Made to your size- 100 boxes
- Custom sizes & styles
- Free dieline support
- Quality print options
- Proof before production
- 8–12 business day production
Foundation boxes are folding cartons, and sometimes rigid boxes, made for heavy glass bottles with pumps, droppers or screw caps. The weight of the bottle and the height of the pump decide the board and the inside size, and an insert usually holds the bottle upright. Because foundation is chosen by shade, the carton often carries a colour swatch that matches the product inside.
Bottle and pump cartons
Custom Foundation Boxes
✓Clear proofing before productionSee our process
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Tell us what you are packing and we’ll reply with practical options.
Product features
Built around the jobUpright bottle insert
Shade swatch panel
Crash-lock base option
Shade number on top flap
Colour-coded shade flaps
Space for a loose pump
Matching stick and compact cartons
Specifications made for your product.
Technical snapshotEvery final specification is confirmed against product weight, packing method, print coverage, route, and order volume.
View artwork preparation guide- SKU
- bm-1115
- Dimensions
- Custom-made around the product and packing workflow
- Materials
- SBS paperboard, Recycled paperboard, Greyboard for rigid versions
- Printing
- CMYK, Pantone, white ink, or unprinted
- Finishes
- Matte, gloss, soft-touch, foil, embossing, spot UV
- Quantities
- Starting at 100 on selected configurations
- Proofing
- Dieline and digital proof
One design, every shade.
Artwork and materialsFoundation is chosen by shade, so we build one carton design with a shade panel that changes, and set the front to line up with the bottle label. Our packaging guides cover sizing, materials, print, and cost in more depth.
Shade panel and top flap
We keep the main artwork the same across the range and change only the shade name, number and swatch, which can also sit on the top flap so cartons are easy to find in a drawer.
Explore print and finishesBoard and rigid options
Plain paperboard gives clean, even colour for swatches, recycled board gives a softer look, and greyboard wrapped in printed paper turns a hero shade or gift edition into a rigid box.
Explore material decisionsChoose your box
Tell us the bottle size with pump or dropper fitted, the number of shades and which way the label faces.
Request a quote
We recommend a carton, insert and base for your bottle and shade range.
Finalize the order
Approve the carton, insert, crash-lock or tuck base, shade versions and your delivery details.
Build the dieline
We draw the carton around your bottle's pump height, with an insert that holds it upright.
Approve the proof
Check every shade name, number and swatch, plus ingredients and claims, on the digital proof.
Roll on production
Your foundation cartons are printed together across the shade range, cut, checked and packed for delivery.
Best for
Liquid foundationSerum and skin tintsConcealer bottlesPrimer and base productsWhat changes the price.
Cost factorsEvery project is quoted individually. These are the choices that move the price on almost every order.
- Board thickness
- Heavy glass bottles need thicker board than plastic tubes, which adds material cost.
- Insert
- A neck-holding or cradle insert is an extra cut part, and a moulded pulp insert needs its own mould.
- Shade range
- Each shade with its own swatch or artwork is a separate print version.
- Base style
- A crash-lock base is quicker to pack and stronger than a tuck, but uses more board.
Buyer guidance
Choosing this format
Measuring with the pump or dropper fitted
Measure the bottle with its pump, dropper or cap fitted, because the top is what sets the carton height.
A pump head can add a lot of height above the bottle shoulder, and a dropper bulb is soft and should not be squashed by the tuck flap. Measure the filled bottle as it will be packed, including any over-cap.
Foundation bottles are often square or flat-sided glass. Note which way the bottle faces in the carton, so the label and the carton front line up.
- Measure the pump, not just the bottle
- Do not press on dropper bulbs
- Align bottle and carton fronts
Holding a heavy glass bottle
Glass foundation bottles are heavy for their size, so the base and insert do most of the work.
A plain tuck base can open under the weight of a glass bottle if the carton is picked up by the top. A crash-lock or auto-bottom base holds better and packs faster.
An insert that grips the neck, or a cradle at the base, stops the bottle rattling and keeps the pump from hitting the top panel. For delivery, the carton still travels inside a shipping box.
Printing shade ranges
A foundation range can run to dozens of shades, so plan one design with a shade panel that changes.
Most ranges use the same artwork for every shade and change only a shade name and a printed swatch. Printing all versions on one sheet, or in one run, keeps colours consistent across the range, and we put every shade version on the proof so you can check each name and swatch.
A printed swatch is a guide, not a match: skin tones are hard to print exactly. Many brands add the shade number and undertone in words as well.
Text the carton carries for the bottle
Ingredients, SPF claims and the period after opening often sit on the carton rather than the bottle.
A small bottle leaves little room, so the carton usually carries the full ingredient list, directions and any sun protection claim. An SPF figure should match the product's own test results, so send us the approved wording and we set it exactly as written.
Related packaging formats
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Cosmetic Boxes
Color-accurate beauty packaging designed to look sharp on shelf and camera.
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Folding Cartons
Lightweight printed cartons with crisp color, structure, and shelf appeal.
Explore box style
Rigid Boxes with Inserts
Rigid boxes with fitted foam, board or wrapped inserts that hold each product exactly in place.
Explore box styleQuestions about foundation boxes.
Box style FAQsWe’ll confirm the exact details that apply to your structure and volume.
Read all frequently asked questionsCan a liquid foundation box fit a stick or compact foundation?+
Not usually, because the shapes are very different. A foundation stick is long and round, like a large lipstick, and suits a narrow carton. A powder or cushion compact is flat, and suits a shallow carton or sleeve, much like a palette box. For a range with all three, we keep one design across several carton sizes so the range still reads as a family.
How do foundation boxes show each shade?+
We print a large shade number and name on the top or end flap as well as the front, so the shade reads at a glance on the shelf and while you pack. A swatch on the front helps shoppers match their skin tone, and a different flap colour for each shade group, such as light, medium and deep, makes the range easy to sort.
Should a foundation pump be fitted before boxing or packed separately?+
Most foundations ship with the pump fitted and locked, or under an over-cap, and we size the carton for that full height. If your glass bottle ships with a screw cap and a loose pump instead, the carton can be shorter. We then cut a second space in the insert for the pump and can print fitting directions on the box.
Can a foundation box and its insert be recycled together?+
Yes, when both are paper. We make foundation boxes from paperboard with a card insert, so the carton and insert go into paper recycling together. That is one reason brands choose them over foam, which has to be separated first. We can also print a short note on the box telling the customer to recycle the glass bottle separately.
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