The present invention relates to a system for packaging and applying a product, including a container intended for containing said product and having a neck and a bottom, the neck extending along a longitudinal axis; a product application assembly including a closing element suitable for closing the container and a product application secured to said closing element and intended for being inserted in said container in order to be loaded with the product to be applied; a retaining device suitable for retaining said application assembly on said container, and movable mounted between an operative configuration in which the application assembly is retained on the container, and an inoperative configuration in which the application assembly can be removed from the container; a resilient element provided such as to adopt a stressed configuration when the retaining device is in the operative configuration thereof.