In this special episode on the Product & Packaging Powerhouse, host Megan Young Gamble recaps her first postpartum event at Makeup in New York 2025, sharing personal insights on overcoming mom guilt and traveling for work. She highlights major trends and innovations she discovered on day one, including Korean skincare (K-Beauty), with an emphasis on new ingredients like PDRN (extracted from Salmon). Megan also reviews winners from the Makeup in New York Beauty Innovation Awards across categories like accessories, formulation, full service, packaging, and ocean beauty, spotlighting standout products and sustainable packaging solutions. She also explores the integration of AI and AR technology in beauty, featuring virtual try-on platforms and their growing role in consumer experiences. The episode wraps with practical advice for brands on innovation, sustainability, and preparing for future beauty industry events. Check out the following episode for day 2 recap at MakeUp in New York, with emphasis in packaging and ocean bound packaging.

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Access our other podcast episodes mentioned during the episode

• Megan’s Car Rental to Packaging Journey. Listen here
• Connected Packaging. Listen here

Quotes:

• I birthed my daughter March 2025 and this was my first postpartum event. I almost didn’t go because mom's guilt really kicked in.
• Sometimes innovation can also be taking something that’s already existing and revamping it… changing the aesthetics, collaborating with another partner, or increasing efficacy.
• K Beauty has been something that I have been following since my time in corporate because of the efficacy, because of the innovation they incorporated in their formulation.
• PDRN is actually extracted from salmon sperm. It is filtered, sterilized, and very gentle on sensitive skin.
• We do have packaging EPR, extended producer responsibility. In the US, seven states have passed legislation thinking about end-of-life use of packaging.
• Ocean bound plastic is waste collected within 50km of the coastlines before it enters the ocean. It's different from ocean plastic.
• AI is here to stay. If you’re not progressing with the times you are behind. We have to leverage AI to become more efficient and extract data quicker.