Discontinued Makeup…What to do Next!

You finally found the right foundation that matches your skin perfectly! After countless trips to department stores, beauty retailers and even your neighborhood drugstores, you congratulate yourself for finally ending the search for the “holy grail” that is the perfect shade.

Unfortunately, a few months later the search is back on since your foundation brand decided to discontinue your perfect shade.

Sound familiar?

A recent New York Times article proves that we’re not the only ones lamenting the loss of our favorite makeup products. Prior to social media, the only we could do was send angry letters or desperately plead to customer service reps to please bring back a certain makeup product.

But with the increasing attention of many beauty companies to their social media pages like Facebook and/or Twitter, your complaint might actually be enough to bring back your favorite makeup!

Here are examples of beauty brands who have brought back discontinued products thanks to the power of customer complaints:

• Pantene:  Haircare product lines – Anti-Dandruff, Ice Shine and Silver Expressions

• Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Held a Facebook-only contest called “Bobbi Brings Back: Lip Color”, asking its online viewers to vote on which lipstick shade they want back. The winning color? Wine, which will only be sold online starting in October 2012.

• MAC Cosmetics: Also ran a customer-voting contest called “MAC by Request” asking fans to submit their favorite shades, resulting in the production of 9 shades available for purchase in August.

• Lancome: Brought back “Blush Subtil” in Cosmopolitan Pink in response to consumer demand

So if you have a favorite, must-have beauty product that you can’t find a replacement for, start with the company’s Facebook and/or Twitter pages. Who knows? They just might bring it back!

And please don’t start stock-piling on your favorite beauty products. Remember there’s an expiration date on almost all makeup and skincare products so it isn’t worth holding onto even if it’s the perfect shade.

Click here to read the full New York Times article