Overview

Lumina™ (formerly marketed as Radiance Serum) sought a definitive visual identity for their flagship Vitamin C serum. The objective was to create a visual suite that captures the "inner glow" of the product, moving away from static studio photography to a more dynamic, high-fidelity CGI approach.

Our team focused on creating a digital twin of the glass dropper bottle, ensuring perfect control over liquid refraction, glass transparency, and material contrast—essential elements for a premium skincare brand.

The Challenge

The primary technical obstacle was refractive accuracy. Glass and liquid interact in complex ways; the serum must look "viscous" and "hydrating" rather than oily or thin. Furthermore, the amber-tinted glass required careful calibration of subsurface scattering to ensure the product appears Protective™ while still allowing a glimpse of the internal serum.

From a branding perspective, the challenge was to localize the dense technical data for the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) markets without cluttering the minimalist, apothecary-inspired label.

What We Did

1. Advanced Liquid Engineering

We developed a custom shader system specifically for this project:

• Liquid Viscosity: Simulated the subtle thickness of a high-potency Vitamin C serum.
• Glass Refraction: Achieved realistic bending of light through the curved bottle and dropper pipette.
• Micro-Bubbles: Added microscopic, realistic air bubbles within the serum to suggest fresh, active ingredients.

2. Localization (EN → DE)

• Precise Adaptation: Translated "Brightening & Antioxidant" to “Aufhellend • Antioxidativ • Feuchtigkeit”, adjusting the typographic grid to maintain the "calm" brand feeling.
• Regulatory Compliance: Integrated all required German safety declarations and PAO symbols within a compact, trilingual layout.

3. "Sunrise-Natural" Lighting

Instead of standard studio lighting, we developed a lighting suite that mimics the "golden hour" in a premium bathroom setting:

• Soft Volumetrics: Used soft directional light to create natural, elongated shadows on marble and glass.
• Caustic Effects: Simulated the beautiful light patterns reflected through the amber glass onto the counter surface.

Visual Story

Outcome

The Lumina™ Radiance Serum visual toolkit has established a new benchmark for the client's digital presence.

• Market Confidence: The photorealistic renders were used to secure placement in two major European luxury retailers before physical production was complete.
• Perfect Continuity: The digital asset library ensures zero variation in product appearance across web, print, and retail channels.
• Reduced Prototyping: The client saved 30% on traditional photography and shipping costs by finalizing their DACH localization via our high-fidelity virtual samples.