From the Heartland: Vintage Bath & Body Works

Products & memories from the "Heartland" era of Bath & Body Works (1990 - 2002)

[bbwheartland]

Daffodil Fields Foam Burst Body Wash, early 2000s

(Submitted by moonlightmiracle)

Note from the submitter: This body wash was returned to my store during the Christmas rush and thanks to the lenient return policy, the customer got store credit. As annoying as it can be, I do enjoy seeing these super old products show up. It’s like a gateway to the past.

It was just going to end up being damaged out and in the trash so I decided to test it out. After one good spray the nozzle wouldn’t work. I’m sure sitting in someone’s house for 17ish or more years probably didn’t help the situation. It didn’t have much of a smell. All of my coworkers were looking at me like I was a crazy person taking pictures of it. 

Wow, thank you for taking a photo of it! That’s quite a story, though not outside the realm of possibility. I used to work at BBW and someone brought in a whole bunch of old products from the ‘90s to return. So it definitely does happen. One time somebody returned an old Country Apple Foam Burst, but it also didn’t dispense. Otherwise, I was going to take it home. 

I have to say, Foam Burst is my #1 favorite BBW product of all time. They should have never discontinued it. I remember hoarding the stuff at every semi-annual sale. 

It’s too bad it didn’t dispense - you probably could have either used it or sold it on ebay for $50. LOL 

[bbwheartland]

Flowering Herbs Travel Body Cream, 1990s

(Submitted by speedybonkheromuffin)

LOVE the cute packaging and font!

[bbwheartland]

Pure Simplicity: Old vs. New

(Top photo via ebay, bottom photo via Instagram)

BBW just announced the launch of its “all-NEW 100% Hypoallergenic Body Care” line, Pure Simplicity. If you think that name sounds familiar, it’s because BBW had a Pure Simplicity line back in 2003. So while the products may be “all-NEW”, the name certainly is not.

The old line contained "pure botanical extracts” and was part of BBW’s strategy to position itself as a “modern apothecary” in the early 2000s. I was working at BBW when it was launched and it was a HUGE deal. The “hero” product of the line was the pumpkin face mask, which looked and smelled like pumpkin pie filling. It became famous when Oprah featured it as one of her “Favorite Things” in 2003.

The new line looks to be completely different, borrowing the name only. I LOVE the artisan-style packaging. This style is also reflected in the relaunched aromatherapy line. It looks “country” but in a modern way. 

[bbwheartland]

Health & Beauty Farm Wake-Up Body Wash (early/mid ‘90s)

(via ebay)

The seller didn’t provide a photo of the back, but I’m guessing this has a citrusy scent?

[bbwheartland]

Blissful Blackberry Splash, Fall 1999

(via ebay)

If you think it’s too soon for fall stuff, don’t tell that to BBW. Their stores are in full fall force right now. 

But the store wasn’t always all about fall. Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, BBW was pretty limited in its fall and Halloween products. I remember one fixture dedicated to fall/Halloween stuff, and that quickly disappeared to make way for Christmas stuff in October. Fall was a mere blip on the BBW radar. However, what they did offer was very cute. This splash was part of its original 1999 fall line, which also included Spiced Vanilla, Orchard-Fresh Pear, and the famous Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. Also debuting that year was the Halloween-specific fragrance Creamy Caramel. 

Of course, since then, BBW has gotten more and more into fall. The whole store is basically filled with fall products. I love fall, so this is one of the few things I like about the current BBW over the old BBW.

[bbwheartland]

Art Stuff DIY Glitter Gel Set, late 1990s

(via ebay)

When BBW launched its Art Stuff line in the late ‘90s, it really took the “art” part seriously. Products were made to look like art supplies, like paint bottles and color palettes. And then there was this neat little kit - what looks like a 3-step make-your-own glitter gel. Step 1 is the clear, fragrance-free starter gel, step 2 is the fragrance potion, and step 3 is the quick color. 

Did anybody use this? I would love to hear your stories. Was it fun to make? Did the fragrance and color turn out all right? Did you mix different fragrances and colors together? I can imagine a kid having a field day with this.

Kit contents:

1 glitter starter gel 4 fragrance potions (pick-a-peach, flower power, fruit smoothie, and sweetie pie) 3 quick colors (red, blue, and yellow)

[bbwheartland]

Coco Cabana Body Splash, Special Edition Summer Fragrance, late 1990s?

(via ebay)

[bbwheartland]

Herbal Breeze Deodorant Soap, late 1990s

(via ebay)

Deodorant soaps were big in the ‘90s (think Zest, Irish Spring, and Lever 2000), so of course BBW had to develop its own natural version. I vaguely remember this, though I don’t think it lasted long. It may have been part of the men’s line, but I’m not 100% sure. 

[bbwheartland]

Original Freesia Splash, early 1990s

(via ebay)

No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you - there’s no spray nozzle or tube in this bottle. That’s because the original BBW splashes didn’t have any. You just screwed off the top, poured a bit in your hand, and “splashed” it on manually. Kind of like the old-fashioned aftershaves. I’m sure it was quickly learned by their product development people that making this a spray-on splash would be much more convenient. :)

[bbwheartland]

Art Stuff, Anti-Bac, and Health & Beauty Farm products, mid-1990s - early 2000s

(via ebay)

Sorry I’ve been “offline” for so long - sometimes you just need a blog break, you know? But one of the good things about taking a break is returning to ebay and finding awesome finds like this. What a great collection of vintage BBW products from a variety of lines and time periods. They’re being sold as a lot for not a bad price.

The Art Stuff products look to be from the early 2000s. The anti-bac lotion is from the line that launched in 1999. The leg gel is from the Health & Beauty Farm line that launched in 1994.

Left to right:

Art Stuff Roll-on Glitter in Electric Apple

Art Stuff Angelberry Glitter Lotion

Art Stuff Blazin’ Blueberry Glitter Lotion

Anti-Bacterial Foot Lotion in Sun-ripened Raspberry

Health & Beauty Farm Revitalizing Gel for Tired Legs

[bbwheartland]

Face Balancing Toner, mid-’90s

(via ebay)

This was from BBW’s first face care line. I wish the seller had included a photo of the back as well!

[bbwheartland]

Peach Milk Bath Sample, early ‘90s

(via ebay)

When it comes to BBW products, it doesn’t get more vintage than this. This is a great representation of their early design. The back indicates that it was a sample, most likely handed out at the register with a purchase. BBW would continue to hand out sample packets at the register throughout the ‘90s. 

Love the detailed bath tips on the back!

[bbwheartland]

Stress Relief Massage Oil, early ‘90s

(via ebay)

I believe this was from the first aromatherapy line!

[bbwheartland]

Whispering Flowers from the Sheer Scents line, mid-1990s

(via ebay)

[bbwheartland]

50 ft. spool of ribbon, probably early 2000s

(via ebay)

This was kept behind the counter for employees to use when making custom gift sets. The spools were never sold to customers, so it’s great to see this on ebay!

[bbwheartland]

Health & Beauty Farm Buttermilk Bath, circa 1994

(via ebay)

[bbwheartland]

End of an era: BBW’s “grandmother” store The Limited closing its doors

(Top photo via Capital Style, bottom photo via Ghosts of Retailers’ Past)

It’s being reported that The Limited is closing its stores nationwide. Bath & Body Works would not exist if it weren’t for The Limited. Les Wexner opened the first Limited store in 1963 in Columbus, OH. The success of that store led Wexner to open other retail businesses, such as Express in 1980. In the late ‘80s, Express released a line of bath and body products. They were so popular that Limited Inc. (now L Brands) decided to open bath and body stores that were adjacent to some Express stores. These stores were named Bath & Body Works and, well, the rest is history! Because of this, I like to think of The Limited as BBW’s grandmother and Express as its mother. :)

The Limited was one of my favorite stores as a teen in the ‘90s. It was there where I finally found a pair of jeans that fit my long skinny legs (and on the sale rack!). I bought my first interview suit there right before graduating college. If you were a kid in the ‘90s, you probably remember going to its sister store, Limited Too. If you worked at BBW in the ‘90s, you got a discount at both stores!

The Limited was sold to a private equity firm in 2007. Les Wexner is still the CEO of L Brands, which owns BBW and Victoria’s Secret. 

What are your favorite memories of The Limited or Limited Too?