Timestrip has been recognised at the annual PCD (Perfumes, Cosmetics & Design) Awards in Paris. The awards are designed to single out packaging and design innovations and this year’s winners included Lancôme, Chanel and Bobbi Brown.

Chosen for particular mention in the Jury’s Special Distinction category, leading brand CARGO Cosmetic’s collaboration with Timestrip on its trademark lip glosses received praise for its innovation and consumer appeal.

A ‘Jury’s Special Distinction’ diploma was presented to Tristan Allen, Timestrip’s Commercial Director, at the PCD Congress and Exhibition in Paris. The congress gathers together decision makers from all the major cosmetics groups, as well as leading packaging suppliers and this year had a theme of sustainable development for make-up, perfumes and body care.

European legislation now demands that cosmetics products have a PaO (Period after Opening) symbol clearly displayed, to show consumers the shelf-life of the product once opened. Embedded in the cap of CARGO’s lip glosses, the integrated nine-month Timestrip® enables consumers to keep track of exactly how long the lip gloss has been open and gives them an accurate indication of when it needs to be replaced.

“It’s very satisfying to receive another official recognition of our work with CARGO,” said Tristan Allen. “This project resulted in a product innovation which was not only functional, but also met the very demanding aesthetic requirements of the cosmetics sector.”

Timestrip plc produces a wide range of labels to automatically monitor elapsed time, with products for a variety of conditions, from ambient environments to fridge, freezer and extremely high temperatures. The technology can be integrated into products or packaging, as well as the applied label format and is in use across a diverse range of industries.

Timestrip was a double winner at the 2009 UK Packaging Awards, taking the prizes for Labelling and Innovation of the Year.