Bondell is a Beauty Lover’s Best Friend

Bondell could have gone the practical route when it came to brand marketing. The new makeup brush subscription service, founded by Houston-based Ellie Pettit, was built on a devotion to cleanliness and utilitarian tools like sponges, spoolies, and hair clips. A scientific, almost sterile campaign could easily have gotten the Bondell message across. Instead, Pettit went bold. 

“Don’t be dirty, darling…” reads the brand’s tagline, a cheeky turn of phrase that lives up to the brand’s glamorous, Old Hollywood-style visuals. 

“From the very beginning, I wanted the brand to feel fun,” Pettit says. “My branding is a bit crazy but it’s exactly how I always pictured it.” 

To bring her vision to life, Pettit tapped Maguire Amundsen, a former assistant to Kylie Jenner. She launched her consulting brand, The Gracefull Project, when she moved to Dallas in 2022 and soon got connected with Pettit. Bondell officially launched in November of 2023. 

“I had spoken with a lot of people about the idea, but Maguire really believed in it from the beginning,” shares Pettit. 

Part of the duo’s strategy is cultivating a community to get the word out about Bondell — zero dollars have been spent on advertising so far.

“Something I learned in LA is to be really intentional with who you’re reaching out to and connecting with people who can really represent the brand,” Amundson notes. “We really sat down and combed through who we knew and who best aligned with the brand.” 

One of those contacts included celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne. (“She was like, OMG, this is genius,” notes Amundson). Just last week, Bondell launched its first brand partnership with Skin Pharm, the popular skincare clinic with locations in Austin, Dallas, Charleston, Houston, Nashville, and Southlake. Skin Pharm’s new Eye Sculpt product will be included in upcoming Bondell subscription products. 

Pretty Instagram imagery can only take a product so far. Thankfully, Bondell’s subscription kits, which include a set of five different makeup brushes, one makeup sponge, two hair clips, and one spoolie wand, were designed to elevate every moment of your routine. 

The silky, minimalist brushes are produced by a factory in the U.S. and are brandished with nothing more than Bondell’s signature slanted heart. “When it came to naming the brushes for a particular use we held off,” Pettit notes. “People are going to incorporate the brushes into their routine the way they want to. We feel confident that all five of the brushes you’re getting, sponge included, cover all the bases.” 

“Makeup brushes are all so different — the density, the hair, the handle material… there’s so much that goes into a good makeup brush,” says Amundson, who notes that she and Pettit use their Bondell brushes in entirely different ways. “We wanted to ensure we launched with the best, most universal products.” 

And though Pettit opted for a more glamorous aesthetic, that’s not to say a little science won’t make its way into Bondell’s messaging. 

“Makeup brushes can harvest all kinds of crazy microscopic stuff that can compromise the health of your skin,” Pettit adds. “I’ve been working with a dermatologist on getting some swabs and cultures to really start to gross people out.” 

Bondell subscription kits are delivered every three months and priced at $68. The brand is currently planning pop-ups in Dallas and Houston. Follow @bondellofficial to stay up to date.