EXCLUSIVE: Bondi Sands Has Launched on Ulta.com
It’s the moment self tanning-lovers have been waiting for: Bondi Sands has launched on Ulta.com with a range of foams, lotions, and accessories to add even more glow to the retailer’s sunless category and make the brand that much more accessible. The Australian-based, globally-obsessed brand brings 16 of its most innovative products to Ulta’s digital shelves, a high number of SKUs compared to the all other sunless brands’ offerings at the retailer. What makes Bondi Sands’ launch on Ulta.com even more impressive is the brand just launched in the U.S. in December 2019 and Ulta is only its second U.S. retailer (the first being Walgreens). So, in less than a year the sunless brand has entered the U.S. market, partnered with two major retailers, and takes up a majority of the market share at both. Phew.
But I guess when you consider the fact that Bondi Sands sells one product every four seconds globally and can be found in a whopping 20,000 stores worldwide, its stunningly powerful entrance to the U.S. market shouldn’t shock you too much. To get an even closer look at the scope of the brand’s new partnership with Ulta and to find out what lies ahead, I talked to Bondi Sands’ co-founder Blair James, who launched the brand with business partner Shaun Wilson in 2012.
“We really wanted to continue to be accessible to our key consumer of Gen Z and Millennials across the U.S., and Ulta.com truly is the destination to do so,” James said in an email exchange. And with accessibility being a key focus for the brand, the new partnership with Ulta only makes sense considering it is the largest beauty retailer in the U.S., selling over 25,000 products from over 500 different brands that ship to anywhere in the country. And thanks to the shipping resources a beauty giant like Ulta has to offer, Bondi Sands is able to maintain its below-$30 pricepoint.
Bondi Sands Dark Self Tanning Foam
Bondi Sands Dark Tanning Foam, $26
A dark, lightweight foam.
Before Bondi Sands entered Ulta.com, the site’s self tanning category was pretty slim, while it offered things like drops, lotions, mousses, and sprays; the shade range was small and there were barely any pre- or post-tanning products. Well, now that’s all changed. “We have a diverse portfolio ranging from lotions [and] foams, to tan aftercare, so there really is something for everyone,” James said of what he feels his brand is adding to Ulta’s sunless lineup. And he’s right — in addition to adding products that range in shade from light to ultra dark, Bondi Sands brings major product variation with things like its Tan Eraser, an aloe-based cleansing formula that gently yet effectively removes a tan in about five minutes — a must for creating a healthy, fresh canvas between each tan application — as well as its two different tanning foam formulations. There’s its best-selling Dark Tanning Foam; a lightweight, hydrating, coconut-scented foam; and its innovative, ultra-hydrating, (and personal favorite), Aero Ulta Dark Self Tanning Foam, a lightweight, quick-drying mousse that leaves a super long-lasting tan and professional-like finish on the skin (which also comes in a rapid-development formulation). There’s also the Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk which is perfect for those that want to hydrate and maintain a tan in between applications, or simply want to gradually add a subtle hint of color.
Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser
Bondi Sands Tan Eraser, $24
A gentle, yet effective tan-remover cleanser.
The co-founder attributes the brand’s rapid growth and ability to earn (digital) shelf space at retailers like Ulta to its professional salon-like quality at an affordable pricepoint combined with its loyal digital following. “We are a digitally native brand and commend a substantial amount of growth to our loyal following on social,” James said of the brand’s over-971,000 followers on Instagram alone, adding that the salon-like quality of the products has been a major selling point to all consumers from the beginning. And while the promise of professional-like quality for under $30 and social media mentions from beauty gurus like Kylie Jenner and James Charles could boost brand awareness for any brand, it’s Bondi Sands’ vegan formulas, hydrating, and long-lasting tans that keeps customers coming back for more.
Bondi Sands Aero Ultra Dark
Bondi Sands Ultra Dark Aerated Tanning Foam, $29
A lightweight, hydrating tanning mousse.
Speaking of salon-quality tans, in addition to self tanning products, Bondi Sands also sells a range of professional solutions for spray tan artists exclusively on BondiSands.com, so if you’re an artist looking to switch up or add new solutions to your lineup, copping a Bondi Sands self tanner is a great way to sample the brand. According to James, a rule of thumb when trying out the self tanners is to remember the results from dark and ultra dark formulas are in line with professional formulas that have higher DHA percentages, so results will be very similar.
Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Milk
Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Milk, $19
A hydrating daily moisturizer that builds a subtle, gradual glow.
Over the past three years the sunless tanning industry in the United States has grown exponentially in terms of popularity, sales, and product innovation, and is finally catching up to places like the UK and Australia, where sunless tanning is wildly popular and almost second nature. According to James, if the industry wants to continue to grow in the U.S., he recommends sunless brands follow the lead of the hair and skincare industries and start incorporating cleaner formulations with less ingredients and more sustainable products and practices. For Bondi Sands specifically, in 2021 the brand plans on putting a lot of focus on reducing its carbon footprint and using cleaner ingredients in its existing products, and then will expand into new categories.
Up until now, Bondi Sands was exclusively available in-store and online at Walgreens in the U.S., but you can now shop the globally-loved self tanners while you shop for all of your other go-to beauty products on Ulta.com and earn major Ulta Rewards points in the process. Happy shopping!