There’s an unmistakable, timeless allure that comes with Youth Dew – Estée Lauder’s incredible fragrance. It is literally wrapped up in an iconic, stunning packaging that is distinctive and unique, exuding elegance and sophistication, and this is as true today as it was when the fragrance first debuted in the 1950s.
So the enduring popularity of this timeless fragrance is reflected in the Youth Dew packaging, and its packaging innovation truly stands out in the beauty industry. Today, our packaging experts will look closely at the Estée Lauder packaging for this fragrance. We will explore the story that lies behind this perfume packaging and how, and why, it has appealed to generations of fragrance wearers.
The Estée Lauder Company (ELC) Difference and Story
The release of the Estée Lauder Youth Dew fragrance began as a scented bath oil that worked as a perfume, sold in perfume bottles to create elegant solutions that would alter the fragrance world. The packaging was designed with the intention of getting women to buy their fragrances themselves, as opposed to waiting for the gift from a man in their lives.
That blend of jasmine and rose, patchouli and vetiver within an elegant bottle, and its packaging, would become a success with fragrance wearers. Its innovative, double use, matched by its innovative, enticing packaging, would successfully encourage them to make purchases through beauty salons after having seen the effectiveness for themselves as they were pampered.
Debut Youth Dew Packaging
The debut Youth Dew packaging was released in 1953, aligning with the inspiration that ‘women still liked to feel beautiful, pampered and loved.’ This is what Estée Lauder stated Youth Dew is all about. It is evident in the captivating design that makes our memorable, iconic packaging series.
One of the former bath oil liquid designs, doubling as a fragrance, once came in a light turquoise colour with a white typeface and a message that read ‘A gift for you from Estée Lauder.’
In its simplicity and elegance, its white typeface and appealing design, it once created one of the most luxurious and enticing unboxing experiences – with the colour white, according to the psychology of packaging, evoking cleanliness and pureness, and the light turquoise colour endorsed by Lauder as ‘conveying a sense of luxury.’
The design of the small bath oil and fragrance glass bottle itself, complete with the Estée Lauder brand name and a stunning gold top, has carried through to many designs since its debut.
Other versions, also released in the 1950s, such as the Youth Dew Eau de Parfum Spray feature a vintage looking typeface, a retro print and white space between the elements of the custom label. Studies show that more (vs. less) white space increases independent self-construal consumers’ positive attitudes toward the advertisement, meaning effective visual designs that include white space enhance their preference for such ads or products.
Taken together, this design was simple, yet effective, incorporating those white space concepts. It perhaps reflected that bath oil and perfume were luxurious and yet still ideal for everyday wear.
Estee Lauder Youth Dew Labels
Over the history of Estée Lauder’s fragrances, Youth Dew has been released with unique labels as the fragrances have been refined and slightly altered. The fragrance’s 1970s unique design and stunning gold on beige on sea green packaging secures its place here.
Bold yet elegant, the cursive ‘EL’ lettering on a custom label draws the eye directly to the initials of the creator of this fragrance, creating a sense of luxury and opulence. One study showed that more than 50% of respondents associated the colour gold with luxury, which is exactly what the Youth Dew packaging evokes.
Together with the capitalized, fully spelled out name of the creator and fragrance, the packaging combines simplicity with an iconic design, carrying through to the label on the bottle itself. Gold embossed lettering retains the sense of luxury, elegance and charm.
By the 1980s, a slightly different packaging was released, still carrying the unmistakable initials of Estée Lauder’s name in a bright yellowish gold embossed paper label. Cursive writing took the place of the capitalized ‘Estée Lauder’ at the base of the packaging, but the ‘EL’ even in its almost patchy ‘rubber-stamped’ form remained as iconic as ever.
Youth Dew Perfume Bottles
Versions of Youth Dew perfume bottles each have variations. The gold top, however, is something that has remained in many of the luxury bottles. In the 1970s Youth Dew cologne bottle, for example, the gold top took a cylindrical shape with a metal rope or tie detail fused onto the packaging itself. In one of the 1953 bottles, the gold top can be seen integrated into the stopper part itself, which seals the bottle.
What customers now receive in their Youth Dew perfume bottles are unique designs that still retain the iconic style of the 1950s bottle. Gold still can be seen on the bottle in the form of a tied ribbon and the gold top remains perched on the bottle’s top.
The classic Youth Dew perfume bottles have altered over time, but this does not detract from the unboxing experience and coveted, stunning bottle shapes. A square-based pyramid glass bottle was once the classic design of the captivating Youth Dew skin perfume released in 1953, while an hourglass-shaped glass bottle replaces this packaging in the present day.
Luxury Packaging Materials Integrating Sustainability
Now, the Estée Lauder Company has also aimed to incorporate luxury packaging materials and integrate sustainability into their ethos, with a goal that by 2025, 75-100% of their packaging will be reusable, recycled or recoverable. This can perhaps be seen in their aim to reduce plastic use from the outset.
Steps towards this packaging sustainability can be seen in other Estée Lauder packaging, such as the foam cleanser, which features recyclable bottles and 27% post-consumer recycled content.
Other Estée Lauder Packaging: Youth Dew Dusting Powder Box
The classic Estée Lauder Packaging is seen in other products – the brand design that is so undoubtedly ‘Estée Lauder’ in style is on the Youth Dew Dusting Powder Box, shimmering in gold with the luxurious look that stands the test of time.
With just the emblazoned initials in cursive writing and the renowned name below, the Powder Box is just as iconic as the perfume and oil combination. Design choices make this packaging eye-catching, with an effective use of minimalist white space. Going hand in hand with the Youth Dew fragrance, this product’s design ties it all together – the brands and the Estée Lauder message, vision and goal.
Estée Lauder and Youth Dew: Final Thoughts on Iconic and Timeless Designs
It’s evident that the Estée Lauder Youth Dew brand is timeless in its design, appealing to perfume wearers across the generations. It is more than just the fragrance – it’s the packaging that achieves this. It’s impressive how the choices Lauder made have created a brand recognizable across the globe.
Being a first choice of beauty products for perfume wearers everywhere, its packaging never fails to impress or grip your attention. For these reasons, Youth Dew packaging rightly belongs here in our iconic packaging series at The Packaging Company.
