Private label makeup pencils: 4 questions to get started

Creating a makeup pencil line with Confalonieri is a dialogue between the brand and our team, as part of a co-creation process that allows us to fully customise the product, according to each client’s wishes.

To get the process off to the best possible start, however, there are a few questions that need to be answered in advance: clearly defining some key points helps make the process of developing your private label range together more effective.

1. Which pencils do you prefer?

Eyes, eyebrows, lips, face or all-over? Vegan formulations? Textures featuring natural ingredients? At Confalonieri, we create and manufacture wooden pencils for every area of makeup, with a very wide range of different textures. Knowing your brand’s preferences from the outset helps us select the most suitable formulations, or suggest the right combination to create your private label line.

2. Does the range need to be certified?

For years, at Confalonieri we have been developing formulations suitable for the main certification standards in the cosmetics market, from Cosmos Organic to Natrue and CCPB.

Producing a pencil certified to a specific standard requires the right selection of all ingredients, including pigments, as well as specific attention to the manufacturing processes, with different requirements depending on the certification. This is an integral part of the project, not a “label” we simply apply to the finished product: that’s why it is important to clarify these aspects from the very beginning of the process.

3. Which is your target market?

Cosmetics regulations and standards are complex and can differ significantly from one country to another. For example, some substances are prohibited in the European Union but permitted by the FDA for specific uses, and vice versa.

It’s essential for us to know from the outset which markets your brand operates in, as the choice of ingredients, pigments and active ingredients also depends on this. 

Thanks to Confalonieri’s experience, we can suggest alternatives for each market, and exploring new solutions is always an exciting challenge for our R&D team. However, these steps have an impact on the development of the range and on production lead times.

4. When are you planning to launch?

From defining the contract through co-creation and then production of your line, it takes several months to turn an idea into a pencil that’s ready for the market. We can fast-track some stages, but certain lead times are fixed and can also vary depending on the formulations and customisation requirements. That is why it is important to start planning with a clear launch timeframe and an adequate margin.

If you have more questions about makeup pencil manufacturing and Confalonieri’s products, get in touch with our team to discuss them!