What Size Is a Standard Lipstick Tube?
The cup is the internal cavity that holds the bullet, and it is what component makers list first. 12.1 mm is the most widely used full size cup and HCP Packaging publishes it across its Fusion and Airtight ranges. The main alternative full size is 12.7 mm and it appears on the same catalogs.
Slim tubes run a good deal narrower than the full size cups above. Published cup sizes include 8.3 and 8.5 and 9 and 9.8 and 10 and 11 and 11.8 mm, while oversized formats reach 17.6 mm.
The tube itself is always bigger than the cup inside it. A standard bullet tube runs about 70 to 76 mm closed and 18 to 21 mm across while holding 3 to 5 grams of product. Slim tubes sit nearer 10 to 16 mm across the outside of the barrel.
Outer wall thickness varies between suppliers even at the same cup size, so send us the closed tube measured with calipers.
Which Board Weight Suits a Lipstick Carton?
300 to 350 GSM covers almost every lipstick carton and three independent printers publish that same band for cosmetics. That gives roughly 0.35 to 0.46 mm of caliper, which holds a clean score on a narrow panel without the carton bowing.
Point figures deserve one caution before you specify them on an order. Suppliers disagree on the conversion, with one calling 14 point about 300 GSM and another calling 14 point exactly 350 GSM. Specify GSM rather than points and that ambiguity disappears entirely.
| Format | Material | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Straight tuck end carton | 300 to 350 GSM | Retail shelves and single tubes |
| Sleeve over a tray | 300 to 350 GSM | Brands changing artwork often |
| Rigid two piece box | 1.5 to 2 mm grayboard | Luxury lines and launch sets |
| Carton with partitions | 350 to 400 GSM | Multi shade sets |
Which Finish Suits a Lipstick Carton?
Finish decides how a lipstick carton feels in the hand and what the run costs. Soft touch lamination is the finish beauty brands ask for more than any other. It reads as velvet under the fingers and it deepens every ink printed beneath it. Put foil stamping on the logo over that base and the contrast carries the whole design.
A dark matte carton picks up scuff marks on the way through retail, so we run an anti scuff film over deep colors. Aqueous coating is the lightest of the four and it leaves the board close to its natural surface.
Spot UV sits on top of a matte or soft touch base and needs its own plate. Every finish shifts how the printed color reads and we proof the finish together with the ink.
| Finish | How it handles | What it adds to the run |
|---|---|---|
| Soft touch lamination | Velvet feel and deeper ink | One lamination pass |
| Matte with anti scuff film | Flat look that resists rub marks | One lamination pass |
| Foil stamping | Metallic logo or border | A die and a foil pass |
| Spot UV | Raised gloss on a matte ground | A plate and a print pass |
What Has to Appear on a Lipstick Box?
When the lipstick ships inside a carton, that carton becomes the labeled surface and the FDA rules apply to it rather than to the tube. Those rules sit in 21 CFR Part 701 and none of them are optional.
- Statement of identity on the front panel in bold type sized against the most prominent print
- Net quantity of contents in the bottom 30 percent of the front panel
- Ingredient list in descending order on any information panel with letters at least one sixteenth of an inch
- Name and place of business of the manufacturer or packer or distributor
Since December 29, 2024 the label also has to carry a domestic address or phone number or website through which you can receive adverse event reports. That requirement comes from MoCRA and it catches brands that had only listed an email address.
A carton under 12 square inches of total surface can move the ingredient list to an affixed tag or a leaflet.
Minimum Order, Lead Time, and Samples
- The minimum order is 100 boxes per size and design, so a shade printed on the carton counts as its own design
- Folding cartons run 8 to 10 business days after you approve the dieline
- Rigid and wrapped boxes run 10 to 12 business days because they are built rather than folded
- A plain sample takes 3 to 5 business days and a printed sample takes 7 to 10
- Price breaks land at 500 and 1,000 units on the same artwork
Request a Quote
Send us the closed tube dimensions plus your quantity and the finish you want. We quote lipstick cartons from the measured product the same way we quote every other line of custom packaging boxes. We will come back with a price and a dieline.
The Customized Boxes