick of a cigarette lighter.

FR’s new compact case HANDLY N°1, was chosen as one of the Finalists in the Packaging category of the MakeUp in Paris IT Awards 2025. The jury had commented that the compact “introduces a new way of handling and is very practical.” HANDLY N°1 was designed to ensure accessibility, featuring an easy-opening system that requires only light pressure on the side flaps. An ergonomic, 100% (PET) recyclable design was created “to guarantee intuitive handling and effortless usability.”

Geka

The big news at Geka was that they are now also producing applicators for color cosmetics and fragrance serums. Geka’s Lea Bogenreuther introduced their stunning new ‘Lume’ collection, which takes its cue from the opulence of the “Golden Twenties.” It features products in luxurious gold tones, accented with pearlescent finishes, and blends hot foil and silk screen printing, metal, and lacquering for an elegant finish. 

The collection includes two mascaras, a cylindrical conical-shaped brush made out of their spikySNOWFLAKE fiber, and fanCBrush–a 1K molded brush with “extraordinary” design; smartLINER–a precise tip liner; Liquid Rouge glazeTASTE–an ergonomic shaped non-flocked applicator; and new for fragrance, Geka’s fusionAPPLICATOR—a delicate micro-bristle applicator for precise application. All are available packaged in an elegant beauty pouch with tie cords. 

HCP Packaging

HCP showed a wide array of packaging, including new PET caps and pots made in North America. Stephanie Rowntree, International Product Manager, also showed me their stunning collaboration with Swarovski—super-luxe designs on caps and top-plates, custom developed in Mexico. 

HCP’s collaboration with Swarovski brings high-impact glamour to their Radii Round Pressed Powder compact. This limited-edition collection features four dazzling crystal-adorned designs, combining Swarovski’s signature brilliance with HCP’s premium packaging expertise. From crystal textiles to intricate inset jewels, each compact showcases a distinctive, on-trend style that transforms the packaging into a luxurious beauty statement.

HCT

HCT highlighted its Calico Airless Pump, described as “compact comfort with smart design.” The supplier says what people love—beyond the elegant curves—is how perfectly the bottle fits in the hand. Thanks to advanced inner pouch technology, they’ve eliminated the need for a traditional piston, allowing for a sleek, compact 30ml design, without compromising on performance.

Hida-Intops

Hida-Intops’s Daehee Kam, Strategic Sales Team Manager, Team II, stood in front of a vast and beautifully arranged collection of glamorous top-plates lining the walls of the stand. He told me that their top-plates range from Swarovski to PET to cork for luxury cushion compacts. Materials also include vegan leather and biodegradable substances. He emphasized that the South Korean supplier sells direct to Lauder and L’Oréal. (Hida is the brand name, operated by Intops.)

ICONS Beauty Group

2025 marked ICONS Beauty Group’s debut at MakeUp in Paris, where they unveiled their “Bloom” themed booth. “Our booth is a celebration of beauty’s transformation through sustainability, inclusion, and sensory innovation,” according to Sue Nichols, ICONS Beauty Group CEO. 

The booth spotlighted hybrid applicators, tactile packaging, and recyclable mono-material solutions designed to make packaging functional, as well as an immersive part of the product experience.  From a new sensory click pen and wand applicator in unique shapes and materials, to their mono-material PP In-Mold Label (IML) Tubes produced in their ICONS America manufacturing facility in North Carolina, they showcased how packaging can elevate beauty experiences.

Nichols told me, “One of our standout favorites at the show is our Slow-Release Mist Sprayer. With one single, slow, smooth press, the slow-release sprayer dispenses a wide, fine, and sustained 0.65cc dose. Paired with a 24/410 neck size, the sprayer fits with a variety of bottles in various fill sizes, ideal for hair, body, and wellness sprays, offering an elevated, spa-like experience through form and function.”

Knoll Packaging

One special standout at Knoll was a Holiday 2024 partnership with MAC. The stunning, sustainable keepsake Advent calendar that embodies “gold, glamour, and surprise.” Designed like a towering stack of gold gifts, this limited-edition calendar features 24 full-sized and mini surprises, including best-selling products and new shades.

Constructed from recycled FSC-certified board and wrapped in plastic-free metallized paper, the calendar is a model of conscious design. Its sustainable materials do not compromise on aesthetic impact; instead, they enhance it.

The surface is adorned with intricately embossed patterns that create a seamless, radiant gold finish, uniting the entire structure in a glittering, festive glow. A true feat of engineering lies at the heart of the calendar; a proprietary lifting mechanism that’s free of plastic and ribbons, and which elevates the hero product when the rigid cover is opened. 

Libo

A mono-material aluminum compact drew attention at Libo, known for its luxe packaging. The full aluminum compact construction had a pin-less hinge for a sleek look. The aluminum mirror is also recyclable, so there’s no plastic used.

Gina Lin, CEO at Libo Cosmetics, also pointed out different options for applicators, with standard or modern shapes, and silicone tips. The new Wonder series is small, but offers big volume.

Lisson Group

Lisson Group presented a display with packaging from tubes to compacts. Kitty Huang, Overseas Sales Manager, showed me a large-sized ceramic applicator tube that she said is ideal for expanded coverage. A super-soft lip tube with a silicone head and an on-off switch works to control the flow.

Lumson

Lumson’s Silvia Losacco showed me a new diamond-shaped bottle called Glo, which was a standout with its holographic hot stamping. The Japa line has now been increased, completed with a 30ml bottle with a dropper. Two new bottles, one with a textural cap, enhance their dispensing systems.

Metapack

At Metapack, Elena Rouleau, Project Manager, showed me one of their new innovations—a zamac compact with no mirror and no magnet, for easy recyclability.

Another innovation on display was Metapack’s full aluminum pursers. In a 15ml size, they’re ideal for fragrance and skincare products. Refillable aluminum jars can be personalized with screening and/or engraving. Rouleau said that aluminum is now their most requested material, although they still do zamac packs as well.

Milott Laboratories

Milott is a contract manufacturer in Thailand that sources all materials and packaging and transports to more than 50 countries. We spoke to Chiratchaya Vamasiri, Senior VP, Business Development.

Products of interest included a talc-free blush compact, and an aqua cooling stick highlighter, with a fresh, seawater-based cooling effect. 

Nuon Medical

The crowd at Nuon Medical gathered to explore the company’s many innovative medical technology-inspired cosmetic applicators and tools.

Gregory Pays, Business Development Manager, highlighted the company’s double-ended tool. It emits a red light on one side for an anti-aging effect, which also promotes collagen production. On the other end, it produces a cryo effect to activate the circulation and oxygenation of facial cells. This aims to enhance the skin’s elasticity and firmness.

Nuon’s Smart Light Therapy Skin Analyzer won this year’s MakeUp in Paris’s coveted Packaging Innovation award. The high-tech packaging solution combines skincare cream, red light therapy, and skin analysis for a personalized application. The jar’s “smart” cap brings a new dimension to cosmetic packaging. In selecting Nuon as the winner, the jury said they determined that the analyzer “introduces a groundbreaking advancement in cosmetic packaging.” Nuon Medical says its “ ‘active applicators’ are the future of skincare.”

NV International (Asia) Limited

NV International, which sells direct to customers, specializes in metal componentry. The supplier offered a wide variety of packaging possibilities. On display were its refillable aluminum compacts made with an aluminum alloy. The are easy to recycle, the company states. Zoe Zhou, General Manager, pointed out that some were electroplated for a luxe look and feel. The compacts are engineered with a durable bead that provides smooth closure.

Additional packaging options on display included refillable swivel compacts, and perfume atomizers with pumps. One eye-catcher was an aluminum compact that slides open—and it’s refillable and recyclable. To refill, just push out the pan with a pin. 

Pennelli Faro

Pennelli Faro is the Italian manufacturer known for innovation in cosmetic brush design. The company was awarded a prestigious MakeUp in Paris Award in the Accessories category for its Futura Avant Lab. Futura Avant Lab is a “revolutionary brush concept created to meet the evolving demands of clean beauty and high-performance formulation.”

According to the supplier, “Futura Avant Lab represents the perfect fusion of innovative design, ergonomic comfort, and advanced functionality—a true manifesto for future-ready applicators.” They say that this concept brush is engineered for the next-gen makeup era. It features an innovative design, superior ergonomics, and advanced functionality.

Based on 3D resin printing, Futura showcases a new manufacturing process for applicators. It requires no molds and generates no waste. “This method allows for greater customization, functionality, and sustainability,” said Marco Sorze, Sales & Marketing Director at Pennelli Faro. 

PPK Packaging

PPK Packaging, based in Shanghai, specializes in plastic-free cosmetic packaging, “reducing weight by design.” Paper refill bottles, made of bamboo and bagasse, can be slipped into aluminum bottles. Pearl Byun, Director of Sales, said that some recent designs are being commercialized.

Need More MakeUp?

Get set for MakeUp in NewYork, happening September 17 & 18, 2025, at Manhattan’s iconic Javits Center—a must-attend event for beauty professionals and trendsetters. Next year, mark your calendar for MakeUp in LosAngeles, returning March 4 & 5, 2026, at the LA Convention Center.