The best of 2010: The top three beauty Seeds of the year

Germany, Canada, Singapore – Just as consumers like to know the provenance of the food they eat and how it has been made – so do consumers of beauty products. My top three Seeds show what beauty brands might feel and look like in the future.

Stop the Water While Using Me reminds users to do just that, in bold black letters on its packaging. The process of manufacturing the shower gel, shampoo and toothpaste treats natural resources responsibly. ‘Every day it reminds you to turn off the water when you shower. That’s how easy protecting the environment can be,’ the company explains.

Similarly, Canada-based designer Sarah Déry has now created a new type of beauty packaging. Her Dr Mullets products aim to tell the truth. ‘Bad Curls’, ‘Hate Knots’, ‘Need Body’ and ‘Boring Hair’ are some of the bold names on the shampoo labels.

And just as beauty packaging is borrowing some of its cues from food labelling, so will the places we buy the products. The Beauty Emporium in Singapore is set in a 17,000-square feet location, and looks like a supermarket. Trolleys are lined up next to timber boxes, and instead of the normal stock of milk, bread or fruit, shelves are stacked with moisturisers, facial creams and shampoos. ‘We combined the supermarket with the personality of a cult grocer,’ says founder Cynthia Chua.

Every day from 20 December until the end of the year, the LS:N Global team is choosing its favourite stories from 2010. We will resume normal service on Tuesday 4 January 2011