Private Label Perfume Brand – Which Accessories and Packaging You Need

For your own perfume brand, apart from the fragrance and the bottle, you need a cap, a label with your logo, a box with an insert and usually a few extras – a ribbon, a bag or a hanging medallion. All these elements depend on each other: the cap is sized to the bottle neck, and the box to the bottle with the cap on. That is why the order of decisions is as important as the decisions themselves.

Checklist for a private label perfume brand

1. The bottle – the starting point

Everything starts with the bottle. The neck and the pump determine the inner size of the cap, and the height and width of the bottle with the cap on determine the size of the box and the insert. If the bottle is changed later, the cap and the box almost always have to be reworked. Choose the bottle first and get at least a few samples to send to the accessory manufacturers.

2. The cap

The cap is the most visible branded detail after the label. The main choice is between two materials:

• Metal cap – weight, a cool touch and a luxurious look; any size and shape, any metal colour – gold, rose gold, silver, gunmetal, black, antique. All Polkom metal products are nickel free.
• Polyester cap – any Pantone colour, solid, mixed or with a marble effect, matte or glossy; suitable for colourful and youthful lines.

The logo on the cap can be engraved, embossed, debossed, enamelled or printed. If you are planning several fragrances, consider whether the cap will be the same for the whole line or whether each fragrance will have its own colour.

3. The logo label

A metal perfume label puts the brand name on the bottle with depth and shine. It is made in any size, shape and metal colour and is usually in the same tone as the cap. An alternative is direct decoration of the glass by the bottle manufacturer. Whatever you choose, decide in advance where the mandatory information will go, so the front stays clean.

In the European Union, perfumes are cosmetic products and fall under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The content of the labelling is the responsibility of the brand and the responsible person – consult a specialist before you approve the texts for printing.

4. The box and the insert

The box is designed last among the main elements, because it depends on the bottle with the cap. A folding box is standard for series products, while a rigid box is for niche fragrances and gift sets. The insert holds the bottle still and protects the cap from knocks. The logo on the box is usually hot-foil stamped, embossed or finished with spot UV varnish, and a metal plate can also be fitted on a rigid box. See formats and finishes under perfume and cosmetics boxes.

5. The extras

• a satin or organza ribbon with a logo to close the gift box;
• a paper bag with a logo for the shop and events;
• tissue paper for wrapping online orders;
• a hanging metal medallion on a chain or cord around the bottle neck.

These details are small, but they make the unboxing memorable and come in the same metal colour or Pantone as the other elements.

6. Samples – do not skip this step

The sample is where you discover problems while they are still easy to fix. Check:

• the fit of the cap – it should sit firmly, without wobbling and without being too tight;
• the shade of the metal next to the foil on the box and next to the label;
• the legibility of the logo at actual size;
• whether the bottle with the cap fits into the insert freely but securely;
• how all the elements look together, in daylight and under artificial light.

7. Lead times – how to plan them

The actual lead times depend on the items, techniques and quantities, so confirm them with each manufacturer. Regardless, the right sequence saves the most time:

1. Choose the bottle and secure samples.
2. Send inquiries for the cap and the label in parallel – both depend only on the bottle and the logo.
3. Once you have a cap sample, finalise the size of the box and the insert.
4. Approve all samples together and only then place the production orders.
5. Leave a buffer for corrections, especially if the launch is tied to a season or a holiday.

The most common cause of delays is a change to the bottle or the logo after the samples have been approved. Lock in these two decisions as early as possible.

Common mistakes when launching a perfume brand

• The box is ordered before the cap – the insert does not fit and the bottle moves around.
• Different metal shades – the cap, label and foil are approved separately.
• The logo is not adapted for small sizes – the lettering on the cap runs together.
• There is no room for the mandatory text – the box needs a new layout at the last minute.
• Everything is ordered for one fragrance – when the line expands, the accessories of the second fragrance look out of place.

Think of a whole line, not one fragrance

Most brands start with one or two fragrances, but rarely stop there. With the very first order, decide which elements will be common to the whole line – for example the shape of the cap and the metal logo label – and which will change for each fragrance: the colour of the polyester cap, the enamel colour, an engraved name or the colour of the box. This way each new fragrance can be added quickly, without a new design from scratch, and the shelf with the brand’s products looks like one family.

Private label perfume accessories from Polkom

Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of perfume accessories – metal and polyester caps and metal labels – as well as packaging and boxes, accessories for fashion, footwear and bags, and furniture accessories. We make caps and labels in any size, shape and colour and with any kind of logo, prepare samples and deliver across Europe. Minimum quantities depend on the item – send an inquiry with a photo of your bottle and your logo.