Pure Romance Review (2026): Is Pure Romance Still an MLM?

For 30 years, Pure Romance was one of the best-known party-plan companies in America. Women hosted parties, consultants brought the products, and in 2017 the company claimed more than 30,000 consultants, according to Wikipedia.

Then, in 2023, the company said it was done with MLM. This Pure Romance review covers what changed, how you can still earn with it in 2026, what its CEO said about the old model, and some cheaper places to buy similar products.

Quick answer: Pure Romance says it is no longer an MLM. Its About page says that starting in 2023 it "transitioned away from the outdated MLM model and became a 100% direct-to-consumer business." In October 2026, the ways to earn on its site were a free affiliate program paying a flat 15% and hosting a party.

I've been inside 8 network marketing companies since 2004, and I always start with what a company says about itself. For Pure Romance, I read its About, affiliate, party and product pages, its CEO's 2023 interview with WWD, and its Wikipedia history, and I pulled its social media numbers from the public profiles. If you're comparing companies, all of my company reviews are on one page.

Here's what I found.

Is Pure Romance Still an MLM?

No, by the company's own account. Its About page puts it plainly: "For decades, we helped bring women together through our network of consultant sellers. However, starting in 2023, Pure Romance transitioned away from the outdated MLM model and became a 100% direct-to-consumer business."

When it made the change in April 2023, WWD reported that the business would "continue its consultant program." By October 2026, though, I couldn't find one. Pure Romance's become-a-consultant page returned a "page not found" error when I checked, and the earning options on its site were the affiliate program and parties.

So if someone pitches you a Pure Romance "downline" in 2026, ask them to show you where that's on the company's site.

What Is Pure Romance?

Pure Romance sells sexual wellness, bath and body products, mostly online and at parties.

According to Wikipedia, Brisben started the company as Slumber Parties in Loveland, Ohio, and it moved its headquarters to downtown Cincinnati in February 2014. It later bought two similar party-plan companies: another business named Slumber Parties in 2014, and Passion Parties in 2016.

You can see how its status compares with hundreds of other companies in my MLM company directory.

Who's Behind Pure Romance?

Pure Romance is a family company. The About page says Brisben, "a single mom from Cincinnati, Ohio, founded Pure Romance in the basement of her suburban home," and that her son, Chris Cicchinelli, "stepped up to become CEO and President."

Brisben also started a nonprofit. In 2005 she founded what is now the SHE+ Foundation, which focuses on women's sexual health research. The company says it has helped raise more than $8 million.

What Pure Romance Sells

Pure Romance's site groups its products into sexual wellness, lubricants and enhancements, bath and body, and more. A few of its long-running sellers, at the list prices on their product pages when I checked on October 14, 2026:

• Water-Based Personal Lubricant, Original: $35.
• Vuluxe shave cream: $32.
• Miracle Oil: $37.

The site was also running a sitewide discount code that day, so what you'd actually pay may be lower.

How You Can Earn With Pure Romance Now

There are two ways on the company's site in 2026.

1. The Affiliate Program. According to the affiliate page, it's free to register, it runs on the UpPromote platform, and you "earn a flat 15% commission on all eligible Affiliate sales," paid monthly. The page adds: "no tiers, no guesswork." That means no team, no downline and no override. It's a single-level referral program.

2. Hosting a party. Pure Romance now runs "Fun Parties" with a "Party pro" who helps guests shop. It also sells a Party in a Box for $199, which it calls "a $598 value," with free shipping. The page also promises 70% off sitewide for the entire party, and the host gets a $25 digital gift card. That's a host reward, not an income.

What the Old Consultant Model Paid

The most honest number about the old Pure Romance came from its own CEO. In the 2023 WWD interview, Cicchinelli said that only 1 percent of consultants received downline commission. In his words: "It didn't make sense to have this label on where 99 percent of people were selling product and being able to do what they love."

He also shared the trend. The company told WWD that revenue was $200 million in 2016 and dropped to nearly $157 million in 2021. Cicchinelli blamed the post-COVID job market and "the negative connotation associated with MLMs," and said the goal was to get back to $200 million.

For context, Wikipedia cites reports of $217.92 million in sales and more than 30,000 claimed consultants in 2017, and $237 million in sales in 2018.

The Criticism

Wikipedia notes that Pure Romance was criticized for targeting military spouses in the US, who often have trouble finding traditional jobs because they move so often. That criticism was about the old consultant model.

What Pure Romance's Social Media Shows Right Now

These numbers were read on October 14, 2026.

The brand is still active on social media, with a sizable YouTube library and an active TikTok account.

The Good: What Pure Romance Gets Right

• Honesty about the change. The company says on its own About page that it left MLM.
• A free, simple affiliate program. A flat 15%, no tiers, no fee.
• A real cause. The SHE+ Foundation funds women's sexual health research.
• A long track record. More than 30 years in business.

The Concerns: What You Need to Know

• The consultant path appears to be gone. If you built a team there before 2023, that model has changed.
• 15% is modest. Without retail markup or team pay, it's referral income, not a business with leverage.
• Mixed signals in 2023. WWD reported the consultant program would continue, but I couldn't find it in 2026.
• The old model rarely paid on teams. By the CEO's own number, only 1% earned downline commission.

Product Alternatives

If you like Pure Romance's everyday products but want to compare prices, here's what else is out there. These are alternatives, not copies, and I haven't tested them myself.

Amazon prices change often. Each listing showed the item in stock with that price on October 14, 2026.

Pure Romance vs Other Companies That Changed

Pure Romance isn't the only company that walked away from MLM. Read what changed after Rodan + Fields left MLM. If you want a party-plan company that still runs on consultants, look at Scentsy, Damsel in Defense and Mary Kay.

My Verdict: Is Pure Romance Worth It in 2026?

One More Thing...

Pure Romance's new model is a flat 15% on sales through your link. That means one thing: the people who earn are the ones who can get the right people to click.

That's a digital marketing skill, and it's the same one that works in any company, MLM or not. When you learn to create content that brings the right people to you, you're never dependent on one company's pay plan.

That's what The Sponsoring System teaches. It's a free email series where I share the digital marketing that actually works for networkers. If you want it, start the free series here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pure Romance still an MLM?

No, according to the company. Its About page says that "starting in 2023, Pure Romance transitioned away from the outdated MLM model and became a 100% direct-to-consumer business."

Can you still become a Pure Romance consultant?

Not that I could find. In October 2026, Pure Romance's become-a-consultant page returned a "page not found" error, and the ways to earn on its site were a free affiliate program and hosting a party.

How much does a Pure Romance consultant make?

Pure Romance doesn't offer a consultant program on its site in 2026, and I didn't find a published income disclosure. Under the old model, CEO Chris Cicchinelli told WWD in 2023 that only 1% of consultants received downline commission. Today's affiliate program pays a flat 15% on eligible sales.

Who founded Pure Romance?

Patty Brisben founded Pure Romance in 1993. Her son, Chris Cicchinelli, is the company's CEO and President, according to its About page.

How does the Pure Romance affiliate program work?

It's free to join and runs on the UpPromote platform. Affiliates get unique links and earn a flat 15% commission on eligible sales, paid monthly, according to the company's affiliate page.