Royal and Langnickel

Royal & Langnickel is a family-owned American brush manufacturer based in Munster, Indiana, and operated under the legal entity Royal Brush Manufacturing, Inc. [4] Best known for artist brushes, the company also makes cosmetic brushes, which it sells through the makeup-focused sub-brands Chique, MODA and OMNIA. The beauty line reaches shoppers directly, through mass-market US retailers and via international distributors.

Accounts of when the business began differ. Editorial sources, including an obituary in Make-Up Artist Magazine, record that the company was founded by George Dovellos in 1969 [13]. The company's own art-brand website instead carries the tagline "Serving the creative industry since 1948" [3], a heritage claim that appears to reference an earlier family manufacturing history rather than the formal founding of Royal & Langnickel.

According to the Make-Up Artist Magazine obituary, George Dovellos founded the business in 1969 and was later joined by his two brothers, William N. and Gus Dovellos; the three brothers expanded the operation while keeping their focus on the artists using the products [13]. The company remains family-owned and headquartered in Munster, Indiana, a location its careers page describes as chosen for its proximity to Chicago and access to international airports.

William N. Dovellos, described as a partner and co-founder, died on 6 September 2014 at the age of 56 after a battle with cancer [13]. In a statement quoted by the magazine, his brothers George and Gus said the company "would not be the company it is today without Bill's dedication, vision and hard work."

All of the company's makeup-brush brands sit under the same parent, Royal Brush Manufacturing, Inc. Chique is described on its own site as "a Royal & Langnickel Brand," with Royal Brush Manufacturing named as the legal entity [2]. The sister brands MODA and OMNIA share that ownership, and a UK distribution arm, Royal Brush Manufacturing (UK) Limited, handles international supply.

The company presents itself as a maker of accessible, quality brushes across both art and beauty. For the Chique beauty line, the stated aim is "to provide premium quality brushes at fair prices," and the brand describes itself as "Not Your Typical Brush Company." Its listed values center on quality control, a customer-first stance summed up as "We Put You First," innovation, and performance.

The three cosmetic brands occupy different points in the market. Chique is positioned as value-focused, having expanded into mass-market retail through Five Below and Big Lots stores. MODA sits in a similar affordable bracket. OMNIA is described by the company as its "next generation luxury makeup brush line," said to be handcrafted from higher-grade materials.

Chique's beauty range is organized into collections. The company says the Studio collection comprises 24 brushes with lilac ferrules and white handles; the RoseGold collection has 16 brushes and has been featured in the ipsy Glam Bag subscription box; and the Pro collection offers 15 brushes with grey handles, rose-gold ferrules and oval-style options. Across the Studio, RoseGold and Pro collections, the company states that the brushes are "vegan and cruelty-free" and made with synthetic filaments [10]. These vegan and cruelty-free claims appear on the sister-brand MODA site rather than on Chique's own pages.

The sister brands extend the portfolio. MODA's line spans standard brushes, EZGLAM Duo Kits and travel-size Flip Kits, and the company says every MODA brush uses "100 percent vegan" synthetic filaments. MODA's press materials also describe water-resistant handles with a proprietary Silk-Touch coating. OMNIA rounds out the range at the upper end.

Independent press coverage focuses on the MODA sister brand, which the company says has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Byrdie and Beauty Store Business. No third-party awards for the beauty lines are documented in the available sources.

Royal & Langnickel is active. It operates US and UK distribution arms, sells its Chique brushes directly online alongside mass-market US retail, and reaches further markets through distributors. A recent datapoint is the company's participation in Toy Fair 2025, held from 1 to 4 March 2025 [11].