On the first Wednesday of fall, in between the busy streets of Manhattan, the Lip Smacker company and their guests were raising their fine wine glasses in celebration of the brand’s 50-year anniversary. Behind the double-weighted doors, guests gathered at 37th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues for a festive evening of delightful conversation and catering. Shimmering sequins that appeared like silver rain dripped down an accent wall behind a Lip Smacker logo. Hosts welcomed their guests with warm smiles upon entrance and offered access to the bar for the first hour of the festivities, which marked the traditional cocktail hour. Aged fruit blends of both red and white wine were served in crystal-clear, tall wine glasses that slipped between the lips like the thinness of a sheet of paper.
Past the entrance and through a short entry way, the room opened up into a wonderland of assorted colors that trailed down the elongated tables in the form of carefully wrapped cloth napkins, placemats, and the word Lip Smacker spelled out on a plastic cutout. Delicate arrangements of flowers that were so perfect I had to touch them to decipher whether they were real or not sat in thin square vases of water. Between each centerpiece was a tall pink tube of lip smacker assorted lip gloss.
“We’re all just really excited for the overall, the entire event, the parts that went into it, and obviously the turnout. It just kind of gives homage to what lip smacker has been and will be and a look towards the future,” the AVP of product development, Regina Mendoza, stated.
My eyes danced around the room, my ears soaked in the mellow tunes of 90s pop music. From the moment I put aside my thoughtfully assembled metallic silver tote goody bag and slumped down onto the retro transparent chairs, I could visualize myself on the road, driving in a convertible, top-down, wind blowing through my hair and not a worry for miles and miles. The event was nothing shy of the height of hospitality, as staff were dressed head to toe in black attire and waited on guests quite literally hand and foot.
“We’ve always known how amazing this brand is and what a heritage and nostalgia breeder it is. Lip Smacker is now turning 50, and we only look like this because of Lip Smacker,” said Alice Chen, senior VP of marketing. “I can not take credit for this, I can only give credit to my team for making this happen and also for anyone who has ever worked on this brand before.”
Various arrangements of petite, elegant hors d’oeuvres were offered off black slabs of wood. Grilled cheese bits that took you back to your childhood were toasted to perfection and were absolutely a crowd favorite. Vegan maki rolls that had a lovely hint of fuchsia sunken between the grains of rice and cucumber were topped with perhaps the smallest gourmet wild violet flowers I have ever seen. They were ravishing, and by far the most exquisite part of the menu. Possibly my favorite of the night was an appetizer the staff called chicken croquettes, which consisted of breaded chicken truffles that, once bitten into, filled the soul with the warmth and comfort that one would experience from a freshly simmered bowl of homemade chicken soup.
As guests took their seats around the table, waiting staff brought out the main course. This entree was a single lapsang souchong smoked chicken breast, which had a distinct citrusy garlic taste, closely resembling a delicious lemon pepper chicken. It had been served with a slice of sweet potato, a pale avocado-colored celtuce puree smeared onto the white china plating, garnished with firecracker mizuna and a single edible flower to beautify an already beautifully presented dish.
As we ate dinner beneath the bright studio lighting, four fabulous team members stood before us to pay tribute to the brand Chen believes we are all nostalgic for. The lighthearted speech thanked some members closely involved in the success of the brand. The room filled with joy and giggles as Chen shared the sweetest, most innocent recollections of her first strawberry Lip Smacker lip balm that was good enough to eat. “We need that youth beauty space and my youth was this brand,” said Chen as she toasted to the brand and to her beloved father.
The last bites of the evening were mini chocolate chip cannoli’s with sliced strawberries; and what a bite it was! They were light and fluffy like all things good in the world (like Lip Smackers flavored lip balms, for example).
I couldn’t leave the event without inquiring what future products Lip Smacker might have in store. Needless to say, all lips were sealed on the juicy goods. However, Lip Smacker releases had this to say: “We’re going to bring nostalgia back, but then again lip smacker was the number one, first flavored lip balm on the planet and we love that innovation and we’re going to continue to innovate… some things are going to come out that are going to change the world again”.
Lip Smacker introduced its very first flavored lip balm in 1973, making its way across America. Children from all over enjoyed the fruitful variety this iconic company had to offer. Over the years, Lip Smacker has partnered with other iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, Disney, and Hello Kitty, proving that there’s a Lip Smacker flavor for everyone.
The honor I felt to have been in the presence of the Lip Smackers team, celebrating 50 years of success, was truly inspirational. But, in case this brand (which has been with me throughout my entire youth and early adolescence years) hadn’t surprised me enough, I was very surprised to have received firsthand the Lip Smackers Vault collection. The Vault, in the shape of a giant lip balm, contained decades’ worth of Lip Smacker original and partnered releases. 50 Lip balms for a glamorous 50 years.
I cannot wait to see what’s in store for the years to come for Lip Smacker. Cheers to Lip Smacker on a beauty-full 50th-year celebration!
