Making cushion compacts and lip tints in Korea: what brands need to know

Cushion compacts and lip tints are two of the products most closely tied to Korean beauty. The cushion compact was first launched in Korea in 2008, and lip tints have been a Korean staple for years. Korean manufacturers make them for brands around the world, and a whole network of case, puff and applicator suppliers has grown around them.

They’re also more complicated than they look. A cushion is a formula, a sponge, a puff and a case that all have to work together, and a lip tint’s colors have to be allowed in every market you sell in.

Cushion compacts

The parts

• The formula. Usually a liquid foundation, BB or CC cream, often with sun protection.
• The sponge. A foam that holds the formula and releases a little at a time. Its structure changes how much product comes out and how the finish looks.
• The puff. The applicator, with its own materials and textures.
• The case. Usually an outer compact with a mirror and a refill inside, so customers can buy refills. The case has to seal well so the formula doesn’t dry out or leak.

The formula maker and the case maker are often different companies, so the formula, sponge and case need testing together.

Shades

Every shade is its own product, with its own minimum order. A long shade range is expensive to launch, so many brands start with a few shades chosen for their main market and add more once they know what sells. Shades developed for one market may need adjusting for another.

Sun protection changes the rules

Many cushions include SPF, and that matters more than any other choice.

• United States. A product that claims sun protection is regulated as an over-the-counter drug. It needs a Drug Facts label, approved sunscreen ingredients at allowed levels, specific testing, and a manufacturer registered with the FDA as a drug establishment.
• European Union. Sunscreen products are cosmetics, but SPF has to be tested with recognized methods and labeled according to EU guidance.
• Korea. Products with sun protection are functional cosmetics that need review by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

If the US is a launch market, decide early whether your cushion will carry SPF, and look for a manufacturer with experience making sunscreen products for the US. Many brands launch a version without SPF claims for some markets.

Lip tints

Formats

Water tints, gel tints, velvet and matte tints, and lip lacquers differ in how they feel, how long they last and how strongly they stain. Most come in a tube with a doe-foot applicator, which is easy to source as stock packaging and can be decorated with your own colors and printing.

Colorants are regulated

The colorants allowed in lip products differ between markets. In the US, color additives have to be approved for use on the lips, and some must come from batches certified by the FDA. A color that’s fine in Korea or the EU may not be allowed in the US, or may need a different source. Tell your manufacturer every market you’ll sell in before the shades are developed, not after.

Shades and testing

As with cushions, every shade is a separate product with its own minimum. Lip products are also tested for stability, how they behave in their packaging and, for stains, how evenly they wear.

Minimums and packaging

• Stock or custom cases. A stock compact or tube with your color, printing or hot stamping is the fastest and lowest-minimum way to start. A custom case needs a mold and much larger orders.
• Per-shade minimums. These usually decide the size of the first order more than anything else.
• Refills. If you plan to sell cushion refills, they need their own packaging and minimums too.

We explain how packaging drives minimums in why your sheet mask MOQ is set by the pouch, and the same logic applies to cases and tubes.

How long it takes

Expect shade development and sampling, testing of the formula in its case or tube, and packaging production. Custom cases, SPF products and long shade ranges take the longest. A first makeup product can often take several months, as described in our timeline guide.

Questions to ask a manufacturer

• Have you made cushion compacts or lip tints for our markets, and which certifications do you hold?
• If our product has SPF, have you made sunscreen products for the US, and are you registered for it?
• Which colorants will you use, and are they allowed in every market we sell in?
• Who supplies the case, sponge and puff, and who tests them together?
• What is the minimum per shade, and does it change with stock or custom packaging?
• Who owns the formula once we’re done?

How Andle helps

We find Korean makeup manufacturers and case and applicator suppliers that fit your product, ask them to quote the same spec and lay the quotes side by side. Then we coordinate shades, samples, packaging, testing and production with you and every partner. You see every manufacturer by name and work with them directly. Read more about making cosmetics in Korea, or tell us what you’re making and we’ll send a free feasibility check within 48 hours.