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How to design cosmetics packaging: the ultimate guide

There are few industries out there with as much potential to develop loyal, die-hard customers as beauty and cosmetics. Beauty products are a staple in bathroom cabinets around the world; whether a person is going for an “I woke up like this” look or the avant garde “makeup is art you wear on your face” feel, just about every woman (not to mention tons of men!) use beauty products on the daily.

Which means if you own a beauty or cosmetics line, the potential for some serious business is there. But it also means if you want to grab that business and take it for yourself, you’re going to need to find a way to break through the clutter, jump off the shelf at Sephora, and tell your ideal customer “THIS is the lipstick for you!” And the best way to do that is your cosmetic packaging.

Your packaging is the first thing the beauty die-hards you want to turn into customers are going to see. If your packaging grabs their attention and speaks to what they’re looking for, they’re likely to take your product home and give it a try. If not? It’s likely to gather dust on the shelf.

But how, exactly, do you design the kind of packaging that makes your ideal customer scream “I need that blush yesterday?” Never fear, 99designs is here with all the information you need to design packaging that stands out on the shelf and gets your product into your customer’s bag (and, eventually, on their face).

Prime before you design

Before you get started with your packaging design, there are a few things you want to clarify:

Define your ideal customer

It’s important to know who you’re designing for. Who’s your ideal customer? Are they tween girls just as obsessed with sparkles as they are with boy bands? Are they women of color who want makeup that actually (finally) matches their skin tone? Are they men who are masculine… but also want baby soft skin? And once you know who they are, what are they looking for in a cosmetics brand? What’s going to grab their attention?

Define your brand personality

Just as important as your customer’s identity is your identity. What’s your branding? Are you dark and edgy (like Urban Decay)? Simple and classic (like Bobbi Brown)? Luxurious (like Dior)? Accessible (like Wet n Wild)? Who you are as a brand—and the personality you want to portray to your customers—is going to determine what design elements you use in your packaging.

Define how your ideal customers are buying your product

You’ll also want to consider how you’re going to sell your products. Are you selling online or in store? In small boutiques or in large retailers? Your design strategy might change depending on where you’re shelling your goods.

Create a mood board for your brand

A great thing to do before you start designing is to create a mood board for your brand. Pull together images, colors, advertisements and whatever else you feel embodies your brand personality; these will act as inspiration as you go through the design process.

Let cosmetics packaging box trends inspire you

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If you need a little inspiration for your packaging design there’s no better place to start than looking at the latest cosmetics packaging trends. Once you know what’s currently trending, you can create packaging that caters to what’s important to your customers right now and that speaks to them in the right way.

Remember that you want to pick a look that’s both modern and on trend, but also timeless and universally appealing, so your packaging design looks up-to-date for as long as possible.

Here are the cosmetics packaging trends we’re seeing everywhere right now:

1. Intricate line drawings

Intricate drawings using fine lines and lots of detail are a timelessly beautiful trend for cosmetics packaging and boutique box. Particularly floral and hand-made drawings work well, either cleverly placed in select areas or covering the whole product. If you’re going for something less feminine but still want something elegant and detailed, a more geometric, clean and cool drawing-style may be right for you. This trend is perfect for you if your brand has an eye for detail or if you’re looking for a subtle yet beautiful way of showcasing what’s inside your packaging, by drawing the ingredients you use.

2. Unique custom fonts

The bold font trend we’re seeing across the board in graphic design naturally extends to packaging as well. Unique fonts can give your packaging a whole lot of character. Typography is the perfect way to express who you are as a brand, and a handlettered font can be just the thing to set you apart from the crowd. Whether it carries a retro vibe, a bold statement or a quirky flair, a unique font is sure to stick in people’s minds.

3. Bold, eye-catching patterns

With loud stripes and wild color combinations the bold pattern trend is going to make your packaging jump off the shelves. Well-placed, eye-catching patterns make your packaging pop and give your brand a confident, young look that sets you apart from everyone else. Especially irregular patterns are a reoccurring trend that can give your packaging a certain edge. But that doesn’t mean that your brand has to be young and loud to be able to use this trend: abstract patterns can work for any brand, as long as you get the colors and shapes right. This is same as the electronic packaging box design.

4. Cool black packaging with a twist

Black and white cosmetics packaging is a timeless trend we will never get tired of. What’s new in the packaging designs we’re currently seeing is that while white used to be the overwhelming choice for cosmetics packaging, it’s black that seems be dominating monochrome packaging right now. To add an interesting twist, these designs use subtle patterns and tiny pops of color to catch the eye. Packaging that is mostly black looks luxurious and has an air of mystery and coolness. What’s more, if you pick a classy monochrome design you can be sure that your packaging will never go out of style.

5. Lush florals and warm, earthy colors

A stylishly-vintage trend we can’t get enough of is cosmetics packaging covered in rich, warm florals and natural, earthy tones. While this trend has a feminine and sometimes even sexy vibe to it, it can also feel warm and comforting. This combination of lush, rich floral illustrations with simple typography results in a classic style that creates an approachable yet luxurious look.

6. Modern minimalist pastels

Pastels and minimalism are a match made in heaven. While pastels will soften an otherwise harsh looking minimalist packaging design, a minimalistic and clean design will ensure that your pastel packaging looks modern and grown up. Play with both concepts to find the right mix for your brand. You can keep it simple and stylish by picking one pastel shade that speaks to your customers and brand or you can work with a combination of pastels to achieve a playful and dreamy look.

When it comes to cosmetics packaging, anything goes. Dare to be different! Play around with designs that speak to you and that express what your brand is all about. It’s unique designs that stand out from the crowd. Need more inspiration? Check out our article on packaging design trends.

Create your perfect cosmetics packaging

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Now that you’re feeling inspired, it’s time to start designing your beauty packaging and cosmetics labels.

Set your brand design standards

The first thing you’ll need to do when designing your packaging is set your elements of design.

There are a few different elements you’ll need to consider:

Style

The first thing you’ll want to consider is the mood and personality you want to bring to your daily necessities packaging. Are you going for a minimalist vibe in your design? Or do you want to go more over-the-top and stylized?

Knowing what style you want to move towards will help lead the rest of your design and ensure you make packaging decisions that are in line with your overall design goals.

Locking in your style will also help you determine any additional design elements you need to consider. Are you going for a pop art feel? Then you might need some illustrations done to lead the design process. Are you incorporating natural elements for your natural cosmetics brand? Then maybe you’ll want to pull in some nature photography to include on your packaging. The point is, when you know what style you’re going for, you know what design elements you’ll need to get that style to come across in your packaging.

Colors

When choosing colors, you want to choose colors that a) match your brand personality, b) grab customer’s attention and c) stand out from the competition. This last point is especially important in the uber-competitive world of beauty and cosmetics.

Think about choosing your brand’s color palette like you would assembling this season’s must-have eyeshadow palette; you want to stay true to your brand while differentiating yourself from the competition. So, for example, pink is a wildly popular color in the beauty and cosmetics world. It’s fun, it’s feminine, and it just so happens to be a color that’s widely used in all the glorious cosmetics we put on our faces. But if you go with pink as your packaging color, it might be hard to grab your customer’s attention since the shelves of every cosmetic store are already a sea of pink.

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