What size foundation box fits a 30 ml pump bottle?
About 40 x 40 x 128 mm inside for a round bottle 36 mm across and 118 mm tall with cap. We cut the carton to your exact bottle.
Custom Printed Foundation Boxes for Pump Bottles and Tubes
Written prices from £0.25 a box. Free proof, made in 4–6 business days, free tracked UK delivery.
A tall folding carton built around a 30 ml glass bottle with its pump, or a flatter one for a tube or compact. Shade names change per carton while the design stays the same across the range.
- Highlights
- Built for 30 ml pump bottles
- Shade panel changes per carton
- Auto-lock base for glass
- Barcode and INCI space planned
Common sizes
| Container | Typical box size |
|---|---|
| 30 ml round glass bottle with pump, 36 x 118 mm | 40 x 40 x 128 mm |
| 30 ml square glass bottle with pump | 42 x 42 x 125 mm |
| 30 ml tube with flip cap, 35 x 130 mm | 40 x 28 x 140 mm |
| 50 ml tube with pump | 45 x 32 x 155 mm |
| Cushion compact, 72 mm across, 28 mm deep | 78 x 78 x 34 mm |
Foundation Boxes specification
- Product
- Foundation Boxes
- Range
- Makeup, Lash and Nail Packaging
- Style and closure
- Auto-lock bottom with top tuck for glass; straight tuck end for tubes
- Typical board
- Folding boxboard about 400 gsm; metallic board as an option
- Typical sizes
- About 40 x 40 x 125 mm for a 30 ml pump bottle
- Window or insert
- Card collar around the pump neck on request; no window as standard
- Finish that suits it
- Matt lamination with a foil shade number, as options
- How it ships
- Flat and glued; the base locks when you square the carton
- Sizes
- Made to your bottle, jar, tube or compact; common sizes quoted on request
- Board
- Folding boxboard, kraft board, rigid greyboard with printed wrap, metallic or textured board, as options
- Printing
- Plain, one colour, two colour or full colour CMYK
- Inside print
- Available on folding and rigid boxes
- Finishes
- Matt, gloss or soft touch lamination; foil, spot UV, embossing or debossing as options
- Inserts
- Card, foam or tissue inserts available on request
- Files we work from
- Vector PDF, AI, EPS or SVG is ideal; a sharp PNG or JPG of the logo is enough to start
- Layout
- Our designers set your artwork on the dieline at no charge
- Sign-off
- A free proof to approve before any ink touches board
- Run size
- Priced per order, from a launch batch to a repeat run
What are foundation boxes?
Foundation boxes are printed folding cartons sized to a foundation bottle, tube or compact.
The common one is a tall carton for a 30 ml pump bottle, about 40 mm square and 125 mm high. Shade names and numbers are set as a changing panel, so a range of 20 shades runs on one design.
How is a foundation carton put together?
A foundation carton is a tall folding box with a locking base.
The base panels fold over each other and click flat when you square the box, so a glass bottle cannot push through.
The top is a plain tuck flap. You drop the bottle in pump first or base first, close the flap, and the carton is ready for a shelf or a mailer.
Tubes and compacts use a lighter build with tuck flaps at both ends. Our cosmetic box style comparison shows the difference between an auto-lock base and a tuck end.
Who orders custom foundation boxes?
Foundation is a shade-heavy product, so the brands that order these cartons tend to have ten, twenty or forty variants.
A carton that carries the shade name clearly is a stock control job as much as a design one.
Skin clinics selling a tinted moisturiser, mineral makeup brands with a loose powder jar and makeup artists with their own base all order here.
Foundation cartons are part of our makeup packaging for base and colour, alongside concealer, powder and primer boxes.
- Inclusive shade range brands with 30 or more variants
- Skin clinics and aesthetic practices with a tinted base
- Mineral makeup makers in jars and sifter pots
- Makeup artists bottling their own foundation line
- Marketplace sellers who need a barcode panel on every shade
What size box fits a 30 ml foundation bottle?
A standard 30 ml glass bottle with a pump is about 36 mm across and 115 to 120 mm tall with the cap on.
The carton that fits it is close to 40 x 40 x 128 mm.
The pump head is the part people forget. Measure to the top of the cap, not the shoulder, and allow about 8 mm above it so the tuck flap closes freely.
Square bottles and tubes change the footprint, so the table below gives the common ones. Other bottles are covered on our cosmetic box sizes used in the UK page.
| Bottle | Size with cap | Carton inside size |
|---|---|---|
| 30 ml round pump bottle | 36 x 118 mm | 40 x 40 x 128 mm |
| 30 ml square pump bottle | 38 x 38 x 115 mm | 42 x 42 x 125 mm |
| 30 ml dropper foundation | 34 x 110 mm | 38 x 38 x 120 mm |
| 40 ml tube with pump | 40 x 28 x 145 mm | 45 x 32 x 155 mm |
| Cushion compact | 72 x 28 mm | 78 x 78 x 34 mm |
How do you handle a 20-shade range on one box?
You do not print 20 different cartons from scratch.
The artwork is shared. One panel, usually the base or the back, carries the shade name, number and barcode as a changing element.
Our designers set that panel up once on the proof. You then send a list of shades and barcodes, and each carton in the run gets its own version.
Some brands also print a small shade swatch on the front. It helps staff pick the right carton from a drawer without reading the small text.
Auto-lock bottom or tuck end for a glass bottle?
A full 30 ml glass bottle with a pump weighs enough to matter.
On a plain tuck end, the base flap can pop open when the box is lifted by its top, and the bottle drops out.
An auto-lock bottom takes that risk away. The base stays locked until you deliberately fold it flat, so the carton can be lifted, shelved and posted without the bottle shifting.
Tubes and compacts are light enough for a tuck end at each end. Cleanser and serum pumps use the same locking base, so they have their own page under cleanser and pump bottle boxes.
Board and bottle weight
We usually suggest folding boxboard at about 400 gsm for a glass foundation bottle.
It holds the auto-lock base firmly and keeps the long side panels from flexing.
Metallic board is an option for brands that want a champagne or bronze carton without covering the whole panel in foil. Textured board works for a clinic or an apothecary look.
Kraft is rarely chosen for foundation because the shade name needs to read cleanly. Board, rigid and finish options are available on request, and we confirm the choice on the quote.
Print and finishes for foundation cartons
The brown carton in our photos is a good example of restraint.
A script product name, the shade and the volume on the front, and the ingredient list on the back in a legible size.
Matt lamination is the finish that suits most foundation ranges, because it hides fingerprints on the shelf. Foil on the shade number or the logo is an option that lifts it further.
A watercolour wash in full colour CMYK, as on the white cartons in our gallery, changes on every panel yet reads as one range. Our finishes guide for beauty boxes shows how foil, spot UV and soft touch each behave on board.
Protecting a pump bottle in the post
Glass foundation bottles break at the neck when they take a knock at an angle.
A tight carton stops the bottle tilting, which is most of the protection you need.
For single bottles posted on their own, a card collar that sits around the pump neck keeps the heavy base from swinging. We can add this on request.
Cartons then go into a mailer with tissue or a card divider. Our cosmetic mailer boxes with inserts are cut to hold two or three foundation cartons upright.
Mistakes that cost foundation brands money
Ordering a tuck end for glass is the expensive one, because the bottles arrive at the customer with the base open.
Ask for an auto-lock bottom.
Leaving no room for the barcode is the second. A foundation range sold through retail needs a clear barcode panel on every shade, so plan it before the proof.
Measuring the bottle without its pump cap is the third. Caps add 5 to 8 mm in height, and a carton cut short will not close over them.
How to order foundation boxes
Send us the bottle size with cap on, the number of shades and roughly how many cartons per shade.
The price is from £0.25 per unit, quoted per order and confirmed in writing.
Once you approve the free proof, production takes 4 to 6 business days and delivery is free and tracked to any UK address. A misprinted or damaged batch, reported within 10 days with photos, is reprinted or refunded.
To see how your logo sits on a tall carton first, try the Design Your Packaging preview page before you send the brief.
- Measure the bottle with its pump cap on, in millimetres.
- List every shade name, number and barcode in a spreadsheet.
- Choose auto-lock bottom for glass or tuck end for tubes.
- Pick a board and finish, or ask us to recommend one.
- Approve the proof, including the changing shade panel, and we go to print.
Design Your Packaging
Choose a real photo of the box you have in mind, put your logo on it, pick a colour and finish, and send it over. Our designers turn it into a free, print-ready proof.
Boxes that pair with foundation boxes
Makeup, Lash and Nail PackagingBrief us on the box you need
The more we know about what goes inside, the bottle or jar, the quantity and the look you are after, the sharper the price. A packaging specialist replies within one business day with a written quote and a free design proof.
- Written prices from £0.25 a box.
- Free design proof before anything is printed.
- Made in 4–6 business days after proof approval.
- Free tracked delivery across the UK in 2–3 business days.
- Misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded.
Foundation Boxes: questions buyers ask
Not answered here? Call +44 7578 382054, message our packaging team on WhatsApp or email info@thecosmeticpackaging.co.uk.
Can each foundation shade have its own carton?
Yes. The shade name, number and barcode are set as a changing panel, so every shade gets its own version of one design.
Why does a foundation box need an auto-lock bottom?
A glass pump bottle is heavy enough to push open a plain tuck flap. The locking base stays shut when the carton is lifted or posted.
Do you make foundation boxes for cushion compacts?
Yes. A compact needs a short, square carton with tuck flaps, usually about 78 x 78 x 34 mm for a 72 mm compact.
Is there space for the ingredient list on a foundation carton?
Yes. The back panel of a tall carton takes the INCI list in a readable size, and our designers set it out on the free proof.
Can the foundation box be printed with a shade swatch?
Yes. Full colour CMYK print can carry a printed swatch on the front of each shade's carton, which helps staff pick the right one.
How heavy a bottle can a foundation carton hold?
A 400 gsm folding boxboard carton with an auto-lock bottom comfortably holds a full 30 or 50 ml glass bottle. We confirm the board on the quote.
Does a foundation box ship flat?
Yes. The side seam is glued and the carton folds flat. Squaring it locks the base, then you drop the bottle in and close the top.
Can I get a foundation box with a window?
A small front window is possible on request, but most brands avoid it because the shade swatch and name do the same job without weakening the panel.
Is there a minimum number of foundation boxes per shade?
Quantities are quoted per order, not per shade. Tell us the shade split and the quote shows the figure for the whole run.
Where can I read more about ordering foundation boxes?
Our cosmetic packaging questions page covers proofs, artwork files, production time and delivery across the UK.
What happens if a batch of foundation boxes is misprinted?
Report it within 10 days with photos and we reprint the batch or refund it. The proof stage is designed to stop that happening.