Cosmetic specifications: preparing a brief for your brand

A quotation request becomes more useful when it describes a concrete project. “I want to launch a natural range” expresses an intention, but leaves open the questions that shape the product and its organisation. A specification document brings together your choices, constraints and points still to discuss. It can start as a few simple pages that are dated and easy to update.

Describe the customer and sales context

Specify who the range is for: spa clients, shop visitors, hotel guests or online shoppers. Then describe the product’s place in your offer. Is it a core reference, part of a ritual or a gift set? This information helps frame discussions about format, presentation and quantities.

Also identify the countries where you plan to sell. Applicable requirements will need to be reviewed for those markets with the appropriate specialists; the brief helps identify that work from the outset.

Build a sheet for each product

For each product, record its function, desired pack size, intended texture and sensory preferences. Separate essential criteria from options you are willing to adapt. If you use a reference product, explain what interests you: its feel, dispensing system or bottle legibility, for example.

• Working name and intended use.
• Proposed format and quantity for the first order.
• Composition preferences to discuss with the manufacturer.
• Packaging, decoration and available artwork.
• Open questions and the person responsible for approving them.

Present quantities and budget

Distinguish the launch volume from a possible replenishment forecast. Avoid presenting a sales forecast as a firm order. Request a proposal that separates the product, packaging, customisation and any development or setup costs.

It helps to specify what your budget includes. A target unit price means different things depending on whether it includes cartons, outer packaging and transport. Clarify the items included in each offer before comparing totals.

Organise approvals

Plan stages for reviewing the proposal, samples, artwork and order confirmation. Assign one person to consolidate feedback at each stage. A single, coordinated response avoids conflicting requests.

The schedule should distinguish your desired launch date from the supplier’s confirmed lead time. Record dependencies: packaging that has not been selected or artwork awaiting approval can prevent the next stage from being signed off.

Before sending your brief

Read the document again and check that each request can be understood without a spoken explanation. Clearly mark items “to be confirmed” and keep a version number. When proposals arrive, compare responses against this same basis and ask for differences to be clarified in writing.

A brief does not need to lock down every aspect of the project prematurely. Its purpose is to support a precise discussion and make outstanding decisions visible.