If not for Bonne Bell, we might still be stuck coating our lips in dull, flavorless wax, not sensually slathering them in delicious, oh so lick-able Lip Smacker flavors like Bubble Gum, Blueberry Pancake and Cotton Candy.
In case you haven’t heard, the iconic makeup brand behind Lip Smackers, the sticky-sweet taste of teen crushes the world over, is closing its doors for good. The pioneering cosmetics company, founded in 1927 by traveling makeup salesman J.G. Belle, recently announced that it will shutter all manufacturing and distribution operations at its hometown facility in Westlake, Ohio.
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We know. Our 13-year-old hearts are breaking, too.
The closure is a result of “the sale of a significant portion of the business,” Bonne Bell’s CEO Robert Evans said in a letter to Cleveland mayor Dennis Clough, reports Cleveland.com. Evans also said he anticipates that 91 employees will be permanently laid off, likely beginning on March 29.
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But, have no fear, Lip Smacker, the game-changing, kiss-enhancing flavored lip gloss Bonne Bell introduced in 1973, will live on – sadly only far outside of the United States. Thanks to an acquisition in the works with California-based Markwins International Corp., the brand behind Physicians Formula and Wet n Wild, Lip Smackers will continue to sweeten lips in Europe, Asia and Australia under the name Bell Family Brands.
Hold tight to that Dr. Pepper-flavored lip schmear, kids. It might be the last tube you ever taste.
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