The original founder of Bonne Bell was Jessie
G. Bell (known as J.G.). Bonne Bell was the heroine of Emerson
Hough’s novel “The Man Next Door” and a favorite character of
J.G. and his wife. They loved the heroine so greatly that when
their daughter was born they knew instantly they would name her
Bonne. As a young man, J.G. was a salesman for a local cosmetic
company and he knew it was the right business for him straight
away. So, in 1927, he decided to start his own business in
Cleveland, Ohio and there Bonne Bell cosmetics was born.
In the basement of his rented Cleveland home,
J.G. Bell created makeup items on a simple hot plate. He took
his homemade creations to the market on foot, selling them door
to door. With a sales approach focused on the product verses the
packaging he quickly won customer approval.
The first scientifically studied product for
Bonne Bell was bought from a research chemist who had created it
for a dermatologist. Called TEN-O-SIX, it brought the company
out of the basement and into mainstream cosmetic production.
With a strong focus in the youth market, the young company’s
products were specifically designed for teen and pre-teen girls.
Bonne Bell Today
Currently in its third generation of family
ownership, the Bell’s company has grown and found success in
today’s youth. Featured regularly in all the major teen fashion
magazines such as Cosmo Girl, Seventeen and J-14, it is one of
the largest youth-oriented cosmetics company. Internationally
known, their products can be found in almost every type of
pharmacy or market in the entire United States.
A current partnership with fashion makeup
artist Tina Davis is leading the company into new avenues. Tina
has a strong background with over sixteen years in the celebrity
fashion world and degrees from Westmore Academy in Los Angeles
and IL Makiage in New York City. Her energy combined with a
strong team at Bonnie Bell hope to continue to enhance the lives
of young girls. While Bonne Bell is known for its lip products,
they have grown to include mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner,
bronzing products and more.
Smackers
No doubt when you think of Bonne Bell, their
Lip Smacker products are the first that come to mind. Smackers
are essentially a high quality lip gloss, that was the core of
the Bell’s company success. Originally designed as a lip gloss
for an outdoor person with no flavor, it was recreated and
released in 1973 with the first flavor of strawberry. Bonne Bell
was the first cosmetic company to introduce this type of lip
product. The concentration of flavor combined into a glossy
stick formula was truly unique in the marketplace at that time.
While competition has certainly grown, Lip Smacker continues to
dominate with a fun product united with a great taste and smell.
Plus, it protects and soothes the lips too.
Ecologically Minded
As our youth today begin to be concerned with
organic and natural products, the companies that serve them will
too. Bonne Bell acknowledges this trend with a strong statement
against the use of animals for product testing and research.
They clearly state that no animal testing occurs either in house
or through outside contractors. While they do perform extensive
research and safety testing like most major cosmetic companies,
they actually do it on human panelists. These human trials are
performed on voluntary subjects in a clinical setting.
For More Information
For further information on the products or
store locations, visit their website at:
