Bonne Bell

Bonne Bell's Lakewood headquarters in 1973

Bonne Bell was founded in 1927 in Lakewood, Ohio by cosmetics salesman Jesse Bell, who named it after his daughter.[1] Bell made his products on a hot plate in his basement and then sold his skin care products door to door.[2]

In 2007 the company largely relocated to Australia, and reduced American domestic representation. The relocation was largely at the request of the Vice President of Ideation, Hilary Bell, to the then CMO, James Ward, in a bid to globalize the "Smackers" Brand. By 2009, the company had returned to the United States.

In January 2015, the company announced that the Bonne Bell and Lip Smackers brands would be acquired by Markwins International, though Bonne Bell will continue to distribute other brands in Europe, Asia, and Australia under the name Bell Family Brands.[3] In accordance, the company also announced the partial closure of its headquarters effective March 2015.[4]

In 1973, Bonne Bell introduced a flavored lip pomade called "Lip Smackers" aimed originally at skiers then later at pre-teens and teens once they caught on to the trend. The first flavors launched were strawberry, green apple, and orange chocolate.[5]

In 2014, Swarovski partnered with Lip Smacker to produce three of their biggies, a larger version of a normal Lip Smacker, covered in over five hundred genuine Swarovski crystals. The Swarovski Lip Smacker biggies are priced at $250.00 each, making them the most expensive lip product compared to the likes of MAC or Lancôme. In 2015, Buddy Bell sold the family brands, Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell to Markwins International.[3]

• Lip Smackers
• The Bonne Bell Company
• Bonne Bell Cosmetics