the packaging for babescrub, a skincare brand out of australia. photo instagramthey always say not to judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to beauty products, pretty packaging is starting to play an even more important role. in our social media&ndashobsessed world, a serum or lipstick needs not only look good on but also off. beauty brands have the fastestgrowing instagram communities, according to a study by l2. one factor is the use of creative hashtags that encourage usergenerated content, such as glossier&rsquos maskforce campaign surrounding the launch of two mask products that has followers snapping both their whitecoated faces and the playful pastelhued jars, which inevitably stimulates further orders, especially when fans see their own efforts reposted.the importance of a photogenic container is especially evident when considering the popularity of curated stilllife compositions on instagram. and, says ben bennett, founder and creative director of hatchbeauty, which builds brands including dollar shave club, orlando pita, and goldfaden, the packaging is the very first thing a customer engages with. &ldquothe collection of items we bring into our daily lives is representative of who we are,&rdquo he says. &ldquofor many the way products look is very important.&rdquo to that end, hatch designs packaging with one of two approaches utilitarian or aspirational. &ldquothe latter type is not only functional, but acts as jewelry for her vanity or bathroom sink.&rdquothe glossier collection as seen on instagram. photo instagramit&rsquos something karen meena, vice president of buyingmerchandising for ron robinson inc., says weighs heavily on their decision of what beauty labels to carry in the boutiques. &ldquowe feature more clean, sophisticated brands rather than cute, overdesigned packaging,&rdquo she says. &ldquowe want to be surrounded by beautiful objects. in our mind this enhances the quality of what is contained inside &mdash it is a beauty item so it must look the part and be a thing of beauty.&rdquolines that do something unique or unexpected with their presentation seem to not only win prime placement on shelves but also succeed in the socialmedia game. &ldquonow more than ever it is becoming important that a brand really have distinctive design characteristics or brand marks that are immediately recognizable,&rdquo says bennett. &ldquofor products where it makes sense, we do consider whether or not a package is instagrammable or pinterestworthy, because why wouldn&rsquot you&rdquo 
