Biggy Christmas Lip Smackers, 1981
Hi BC readers, it’s been a minute! Things have settled down here so I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things on the blog.
How is everyone doing in this dreary post-Lip Smackers world– are you slowly chipping away at your Lip Smacker stash dreaming of better days, hoarding them like a dragon hoards treasure? Or maybe you’ve succumbed to the new normal, an endless parade of Disney characters dancing before your eyes (well, honestly I haven’t checked on LS 2.0 in a couple of years but… it’s a safe assumption)?
Strawberry, Bubble Gum
I’m in the hoarding-and-still-mourning-but-reluctantly-trying-other-products phase just so I don’t go through my extras too quick. While I’m going to be bitter ’til the end of time about the brand being gone, I’m thankful there is such a massive back-catalog to continue discovering and collecting.
I hope everyone has a good holiday and I look forward to posting more regularly!
Last counted- I have 200 left over kept in a glass penny candy jar on my dresser. I have tried a few of the newer ones, which were okay… at first. Last few I tried made my lips chapped worse and felt a burning sensation.
Thankfully I can make my collection last into my golden years.
Unless I can some how hit the MEGA lottery and buy Bonne Bell and Lip Smacker from Markswin, take it back to Ohio, reopen the factory, hire back all their former workers and restore it back to its former glory.
Hi Honey Bee! Nice to see you. I know what you mean about the new ones making your lips even more chapped, I experienced that myself. Sounds like you have a good stash to get you through!
beautiful pictures its great to see you again. i stopped buying markwins almost right away after giving them a few tries, i never had a good experience and they’re not bonne bell and i have regrets even giving them a few of my dollars.
i’m still keeping an eye out for old favorites and buying real smackers when i come across them but that’s becoming rarer and rarer.
Hello again! Good luck on your hunt to stock up! Many of us are right there with you <3
I’ve tried some of the newer things, and it’s just not the same.
It wouldn’t be that bad if they didn’t sweeten the formula, there is a disgusting sweet aftertaste in everything single one of the new ones.
i know what you mean, its an undercurrent in everything they release. disgusting
I’m in the same boat as everyone else, getting as many as I can while it’s possible and boycotting Markwins. Their Chinese garbage is for children, not that I’d ever let mine use them! Who are they fooling anyway?
IM SO HAPPY YOUR BACK <3
Hi M’lissa, me too!!
I stopped buying them altogether and I’m seriously considering throwing all my Bonne Bell Lip Smackers in the trash. They just don’t bring me joy like they used to. I have some unopened sets but I’m not sure anyone would even want them. I’ve moved on to buying fun nail polish instead of fun lip balms!
someone might buy them, you should post what you have and you never know. even older used ones someone might be looking for
If your heart really has moved on it might be worth rehoming them like Sarah suggested. But maybe pack them away for awhile and see if you appreciate them again in the future after time has passed!
Bunny is right, I have been there. I put mine aside for years after I considered getting rid if them. I’m so happy I didn’t. When I came back to them I couldn’t imagine selling them or tossing them out. But if you do get tired of them, there’s always ebay. People are always buying rare smackers on ebay.
I’m still lurking and trying to collect old favorites, maybe only somewhat successfully so far. What I wouldn’t give to have had the foresight to do this decades ago…As for Markwins, I was burned once by their cheap excuse for lip gloss and won’t make that mistake again. I’d rather just appreciate the actual products by the actual company that made them.
Always a faithful reader and happy to see your return!
Hi Lisa, happy to see you!
Oooohhhh, I love the toy soldiers and the fact that they’re in the large Lip Smacker tubes. So creative! I wish they would of continued creating with these characters like and the cowboy and Indian. I could come up with a million more they could of done but nonetheless these are amazing!
I’m so happy to see you’re back too. Even though Bonne Bell is gone I still think about the brand all of the time especially seasonally as I mourn their past seasonal collections.
It’s painful to see what the LS brand has gone through the last 5 years under the Markwins leadership, they’ve literally become a novelty brand and the quality of flavors and authenticity was dropped after the first year. Saying that out loud I can’t believe it’s been that long without Bonne Bell. It’s hard not to think of what could have been…
I agree so much. I’ve always been a big fan of their characterized/artwork heavy releases too. What could have been indeed!
God, it really gives me whiplash when I remember it’s already been 5 years. Still doesn’t seem right, and it hurts to see what has transpired since.
I’m so happy to see you again! I have been hoarding like crazy and keeping them in a cool place so they wont lose their smell or texture. Before Rite Aid shut down, I went to every one I could get to and bought every bonne bell smacker I could find. I will always miss this brand. I keep hoping the Bells might buy it back one day, but I think its nothing more than a fantasy )’:
Happy to see a comment from you, and I’m right there with you! There’s a big Bonne Bell sized hole in our hearts.
Love the pics!! I remember these!! Thank you for sharing your beautiful collection.
Thanks Sara!
I ONLY buy Bonne Bell LipSmackers! I emailed Markwins begging them to consider collectors in future releases and received nothing but attitude in response. Weird company that I refuse to support!
Can you paste your response?
A few people have posted their correspondence with them on here in the past and let’s just say that does not surprise me.
Hi Bunny and HoneyBee. I’ve missed this blog alot. I’ve just given up on Lip Smackers altogether. It’s so depressing to see what has become of them. I currently have been selling quite a few of my BB Lipsmackers because I kno uli will never go thru them before they lose scent or texture so if anyone is interested please let me kno. That being said i used the Markwins onescand they SUCK. Terrible quality!!
Hey Maria! What kinds are you selling? I believe BC can give you my email. I would love to see what you’ve got!
I’ve got alot of unopened sets of the Original 8 packs, ALOT of Coca Cola sets, and quite a few others. Is there anything you are looking for in particular???
Mostly i have been hoping to find some Paul Frank sets. I also have soo many coke and Dr pepper LS so I am set up for years with those! I’ve also been on the hunt for Walls feast and twister. Banana lipsmacker, the sundae collection with hot fudge and chupa chups.
I jus sold off the Walls set. Wish I would’ve known.
Thats fine, thank you!
I randomly decided to check this blog today and I’m glad to see you’ve posted! As far as my Lip Smacker collection goes, I set aside a few that I’m keeping for sentimental value and trying to use up the rest. I bought a few of the Markwins ones here and there and some I really liked and some weren’t too great. But as we all know, the Disney ones are so overwhelming. You’d think Lip Smacker is owned by Disney by this point, lol. In the meantime I got really into two natural brands of lip balm: Crazy Rumors and Long Winter Farm. And as great as those brands are, I still miss the joy of randomly finding a rare Lip Smacker in a physical store.
I do not like the few Markwins versions I’ve tried, they smell diluted and not like a finished flavor if that makes sense. It’s as if they never finished full development and they were like ” this is close enough”.
I’ve tried to get into other alternatives and just can’t. I’ve tried Crazy Rumors and other natural brands like Treat and they just don’t cut it for me. I found all these natural internet brands to basically be “diet Lip Smackers”. I will smell them and some smell nice and then I use the balm for and bit and the scent/flavor disappears nor do they last long. It’s like rubbing a stick of boring wax with coconut oil or *add any other trendy oil/butter here* on your lips and is not an exciting experience.
I really hope someone comes through and reinstates a product like the original Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. No, there will never be another but there has to be something better than the oversaturated internet ‘natural’ diet LS brands.
I have found “Chapstick” brand to be an OK alternative. They could NEVER compare but the newest flavorscare pretty good and they are made in the USA!
That reflects my experience with organic-type brands, they either rely a lot on green-washing tactics or they focus on pushing the trendy oil of the month they’re using. Either way, scent and formula is always a distant second if it even comes up at all.
Do you have the Crazy Rumor Ginger Ale?? I’ve always wondered about that one.
Yay, hi Tanya! I tried a few different brands (not the ones you mentioned though) and eventually found something I like, but nothing compares to the happiness LS gave us.
Hi Tanya. Nice to see you again 🙂
Bunny cookie, have you tried any Chapstick????
Not lately, but I’m curious, what are your favorite flavor(s)? My favorite non-LS find so far has been reve de miel, smells like a honey mango. I’ve been using that to try and stretch out what I have left of LS.
I really like quite a few Chapstick flavors…. I havent really tried much else, but I’ve always wondered about Crazy Rumors GingerAle. . The most recent Chapstick trio I got was the Smorez collection. It was pretty good. Especially the Graham Cracker.
I look at the website every now and then but I’m definitely not buying any new ones since they ended up changing the formula and adding a sweetener that you can actually taste and I absolutely hate that.
Can we somehow contact the original owners??