What Happened to Bonne Bell?

Bonne Bell was an American cosmetics and skincare company founded in 1927 by Jesse Bell in Cincinnati, Ohio, that became a defining brand for teenage girls across multiple generations. While the company produced various beauty products, it achieved iconic status through Lip Smacker, the flavored lip balm that became required equipment in every teenage girl's purse from the 1970s through the 2000s.

Jesse Bell named the company after his daughter Bonne, and for decades it remained a family-run business focused on wholesome, affordable beauty products for young women. The company's philosophy emphasized fresh, natural ingredients and simple formulations—revolutionary concepts in an era when cosmetics were often heavy and artificial.

The breakthrough came in 1973 when Bonne Bell introduced Lip Smacker, a flavored lip balm that transformed the category. Prior lip balms were medicinal and boring; Lip Smacker made lip care fun with flavors like Strawberry, Dr Pepper, Bubble Gum, and Root Beer Float. The product became an instant sensation, particularly among preteen and teenage girls who collected dozens of flavors and traded them like currency on school playgrounds.

Lip Smacker's success was driven by clever flavor licensing partnerships. Bonne Bell secured deals with Dr Pepper, 7-Up, Skittles, Starburst, Tootsie Roll, and dozens of other candy and soda brands, creating lip balms that actually tasted like the products they represented. The packaging was colorful and eye-catching, designed to appeal to young consumers. At its peak, Lip Smacker offered over 100 different flavors, and the brand sold billions of units.

The product became a cultural touchstone. For millions of Gen X and Millennial women, Lip Smacker was their first beauty product—the gateway between childhood and makeup. The flavors evoke powerful nostalgia: the taste of Cotton Candy Lip Smacker instantly transports women back to middle school lockers, slumber parties, and mall trips with friends. The brand appeared in movies, TV shows, and teen magazines as a symbol of teenage girlhood.

Beyond Lip Smacker, Bonne Bell had other successful products. Ten-O-Six lotion, introduced in 1933, was a cult-favorite acne treatment that remained popular for decades. Skin Musk fragrance was a teen staple in the 1970s-80s. The company also produced foundations, blushes, and other color cosmetics under the Bonne Bell name, though none achieved Lip Smacker's dominance.

However, by the 2000s, Bonne Bell faced challenges. The beauty market had become intensely competitive, with new brands like Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret Beauty, and prestige brands expanding into younger demographics. Teen tastes were shifting toward more sophisticated products. Retail was consolidating, and Bonne Bell's traditional drugstore distribution channels were under pressure.

The Bell family, after nearly 90 years of ownership, decided to sell. In 2015, Bonne Bell was acquired by Markwins International, a Los Angeles-based beauty company. The acquisition was bittersweet for nostalgic consumers: Markwins kept the Lip Smacker brand (too valuable to abandon) but discontinued the Bonne Bell name entirely.

Today, Lip Smacker continues under Markwins ownership, still offering flavored lip balms in drugstores and online. The formulations and flavors remain similar, and the brand retains its teen appeal. However, the Bonne Bell name—which once appeared on every tube—is gone. The Ten-O-Six lotion, Skin Musk, and other Bonne Bell-branded products were discontinued. The family company that Jesse Bell built in 1927 no longer exists.

For women who grew up in the 1970s-2000s, the loss of the Bonne Bell name represents the end of an era. The brand was more than just cosmetics—it was a rite of passage, a shared experience across generations. Mothers who wore Lip Smacker in the 1970s passed the tradition to daughters in the 1990s and 2000s. That continuity, that connection to girlhood memories, made Bonne Bell irreplaceable.

The brand's story reflects broader changes in American retail and corporate ownership. Small, family-owned companies with loyal customer bases are increasingly acquired by large corporations that value individual product brands but see little worth in the company names behind them. Bonne Bell became another casualty of consolidation—remembered fondly, but ultimately deemed expendable in a portfolio strategy focused on maximizing individual product profitability.