CO.8
Custom cosmetic creator
Unbox is revolutionizing the cosmetics industry with CO.8, the first at-home custom cosmetic creation device that brings the power of a cosmetic lab to your fingertips.
​
Designed with inclusivity and creativity at its core, CO.8 offers total control and personalization for all skin types, with adjustable options for base shades, accent colors, hue, saturation, undertones, coverage, finish, and shimmer. Users can create their entire makeup routine from foundation and concealer to bronzer, lip color, and eyeshadow.
​
At the heart of CO.8 is Unbox’s proprietary airless cartridge technology, enabling precision microdose dispensing for clean, small-batch production at home. This system not only ensures mess-free creation but also preserves ingredient freshness and extends product life.
Whether you're perfectly matching your foundation or experimenting with bold new shades, CO.8 empowers you to explore, customize, and share your creations. Featuring an intuitive touch display, companion mobile app, an expanding library of formulas, and a sustainable, waste-reducing design, CO.8 is more than a beauty device; it’s a movement toward personalized, eco-conscious, and inclusive cosmetics.
​
Our work has earned over 18 international design and innovation awards, including honors from Red Dot, iF Design, Good Design, and C-IDEA. These accolades reflect Unbox’s commitment to redefining the future of personalized cosmetics through breakthrough engineering and visionary design.
Background
Unbox began as a feasibility study exploring the potential for small-volume formulations tailored to individual skin types. Our research uncovered numerous patents and prior attempts, most resulting in large, complex, and costly systems that delivered only a single formula and posed major usability challenges.
​
Through an agile, iterative development process, we overcame these barriers, pioneering innovations in pumping technology, airless systems, mechanical design, electronics, embedded systems, and formulation. All within a lean, cost-efficient framework and accelerated timeline.
​why it matters
Designed with inclusivity and creativity at its core, CO.8 addresses a critical gap in the beauty industry, where nearly 80% of women struggle to find products that match their skin tone, particularly those with underrepresented or unique complexions. While the industry often caters to the majority, many remain underserved. CO.8 changes this by empowering everyone to create formulas that reflect their individual beauty.
User Interface & Experience (UI /UX)
At Unbox, we believe user experience extends far beyond physical innovation or visual design—it encompasses the entire journey. In creating breakthrough products, we craft interfaces that are as elegant and intuitive as the technology they support. Whether it's an embedded system, companion mobile app, or web interface, each element is designed with clear, engaging visual communication.
​
CO.8’s system reflects this philosophy, offering maximum control while integrating seamlessly into a connected world. Users can easily create, modify, save, and share their custom formulas, turning personal beauty into a collaborative, digital experience.
dESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING (dfm)
The CO.8 device delivers a cutting-edge technological solution to overcome industry limitations rooted in traditional manufacturing. To make CO.8 both impactful and accessible, it was engineered with cost-efficiency in mind, balancing innovation with manufacturability. Every component, down to the smallest detail, is designed for durability, moldability, streamlined assembly, and minimal part count.
Unbox specializes in Design for Manufacturing (DFM), ensuring our products are not only visionary but also viable in the real world.
the co.8 cartridge
At the heart of CO.8’s technology is its proprietary cartridge system, enabling precise microdosing of viscous ingredients to create virtually any liquid cosmetic at home. Unbox engineered a simplified internal pumping mechanism within each cartridge, powered by a dedicated DC motor for efficiency and reliability.
​
The cartridges feature a triangular form factor, optimized to fit eight units in a circular array, an intentionally compact layout that dispenses directly into the mixing container. This configuration eliminates residue and cross-contamination while allowing seamless blending of up to eight raw ingredients, offering users unmatched creative control and customization.
Visualization
As part of our holistic product development process, we leverage advanced visualization tools to create lifelike renderings and animations. These visuals provide clear, accurate representations of a product’s form, function, and key design details, enhancing communication and design validation early in development.
​
High-quality renderings allow stakeholders to experience the product well before prototyping or manufacturing and serve as compelling assets for commercial marketing. This dual-purpose approach accelerates decision-making and improves market readiness.
Engineering
Inside CO.8’s enclosure lie numerous novel mechanical solutions, each reflecting Unbox’s commitment to precision engineering. As we refine components, we optimize for quality, durability, efficiency, and manufacturability.
​
A standout example is CO.8’s enclosure hinge—engineered to preserve the device’s clean external geometry without visible protrusions. Internally, coil springs support smooth lid operation, while a central channel houses a flex cable to transmit power and data between internal electronics and PCBs. Our meticulous attention to detail enables micron-level tolerances, ensuring flawless fit, function, and finish.
system development
As a full-stack product development provider, Unbox designs and develops embedded systems, including electronics engineering, PCB design, and firmware. We begin with breadboard proof-of-concept prototypes, advancing to low-volume fabrication of custom PCBs for iterative testing and design validation.
​
To ensure manufacturing readiness, we meticulously source and procure components, prioritizing quality, reliability, and cost-effective production.
Prototyping
Physical prototypes are essential in transforming a design from conceptual ideation into a functional, production-ready product. The process typically begins with early-stage, low-fidelity proof-of-concept mockups, which allow us to test key hypotheses related to mechanical design. As 3D CAD modeling and engineering progress, the design evolves into a high-fidelity prototype. This stage is crucial for evaluating user interaction, refining ergonomics, and ensuring safety compliance.
Throughout this iterative development, we leverage low-cost fabrication methods and rapid prototyping technologies to quickly test and refine mechanical elements. In the development of a sophisticated product like CO.8, systematic prototyping and rigorous testing are vital. This disciplined approach underpins every innovation, component, and assembly within CO.8, guiding the product from initial concept to final realization.
concept development
Our product development process follows a design-forward methodology rooted in Industrial Design. We use divergent thinking to explore broad creative possibilities, translating insights into practical solutions through Concept Development. This phase balances creativity with logic, focusing on form, function, interaction, and experience through sketches and visual storytelling.
With CO.8, we envisioned the future of cosmetics—merging bold elegance with functional innovation. Its sleek, jewelry-inspired design is intended as both home décor and a beauty device. Opening the lid reveals cartridges arranged like hidden gems, reflecting a luxurious yet approachable experience.
