Principles of Beauty Design #5: Typography

Understanding Typography in Beauty Branding

Typography is one of the most powerful tools in a beauty brand’s design system. It shapes not only how words are read but how they’re felt—communicating tone, positioning, and emotion before a customer even begins to engage with the text. In beauty packaging, where space is limited and first impressions are everything, the choice of type becomes a visual shorthand for the entire brand.

This post lays the groundwork for understanding typography by breaking down the basic terminology: the different font categories, how weight and width affect tone, what case choices communicate, and why contrast in letterforms matters. Whether you're building a refined luxury brand, a playful DTC line, or something in between, understanding these fundamentals will help you choose type with purpose—and design packaging that speaks clearly and beautifully.

What is a Font?

A font is a specific style and size of type. In everyday use, people often use "font" and "typeface" interchangeably, but technically:

• A typeface is the overall design of the characters (like Helvetica or Times New Roman).

• A font is a specific variation of that typeface (like Helvetica Bold 12pt or Times New Roman Italic 10pt).

In practice, most designers refer to both simply as fonts. What matters most is how the design of the type contributes to the overall feel of the brand.

Font Categories / Types

Understanding the basic font categories helps you recognize visual conventions in beauty branding and choose the right style for the right message.

Sans Serif

Fonts without the small decorative “feet” at the ends of strokes.

Feel: Clean, modern, minimal.

Common in: Clinical, minimalist, modern luxury brands.

Examples: Helvetica, Futura, Avenir.

Brand Examples: Abib, Bread, Crown Affair, Henry Rose, Borntostandout, Rhode, Snif, Forgo

Serif

Fonts with small strokes (serifs) at the ends of each letterform.

Feel: Classic, refined, trustworthy.

Common in: Prestige, heritage, natural luxury.

Examples: Times, Garamond, Georgia.

Brand Examples: Lolavie, good light, by humankind, Freck, Saie, Tamburins, SoKind, Isamaya

Slab Serif

A bold, blocky form of serif with thick, rectangular serifs.

Feel: Strong, bold, utilitarian.

Common in: Functional or retro-inspired designs.

Examples: Rockwell, Courier, Museo Slab.

Brand Examples: Booming_Bob, La Langerie, Routine, Bon Lux, Frank Body, Hey Humans, Les Petit Prödiges, Bars Over Bottles

Script

Fonts that mimic cursive handwriting with connected strokes.

Feel: Elegant, feminine, decorative.

Common in: Fragrance, boutique, or nostalgic designs.

Examples: Bickham Script, Snell Roundhand.

Brand Examples: Kiehl’s, Petite skin co, Then I Met You, Candy Doll, UpCircle, Vacation, Glaze-ish, Lanolips

Handwriting

Informal, unconnected, and often playful or quirky letterforms.

Feel: Casual, personal, approachable.

Common in: Indie, Gen Z, DTC, or “clean girl” brands.

Examples: Bradley Hand, Comic Sans (controversially), or custom styles.

Brand Examples: DedCool, Go-To, Aotea, Colourpop, Blesses Moon, A.ok, Colekt, Ere Perez

Blackletter

Gothic, calligraphic type with dramatic flourishes and dense texture.

Feel: Traditional, bold, ornamental.

Common in: Rarely used in beauty except for vintage or ritualistic brands.

Examples: Old English, Fraktur.

Brand Examples: GXVE, Bathing Culture, Flora Mirabilis, DPTMNT, Haoma, Reina Rebelde, Tradition, Made by Mitchell

Display

Fonts designed to be used at large sizes for visual impact. These often include novelty type, ultra-thin fonts, or extreme styles.

Feel: Attention-grabbing, stylish, dramatic.

Common in: Trendy, editorial, or concept-driven packaging.

Examples: Custom logo fonts, experimental type, or exaggerated serifs.

Brand Examples: Créme, Mount Sapo, Bask, Herbar, Enko, KimChi Chic, Lime Crime, Mallows Beauty

Font Weight

Weight refers to the thickness of the strokes in a font.

• Light – Thin and airy; often feels delicate or minimal.

  Brand Examples: Haleys, Kora Organics, EM Cosmetics, Ellis Brooklyn, Peach C
  

• Regular – Balanced and neutral; usually used for body or product info.

  Brand Examples: Glow Recipe, Rare Beauty, Darling, Ouai, Summer Fridays
  

• Bold – Thicker and heavier; used for emphasis or to draw the eye.

  Brand Examples: Caia Cosmetics, Doré, Saltair, KNC Beauty, EllaOla
  

Some fonts also include Extra Light, Semi-Bold, Black, or other intermediate weights, which allow for more subtle contrast and hierarchy in layouts.

Font Width

Width refers to how stretched or compressed the characters are.

• Condensed – Narrow letterforms, useful for fitting longer text into limited space.

  Feel: Compact, often high-fashion or utilitarian.

  Brand Examples: Sand & Sky, Urb Apothecary, Make Beauty, By Wishtrend, Coco & Eve
  

• Regular – Standard width; versatile and balanced.

  Brand Examples: Ami Cole, Rose INC, Athena Club, Sundae, Hanni
  

• Wide (or Extended) – Letters are stretched out, creating a sense of openness or presence.

  Feel: Calm, bold, or luxurious, depending on the weight and style.

  Brand Examples: Estrid, Topicals, Selfmade, Humanrace, Jones Road

Letter Case

The case you choose affects tone, emphasis, and legibility.

• Upper Case (All Caps) – Clean, authoritative, minimal. Often used for brand names or product types.

  Brand Examples: Naturium, Ilia, Fenty Skin, Bali Body, Merit
  

• Lower Case – Soft, casual, modern. Feels friendly and often more youthful.

  Brand Examples: Nuse, EverEden, Lily by Red, Foile, I’m Meme
  

• Capitalized – First letter of each word capitalized; feels proper and readable.

  Brand Examples: Glossier, Kosas, Plenaire, Laka, Prequel
  

• Mixed Case – Combines caps and lowercase in creative ways. Can feel expressive or editorial depending on context.
  

In beauty design, case is often used strategically—for example, some brands use all lowercase to appear soft and friendly, while others use uppercase with generous spacing to feel premium.

Contrast in Typography

Contrast refers to the variation in stroke thickness within each letter. This contributes significantly to a font’s mood and perceived luxury.

• Monoline – Stroke thickness is consistent throughout.

  Feel: Modern, geometric, minimal.

  Examples: Futura, Avenir. Brand Examples: Everyday Humans, Boring Without You, Bubble, I Dew Care

• High Contrast – Thick and thin strokes within the same letter.

  Feel: Elegant, high-fashion, classical.

  Examples: Didot, Bodoni. Brand Examples: Kiramoon, Bloom & Blossom, The Frontal Queen, Faace

High-contrast serif fonts are often associated with luxury beauty and editorial design because of their refined, sculptural appearance.

Why This Matters in Beauty Design

Typography in beauty packaging isn’t just about what words say—it’s about how those words feel. Choosing the right font, weight, case, or alignment can subtly signal whether a product is clinical or sensual, youthful or premium, niche or mass.