Who Else Had These?

The small glass bottles in the photo are Kissing Potion, a flavored roll-on lip gloss best remembered by many Americans who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s. With their shiny gold caps, clear liquid gloss, and playful names like Cherry Smash, Passion Punch, and Mighty Mint, these little bottles looked almost like tiny perfumes—but they were made for lips.

Kissing Potion was originally sold by Maybelline and became especially popular during the flavored-lip-gloss craze of the 1970s. Public vintage-ad archives and collector sources place the product in that era, with continued popularity into the 1980s.

Unlike regular lipstick, Kissing Potion was mostly clear, glossy, sweet-smelling, and flavored. It used a rollerball applicator, so users could simply roll it across their lips for a wet, shiny look. It could be worn alone or over lipstick to add extra shine.

Part of the appeal was the packaging. The name “Kissing Potion” made it feel fun, girly, and slightly magical. For many young women and teens at the time, keeping one in a purse, school bag, or bedroom drawer was a small beauty ritual. It was affordable, easy to use, and came in flavors that felt more like candy than makeup.

Its main purpose was simple: to make lips shiny, scented, and lightly flavored. It was not a perfume or medicine, even though the little bottle and the word “potion” made it look special. The product belonged to a larger 1970s and 1980s trend of playful beauty items, when brands sold lip products in fruit, soda, mint, candy, and dessert-inspired flavors.

Today, vintage Kissing Potion bottles are remembered as a nostalgic beauty item. For people who had them, they bring back memories of drugstore makeup aisles, sleepovers, school lockers, and the fun of choosing a favorite flavor.

In short: these were Maybelline Kissing Potion roll-on lip glosses—sweet, shiny, flavored lip glosses from the 1970s and 1980s that many Americans still remember with a smile.