Why New Lipstick Brands Should Prioritize Lipstick Tube Packaging Moulds
Common Mold Adaptation for Start-up Lipstick Brands:
Relies on a mature supply chain, with low cost, low MOQ, and fast delivery. It enables rapid product launch to test market demand, allowing budgets to focus on paste formula and marketing. However, it has no exclusive right to use, is prone to homogenization, and lacks brand recognition.
Custom Mould for Long-Term Brand Layout:
Supports exclusive packaging customization to create differentiated style and can apply for appearance patents to prevent counterfeiting, improving premium and competitiveness. However, it involves high mold opening costs, long cycles, and high MOQ, suitable for experienced brands with sufficient budget and long-term development focus.
What is a common mold for Lipstick Tube Packaging?
A common mold for lipstick tubes refers to ready-made public mold styles shared by multiple brands, with no mold opening fee and high universality. Advantages: low cost, fast delivery, low MOQ. Disadvantages: easy style collision, lack of uniqueness. Suitable for small-batch fast delivery, such as start-up trial sales, to reduce early risks.
What is a custom mold for Lipstick Tube Packaging?
A custom mold for lipstick tube packaging is an exclusive production mold paid for and customized by the brand with its appearance and design. The mold usage rights and style intellectual property rights are exclusively owned by the brand, serving only that brand. It can create exclusive packaging and avoid style collision.
Core Differences Between Common and Custom Lipstick Tube Packaging Moulds
| Comparison Dimension | Common Mould | Custom Mould |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | No mold opening fee, low unit product price | Mould opening fee required, high unit product price |
| Appearance Uniqueness | Universal design, easy to collide with other brands | Exclusive customized design, unique appearance |
| Mould Usage Right | Mould sharing, available to multiple brands | Brand exclusive, only for the customized brand |
Advantages of Choosing Common Lipstick Tube Packaging Moulds
- Save Mould Opening Fee
Adopt ready-made molds to greatly reduce or exempt mold opening costs, lower initial investment, and allocate funds to R&D. - Fast Delivery
Usually provide in-stock items or short delivery cycles, accelerating product launch compared with customized new moulds. - Various Styles
Factories usually develop hundreds of common molds for direct selection, reducing design links and facilitating rapid adaptation to market hotspots. - Low MOQ
Support small-batch MOQ (e.g., 500 pieces), conducive to small-batch trial production and reducing inventory risks.
Advantages of Choosing Custom Lipstick Tube Packaging Moulds
- Unique Vision
Customize unique shapes, carvings, color matching, or opening-closing structures to enhance brand image. - Patent Protection
Apply for appearance patents to prevent counterfeiting. - Support Premium
Uniqueness makes consumers willing to pay, bringing higher profits. - Brand Professionalism
Unify brand style by embedding brand logo and design features, get rid of the cheap sense of common molds, and establish consumer trust and professional cognition.
Cost Comparison: Custom Mold vs. Common Mold for Lipstick Tube Packaging
| Parameter | Custom Mould | Common Mould |
|---|---|---|
| Mould Opening Fee | Usually high, ranging from USD 428.57 to 2142.86 | Usually USD 0 (shared cost) |
| Unit Cost | May be lower in mass production | Usually high (USD 0.07–0.71 per piece) |
| MOQ | Usually high (5,000–10,000 pieces) | Usually low (1,000–3,000 pieces) |
Break-even Point = Mould Opening Fee ÷ Unit Price Difference. Example: Mold opening fee USD 714.29, unit price difference USD 0.04, break-even point ≈ 16,667 pieces. When order volume exceeds this value, the total cost of custom molds is lower.
Custom Lipstick Tube Mold Development Process (From Design to Mass Production)
| Key Points | Risks |
|---|---|
| 1. Communication & Modeling 2. Material Selection: ABS/Acrylic/Zinc Alloy 3. Design Draft Angle | 1. Mismatch with lipstick paste 2. Unmanufacturable structure |
| 1. Design Evaluation 2. Mold Design & Processing 3. Steel: P20/S136 | 1. Steel damage 2. Unsightly parting line 3. Schedule delay |
| 1. Mold Trial & Adjustment 2. Opening-Closing Test 3. Surface Treatment | 1. Demolding difficulty 2. Loose or tight lid 3. Color difference and position deviation |
| 1. Sample Approval & Mass Production 2. Random Inspection Control 3. Delivery & Acceptance | 1. Color deviation/assembly problems 2. Quality fluctuation 3. Delayed delivery |
Common Mould or Custom Mold for Brands at Different Development Stages
Start-up Stage
Prioritize common mold, MOQ 5,000–8,000 pieces (sample 5,000 pieces, regular style 5,000–15,000 pieces), low-cost trial and error, and fast style testing.
Growth Stage
When monthly sales of a single style reach a certain scale (e.g., 5,000+ pieces), consider switching to custom molds to create exclusive packaging, avoid price wars, and improve premium.
Stable Stage
Continuously design independent appearances, develop custom molds, optimize material/function as needed, strengthen brand barriers based on stable customer groups, and increase customer unit price and repurchase rate.
Common Questions for New Brands Choosing Lipstick Tube Packaging
Q: The lipstick paste breaks easily. Is it due to wrong lipstick tube selection?
A: Highly possible. It is recommended to conduct adaptation tests first to ensure the hardness and diameter of the paste match the clamp and inner diameter of the tube, especially for fragile pastes such as matte paste.
Q: How to choose materials that are cost-effective and safe?
A: Choose PC or PETG for high-oil/color powder paste; avoid ABS. Control packaging costs and ask for a temperature resistance test report.
Q: How to improve the texture of the product for users?
A: The key lies in details: rotation length 5–7 mm, moderate tightness of the lid, and anti-slip bottom. Be sure to sign a color confirmation letter before mass production and balance the weight and hand feel of packaging materials.
Q: How to find reliable suppliers?
A> Prioritize reputable factories with ISO certification. Clarify quality standards and return/exchange terms in the contract, and randomly inspect at least 10% of goods upon arrival.
Q: Should new products decide on custom molds or common mould?
A: For speed and a limited budget, use high-quality common molds first, but pay attention to style collision and quality risks. For differentiation and sufficient budget, custom molds are optional but bear high costs and long cycle.
