Cosmetic products application

Abstract

A cosmetic applicator construction that includes a distributable sampling packet that is affixable to a carrier substrate, such as a mailing card or printed publication, to permit distribution of the sampling packet to an end location for use thereat by an individual user. The cosmetic applicator construction is suitable for use in the mailing of cosmetic samples in separate mailers or the provision thereof on or within a printed publication and includes a sampling packet, which is preferably a two-ply card, and an underlying release liner. The upper ply of the sampling packet includes an embossed field formed on the underside of the upper ply, disposed between the upper ply and the lower ply, and configured to hold a cosmetic sample. The sampling packet is attachable to the mailer or printed publication for distribution to the end location and the upper ply of the sampling packet with its embossed field is thereafter removable from the lower ply at the end location to permit individualized and personal use thereof by the user as an applicator portion for the application of a sample of a cosmetic product.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A cosmetic applicator construction for distributing to an end location upon a carrier substrate a cosmetic sampling packet having a removable applicator portion for individualized and personalized use by a user in the application of an uncontaminated sampling of a cosmetic at the end location, comprising:
 a multi-ply sampling packet including an upper ply and a lower ply of generally similar overall shape, said upper and lower plies each having top and bottom surfaces;   a release liner adhered to the bottom surface of said lower ply;   said lower ply of said sampling packet having an adhesive disposed on the bottom surface thereof effective to secure said release liner to said bottom surface of said lower ply at least prior to the distribution of said sampling packet;   said sampling packet being positionable upon a carrier substrate at a desired position and affixable to the carrier substrate to thereafter generally maintain said sampling packet affixed to the carrier substrate for distribution of the carrier substrate to the end location;   said upper ply of said thus affixed sampling packet including a plurality of rounded integral projections depending from said bottom surface of said upper ply towards said top surface of said lower ply and serving to distance said upper and lower plies of said sampling packet from one another in the area of said projections to define a cosmetic sample reservoir area between said bottom surface of said upper ply and said top surface of said lower ply, said projections extending generally downwardly from said upper ply as an embossed pattern and flexographic print, said projections being so laterally spaced from one another and positioned relative to one another to be capable of retaining between said projections, upon the introduction of a sample of a cosmetic therebetween, against the downward effect of gravity, a sample of a cosmetic, said projections defining a cosmetic applicator area;   said upper and lower plies of said thus affixed sampling packet being secured to one another so as to form a separable seal therebetween generally effective to maintain the assembled integrity of said sampling packet during distribution of said sampling packet upon the carrier substrate but breachable by a user at the end location to allow the physical separation and removal of said upper ply from said lower ply of said sampling packet, with such removal then exposing said cosmetic applicator area for independent use by the user free of the remainder of said sampling packet remaining affixed to the carrier substrate, whereby said upper ply with said cosmetic applicator area forms a removable individualized cosmetic applicator portion thereafter available for independent individualized and personalized use and manipulation by the user free of the carrier substrate and the remainder of said sampling packet still associated with and affixed to the carrier substrate;   whereby said sampling packet is mountable upon a carrier substrate for distribution of said sampling packet to the end location, with said applicator portion of said sampling packet being thereafter detachably removable from the remainder of said sampling packet for personalized and individualized use by the user, with the remainder of said sampling packet remaining affixed to the carrier substrate; and   said removed upper ply being pliable and said cosmetic applicator area thereof being compressible against a body area of a user upon exposure of said cosmetic applicator area for use and application of said cosmetic applicator area to such body area by manipulation and movement by the user of said applicator portion, said projections being so configured to release at least a portion of the sample of cosmetic retained therebetween as the cosmetic applicator area is being compressed and moved across such body area, such compression and movement of said cosmetic applicator area thus effecting personalized distribution to such body area of the sample of cosmetic retained at said cosmetic applicator area.   
     
     
         2 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1  wherein a sample of a cosmetic is introduced into said cosmetic applicator area prior to affixation of said sampling packet to a carrier substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1  wherein said cosmetic applicator area is devoid of cosmetic as the sampling packet is provided for use upon a carrier substrate and said cosmetic applicator area, upon removal of said top ply from said bottom ply, is movable into an uncontaminated cosmetic source to effect retention thereat of a sample of such cosmetic, which sample can thereafter be applied to such body area of the user; and
 whereby contamination of such cosmetic source can be obviated and an uncontaminated sample can be applied to the user. 
 
     
     
         4 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1  wherein a sample of a cosmetic is introduced into said cosmetic sample reservoir area prior to affixation of said sampling packet to a carrier substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 4  wherein said projections are vertically compressible against said top surface of said lower ply to effect contact of said projections with the sample of the cosmetic in said cosmetic sample reservoir and distribution of at least a portion thereof between said projections to form the sample retained between said projections. 
     
     
         6 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1  wherein:
 said release liner is adhered to said lower ply by a pressure sensitive adhesive; 
 said top surfaces of said upper and lower plies have indicia displayed thereon, said indicia on said top surface of said upper ply being visible on the top of said sampling packet during distribution thereof upon the carrier substrate, said indicia on said top surface of lower ply becoming visible upon removal of said upper ply from said lower ply; 
 said upper and lower plies are heat sealed to one another about their mutual perimeters in the assembly of said sampling packet prior to distribution; and 
 said projections dimple downwardly from said bottom surface of said upper play and are so spaced from one another and configured to avoid scraping the skin of the user, said projections formed by mechanical embossing or printing, wherein said printing includes one of silk screen, offset, rotogravure, flexography, or deposition, with said flexography including the usage of one of conventional inks, offset inks, flexographic inks, ultraviolet cured inks, and thermographic heat set inks, and wherein said deposition includes one of thermal forming, vacuum forming, casting, heat treatment, electrostatic treatment, spraying, extruding, adhesives, and cohesives. 
 
     
     
         7 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1 , wherein said upper ply, following removal from said lower ply at the end location, is foldable along a fold line and has notches provided along its side edges on opposite sides of said fold line disposed to interlock with one another to hold the upper ply in a folded condition with the bottom surface of said upper ply and the cosmetic applicator area thereof disposed inside the fold. 
     
     
         8 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1  wherein said sampling packet is positionable upon a carrier substrate with said release liner disposed upon the carrier substrate at a desired position and with said release liner being thereafter affixable to the carrier substrate to bind said release liner with said sampling packet adhered thereto to the carrier substrate for subsequent distribution of the carrier substrate with the affixed release liner and attached sampling packet to the end location. 
     
     
         9 . The cosmetic applicator construction of  claim 1  wherein said lower ply of said sampling packet has a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the bottom surface thereof to effect releasable adherence of said release liner to said bottom surface of said lower ply, said pressure sensitive adhesive configured to remain secured to the bottom surface of said lower ply upon removal of said release liner from said lower ply and to maintain its pressure sensitive adhesive properties to be able to thereafter affix said sampling packet to the carrier substrate upon the application of force by a user to effect affixation of said sampling packet to the carrier substrate for distribution of the sampling packet upon the carrier substrate.