Sugar Plum

The sweet & magical Sugar Plum Smacker sweetened smiles for many decades since it first graced Bonne Bell counters! Debuting for Christmas 1976, alongside four other Smackers staples, it was only the beginning of our long love affair with this holiday classic that made anyone feel like they could do the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The magical Bonne Bell faeries perfected so many flavors over the years and Sugar Plum is no exception. The beautiful plum colored tube contrasting with the bright white script and the large, classic 60. oz. Biggy tube size, will make anyone plumb crazy over this sweet and juicy Smacker.

Sugar Plum is one of Bonne Bell's distinct flavor creations among countless others from the original 1970's line. It smells like a sweet and plump plum, perfect for any season. The sugary plum aroma takes center stage here and you can even smell a (maybe) slight hint of berry, but it's unique and a little complex just like the fruit it's named after. I've read reviews over the years and some even have described it as having floral notes which my nose doesn't pick up on. Sugar Plum also imparted a gorgeous sheer plummy tint on the lips, one of the first few Smackers that provided subtle color.

1976 and 1984

Sugar Plum was a regular staple for Bonne Bell since it's 1976 debut but later became just a winter rotator after that. Although it was originally launched for Holiday 1976, Bonne Bell ran another ad for it in 1978. Sugar Plum was brought back for Holiday 1985 in a special edition tube with a bubble script and an attached string to wear around your neck.

After this, Sugar Plum didn't reappear until Holiday 1990 in Biggy form with the Roly Poly Reindeer on the label. Bonne Bell used the Roly Poly Reindeer cutie on a lot of the very early 90's holiday collections.

Sugar Plum 1990 Biggy

 Sugar Plum Biggys (L-R) 1976, 1984, 1990, 2009 and 2010 (holiday 1997 mini for size comparison)

Not until 1997 would Sugar Plum come out again, alongside brand new tasty holiday flavors. After this Bonne Bell brought out Sugar Plum as a holiday regular every year, besides Holiday 2000, which is the only holiday they didn't make a seasonal Sugar Plum Smacker.

1997-2014 holiday Sugar Plums (minus 1998 & 2004, see below)

Sugar Plum releases by year:

• Sugar Plum (Biggy) 1976
• Sugar Plum (Biggy) 1984
• Sugar Plum (Biggy) 1990
• Sugar Plum 1997
• Sugar Plum (shimmer) 1998
• Sugar Plum (shimmer) 1999
• Sugar Plum Bubblegum 2001
• Sugar Plum Fun 2002
• Sugared Plum Dream 2003
• Hand Dipped Sugar Plum 2004
• Sugar’s Plum (Pet Pals) 2004
• Sugar Plum 2005
• Sugar Plum Frost 2006
• Sugared Plum 2007
• Sugared Plum (shimmer) 2008 
• Playful Plum & Sugar Plum (Biggy) 2009
• Sugar Plum Wish & Sugar Plum Wish (Biggy) 2010
• Sugar Plum Party (Liquid & Lip Sparkler too)
• Sugar Plum Ice Cream 2012
• Sugar Plum 2013
• Sugar Plum Frosting & Sugar Plum (shimmer) 2014

The gorgeous Holiday 1998 collection tin gave us so many unforgettable flavors, including the return of beloved Sugar Plum in a sparkly Cosmic holiday label and the formula also gave a shimmery sheen! (I will eventually review the full Holiday 1998 collection so stay tuned.)

For Holiday 2001, Bonne Bell decided to mix up the classic Sugar Plum formula in their own unique way with a twist of Bubble Gum, giving us the extra spicy and juicy Sugar Plum Bubblegum that was so delicious and completely unique! Sugar Plum Bubblegum was one of the many wonderfully (and wondrously) expertly concocted flavor fusions Bonne Bell created in the 2000's, a time when they got very experimental and created iconic combinations.

Holiday 2004 we got two very special edition sugar plum's, Hand Dipped Sugar Plum featured the classic formula and flavor and the Pet Pals edition Sugar's Plum featuring Sugar the bunny on the label. Sugar's Plum had a brand new flavor creation that was very different than the original Sugar Plum. It was an almost tart and sour plum flavor. This same sugar plum formula was only used two more times for both Holiday 2005 Sugar Plum and Holiday 2006 Sugar Plum Frost, but was never used again.

Sugar the bunny enjoying a sweet sugar plum treat, right

Holiday 2009 was full of surprises and brought us our first Sugar Plum biggy in nearly 19 years! Adorned with the cutest penguin in a scarf, waving. Although it's counterpart was the exact same and familiar flavor in the small .14 oz. size, it donned the name Playful Plum in a playful cookie cut-out label and sleek metallic gunmetal cap and nob.

Holiday 2010 Sugar Plum Wish Biggy (.60 oz.) & mini (.14 oz.)

The following holiday we were just as lucky and got another biggy size and mini, Sugar Plum Wish, decked out with ornaments that were strung along against a gorgeous plum colored tube, cap and nob very reminiscent of the original 1970's Smacker's color.

Sugar Plum Party Liquid Lip Smacker

It wasn't until Holiday 2011 when Bonne Bell liquified the holiday classic flavor, Sugar Plum Party, in a clear, glossy Liquid Lip Smacker AND the shimmery, much loved Lip Sparkler!

Sugar Plum Party Lip Sparkler full-size and mini tubes

Look how gorgeous the glistening lilac gloss is in the tube! What made it even better is Bonne Bell gave us a full and mini size tube. Lip Sparklers had a huge fanbase so it's no doubt that Bonne Bell put an iconic flavor in this format.  

The full Holiday 2011 Sugar Plum Party line-up

Sugar Plum sweetened our smiles and holiday memories for many decades and holds a special spot in this long list of Bonne Bell's unforgettable flavor creations that will live on for many more years in our dreams.