HK1070796B - Improved lip product applicator - Google Patents

Description

Improved lip product applicator

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application serial No.09/515,956 and U.S. application serial No.09/842,372, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to improvements in applicators for applying lip product to the lips, including lip stick or lipstick-type applicators.

Background

There are many lip cosmetics and other lip products on the market. These may include, for example, lip gloss, lip sticks, lip balms, and other products. While some lip products may be dispensed from the can by finger or brush, more is dispensed by the use of a lip applicator. Lip sticks are typically applied by using a lip applicator having a reservoir for the lip stick of lip product. The container is typically a recess designed to hold a portion of one end of the lip stick. The remainder of the lip stick extends from the container. The container is located in a mechanism for extending the lip stick from the applicator when product is being used or for retracting the lip stick when product is not being applied to store the delicate lip stick. There is also a cover over the applicator to further protect the lip stick. In some cases, the cover may be made of a clear material so that the color of the lip stick may be seen by the purchaser.

One problem with lip sticks is that they are easily damaged or broken if not inadvertently. Another problem associated with lip sticks arises when the user does not return the lip stick to a recessed position after use. In such a case, if the cap is placed on the extended lip stick, the lip stick may become dirty, broken or deformed. When initially purchasing a lip stick, the lip stick is preformed with a tip or angled so that the user can apply the lip stick in a desired manner. However, over time, because the lip stick is relatively soft, the lip stick has a tendency to lose its original brittle tip or angle. As a result, it is more difficult for the user to obtain the clean labial line that is usually sought. One result of such wear is that the user either discards the product before it is fully used, or attempts to refit the tip.

Another issue with lip sticks or lip oils relates to color selection. Many consumers are very critical in selecting the color of their lip stick. Color is important for a number of reasons. An important factor in color selection is each individual taste. People like certain colors and dislike others. One person may prefer one color more than another. A person may feel that one color looks better than another on his person. Skin color may also be a consideration. One color may look good at one person's skin tone but not at the other. In addition, the feeling of fashion is also a factor. Some colors may be "popular" for some time, but not others.

Cosmetic companies attempt to tell customers the color that a lip stick has in a number of ways. One approach is to provide the lip stick applicator with a transparent cover that allows the consumer to view the lip stick through the cover. Because lip stick applicators are not only product dispensers, but can be a fashion accessory, a transparent cover is often undesirable to manufacturers or purchasers for a number of reasons, including aesthetics or styling. Another approach is to use a color sample on a package, applicator, or elsewhere. While this gives the customer some color information, the color chip or sample is problematic. First, the colors are printed on paper. The paper does not match the color in the applicator to a certain extent when reproducing the color. The difference caused by the paper can also be enlarged depending on the type of paper reproducing the color. Depending on whether the paper has a matte or glossy surface and what background color the color sample surrounds, the eye may perceive a difference in the color on the paper and the actual color of the product in the package. Some manufacturers attempt to avoid such discrepancies by allowing the user to remove the lid and see the actual product contained therein. While this solves the problem of color selection, there are sometimes other more serious problems caused by this approach. The manufacturer has the risk that the customer does not just observe the product, but actually tries it by applying it to the lips. For some reasons, many customers do not purchase the attempted special item after attempting the product in this manner, but rather purchase the item without use. Allowing a customer to have access to a product may present serious safety concerns due to the risk of product damage. Further, when a customer uses a product in a store, the product may be contaminated by the use. Even in addition to these problems, when the product can be used in this manner, the consumer does not always carefully cap the product, return the product into the applicator before capping, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lip applicator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lip applicator having an applicator portion that provides for accurate application of lip product to the lips.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lip applicator wherein the applicator portion maintains shape with use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a lip applicator having a viewing window in the cap to allow the purchaser to view the contents of the product without opening the product.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lip applicator with a unique dispensing system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lip applicator having a unique tip for applying lip product.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved applicator surface that allows for the application of lip product in a smooth manner, just like the lip stick or lip balm of conventional lip products.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lip applicator that allows a consumer to see the amount of lip product in the applicator at the time of purchase and during use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved lip product applicator that provides more complete removal of lip product from the dispenser.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to an improved lip applicator having a body and a cap for protecting lip product in the applicator. The cap may be provided with one or more windows to allow viewing of the colour of the lip applicator. The window may be on one side of the hat, on two opposing sides of the hat, or in other areas as desired, if desired. For the case of windows on both sides of the cap, the two window portions may be separate windows or the two windows may be connected by a top window portion that extends across the top surface of the cap. The window may be made of any suitable material, such as a clear plastic such as PETG or other clear material. The applicator of the present invention may be used to dispense lip product or any other product having a creamy or pasty consistency, including but not limited to concealer and eye shadow.

The bottom of the body may be provided with an opening to receive a top portion of the fragrance can. The fragrance canister is secured in the base by a cap element that receives the perfume dispenser and seals the perfume canister. Other cosmetic or other cans may be used in place of the perfume can. For example, there may be a bottle of nail polish, cream, lip gloss, eye shadow, eyeliner, powder, cream, and others.

The body of the applicator may be a hollow tube, open at both ends. The open end at the bottom of the body conveniently allows the remainder of the lip applicator to be inserted into the body and allows the applicator to be filled with lip product through that end. When assembly or filling is complete, an end block may be applied over the open end.

A product container is positioned within the body and is preferably a generally hollow member having a circular side wall and a top end. At the open end of the container is positioned a pushing means for pushing the product from the applicator to be applied to the lips of the user. The pushing means may be a disc, typically external to the container, and preferably fixed inside the body of the applicator. Extending from one side of the tray is a support that extends from the side of the tray opposite the bottom of the body. The support may be integral with the disc or a separate element. If it is a separate element, it should be fixed to the disc in some way. The support member is inserted into the open end 33 of the container.

The support provides an anchoring means for the screw means. The screw means is a screw with one end embedded in or fixed to the support and the other end free in the container. By means of the screw means is a pusher, which is a disc-shaped member having the screw means passing generally through its centre. The pusher accommodates the threads of the screw means and moves up or down on these threads as the body of the applicator is rotated. To prevent the pusher from simply rotating in response to movement of the body 11 and not traveling in the reservoir, the inner wall is preferably provided with a guide that extends from the wall of the reservoir along at least a portion of its length and that mates with the recess along the edge of the pusher. The travel of the pusher urges the product in the container upwardly for dispensing.

Attached to a portion of the circumference of the container is a rotating ring or a-shell (a-shell) which is connected to the container by suitable means and provides a region where the user of the lip product can hold the applicator to prevent the container from rotating when the body is rotated. The collar or a-shell may be provided with a window to allow the purchaser to observe the color of the product and also to determine the remaining amount of product in the container. The window may be a strip of transparent material such as PETG or other transparent material.

The container has a top end which is preferably tapered and provided with a tear drop shaped surface. The surface is also preferably slightly concave along the vertical and horizontal axes to allow lip product to remain on the surface as it is pushed from the container. The surface is preferably provided with a plurality of channels or passages for receiving lip product. In a preferred embodiment, the ducts are arranged so as to have a peripheral duct along the edge of the surface, a first vertical duct extending downwardly from the aperture. The first vertical pipe may be intersected by first and second horizontal pipes. The peripheral tubing keeps the applicator clean and prevents lip product from spilling out along the sides.

The cap prevents contamination of the product when the applicator is not in use. Where the cap engages the body may be a skirt or an adjustment ring. The interior of the cap is provided with a plug which is inserted into a hole in the top to prevent product discharge during storage and to prevent product contamination when not in use. The plug may be tapered. The plug may also keep the product applicator sealed to prevent damage to the product.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of a typical lip stick applicator with a perfume dispenser of the present invention.

Fig. 1A is a partial top view of the cap of fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lip stick applicator of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the container and top end.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the container and tip showing the surface of the applicator.

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the surface of the tip.

FIG. 6A is a front view of the pusher.

Fig. 6B is a side view of the wall of the container.

FIG. 6C is a side view of the pusher.

Fig. 7A is a front view of the pusher tray.

Fig. 7B is a side view of one embodiment of the pushing device.

Fig. 7C is a side view of another embodiment of the pushing device.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the cap and bottom of the body of the can prior to insertion.

Fig. 9 is a side view of an alternative embodiment in which there is an end block at the bottom of the body.

Fig. 10A is an end view of the end block.

Fig. 10B is a side view of the end block.

Fig. 11A is a side view of the collar or a-shell of the applicator.

Fig. 11B is a side view of the container without the collar for the applicator.

Fig. 11C is a side view of a container with a loop in place for an applicator.

Fig. 11D is another embodiment of the surface of the applicator.

Fig. 12A is a side view of a collar or a-shell of an applicator with a window.

Fig. 12B is a side view of the container without the collar for the applicator.

Fig. 12C is a side view of the container of the applicator with the collar in place, showing the window.

Detailed Description

As shown in fig. 1, the lip applicator 10 has a body 11 and a cap 12 for protecting the lip product contained in the applicator when the lip applicator is not in use. The cap 12 may be provided with one or more windows 13 to allow the purchaser to view the color of the contents contained therein. This feature helps eliminate guesswork that customers must perform to determine the color of lip product in a lip applicator without a conventional translucent cap. The window may have a first edge 17, a second edge 18, and a bottom edge 19. The window may be on one side of the cap, on two opposing sides of the cap, or on more sides of the cap as desired. For the case of windows on both sides of the cap, the two window portions may be separate windows or the two windows may be connected by a top window portion 20 that extends over a portion of the cap. The window may be made of any suitable material, such as clear plastic or other material that allows viewing of the product contained therein. Although the window is shown as generally rectangular, it should be understood that the window may be circular or any shape desired.

The lip applicators of the present invention may be of any shape, although conventional such applicators are generally long and elongated, i.e., have a length greater than their width. The applicator body and cap may have a circular cross-section, a rectangular cross-section, or any other desired cross-sectional shape. In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape may be polygonal, such as hexagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal. The body 11 of the applicator may terminate in a preferably flat bottom 14 to allow the applicator to stand in a vertical orientation.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bottom 14 of the body may be provided with an opening 15 to receive the top portion of the fragrance canister 21, as more fully described in our U.S. patent application serial No.09/842372 filed on 25/4/2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The fragrance canister is secured to the base by a cap member 16 which receives the top end of the perfume dispenser and seals the perfume canister. In addition, the cap member 16 may be secured to the inner surface of the body 22 by adhesion or other means such as screwing, friction, or the like. The cap member 16 can be screwed into its inner surface 23 to receive the screwed-in tip of the perfume bottle. Snap-fit and other types of means may also be used to secure the canister to the cap element as desired. Although the presence of a perfume bottle is described herein, it should be understood that other cosmetic or other cans may be substituted for the perfume bottle shown herein. For example, there may be a bottle of nail polish, cream, lip gloss, eye shadow, eyeliner, powder, cream, and others.

The applicator of the present invention is shown in more detail in figure 2. The body 11 may be a hollow tube, a cap-shaped member open at both ends, having a bottom portion and sidewalls, or the like. The hollow tube device is particularly advantageous where a perfume or other container is provided in one end of the body. Furthermore, a hollow tube is useful even when there is no further canister extending from the body. In such a case, the open end at the bottom of the body facilitates allowing the remainder of the lip applicator to be inserted into the body and allowing the applicator to be filled with lip product through that end. When assembly or filling is complete, end block 71 may be applied over the open end. The end block may be adhered to the body by a suitable adhesive, or it may be secured by other conventional means.

Within the body 11 is located a product container 30, which is preferably a generally hollow member having a sidewall 31 and a top end 32. The container may be a circular tubular member or have another shape in cross-section. The top end may be integral with the side wall or may be a separate element. When the top end is integral, the container is typically open at the end 33 opposite the top end. The open end may be used to fill the container with lip product. The lip product is not a typical solid lip product commonly found in most lip stick products, but is preferably of a pasty or semi-soft consistency so that it will flow from the applicator under the influence of pressure. At the open end 33 of the container is located a pushing means 34 for pushing the product from the applicator to be applied to the lips of the user.

The pushing means may be a disc 24, which is generally external to the reservoir 33 and is preferably fixed inside the body 11 of the applicator. One way of securing the disc in the body is by means of an adhesive. Another approach is to taper the body slightly and the diameter of the disc should be slightly larger than at least a portion of the inner diameter of the body. Although the term "diameter" is used herein to describe the distance from one inner wall of the body to another, it should be understood that the inner wall need not be circular and that the disc need not be circular as well. The disc and the body may be of any shape as long as the disc can be fixed to the body. As shown in fig. 7A, the disc 24 has a polygonal periphery and is not circular. It has been found that such a design provides sufficient friction to secure the disc in the body. Extending from one side of the disc 24 is a support 25. The support 25 extends from the side of the tray opposite the bottom 14 of the body. The support 25 may be integral with the disc 24 or a separate element. If it is a separate element, it should be fixed to the disc in some way. The support 25 is inserted into the open end 33 of the container 30. There may be a sponge-type material 25A at the top of the support 25 to help seal the end of the container, but this sponge is not necessary in most cases.

The support 25 provides an anchoring means for the screw means 26. The screw means 26 is generally centrally located on one side of the support member. As shown in fig. 7B, the screw means is a screw, one end of which is embedded in the support 25 or fixed to the support 25, and the other end of which is preferably free in the container 30. Alternatively, the screw may be anchored at its end opposite the support on the underside of the tip 32. By means of this screw 26 is a pushing member 27. The pusher member 27 is preferably a disc-shaped member having a screw means passing generally through the center thereof. Although the pusher is generally parallel to the bottom of the body, in one embodiment, the pusher may form an angle 28. When the pusher is angled, the underside of the tip 32 should also be angled to allow the user to move as much product as possible from the applicator. The pusher 27 receives the threads of the screw means 26 and moves up or down on these threads as the body of the applicator is rotated. To prevent the pusher member 27 from simply rotating in response to movement of the body 11 and not moving within the container, the inner wall is preferably provided with a guide 41 extending from the wall of the container along at least a portion of its length. The pusher has a recess along its edge 43 for receiving the guide 44. Alternatively, the pusher member 28 may be provided with a guide member and the interior wall surface of the container has a recess for receiving the guide member on the pusher member. The travel of the pusher 27 urges the product in the reservoir upwardly for dispensing.

A rotating collar or a-shell (a-shell)35 may surround the container 33 and generally near the open end 33. A rotating ring 35 is between the body 11 and the container 33. In the preferred embodiment, the ring 35 is attached to a portion of the circumference of the container 33. The collar serves as a finger grip to provide an area where the user of the lip product can place their fingers, preventing the reservoir from rotating as the user rotates to push the pusher member 28 to dispense or withdraw product. The collar is connected to the container by suitable means. The loop 35 is preferably located with one end slightly inside the end of the body, primarily for aesthetic reasons. The finger grip may preferably be made entirely of a transparent material, or the finger grip may be provided with a cut or window 37 to allow the purchaser to view the color of the product after removing the cap, and also to determine the remaining amount of product in the container. When present, the slit may extend from the edge of the rotating ring 72 and have a pair of side edges 73 and 74, and a bottom portion 75. In another embodiment, the cut does not extend to the edge of the ring 72. When present, the window preferably does not extend to the edge of the collar and has a top edge 76, side edges 73 and 74, and a bottom portion 75. The window may be a strip of transparent material, such as PETG or other transparent material. As noted above, the window and/or cutout is generally described as rectangular, but any shape is satisfactory as long as the amount or color of the product can be viewed through the window or cutout.

As mentioned above, the container 33 has a top end 32. The tip is preferably tapered in the manner shown in figures 3 and 4. The tip is provided in a teardrop shape. More specifically, the tip 32 has a surface 50 that is also preferably slightly recessed along the vertical and horizontal axes in addition to the tear-drop shape to allow lip product to remain on the surface as it is pushed from the reservoir 33 through the tube 51 and out of the aperture 52. The hole 52 may be larger in diameter than the tube 51 or the hole may be angled so that it appears larger due to the angle of the surface 50. The surface 50 is preferably provided with a plurality of channels or passages 53 for receiving lip product. In a preferred embodiment, the conduits are arranged so as to have a peripheral conduit 54 along the edge of the surface, a first vertical conduit 55 extending from the aperture 52. The first vertical duct 55 may be divided by first and second horizontal ducts 56 and 57. Another embodiment of this surface is shown in fig. 11D. While these conduits have been found to be structured to allow the user to apply lip product in a manner similar to a conventional lip stick, other structures may be used. One advantage of the present invention is that the applicator tip maintains shape and provides an angle to apply lip product similar to the angle of a conventional lip stick without wearing or deforming from use. In a preferred embodiment, the tip of the lip applicator is transparent or translucent so that the color of the product can be displayed through it. In another embodiment, the tip may be colored to disguise the color of the lip material.

The cap 12 is mounted on the applicator tip to prevent contamination of the product when the applicator is not in use. Where the cap 12 is joined to the body 11, a skirt 58 is provided which helps to disguise any minor differences in the size of the cap compared to the size of the body. The interior of the cap is provided with a plug 59 which is inserted into the aperture 52 to prevent product discharge during storage and to prevent product contamination when not in use. In a preferred embodiment, the plug 59 is tapered, i.e., narrower at the top end 60 than at the bottom 61. The bottom 61 of the plug 59 is secured to the cap by any convenient means. A preferred means of providing the inner surface of the cap with a projection 62 having a head 63 larger than its stem 64 is particularly suitable for a window in the cap extending over the top portion of the cap. The head is inserted into the recess 65 of the plug 59 and secures the plug to the cap.

Claims (62)

1. An improved lip product applicator for applying a pasty or semi-soft lip product to the lips of a user, comprising a body having a product reservoir extending therefrom, said product reservoir being hollow and having a tip extending from opposite ends of said body, said tip having an outer surface and a bore in the tip extending from said outer surface and through a tube (51) to communicate with said product reservoir, said reservoir having a pusher therein which contacts the inside surface of said reservoir and relies on screw means to push product from the bore of said tip, said reservoir having a side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, and the color of said product in said reservoir being visible to the user.

2. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a cap provided with one or more windows in a side wall thereof to allow viewing of the color of the lip product in the applicator.

3. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a cap provided with one or more windows in a side wall thereof to allow viewing of the remaining amount of lip product in the applicator.

4. The applicator of claim 2, wherein: there are windows on both sides of the cap that are connected by a top window portion that extends across the top surface of the cap.

5. The applicator of claim 2, wherein: the window is made of PETG.

6. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: the body has an opening to receive a top portion of a can containing another product.

7. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is a perfume.

8. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is nail polish.

9. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is a cream.

10. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is a lip gloss.

11. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is an eye shadow.

12. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is an eyeliner.

13. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is a powder.

14. The applicator of claim 6, wherein: the product is a cream.

15. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: the product container has a circular sidewall.

16. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: there is a finger grip attached to a portion of the circumference of the container to provide an area for a user of the lip applicator to hold the applicator to prevent rotation of the container when the body is rotated, wherein the finger grip has a window that allows the purchaser to view the color of the product and to determine the amount of product remaining in the container.

17. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: the tip has a teardrop shaped surface for applying lip product to the lips of a user.

18. The applicator of claim 17, wherein: the surface is slightly concave along the vertical and horizontal axes to allow the lip product to remain on the surface as it is discharged from the container.

19. The applicator of claim 18, wherein: the surface is provided with a plurality of ducts for receiving lip product.

20. The applicator of claim 19, wherein: there is a peripheral pipe.

21. The applicator of claim 19, wherein: there is a first vertical pipe extending downwardly from the bore.

22. The applicator of claim 19, wherein: the top end has at least one horizontal channel on the surface.

23. An applicator as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the cap has a plug that is inserted into a hole in the tip when the cap is in place.

24. The applicator of claim 23, wherein: the plug is attached to the cap by a projection extending from an inner surface of the cap, the projection having a bottom adjacent the cap, the projection being wider at its top end than at its bottom end, and the top end and a side of the plug opposite the aperture matching.

25. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: having a finger grip adhered to a circumferential portion of the container that provides an area in which a user of the lip applicator can hold the applicator to prevent rotation of the container when rotating the body, and which allows the purchaser to observe the color of the product and determine the amount of product remaining in the container.

26. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: the side walls are rounded.

27. The applicator of claim 1, wherein: the product container is integral with the top end.

28. An improved product applicator for applying a pasty or semi-soft product to a user, comprising a body having a product container extending therefrom, the product container being hollow, and having a tip extending from an opposite end of said body, said tip having an outer surface and a bore in the tip, said hole in the tip extending from said outer surface and via a tube (51) to communicate with said product container, said tip being tapered, and said tip retaining said conical shape when the product is applied to a user, said container having a pusher therein, the pusher being in contact with an inside surface of the container and relying on a screw means to push product from the bore of the tip, the container having a sidewall, the sidewall has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the tip is formed of a material that allows a user to see the color of the product through the tip.

29. The applicator of claim 28, wherein: the top end is transparent.

30. The applicator of claim 28, wherein: the tip is translucent.

31. The applicator of claim 28, wherein: the product is a pasty or semi-soft lip product.

32. The applicator according to claim 31, further comprising a cap provided with one or more windows in a sidewall thereof to allow viewing of the color of the product in the applicator.

33. The applicator of claim 32, wherein: on opposite sides of the cap are windows that are connected by a top window portion that extends across the top surface of the cap.

34. The applicator of claim 32, wherein: the window is made of PETG.

35. The applicator according to claim 31, further comprising a cap provided with one or more windows in a sidewall of the cap to allow viewing of the remaining amount of product in the applicator.

36. The applicator of claim 35, wherein: the cap plug is inserted into the hole in the tip when the cap is in place.

37. The applicator of claim 36, wherein: the stopper is fixed to the cap by a projection extending from an inner surface of the cap, the projection having a stem extending from the cap and a head larger than the stem, the head being inserted into a recess formed in the stopper.

38. Applicator according to claim 31, wherein the body has an opening to receive a top portion of a can containing another product.

39. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is a perfume.

40. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is nail polish.

41. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is a cream.

42. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is a lip gloss.

43. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is an eye shadow.

44. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is an eyeliner.

45. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is a powder.

46. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is a cream.

47. The applicator of claim 38, wherein: the product is a lip product.

48. The applicator of claim 31, wherein: the product container has a circular sidewall.

49. The applicator of claim 31, wherein: there is a turning ring (35) attached to a portion of the periphery of the container which acts as a finger grip to provide the user of the product with an area where their fingers can be placed to prevent the container from turning when the body is turned to push the pusher.

50. The applicator of claim 31, wherein: the tip has a teardrop shaped surface.

51. The applicator of claim 50, wherein: the surface of the tip is slightly concave along the vertical and horizontal axes to allow the product to remain on the surface as it is discharged from the container.

52. The applicator of claim 51, wherein: the surface is provided with a plurality of ducts for containing the product.

53. The applicator of claim 52, wherein: there is a peripheral pipe.

54. The applicator of claim 53, wherein: there is a first vertical pipe extending from the bore.

55. The applicator of claim 53, wherein: the top end has at least one horizontal duct on the surface that intersects the vertical duct.

56. The applicator of claim 28, wherein the pusher has a product contacting surface that contacts the inner surface of the tip to displace as much product as possible from the applicator when the pusher is raised.

57. An applicator as claimed in claim 28, further comprising pushing means which is a disc and which is located outside the reservoir and is fixed in the body of the applicator, the disc supporting screw means having a pusher which moves up or down on the thread as the body of the applicator is rotated.

58. The applicator of claim 57, wherein the pusher is prevented from rotating by a guide.

59. An applicator as claimed in claim 58, wherein the guide extends from the interior wall of the reservoir along at least a portion of its length and mates with the notch on the pusher.

60. An applicator as claimed in claim 28, having a finger grip attached to a portion of the circumference of the container to provide an area for a user of the lip applicator to grip the applicator to prevent rotation of the container when the body is rotated, wherein the finger grip has a window that allows the purchaser to observe the colour of the product and to determine the amount of product remaining in the container.

61. The applicator of claim 28, wherein said tip has a teardrop-shaped surface for applying lip product to a user's lips and wherein the color of said product in said reservoir is visible to the user.

62. The applicator of claim 61, wherein the surface is slightly concave along vertical and horizontal axes to allow lip product to remain on the surface as it is discharged from the reservoir and the color of said product in said reservoir is visible to a user.