Half Magic Beauty

Eyeshadow singles packaged in Paperfoam / Source: Half Magic

AsiaBeautyCelluloseEuropeNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingPaperFoamSouth AmericaTin

6 MINUTE READ

Yasmin Ahmed

WHAT WE SAY:

Every so often, a cultural phenomenon builds up enough momentum to inspire a wave of positive disruption. HBO's hit TV series, Euphoria, falls firmly in that category, becoming the springboard for a joint venture between the show's production company and resident makeup artist. The result? A beauty brand serving up sparkles with substance.

In an industry first, Half Magic's range of vibrant pigments are encased in home-compostable compacts, courtesy of a bio-based material known as PaperFoam. Designed to deliver fantasy and functionality, the makeup brand's mission is to "help support circularity in the industry", and for a newbie, its ambition to dish out a lesson in zero-waste design is laudable. Powered by an avid Gen Z following, Half Magic is showing the beauty world how a material typically reserved for moulded medical packaging can bring circularity to cosmetics. And even win you Dieline's Plastic-Free Innovation of the Year Award 2023.

KEY FACTS:

Half Magic is the first beauty brand to use PaperFoam as its primary packaging. The PaperFoam compacts feature in the brand's Eyeshadow Singles and Cheek Fluff collections.
The compacts are comprised of two components: a recyclable Tin pan and a PaperFoam case. Users can use the eyeshadow and cheek blush as-is, or 'de-pot' the tins into the brand's customisable Forever Palette, building their own set of eyeshadows and highlighters.
PaperFoam is a nutrient-based composite made from a blend of four ingredients: industrial potato starch, Cellulose fibres, water, and the company's unique premix. The paste-like mixture is baked in a custom mould using a patented injection moulding technology.
The lightweight yet sturdy packaging is kerbside recyclable in the Paper waste stream. It is also industrially and home compostable, naturally breaking down "within a matter of weeks".
The modular design allows users to remove the pan from the PaperFoam compact by peeling off the label at the bottom and lifting the pan out using the tip of a pen. Half Magic advises that any excess glue is removed from the empty compact before it is discarded in a compost heap or recycling bin. The Forever Palette can also be disassembled and recycled by removing the pans, keepsake mirror, and magnets.
The Eyeshadow Singles retail at USD 12, Cheek Fluff compacts cost USD 20, and the Forever Palette is priced at USD 26. The D2C company ships to multiple regions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
PaperFoam, Half Magic, and its design partner, creative company Mythology, jointly won the Plastic-Free Innovation of the Year category in the Dieline Awards in June 2023 for the innovative cosmetic palette.

The eyeshadow compacts / Source: Half Magic

The Eyeshadow Singles can be used as refills for the brand's Forever Palette by removing the tin / Source: Half Magic

DIVE DEEPER:

In 2018, the beauty industry pumped out over 120 billion units of cosmetic packaging, according to data from Zero Waste Week. And as the British Beauty Council reports, 95% of this packaging is thrown away. Since most of it is non-recyclable plastic, the beauty industry's landfill footprint is devastating, with plastic packaging items taking up to 450 years to break down into toxic microplastics.
Switching to recyclable alternatives is not without negative impact either. The global cosmetics industry's consumption of cardboard and paper packaging contributes to the loss of 18 million acres of forest every year. Forest loss accounts for 10% of global warming, according to the WWF, so switching to tree-free and plastic-free packaging solutions can help stem climate change on multiple fronts.
Not only is PaperFoam recyclable in the paper stream, it is mainly composed of industrial starch derived from the potato industry, offering an alternative and renewable feedstock to tree-based cellulosic fibres. It is naturally biodegradable, and holds a number of certifications, including 'TÜV OK Home Compost' and 'TÜV OK Biobased'.
Emphasising its commitment to reducing beauty waste, Half Magic runs a 'mail-back' programme in partnership with Pact Collective to divert its products and packaging from landfill. Customers are invited to send their eligible empties for free to Pact's Collection Facility in return for a USD 5 discount on a future purchase. This is accompanied by Half Magic's comprehensive recycling guide, which details each product's packaging composition, and guidance on how to recycle it.
Although PaperFoam is not a new material (the company was founded in 1998), Half Magic and Mythology's decision to use it as its primary packaging is a first for the beauty world. PaperFoam's vast portfolio features brands from the food and beverage, electronics, and pharmaceuticals sectors, including Pukka Herbs, T-Mobile, Swatch, Waterdrop, and Delica.
PaperFoam is an incredibly versatile bio-based packaging solution, offering brands a number of custom-made elements, including bespoke fittings and protective features, customised colour and design options, embossing and debossing, and stackable and nestable options.
Half Magic's early adoption of PaperFoam emerged out of a joint venture between PaperFoam and beauty packaging development platform Toly, led by Andrew Clasby, General Manager of the Toly Deluxe division. The packaging took two years to develop, and the brand's range of eye, face, and lip products launched in May 2022.
Half Magic's brand identity and packaging was designed by Mythology, a New York-based independent creative studio, opting for PaperFoam as primary packaging, and tree-free paper as its secondary packaging.
Following the success of HBO's hit TV show Euphoria, head makeup artist, Donni Davy, and production company, A24, collaborated to bring the show's "emotional glam" to the beauty world. Half Magic is a subsidiary of Rules Beauty, "a new A24 portfolio company focusing on the beauty space".
All Half Magic's formulas are vegan, cruelty free, and clinically tested for safety and irritation.

"Our hope is that these ultra-lightweight, earth-friendly compacts can help shift the industry’s mindset on what we deem luxe and become a beauty industry staple."

Half Magic

Key Design Considerations:

Communicating end-of-life options

Simply choosing recyclable or compostable materials is half the battle, but for them to reach the right destination, brands have a responsibility to educate consumers on how to deal with their products at the end of their life cycle. Half Magic has created a Youtube video, offering its customers a step-by-step guide in how to disassemble the compacts at home. Being transparent about the materials that make up your packaging, like Half Magic's recycling guide, is the standard now. Take advantage of the multitude of social media platforms available to build your brand narrative, communicate your message, and empower your audience.

Know your audience

Sophie Mascatello, Mythology's creative director and head of design, explained that "pitching something as sustainable as positive" to Half Magic's Gen Z audience was key to the brand's identity and direction. Being a 'contemporary business' means pivoting towards ever-changing demographics, and that requires a level of acquaintance and familiarity. Gen Z is now the largest generation in the world, with an annual purchasing power of USD 100 billion, and with climate change being their top priority, going the extra mile with your product and packaging will cement brand longevity and profitability.