• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 12, 2007

Those little Bratz may be breathing down Barbie's neck, but the 47-year-old fashion doll deserves points for marketing innovation: Mattel says it will partner with Bonne Bell to market a new line of cosmetics to young girls.

Earlier this year, Mattel hit a home run in the adult cosmetics business with its partnership with MAC, owned by Estee Lauder. Mattel says the Spring 2007 "Barbie Loves MAC" collection was MAC's largest and most successful collection ever.

"The Barbie Loves MAC Collection sold through 70% of two months' worth of inventory in just two weeks," says a Mattel spokesperson. And some items, like Rocking Chick Lipstick, "sold out within days." That line even included a doll, a $35 MAC Barbie.

The new cosmetics line is expected to launch in 2008, and while the company is describing it only as "girl savvy," it will reportedly be aimed at girls ages 6 to 9.

"The Barbie and Bonne Bell partnership will bring girls a fun, feminine and unique beauty experience, leveraging the unparalleled popularity of two globally loved brands," the company says in its announcement.

Bratz, through a licensing agreement with Markwins International and Added Extras, already sells cosmetics to this age group.

Barbie can still claim to be top doll through 2006, according to The NPD Group. But Bratz, sold by MGA Entertainment, are no shrinking violets.

Not only did that line boot Barbie out of the No. 1 fashion-doll spot for the fourth quarter of 2006, a spokesperson for MGA says Bratz was also the No. 1 fashion doll in the three-month period from November through January and again in the three-month period from December to February.