Custom Cosmetic Boxes
Custom cosmetic cartons from 100 per shade. One dieline and one board carry your whole range, with only the print file changing per SKU — so a thirty-shade launch is a normal order here, not an awkward one.
Beauty packaging has to be pretty and legal at the same time
Get a price for Cosmetic Boxes
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- 8styles in this range, each with its own page and price
- 100unit minimum on every style, printed or plain
- 4markets quoted in the delivery currency
- ±1mmcutting tolerance on folding board, checked on a sample
8 styles in this range
Styles we make in this range
Every one below is written up, priced and dielined. Tap a style to see how it is built.
01See the build →Bath Bomb Boxes
Custom bath bomb boxes that hold a fragile sphere still and keep humidity away from it, from 100 units.
02See the build →Bath Salt Boxes
Bath salts are hygroscopic
03See the build →Eyelash Boxes
Custom eyelash boxes sized to the tray your lashes ship on, from 100 units.
04See the build →Hair Spray Boxes
Hair spray brings two things most cosmetic cartons never deal with: a pressurised aerosol that carries its…
05See the build →Lip Gloss Boxes
Custom lip gloss boxes built around your exact tube, from 100 units.
06See the build →Lotion Boxes
Custom lotion boxes built around the bottle, pump or tube you actually fill, from 100 units.
07See the build →Makeup Boxes
Most packaging problems are about a single box.
08See the build →Nail Polish Boxes
Three properties, three separate packaging problems.
Side by side
Which cosmetic boxes style fits
| Style | Board | Build | Minimum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Bomb Boxes | 16–20 pt SBS or kraft; poly- or wax-coated grades for unwrapped bombs | Tuck cube, tray and sleeve, tray and lid, gable with handle | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Bath Salt Boxes | 16–24pt, stepped up for weight rather than size | Straight tuck, reverse tuck, seal-end, rigid, window | 100 cartons | Open → |
| Eyelash Boxes | 16–20 pt SBS, holographic or metalized board; wrapped chipboard for rigid | Window tuck carton, drawer box, magnetic rigid case, multi-pair lash book | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Hair Spray Boxes | 16–20pt; base build stepped up for a full can | Tuck end and seal end cartons; locking or auto-lock base as standard | 100 cartons | Open → |
| Lip Gloss Boxes | 16–20 pt SBS, holographic or metalized board, kraft | Straight tuck, reverse tuck, hang-tab tuck, sleeve and tray | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Lotion Boxes | 18–24 pt SBS, kraft-faced, or recycled board; laminated as standard | Straight tuck, reverse tuck, auto-lock base, sleeve and tray, two-piece gift | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Makeup Boxes | 14–18pt for single units, 18–24pt for palettes and sets | Reverse tuck, straight tuck, seal end, two-piece for palettes | 100 cartons per shade | Open → |
| Nail Polish Boxes | 18–20pt for singles; 20pt plus divider for sets | See the page | 100 cartons | Open → |
Reserve the panel first
INCI ingredients, net contents, batch code, responsible-person address and the PAO symbol have to fit somewhere legible. On a 30 ml serum carton that is a real constraint, and it is far cheaper to solve on a blank dieline than after a designer has laid out a face.
We mark the mandatory panel on every dieline we send, sized to the market you are selling into. UK and EU rules ask for more than US rules do, so a brand selling both usually designs to the stricter one and prints a single carton.
Batch codes are usually inkjetted after printing. Leave an unvarnished patch for them — ink will not key onto gloss lamination.
The bottle decides the box
Airless pumps, droppers and jars all behave differently in a carton. A dropper needs headroom so the bulb is not compressed; an airless pump is top-heavy and will tip a shallow box; a wide jar wants a shorter, squarer footprint than the carton proportions most brands sketch first.
Send us the component, or its exact height including the closure. We build the die with 1–2 mm clearance and a locking tuck so the carton does not gape when the bottle shifts.
| Dropper bottle | Add 3–4 mm headroom above the bulb |
|---|---|
| Airless pump | Deeper base or an insert; it is top-heavy |
| Wide jar | Square footprint, shallow depth, reverse tuck |
| Tube | Narrow carton with a hang tab if it goes on a peg |
Finishes that photograph
Beauty sells through images more than any other category we print, and finishes behave differently under a ring light than they do on a desk. Soft-touch matte reads as premium and kills reflection. High gloss looks sharp in daylight and blows out under studio light. Foil is the most photographed finish and the most easily scuffed.
If the box will be in every product photo, order a small finish sample before committing the run. Two hundred pounds of samples has saved more reprints than any other habit.
Ranges want a system, not one box
Smaller items in a range often move to a sleeve rather than a full carton — see how sets are usually presented for the same logic applied to multipacks.
- One carton depth across the range keeps shelf and shipper cost down.
- Change color per variant, not structure — a second die costs more than a second ink.
- Leave the variant name in a fixed position so a new shade does not need a new layout.
- Number the dielines. Six months in, nobody remembers which carton was the 50 ml.
Across the range
What every cosmetic boxes job runs on
Boards
- Natural kraft
- White SBS
- E and B flute
- Wrapped grayboard
- Food-grade board
- Recycled content
Chosen from what goes in the box and how far it travels. Our notes on recyclable and compostable stocks say which claims each board can carry.
Finishes
- Matte
- Gloss
- Soft-touch
- Foil
- Emboss
- Spot UV
- Kraft
- Textured
Each one is a decision about light on a shelf — the specialty finishes range shows them on real boxes.
Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, fonts outlined
- 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area
- CMYK; a spot color where a match must hold
- Proof on the dieline before press
Files not set up that way are fine — see the guide to preparing print files.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Build your Cosmetic Boxes in 3D
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a board and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about cosmetic boxes? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
What is the minimum order per shade?
100 cartons per shade. The tool and the board are shared across the range, so only the print file changes between them.
Can I run thirty shades at 100 each?
Yes, and that is the normal shape of an order here. One dieline, one board order, a different print file per shade.
Will the printed shade match the product?
Not reliably in four-color print — skin tones are where CMYK is weakest. We will tell you where it will drift and quote a spot color if the match has to hold.
Where does the INCI list go?
On a panel reserved on the dieline before design starts. Leaving it until afterwards is the commonest cause of a full-range reprint.
Do you supply the dieline?
Yes, with the quote, before you commit to anything. It is yours whether or not you order.
What board weight suits a small carton?
14–18pt for single units, 18–24pt for palettes and sets. Weight is chosen from what goes in, not from the size.
Is soft-touch lamination a bad idea?
Only where the carton is carried and handled daily — it picks up finger marks. On a boxed gift set it is the best-feeling finish we offer.
Can you print inside the carton?
Yes. It is a second pass and no extra board, and on a palette or a set box it is in view every time it is opened.
Do I need a separate barcode per shade?
Yes — each shade is a separate saleable item. Send the list and we place them all in the same panel position.
Which markets do you quote in?
United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, priced in the currency of the delivery country.
How small can a carton be and still hold the ingredient list?
Around 30 × 30 × 80 mm at 6pt type, if the list is short. Below that most brands move the ingredients to a peel-back label or an outer sleeve.
Do I need different cartons for the UK and the US?
Not usually. Design to the UK and EU requirement, which is stricter, and one carton serves both markets.
Can you match a Pantone exactly on kraft?
Not exactly. Kraft is brown and unbleached, so every ink shifts warm. We can print a white underbase first, which gets close, or pick a Pantone that works with the board rather than against it.
What is the cheapest way to look premium at 100 units?
Soft-touch lamination on a plain one- or two-color print. It costs less than foil and reads better in photographs than a busy four-color box.
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