GB2427822A

GB2427822A - Artificial lips adapted to assist purchasers choosing lipstick

Info

Publication number: GB2427822A
Application number: GB0513689A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Angela Marilyn Beveridge
Original assignee: STICKLYPS Ltd
Current assignee: STICKLYPS Ltd
Priority date: 2005-07-04
Filing date: 2005-07-04
Publication date: 2007-01-10
Also published as: GB0513689D0

Abstract

An article for assisting a potential purchaser to choose a lipstick comprises a pair of pre-coloured artificial lips 1 that are generally the same shape as human lips and are pre-coloured with a shade of lipstick. The artificial lips may be manufactured from a plastics material by injection moulding and may be provided with a small stick 2 for holding the artificial lips in front of the potential purchaser's mouth. A point of sale device 3 comprises a plurality of artificial lips, in various colours nested in a pile.

Description

ARTIFICIAL LIPS

Background to the Invention

Before buying a lipstick, the purchaser wishes to see what the colour looks like when on the lips. At the point of purchase, it is normal to provide a sample lipstick. However, for reasons of hygiene, customers are unwilling to apply the lipstick directly to the lips and therefore caimot see the true colour of the lipstick. Customers normally apply the lipstick to the back of the hand or wrist. This is in itself inconvenient as the lipstick must then be removed, and gives extra difficulty if a number of different colours are being tried. In addition, the skin on the back of the hands is not the same colour as the lips and has a different texture, so that the shade chosen can be wrong. There is another difficulty when buying lipstick. The act of applying and removing lip colours from the mouth results in a natural reddening of the lips, which changes the colour of lipstick applied. Thus the customer may buy the wrong shade, even if they do apply the sample lipstick to their lips.

Because of the difficulty in choosing new lipsticks, customers tend to be conservative in their choice and continue to wear the lipstick they know, being reluctant to pay for a product which may not in the end fulfil their requirements. In practice, the majority of lipstick wearers adhere to a tried and tested colour for years at a time.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

The Invention The present invention provides an article as in Claim 1 or 11 and a point of sale display as in Claim 12 or 14. The invention extends to the act of selling a lipstick using the article as a selling aid. The dependant claims claim preferred or optional features of the invention.

The artificial lips can exactly duplicate the cosmetic manufacturer's lipstick colour and the vendor need not provide a consumable sample lipstick. The outline of the article corresponds roughly to the outline of human lips. The artificial lips of the invention are thus in a lip- shaped form and can be held in front of the mouth whilst the customer observes the effect in a mirror, so that the effect on the complexion, hair colour etc., can be appreciated immediately. If the colour does not produce the desired effect, it is simple for the customer to try another colour until they are satisfied. Within a manufacturer's range of lipstick shades, there may be several previously untried colours that would suit a customer. Furthermore, if the customer is satisfied that the colour will suit, they would be happy to purchase more than one lipstick at a time.

As the artificial lips can be of very low cost, customers can be permitted to take them away, for them and their family to try at leisure. By e.g. incorporating the colour in the material of the artificial lips, the colour is permanent and transportable, permitting the product to be seen by any number of potential purchasers. It also allows the colour to be viewed in different degrees of light and in the same place as the potential customer's wardrobe of clothes.

The invention is a considerable improvement on for instance having a transparent plastic pair of lips to which the actual lipstick colour is applied; in the latter case, the lipstick colour rubs off and also, as the plastic is not of the same consistency and colour as the purchaser's lips, the plastic lips can give a false impression. Also, as the outer edge of the article corresponds generally to the outline of the lips, the article is neat and easily handled. A small stick, e.g. of plastic, can be moulded integrally with or attached to the artificial lips, for holding them in front of the mouth.

It would be possible to make the artificial lips so that they precisely correspond to the contour and roughness of natural lips, but it is preferred to provide smooth artificial lips, with no asperities, representing the overall contour of human lips but without the detailed profiling; such artificial lips give a better impression to the purchaser.

Nonetheless, it is preferred that the lips should be of three-dimensional shape, being concave behind, for fitting against the purchaser's lips, in other words so that there is some space for the customer's lips to fit inside. An exact fit is of no importance but it is desirable that the artificial lips should be three-dimensional and look a bit full or "pouty". If the lips are concave behind and if they have roughly parallel front and rear surfaces, they can be nested in a pile within a point of sale display.

The artificial lips can have an inscription indicating the lipstick to which they correspond, for instance printed or embossed on the rear surface.

Preferred Embodiment The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an article comprising a pair of artificial lips in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side view, showing the lips of Figure 1 in section along the line 11-11 in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a point of sale display containing a number of the artificial lips.

The artificial lips 1 are made from a coloured plastics material in which the colour is incorporated right through the material. The lips 1 are joined together and have an outline corresponding generally to that of human lips, and are of three-dimensional shape, being concave behind for fitting against the purchaser's lips. As can be seen in Figure 2, the front and rear surfaces are parallel so that the lips can be nested and stacked as shown in Figure 3. The surfaces of the lips 1 are smooth.

In order to hold the artificial lips I against the face, a small stick 2 is attached to the centre of the bottom lip. The stick 2 can be attached after manufacturing the lips 1, or can be manufactured integrally with the lips 2.

Though not shown, the rear surface of the lips I can have an inscription indicating the name of the lipstick.

Figure 3 illustrates a point of sale display in the form of a display unit or tray 3. The tray 3 has a number of compartments 4 of which only the left-hand compartment 4 is illustrated in detail. Each compartment 4 contains a number of lips 1, nested together, and at the end of the compartment, there is a coloured representation 5 of the lips 1 and a label 6 indicating the name of the lipstick.

The tray 3 can be formed of any suitable material, such as cardboard.

General Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. An article comprising a pair of artificial lips for a

prospective purchaser to hold up against their lips when considering whether to buy a lipstick, the artificial lips being joined together and having an outline corresponding generally to that of human lips and the outer edge of the article corresponding generally to such outline, the artificial lips being manufactured pre-coloured with a colour of a lipstick.
2. The article of Claim 1, and made from a coloured plastics material in which the colour is incorporated right through the material.
3. The article of Claim 1 or 2, and being of three-dimensional shape, representing the overall contouring of human lips, being concave behind for fitting against the purchaser's lips.
4. The article of Claim 3, wherein the front surface is parallel to the rear surface.
5. The article of any of the preceding Claims, and injection moulded from a plastics material.
6. The article of any of the preceding Claims, and being smooth with no asperities.
7. The article of any of the preceding Claims, and having a small stick attached thereto for holding them against the purchaser's lips.
8. The article of Claim 7, wherein the stick is attached to the centre of the bottom lip.
9. The article of Claim 7, wherein the stick is attached to the edge of the lips.
10. The article of any of the preceding Claims, and having an inscription indicating the lipstick to which the lips correspond.
11. An article comprising a pair of artificial lips, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
12. A point of sale display comprising a plurality of articles of any one of the preceding Claims, of different colours.
13. The display of Claim 12, wherein the articles are nested in a pile.
14. A point of sale display, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.