Sorry guys, no sign of the comfort foods trio over here either! I’ll let everyone know if I hear or see anything.
I was however surprised to find these sports themed smackers, especially at this time of year. I really like the tube design but I’m not a fan of the packaging itself. Flavor wise there is nothing new here for collectors (these are mostly redone novelties), but it’s a cute idea.
* Cotton Candy
* Root Beer
* Buttered Popcorn
* Frozen Lemonade
* Salted Pretzel
* Tropical Punch
Stay tuned for a couple more updates soon!
I think these are really cute and I’m not even that much of a sports fan. I also like how they’re kind of boy friendly. I mean, I’m a girl and even I don’t always want Lip Smackers in pink, red and purple tubes 🙂
I was wondering if they were trying to cater to boys or sporty kids when they released these flavors.
For anyone who is trying to find these in stores, I recommend looking at Kmart. I noticed them there about three weeks ago for $1.99 each.
Found these at Kmart and you’re right, interesting time to be released. The actual plastic part of the tube is very different than regular Smackers. The whole tube is the same color as the cap and screw on the bottom. Reminds me of early 90s Smackers and I guess everything before that. Too bad the script wasn’t printed on the tube like old times. The cap is a little rounded as well. I also agree that the design on these look cheap, and the sticker/wrap is different than the current too. Wondering if they’re moving toward this type of component. As for th flavors, yes repeats for the most part, but Cotton Candy is different than any they’ve done. It’s like they took Berry Heavenly (minus the shimmer) and mixed it with the Clancy’s Cotton Candy. A very fruity take on it. It almost reminds me of blue raspberry Laffy Taffy. Root Beer is kind of caramel-y. To me, the Buttered Popcorn is a little more sharper and truer. Like a buttered popcorn Jelly Belly. I still wish Salted Pretzel was a little truer. Reminds me of bread and beer. Anyway, these are my thoughts.
Hoping to see holiday any minute now…
P.S. I wouldn’t mind more single collections like this. With better done wraps of course, or just originals. Hopefully with some new flavors too, not just all repeats. Still waiting on a carnival collection. Elephant Ear…sigh.
Yum@ Elephant Ear
Is it me, or has there been a lot of repeat flavors lately?
Okay, so I found some holiday at Walgreens. Two trio canes, one is called Donut Collection and comes with original Vanilla, Strawberry and Raspberry Jelly. Weird flavor choices besides Raspberry Jelly for this collection. Not thought out at all. These are also sporting the new packaging (tube, cap, nozzle) as the Sport Smackers. Flavors have not changed nor texture thankfully. Now, HOLIDAY flavors- the trio cane has Candy Cane, Gum Drop and Ribbon Candy. I had a very weird experience with Ribbon Candy. Mine has the same exact flavor/cap/nozzle as the older stick Ice Creamies Fresh Strawberry Lip Smacker. The cap and nozzle are sparkly pink. I saw this same trio cane online and Ribbon Candy is purple, so I got a fluke, but what an odd mixup. Really put off my that. Candy Cane is the weak kind we are use to and Gum Drop is that satsuma orange type flavor they’ve been doing for it. There were also Coke, Dr Pepper, Skittles and Starburst tins with only 4 flavors in them. Everything was $5, including the trio canes, a piece. That is a very Markwin’s thing for sure. The tins are nice.
Well, it seems like holiday is a bust. Mostly redos, maybe that’s why LS Facebooks page has been silent.
I’m tempted to get them because I like the trio canes. Plus I like all the flavors described, so I’ll probably get them when I can find them. I hope Bunny Cookie is able to find them and review them. I’m curious about what her thoughts are on these.
I’m hoping Pralines & Cream, Butterscotch and Marshmallow Crisp (Rice Krispie Treat, I hope) are as amazing as they sound. Won’t give up hope yet but it was disappointing to find a fluke in the sets (Ribbon Candy). I get repromoting SOME flavors, but there needs to be some new ones mixed in to keep me interested. They for sure lack MAJOR in the mint flavor department, how lazy of them. The holiday sets always hold a special place in my heart. I was looking at ULTA at the Tarte and Too Faced holiday sets and saw they were made in China. How sad that prestige brands are making cosmetics in China. Lip Smackers better continue to stay made in the USA otherwise, it is for sure a wrap. There is no reason to have to make lip balm/gloss overseas besides greed. I’m going to continue to remain positive…
WHOA wait a minute, I didn’t know that Pralines & Cream, Butterscotch (hasn’t this been done?) and Marshmallow Crisp were some of the new holiday flavors! I’m still waiting for the comfort foods set to become available somewhere. Have you seen them?
I’m going to Target today, so I’ll report back if I’ve seen them or not.
I haven’t seen the Comfort Foods trio ANYWHERE! Not in stores, ebay, or from any reviews.
A, where did you get the infomation on these flavors? I’ve never heard of anyone talking about these flavors before.
I saw someone post it on Instagram. So far we know; Pralines & Cream, Marshmallow Crisp, Butterscotch, Candy Cane, Ribbon Candy, Gum Drop, Sugar Plum, Marshmallow Pop, Peppermint Frappe, Whipped Eggnog and Caramel Cider. I’m pretty sure a few others are back as singles, as well. Pralines & Cream is a single. I also assume there are shimmers. Have you been checking Kmart Renee?
What also makes me nervous is the person who posted the holiday Party Pack (it’s shaped like a long piece of candy) I noticed her Ribbon Candy is an orangey/tannish cap and nozzle. Did Markwin’s decide to just throw random LS flavors in the set and put the Ribbon Candy wrap around it? That’s SO ANNOYING TO ME! So far, I’ve seen the cap/nozzle be pink, purple and now orange/tan.
*sigh*
It’s okay, Maria. There’s always ebay and Amazon with the older flavors.
I really don’t like the way Markwins is promoting anything, especially, take a look at the recent Facebook comments and I whole heartily agree with what everyone is saying. No new flavors or this seasons, no holiday. When are they going to reveal it? It’s already going to be the third week in October and nothing has been revealed. I went back to 2014 and we were actually getting previews in August! August people!
The only thing I can think up of is when Bonne Bell/Aspire Brands sold it to Markwins, they already did everything for winter, spring, and summer already for this year of 2015 and when Markwins took over maybe the fall/Halloween/holiday wasn’t completed. Though that’s just speculation and I’m probably wrong.
I’ve been dying to try oatmeal cookie and just read on this Facebook comment which I’ll past here for someone else who is trying, in frustration, to find it: I talked to a woman at Markwins yesterday about this. I don’t think we will ever find it. It was only sold thru Target and when I called Target customer service they couldn’t even find it in their system.
This really hits hard into me that really, Markwins has no idea what their doing (which I don’t understand since they operate two successful brands Wet N Wild and Physicians Formula. I mean, come on, you make 400+ million last year you wouldn’t make that kind of money if you weren’t smart in business. Unless of course, they just want to sabotage LS and Bonne Bell because after all, Buddy Bell was ruining the company and he was the one who sold it) and instead lying to us. Honestly, if their not going to put their hard work into redeveloping a company Buddy trashed, then why bother and buy it in the first place? I’d rather have someone else buy it who is invested in the company. *sigh* Rant over.
I don’t think Markwin’s new what they were getting themselves into. I at least hope to think so, any way. I’m thinking they didn’t truly understand the demographic and thought they were just going to put their paws all over it and slap Disney labels on everything and call it a brand…that is until we stepped up as customers and consumers and have voiced our opinions as WE NEED TO KEEP DOING. If they see we all take the brand serious and are relentless on not letting them slip up like they have been, I think we can continue to get what we want out of the brand. How many times are they going to promote the Donut quad and Double Cheeseburger on FB? I swear they do every other week. Notice how most Disney posts they do don’t have as many likes as others? They’ve should of promoted Halloween (which is mostly a repeat of last year) a long time ago. It’s already half way through October and NOTHING. Same with holiday, it usually comes out in October and they gave us a half-a#%ed picture as a sneak peak…REALLY!? Usually they are on the website available to buy right now. I think if we all stand together and numbers and call them on their b.s., then we can for sure have and keep their attention.
What I gather from Markwin’s is they aren’t use to customers being so invested in a brand, their newly acquired brand at that. After all, all Wet ‘n Wild products are made in China, so they don’t have much quality control in their background. They also seem not to have any communication going on inside and it’s very apparent. Look at the social media sites…really!? They promote the SAME stuff every other week. They are not trying to reach their customers, they are just promoting blindly to what it is we want or should be sharing. Hopefully these are transitional growing pains. As long as they still manufacture in the USA, I will still follow. I also need quality control for this to happen too. After all, the Bell’s, and Buddy especially, would of probably ran the brand into the ground and really dissapointed us all with the outcome. I feel like the sale of the brands had to divide the family a little. Check out Aspirebrands.com, they’re still very much around. They were just over their house brands, which is so sad.
I really hope they get this fixed soon. I want some holiday Lip Smackers!
By the way, A, there wasn’t ANY Lip Smackers being sold at my local Kmart. The one where I saw the Sports Smackers was at a different Kmart. I also haven’t seen any Halloween Lip Smackers at my local stores either. I did find a Lip Smacker Minnie Mouse trio at Target (which I bought) but I think they’re just repeat flavors with different labels.
I just checked Walgreen’s and the only Lip Smacker set they were selling was the Minnie Mouse trio with cotton candy, cupcake, and cutie pie. They didn’t even have any Halloween Lip Smackers!
There’s times when I feel like giving up looking for new Lip Smackers. 🙁
I haven’t found any new Lip Smackers, but I’ve found great deals on older ones. I’ve found a few different Lip Smackers for $0.50 each at a store called the Bargain Hunt! I search through their makeup bin to find them. I bought two original Lip Smackers in strawberry banana and bubble gum, a Liquid Lip Smacker in watermelon, a Luxe Lip Smacker in pink velvet gelato, and two Bonne Bell Lip Refresh lip glosses in Coke and Cherry Coke.
Another day, another no Oatmeal Cookie. If I see a Target or Meijer I’ve literally stopped and checked to see if they have it. Nothing. What gets me is how they are blatantly ignoring people on FB who can’t find it. They can’t at least say ‘Sorry you can’t find it, they were shipped to stores in September and should be out any time now.’ They give no direction. Also, no sneak peeks. Seriously can not stand Markwin’s at this point. They better be working on something incredible that has them so tied up they can’t direct their consumers properly.
I know! It’s so annoying! You would think if they own Wet N Wild that they would make Lip Smackers more accessible, but noooo. They give generic answers to questions regarding not finding new Lip Smacker sets, and they just post stupid contests where people are all “GIMME GIMME GIMME!” In almost every Facebook post, people keep asking where to find these Lip Smackers, which shows that it isn’t easy to find unless you’re consciously seeking them out. And even big fans like you and me aren’t able to find ANY new sets! This is so frustrating! Finding Lip Smackers (or any brand of cosmetics) shouldn’t be an Easter egg hunt. I’ve never had so much trouble finding makeup with any other brand of makeup that I use, which shows how crappy their accessibility is. At least with other brands they post all (or at least most) of their products online, but that isn’t so with Lip Smackers. They expect us to find their products in stores, BUT THEY’RE NOT THERE! I even search throughout freaking stores in every aisle just in case they were put in an unconventional place!
I feel like giving up, but I Lip Smackers are my favorite lip balm/lip gloss. :'( Why can’t this be easy? I remember Lip Smackers being very easy to find when I was a child, even if it was just the original flavors. *sighs* I hope they fix this. If they don’t, I’ll just hunt for them in discount stores.
I was at Target last night, and I looked for the Comfort Foods trio–still not there. When I was in the “kids’ makeup” section, I saw what I feel was a pretty saddening sight–more Lip Smacker wanna-be’s than actual Lip Smackers were available. The brand that was best known for flavored lip gloss meant for all ages is now outnumbered by its inferior competitors.
The worst part is that I can see how regular people would confuse the other lip balms for Lip Smackers. Someone mentioned it here that a friend of theirs said they had a “Reese’s LipSmacker”–even if no such thing exists, they can end up thinking that all flavored (and licensed-character) lip balms are Lip Smackers.
I mean, why not? They have the same ubiquity that Lip Smackers used to have (USED TO!), so regular people who don’t think there’s any problem. I saw Minions lip balms, My Little Pony lip balms, and Hello Kitty lip balms, sitting right next to the Disney Princess and Trolls Lip Smackers. The packages look similar, and likely the same to an untrained eye.
It really, really feels like Markwins has completely given up on all of us who have loved Lip Smackers for decades. Markwins probably even produces the competitors’ products which likely don’t have a following, so if the quality changes (which many of us have said it has), they don’t think we’ll notice a difference.
But we do, and it’s really sad that they aren’t going to do anything. They’ll seriously lose business this way if they don’t get it together. It doesn’t feel like there’s any plan to make things better for LipSmackers, and they will definitely get discontinued if something doesn’t change.
What can we do as fans, as collectors? Who can we talk to? There has to be something we can do because we’ve been into this brand for a long time. They can’t alienate us like this.
Just checked Kmart- No holiday as of yet.
AJ the only thing we can do is comment through Facebook. For many companies that is a HUGE portion of their advertising and if enough of us speak, even if it’s over and over, we will eventually get their attention. I will not let Lip Smackers go down without a fight. We need to keep calling them out on their bull****! The only formulas I’ve noticed that changed are the Coca Cola which they were quick to respond with ‘they’re changing them back. The texture was a mushy gel. KEEP TALKING AND KEEPING POSTING on their FB everyone!!!
I remember finding holiday Lip Smackers around this time last year at Kmart. I wasn’t able to find the tin that Bunny Cookie had, but I found all the other sets there. Now I can’t even find the Halloween Disney Lip Smackers they came out with! I wanted to try that second Mickey Mouse trio they made because the flavors sound cool. If I remember right, the flavors were strawberry macaroon, caramel apple, and some sort of punch. I know they’re repreats, but they sound better than some of the other Halloween flavors.
I’ve only seen the Halloween ones at Kmart. It’s so blinding not telling us where things are. All of companies have launched holiday, why are they taking so long???Mind you, I did find the trio canes and the partnership tins at Walgreens but all stores carry different holiday assortments and I know for a fact there’s plenty more. There’s also the Tsum Tsum they haven’t even mentioned. SO FAR BEHIND. I really don’t understand. Meijer in the Midwest always carries holiday and had those holiday beverage collection tins last holiday. They always carry the big holiday displays too, but don’t usually put them out until after Halloween. Oatmeal Cookie better be everything I hope it to be AND MORE!!! Waiting this long, there’s no excuse.
I hope they don’t use the Descendents Baked Muffin as the formula. Not that it smells like an oatmeal cookie but it does have that warm baked smell. I was told it won’t be the same formula and they better not have lied…we will see.
I hope to find the trio canes at Walgreen’s or Target after Halloween. If not, I’m going to be so disappointed. ? Do you think Target will sell them?
Has anyone else been able to find the holiday sets? If you bought them in stores, which one(s) did you find them at? I’ve been dying to find them, but they’re not in stores in my area. 🙁
I’m thoroughly convinced that Oatmeal Cookie isn’t even a real flavor. I’m convinced that someone, somewhere is lying.
You know, I’m beginning to think that myself. Does anyone else agree?
Ditto with me. Really disappointed in Markwins. They seriously don’t know how to operate LS. Ugh. 🙁
….But they know how to operate other companies they own, so I don’t understand why they’re not doing well with this one. Do they just not care?
Let’s be honest, Markwin’s S U C K S! I am so disappointed in this company and will NOT support their other brands. They have one job to do and are failing miserably at keeping us in the loop. Screw Buddy Bell for selling the brands. Still so irritated at the terrible decision when Aspire Brands is still very much around.
On another note, someone posted a photo on IG of a full end cap of holiday Lip Smacker sets at Walmart. So they’re starting to trickle in out there but for some reason Markwin’s doesn’t want us to know. A$$holes. Now…to find Oatmeal Cookie…
What I don’t understand is why Buddy would sell Bonne Bell/Smackers to the most incompetent company there is. I mean, Markwins is not equipped to handle a legacy, to handle collectors, to handle people who want old products back. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you just don’t see people clamoring for old-school Wet n’ Wild. Of course Markwins doesn’t know what they’re doing, because they’ve taken on a brand that can be a crucial part of people’s lives. Their other brands haven’t got that kind of reception.
So, it’s been established that they don’t know anything, but they haven’t really made moves to show people that they want to learn what to do. They don’t listen when we say we can’t find something, they don’t work to make sure that there is vast distribution of products, they won’t return to original formulas when we say something’s wrong. They don’t really listen to new flavor ideas, or ideas on what to bring back. It’s almost as if Markwins WANTS this company to fail, and if they keep going this way, it will.
I had an idea the other day. I say we make a list of demands to Bonne Bell/Smackers. They ask us so much for our input, but then they don’t use it. If we can express that a lot of people want the same or similar things, they will have to change something. We need to emphasize that we are the ones who grew up with the brand, and we want a product that we’ll be proud to introduce to younger people, and a product that younger people will think it’s cool to use not because some character’s on the package, but because it is an original and fun product that’s for all ages.
I’ll start, and I’ll put it on their Facebook page if necessary.
1. I want the original bubble font back. You know the one. I feel like when they changed their logo, they really lost their identity.
2. I want to see the following groups of Lip Smackers come back: Cosmics (including Sparklers), Jewel Lips, Pet Pals, Ice Creamies, Sponge-On Layered Cakes, and Lip Frostings. It’s more than just nostalgia. It’s about returning to that originality that they used to have. No brand is doing anything like this right now, and the only ones who can do it right IS them.
3. Peppermint and “Pink Nilla Mint” need to be two separate flavors. Self-explanatory.
4. Cinnamon Sugar, Dr. Pepper, and anything else that’s changed NEEDS to go back to their original formulas. Immediately.
5. Maybe it’s due time that we actually have consumers be able to contribute to the making of new Lip Smacker flavors. Hold a poll–the three with the most votes get to be made and put into a collection of “Flavors of the Month”! Some of us have good ideas, and they should listen.
6. Instead of layering multiple flavors to create a flavor, how about we make the darn thing. The most egregious example of this was when they mentioned that you can layer certain flavors to create a Wedding Cake flavor, when not even 15 years prior there was a Wedding Cake Sponge-On Layered Cake gloss. So it’s not like these flavors can’t ever exist because they don’t know how. We shouldn’t have to do this work.
7. For God’s sakes, DISTRIBUTE THE PRODUCT. We shouldn’t have to do the work of making sure grocery stores or drugstores carry Lip Smackers. Ever! And there’s absolutely no excuse for Lip Smackers to lose shelf space to inferior Lotta Luv or “Minions” Party Pack wannabes.
8. If you’re the best of the best of flavored lip balms, then BE THAT. Don’t be comparable to the “kid’s makeup” section which is meant to be crap for kids. Don’t assume kids don’t care–your longevity is due to kids loving your product from the very beginning. And don’t assume that adults can’t tell when you’ve changed something. Because believe me, we all know when quality has changed. And because we can tell, we’ll tell you. And when we tell you, FIX IT!
That’s all I have for now. If anybody has anything to add, please let me know.
I AGREE WITH ALL OF IT. 😀
About #7…. I don’t understand why they expect us to make sure Lip Smackers are in stores. I sent an email complaining about this kind of stuff a few days ago. Here’s what I said:
“Dear Markwins,
I’ve been very disappointed and dissatisfied with the Lip Smacker products that you’ve been coming out with, especially Dr. Pepper. It doesn’t smell like it used to. Why?
Also, I’ve been having a hard time finding Lip Smackers in stores. I know where they are sold, but my local stores either no longer sells them, only certain sets are sold, or only sold in certain times of the year. I prefer to buy my Lip Smackers in stores because it’s cheaper and I enjoy physically buying things rather than online. May you please make them more accessible and available in stores? I don’t see this issue with other brands you own, so why is there an issue with Lip Smackers?
There’s also the issue of not posting some Lip Smacker flavors on your website. I’ve read plenty of posts on the Lip Smacker Facebook page that they wish some flavors were sold online, but they aren’t. I see this as an issue if your fans are wanting to buy your products, but neither can’t find them in stores nor buy them online. This also brings me to the issue of two collections I’ve been dying to find, but I can’t find them anywhere. I really enjoy buying the holiday Lip Smacker collections, but I’m unable to find them in stores. Same with the Comfort Foods trio. I look in all the stores around me that sells Lip Smackers, but they’re never there. Why is this happening? Do you not care about your customers? I thought this company was going to make is easier to find Lip Smackers, but it’s more difficult than it has ever been.
Sincerely,
Renee”
This was their reply:
“Thank you for contacting Lip Smacker! We are sorry that you have been disappointed with our Dr Pepper lip balm. In order to continue to provide irresistible flavors to our customers, we must constantly work hard to improve and better our formulas. Therefore you may sometimes find that the flavors will vary on some of our lip balms.
As for making our products available in more stores, that is really up to retailers. We would love to have our products sold in as many stores as possible, but it is ultimately up to retailers whether they choose to sell our products or not. We are consistently reaching out to new and current retailers in hopes to have our products sold in more locations. We suggest getting in touch with your local drugstores and/or grocery stores and requesting that Lip Smacker products be sold there. Customers can hold a lot of power in controlling what is carried at local stores.
As I’m sure you are aware, Lip Smacker was recently acquired by Markwins just a few months ago. Because Lip Smacker is very new to the Markwins family there are still many kinks that need to worked out as we get into the flow of things. I assure you that our customers are extremely important to us and customer satisfaction is one of our top priorities. We are currently working very hard to make all products available in stores also available at lipsmacker.com. In 2016, we hope to sell all of our new products that will be sold in stores online as well. We greatly appreciate your patience and loyalty to the Lip Smacker brand.
Thank you for voicing your concerns and have a great day!
Sincerely,
The Lip Smacker/Bonne Bell Team”
But it’s not up to retailers, it’s up to them to put themselves out there. They don’t advertise themselves, they don’t act like there is any competition against them when now there is, more than ever. You’d think they’d recognize that, you’d think they’d do more to individuate themselves from the competition and not release things that are similar to other companies (esp. those Eos clones, or licensed character “party packs”). All these years of setting the trend, now they’re BEING the trend, and it’s a really bad thing when companies do that. They’re not helping themselves at all, and they’re acting as if there is no problem.
I guess on that list we all can say, in unison, that they need to REALIZE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH **THEMSELVES**, and we can’t and won’t do their jobs. But we can tell them what we’d like to see, and say that if they don’t make moves that we know will work, they’ll lose business from the ones who made them who they are. If they lose business from us, then, they certainly won’t have any business in the future. And they need to recognize this as an actual problem soon.
If they advertised properly, sent out their products everywhere, and made products that aren’t just nostalgic, but bring something new and unique, then they could receive a lot of money from it. I REALLY don’t understand why Markwins isn’t doing much with this brand. I thought they would at least make Lip Smacker more available to make money, but they aren’t. Don’t they want to make more money?
AJ- So MANY valid points! I completely agree with them all. The font now does pay homage to the very first and original logo Lip Smackers had so I don’t mind it. I always assumed they went with a flashier bubble logo in the early 90s because they needed the packaging to pop; this was long before sparkling Cosmic wrappers, holographic, etc. I personally like the logo now, and think of the competition and how simply everything is (Baby Lips, EOS, Burt’s Bee’s). I love your #3, the vintage Peppermint they brought out this year makes NO sense as far as the flavor go. I was like WTF?!? I’d be using it every day if it were the original, zippy, tingly formula I grew up loving. This years Candy Cane is the same way. It just smells sweet. No hint of mint. Fine, but call it something else. The Candy Cane that came out a decade ago for the holidays was TO DIE FOR. And Cinnamon Sugar, ugh! I’m still SO upset with this current formula. They can do SO MUCH BETTER! I will not give up until they do it right. As you were saying, we ALL need to voice our opinions. Keep posting on FB, IG, etc. Fans of Selena got together and begged MAC to do a collection and months later, they announced they were going to do it. I literally want to shake everyone who works at Markwin’s. I can’t believe they at least won’t make an announcement and acknowledge their hiccups. It’s so much more respectable. I have an old ad from the 70s that was a letter from Jess Bell apologizing to customers that they were behind on mail-in orders. THEY PAID FOR A PRINT AD APOLOGIZING. All Markwin’s has to do is use their own FB page and they’re too lazy to do so. It’s so dang pitiful.
A, I’ve tried finding that photo, but I can’t find it. Do you have the link?
I saw it through the app on my phone so I can’t link it.
Do you remember what hashtag it was under?
The user is bbwyuliya. Let me know if you find it.
I found it! I hope this display is at my local Walmart! It looks like there’s a little bit of everything! I’m soooo excited! 😀
Those must be Walmart exclusives or just what they’re carrying.
There’s also more. There’s an 8 pc. Party Pack in the shape of candy that’s pretty cute.
I know! I hope I can find it at Target. Hopefully these will be easier to find after Halloween.
I saw the picture. Part of me gets excited while the other part of me doesn’t want to get too happy because where is this Walmart located in what state and town? Will my town get this and will Target get it? I sometimes wonder if Buddy told Markwins when he signed over the company to them to screw up with it, because let’s face it, while we got holiday and Halloween right away last year, we were still having problems finding it in stores.
Well, I compiled my list, well rather a novel. But this is my thoughts.
I agree with on all those valid points with AJ, A, and Renee. Here’s some of my own you can add to the list, AJ.
1. Don’t dedicate yourselves completely for children! This harkens back to even when the company began and they were going to target to the tweens. Well, those ’70’s, ’80’s, ’90’s, and 2000’s kids are all grown up and while yes there is a child in all of us (I still have some stuffed animals for childhood memories and I still hold onto some classic books like Anne of Green Gables and Nancy Drew) we all aren’t going to stay reading picture books or easy readers forever. We all grow up and yes, we do start wearing cosmetics, but we still need a great lip balm. This also harkens back to Bill George saying that women in their thirties and forties won’t keep Bonne Bell and Lip Smackers alive and instead focus to 6-16 year olds. So, what are all the other people beyond those ages? Chop liver?! You’re making a mistake by doing this because it’s putting both companies in a tiny square corner where you won’t be able to get out of. “B-b-but tweens are a huge financial asset. We can cash in on their allowances and gullibility to spend all their parent’s dollars,” you wail. Oh, ok, but those tweens and teens are actually getting into Sephora and Ulta (I know because I saw it online in the news section of Google). Which means their leaving behind those kiddy brands, like you in the dust.
2. We as customers don’t do your dirty work. You say to us that for retailers to carry your products we ask the mangers and plea with them to no end. What are we—your brand reps or something? I’m not even getting paid money to do this job, so why would I do this? Why can’t you? After all, you’re the company.
3. Get your product known, their not going to sell themselves, you know. Why don’t you do advertising? Just don’t advertise in Girls’ Life or Discovery Girls. Advertise in Elle, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Glamour, Instyle, ect… Real magazines, not some kiddy ones. Get competitive. Get fired up. I know I would be, but I don’t run the company. Bill George, on Happi.com in the top 50 companies section you’re listed at 27 with 2014’s estimate of $450 million dollars. So, don’t tell us you have no money or have no idea to run a company.
4. Get a celebrity sponsor with print and TV advertisements. No, not some Disney or Nick tween/teen queen and/or king who barely know how to act and can’t sing without the help of auto tone and don’t get me started on those stupid lyrics. Someone like Taylor Swift would be really great.
5. Don’t shelf your products in the kids “makeup” section at stores or even at the girls 7-16 section either. Again this harkens back to number 1 a bit. When teens get older, they’ll feel too old and too cool to shop the kiddy makeup and will actually move on to other brands either drugstore, high end, or a mixture. I would love instead for Lip Smackers and Bonne Bell situated right next to Maybelline, Revlon, NYX, ELF, and others because that way any person of any age whether mature woman or a teen will see it.
6. Cut back the Disney. Harkens to number 1 a little. Basically, just release a limited edition Disney set like once or every other year (with sophisticated packaging, not kiddy. Think MAC and ELF. Anyone who doesn’t want kiddy Disney makeup would love it).
7. Get partnerships which will expand the company. Teaming up with Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, and Yankee Candle would expand it to people of all ages.
8. Expand to other outlets. Burts Bees just doesn’t sell lip balm but lotions, foot scrubs, stuff for men, women, baby, ect. Maybelline carries cosmetics like foundation, concealer, blush, ect. EOS carries hand soap, shaving cream, I believe also hand lotions. Team up with Bath & Body Works for a line of hand moisturizers with different and unique flavors and hand soaps. Maybe even some with a combo pack with a balm or gloss.
9. Flavors. Ugh, another marshmallow labeled something fancy, another of this flavor but the same thing. Flip through a dessert cook book and write down all the ones LS has never done before. Now compile the list and make them into balms and us customers get something different without it actually be something we already have just labelled to make it seem to us we are getting something different when we’re not.
10. Team up with Sephora and sell a LS line intended (not the entire line) for high end. LS would still sell budget lip balms in drugstores, but aim for a high end line within the brand with sophisticated packaging, luxurious, heavy. It could contain not only lip balms, but lipsticks (matte and shiny) and lip glosses (highly pigmented). Use the Dr. Pepper (the old formula) and the Cola lines to produce the flavor, scent, and moisture of a balm, but the color and creaminess of a lipstick formed together. That way one doesn’t have to consider “I want to wear a lipstick, but I love my LS Cola balm. Why can’t I have both?” Well, both would be combined and the colors could be amazing with great wear and moisture. Think of a Cola Cherry of a deep red with a hint of dark purple or the original Cola of a bright red, no orange, but a really pretty fire engine red.
Lastly, if none of these things happen or conditions don’t improve, I will cease buying for good. No, I’m not lying, either and instead, you’ll go downhill unless of course, that’s exactly what you want.
You always have amazing ideas, Stef! I think there’s sooooo many options Markwins can do to make the Lip Smacker brand awesome again, but they’re not doing it. I think they should also branch their regular Lip Smackers into their original line and something more mature. They could make flavors inspired by alcoholic beverages for example and put them in packaging kind of like Bonne Bell cosmetics.
Also, the Bath & Body Works/Lip Smacker idea is awesome! My mom recently bought one of their soaps in pineapple sorbet, and it would make a great Lip Smacker flavor (wait, was that a flavor in the Paul Frank ice cream party pack?)
I remember coming off of something during my research and found it again, which just strengthens what I say in point number one.
Girl-powered sales
Lakewood’s Bonne Bell sticking with its forever-young strategy
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Emily Hamlin
Plain Dealer Reporter
Cosmetics sales rise and fall more often than the popularity of blue eye shadow.
It’s just part of the business, company officials say.
But business has been rough on some of the industry’s A-listers this year, largely because of changes in the youth market.
Revlon has lost $145.3 million since January, Procter & Gamble yanked its underperforming Max Factor line from a variety of retailers, and the Bonne Bell Co. in June made companywide cuts, including its senior-citizen work program.
Analysts point to increased competition and less brand loyalty in the teen/tween market (girls 8-18), trends that have some companies scaling back teen lines and focusing on anti-aging products.
But instead of changing strategies, Lakewood-based Bonne Bell will soon launch a health and beauty line for teens and tweens, signaling that it remains committed to the market it has served for 79 years:
Girls.
Sweet success in a pint-size tube
Girls like 9-year-olds Claire Andrews and Liz Burns are the reason Bonne Bell has the No. 1-selling lip product in the country.
The Bay Village fourth-graders combined have 64 tubes of Lip Smackers, and they want more.
They trade them, sort them by size and color and line them up like dominoes. They even made up a special handshake with them.
Bonne Bell launched the flavored lip glosses in 1973, much to the delight of young girls (and the boys who kissed them) everywhere.
It started with just strawberry, but now flavors such as cookie dough and vanilla frosting come in liquid, glitter and tinted glosses, as well as big- and small- size balms.
Some have clips so you can attach them to key rings, and others snap together like puzzle pieces.
The dizzying array of choices brings giddy grins to the faces of Liz and Claire, who want to add at least 40 Smackers to their collection by next year.
The flavors aren’t all hits – just the word “mocha” makes Liz wrinkle up her face in disgust – but that doesn’t stop the pair from buying them.
“If the flavor sounds cool, we’ll get it,” Claire says, “and if it sounds gross, we’ll at least try it.”
Lip Smackers’ flavors and affordable price (about $2) have made the product an icon among several generations of women, says Hilary Bell, Bonne Bell’s executive vice president of strategic ideation.
“It’s like a rite of passage into makeup,” Bell says. “You remember when you got your first Lip Smacker. It’s like a teddy bear you come back to when you’re 20, 30 or 40 even. Just the smell of it takes you back.”
More choices, less loyalty
Parma resident Gwynne Haslem remembers wearing Bonne Bell as a teen and having only a handful of other brands to choose from – Cover Girl, Maybelline, Avon . . .
Her 14-year-old daughter, Mariah, rolls her eyes.
“Mom, that was decades ago,” she says.
Mariah has an incredible number of choices – beyond Cover Girl and Maybelline, there’s M.A.C., Smashbox, Wild & Crazy, N.Y.C., Hard Candy, Urban Decay. The list goes on and on.
Bell traces the boom to the late 1990s, when pop-music princesses Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore and Jessica Simpson arrived on the scene.
Girls – armed with their allowances or their parents’ credit cards – coveted those long lashes, pencil-lined eyes and glossy pink lips, and companies saw an opportunity to cash in.
This year, more than 800 new eye/face products, nearly 200 nail products and a whopping 1,000 lip products have come onto the market, said Tom Vierhile, director of ProductScan in Naples, Fla.
“It’s like going to your local freeway and watching the cars go by,” Vierhile said.
That’s great for girls like Mariah, but tough on companies.
Privately owned Bonne Bell doesn’t release its financial information but has indicated it’s feeling the competition.
Retailers have chipped away at the company’s display space over the last few years to squeeze in new brands, and this January stores took an even bigger chunk to make room for new lines from Revlon and L’Oreal.
Having all of those choices makes brand loyalty a thing of the past, said Irma Zandl, principal of the Zandl Group, a New York City-based consumer research group. “Unless a brand has a really particular point of view, one is very much like the next,” Zandl said.
Mariah pays so little attention to names on the products she buys that when asked what brands she likes, she has to dump out her makeup bag to read the labels.
She buys products because she likes the colors or features, like an eye shadow that glides on like lipstick.
Price also matters – another reason Zandl says Bonne Bell, Maybelline and Cover Girl tend to get lost in the crowd.
Their middle price point means girls have cheaper alternatives and more expensive (i.e., stylish) ones, she said.
Some analysts attribute the middle market’s sales drop to the popularity of designer brands, but Bell says that’s not the case.
Girls gravitate toward expensive brands like M.A.C., she said, but most can’t afford to fill their purses with the products.
“She’ll have one designer lipstick that she’ll pull out in front of her friends, but usually the rest of what she’s got is a mix of us and the other brands,” Bell said.
With so many players in the cosmetics industry, a company can’t rely on only its name to attract teens, said Samantha Skey, senior vice president of strategic marketing at Alloy Marketing in New York City.
Skey said companies need to have celebrity spokespersons or to attach themselves to other big brands through licensing – part of what vaulted Bonne Bell into icon status and a key part of its strategy for staying there.
New products, same audience
Shortly after launching Lip Smackers, Bonne Bell teamed with Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc. to create soft-drink-flavored glosses.
The Dr Pepper flavor quickly became a pop-culture craze and still rates as one of Smackers’ best-selling flavors.
Bonne Bell has since added Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Starburst, Skittles and M&Ms glosses through licensing deals with Kraft Food Holdings Inc. and Mars Inc.
“Branching out one of those lines was just the natural next step,” said Bob Evans, Bonne Bell’s chief operating officer.
The company will launch Starburst-scented and regular Smackers-scented shower collections this fall.
Michele Brown, vice president of licensing for Mars, says the shampoos, conditioners and shower gels will fill a gap in the teen/tween market.
“You use Johnson & Johnson when you’re a baby and L’Oreal when you’re an adult, but there’s no national brand for those in between,” Brown said.
Bonne Bell has already proven that young girls respond to products geared toward them, she said, so the customer base is already there.
Most companies have just stumbled onto the tween market (ages 6-12), but Bonne Bell has been tapped in for years, said Robert Atkinson, spokesman for the clothing store Limited Too, which will carry the shower collections in October.
“Our customers recognize that brand name,” Atkinson said. “It’s popular with the girls and moms, too, because they know it’s an age-appropriate line.”
Hilary Bell said the new collections are just an extension of what Bonne Bell has been doing for decades – creating fun, affordable cosmetics for girls.
The market might ebb and flow, she said, but the company stands strong.
“We’re like a two-story house in an earthquake,” Bell said. “We might get bumped around a little bit, but when it’s all over, we’re still here.”
It seemed to me they were deluding themselves big time. *facepalm*
I bet if you asked a bunch of girls today what Lip Smackers are, a lot of them would have no clue what they are, or they think Lotta Luv lip balms are the same as Lip Smackers.
Renee, you’re right. In fact, there’s an eBay listing going on right now that reads “Lip Smacker, Lip Balms, icee, pixy stix, sugar daddy, jolly rancher, laffy taffy”. Except for there aren’t any *real* Lip Smackers being sold, but instead they’re selling Lotta Luv. The entire listing is made up of Lotta Luv, but it says LIP SMACKERS in the title.
That’s really upsetting, and really telling of what’s happening here.
I absolutely love your ideas. You see, I told you–we do know what’s up! 🙂 Here are my responses.
1. I agree with this. I feel like they should bring back some more “mature” shades of Bonne Bell cosmetics, and for the “great lip balm” for the grown-up crowd, they could (and should) bring back Lip Lix. And of course, they could always do something new and inclusive to all ages. (Maybe this is our cue to write a List of Demands — Bonne Bell edition)
2. Self-explanatory. Good to know that we’re pretty much all on the same page here.
3. Also self-explanatory. Within my lifetime (20 years), advertisements DID happen, but they were very, very rare. I heard about Sour Smackers on the radio once, I saw that “who’s that girl smacking on the lip gloss” commercial at least 3 times, and print ads were uncommon. It seems that before I was born there were a lot more print ads, so it’s not like this is something they’re completely clueless about.
4. I’m not a Taylor Swift fan myself, but it’d be great to have her be one of the spokeswomen for the product. I’m not really big on who’s important in current celebrity culture. But as long as they have someone who loves the brand themselves (I feel like that’s key), they would do fine.
5. I love this point. 😀 Lip Smackers are more than just for kids. And it really is about where they’re placed. This ties into the later point you have about making a higher-end line, which I’ll get to. 🙂
6. I do kind of like the Disney Lip Smackers only because a lot of them are Cosmic Lip Smackers reborn (and is pretty much the only way we’ll have the Cosmics back unless they make the obvious choice to have a true revival), but it feels like Lip Smackers has devoted way too much focus on them, and that’s all they’re making. A limited-edition set could totally work for a Disney look, and maybe even a Barbie look, too. 🙂
7. YES! ESPECIALLY the Ben n’ Jerry’s partnership. It’s kind of like the deal with the Disney situation–Disney Smackers are the revival of Cosmics, and Ben and Jerry’s could be a revival of Ice Creamies, but with more complex flavors (i.e.: Half Baked, Spectacular Speculoos, etc.)! Amazing idea!
8. Love this. Bonne Bell does do actual makeup products. Smackers doesn’t really (although I think they used to), and it’d be nice if they tried this again with eyeshadows, powders, blushes, etc. I’d also like to see things for boys. The Sporty Smackers are kind of a move in that direction, but it’d be nice to see more effort.
9. They really should expand on their flavors. It’s not like they have different flavors that we haven’t seen in a long time or that new audiences don’t know about. And of course, they could always make completely different flavors that we’ve never had, EVER. And I don’t mean BS like Double Cheeseburger or French Fries or Salted Pretzel–that’s exactly what Lotta Luv is doing and Smackers are better than that. Provided that they do a good job, the Christmas set with the new flavors (e.g.: Oatmeal Cookie, Pralines and Cream, etc.) could be a real hit.
10. The Sephora set would be **GREAT**!!! It would totally take Bonne Bell AND Smackers to new heights. Sephora could definitely do what Lip Smacker Luxe and what Lip Smacker Luscious were trying to be, but do more with color, texture and flavors. I really love the idea of the colors, esp. with the “grown-up Dr. Pepper”.
Wonderful, wonderful ideas. I’m trying to think about how I can compile all of these ideas I’m getting and send them to Smackers. 🙂 This is what they really need to know. Thank you 😀
Thank you, Stef.
I really like your ideas too. If only Lip Smacker actually did this……. *sigh*
I also love what Bonne Bell started by doing rotating flavors. Clearly Markwin’s REALLY messed this up this year. We should have the 90s single Lunar Lime by now but who knows if they even made it. I’m pretty sure Oatmeal Cookie is a rotating trio as well but they didn’t send it out in time. I’d love if they put online exclusive flavors; flavors that people ask for but might not necessarily move on store shelves fast, like a Good ‘n Plenty revival. Can you imagine a vintage trio with Good ‘n Plenty, Bit O Honey and Tootsie Roll in it?!? Mind you Bit O Honey isn’t under the same brand (Hershey’s) as those two so it might be a little harder to do. That’s the stuff they need to do. Also a rotating Biggy every couple of months. Just like if you go to Target and the single Smackers are all on one hook and you have to sort through to grab the one you want. Start off with a few Biggy flavors and bring out news ones every so often AND make them limited batches so the rotation goes quicker.
I’ve always thought a Starbucks collaboration is very fitting to do. They have every other big partnership. I’m going to be honest however and say I don’t trust Markwins doing a flavor partnership. I don’t know if they necessarily understand how much science BB put into making a Strawberry Starburst Lip Smacker smell/taste EXACTLY like a Strawberry Starburst, etc. The Chupa Chups collaboration was very lazy and they just packaged regular flavors and did not try to make them smell exactly like the lollipops. Same with Wall’s. Not sure if they didn’t try because they were for overseas or what but it was disappointing.
WAIT A MINUTE, LUNAR LIME *IS* COMING BACK?!?!?! I asked them about it and they said it wasn’t coming back, and the *only* flavors from the 1990’s set were Moon Rock Candy, Stellar Strawberry, and Orange Sh-Orbit.
A, you have such great Lip Smacker knowledge, I swear. You tend to know more than the company does.
On a completely different note, I went to Target yesterday to get some cold supplies and I was checking out the Lip Smackers there. I was looking for the Cupcake Craze collection (with Angel Food Cake, Coconut Flake, White Chocolate and Blackberry Cream) because I’d seen it a different time, but didn’t have the money to buy it with. They didn’t have it yesterday, so instead I got Bubble Gum–one of the “original and best” flavors.
It may be original, but it isn’t the best anymore. It seems like it got a formula change! It was very slippery, smooth, almost jelly-like, and a bit greasy. It’s been a while since I had a Bubble Gum Lip Smacker (and I have very few Original flavors), so I don’t know what to compare it to. It just doesn’t feel the same, and it doesn’t feel right either.
I FINALLY found chocolate mint and I got the cupcake craze collection too. The cupcake craze collection smells just like the flavors in last year’s holiday collection, but the feel of them is more slippery. 🙁 Oh well, at least they didn’t screw up the scent.
I was 13 when BB LS came on the market us girls were all crazy about them. I especially liked the big tubes. My daughter was a teen in 2000 and her friends had so many more choices but they did all collect BB LS too
The thing is is that BB and LS started seeing the decline in dedicating themselves to those supposed tweens/teens. They didn’t move from that idea. They said, quote, “they always survive this and will be here.” Well, Buddy, something must’ve happened because you sold it. So that business strategy of collecting money from tweens/teens didn’t work, so they must change their mindset, hence what’s on my list.
I think appealing to many age groups would help a LOT.
AJ, the Lip Smacker brand has blended in with other lip balms for children. I’ve seen Instagram photos of Lotta Luv lip balm next to Lip Smackers, and it’s even hard for ME to tell them apart!
Another issue is the “genericized trademark” among lip balms. It’s very common for people online to call any sort of flavored lip balm Lip Smackers or Chapstick when they’re usually neither one.
I came across Smackers (as in LS) Frozen and Cinderella shower and bath gel and lotion. The username is peachesandsparkles.
Hmm. I guess they ARE creating more than just Lip Smackers. It kind of sucks that it’s Disney, but at least it doesn’t look as cheesy as other Disney Princess stuff.
I just bought the Salty-Sweet Snacks Collection along with a couple others today. I’ve noticed the salted pretzel and buttered popcorn are packaged just like the sports ones, but with a different label. I also got the Candy Jar Treats Collection, which has the candy cane, ribbon candy (the correct one), and gum drop, along with butterscotch and sugar plum. Sugar plum smells just like the ones from previous years and butterscotch smells sweet and buttery. I really hope the new Smoothie Chillerz and tropical collections are good.