Pure Romance

Pure Romance started in 1993, when Patty Brisben, a single mom from Cincinnati, Ohio, began selling from the basement of her suburban home. Seven years later her son, Chris Cicchinelli, became CEO and President. The idea was simple: give women a judgment-free place to learn about sexual health and shop for intimate products, at a party with friends instead of in an adult store.

The party model grew fast. Pure Romance expanded to Australia and South Africa in 2011, moved its headquarters to a new Cincinnati home in 2014 and bought rival Passion Parties in 2016, which took it into Canada. During the 2020 lockdowns, FOX19 reported, sales jumped 88% in March as Consultants moved their parties online.

“I credit our more than 30,000 consultants who have been able to flip their business model during ‘social distancing’ from in-person sales to on-line parties.”

Chris Cicchinelli, President and CEO — FOX19 (Cincinnati), May 2020

Brisben also founded a charity in 2005, now called the SHE+ Foundation (formerly the Patty Brisben Foundation). The company says it has raised more than $8 million for women’s sexual health research. Pure Romance was for years one of the largest sponsors of Cincinnati Pride.

Consultants carried a broad catalog that mixed the frank with the everyday. Many guests started with lotions and massage oils and worked up to the rest.

• Toys: vibrators, wands and toys for women, men and couples.
• Lubricants and enhancements: water-based, silicone and creamy lubricants, arousal creams and flavored gels.
• Massage and foreplay: massage oils such as Knead Me, plus games and position aids.
• Bath, body and skin care: shave creams, body lotions, oils and mists in signature scents, and later the Uncovered skin care line.
• Intimate care, lingerie and books: washes and wipes, bedroom apparel and relationship how-to guides.

The company described its products as tested for quality and made with women’s sexual health in mind. Consultants passed products around at parties, explained how they worked and took orders privately, which is what made the format feel comfortable for first-time shoppers.

Sellers were called Consultants. They ran adults-only parties in hosts’ homes, and later online parties, where they talked about sexual health, demonstrated products and took orders one-on-one. The company pitched the business as a flexible work-at-home option for women, and it said it gave Consultants sexual health training. Hosts had to be 18 or older. A qualifying party, with at least $250 in sales, earned the host 10% in product credit, a free gift and discounted items.

Starter Kits

New Consultants chose from tiered starter kits. The old Direct Sales Aid profile listed a Bronze kit at $149 with more than $330 in products, Silver at $199, Gold at $599 and Platinum at $1,399 with about $3,800 in retail value. Every kit came with business supplies such as catalogs, order forms, invitations, a planner and a Consultant website.

Pay

Consultants earned personal commissions of about 35% to 50% on their sales, depending on volume. Under the original plan they could also sponsor new Consultants and earn team commissions, promotions and volume bonuses. In May 2023 the company dropped the team side of the plan. Consultants then sold on retail commissions only, at a reported 40% to 50%, until the program ended.

Pure Romance changed its model in two steps. First, in 2023, it ended the multi-level structure. The company’s About page says that “starting in 2023, Pure Romance transitioned away” from that model “and became a 100% direct-to-consumer business.” Consultants kept selling for a time: an archived copy of the same page from February 2025 still invited shoppers to “Connect with a Consultant.” By later in 2025 the Consultant program was gone. The company did not publish a dated announcement of the final step, and it has not given further reasons.

“For decades, we helped bring women together through our network of consultant sellers.”

Pure Romance website (About page), 2026

Today the brand is still in business, but without salespeople. Pure Romance sells from its warehouse straight to customers at pureromance.com, hosts live shopping shows several days a week and sells a $199 Party in a Box, which its site says means “no salespeople, no stress.” It also runs a free affiliate program that pays a flat commission on sales from shared links, with no kit, ranks or team income. Former Consultants kept whatever stock they had bought; some now sell other brands. People who miss party-plan selling can look at live companies such as Scentsy, Norwex or Farmasi on Direct Sales Aid.