How to Find Discontinued Makeup and Other Items

How to find discontinued makeup and other items when something you really love is no longer sold can be a real struggle!  I swear, this is the story of my life lately.  I find a product, fall in love with it, and then it seems to get yanked from the shelves!  I have gone to some big extremes to find the things I use and love that are no longer being made.  I’ll share how I hunt down some of those hard to find items online.

 

Discontinued Makeup

This is definitely the product category that hurts my heart the most when something I use gets discontinued.  Most recently, the brand of makeup I have used faithfully since I was 13 years old has shut down their business.  I just recently learned that Beauticontrol has gone out of business and I am literally stunned and left scrambling for my favorite products before they disappear for good. 30 years of customer loyalty is a long time and I’m not thrilled about having to search for an alternative.   As much as I’m shocked that this happened, it also doesn’t surprise me because of the huge changes that have taken place at that company in the last ten years or so.  The products became smaller in size (but certainly not price!) and you could tell certain colors (like my favorite foundation) weren’t exactly the same formula anymore.  I hung in there hoping it would get better and now it’s all over.  I’m encouraged to read online that someone from inside Beauticontrol will be starting a new cosmetics company that will hopefully bring along the best of Beauticontrol while also taking things in an even better direction, but until then I’m on the lookout for my foundation, powder, eye shadow, and blush

Where to Buy

So where DO you go to buy your favorite discontinued makeup or other items?  I check around in a few places:

Amazon–  I start here because I can usually find plenty of my item in stock and at a fair price.  The shipping is fast and often free if you’re a Prime member, which you can try free for 3o days.  It’s a great deal if you regularly order from Amazon.

Ebay–  Like Amazon, Ebay is also a place online to find just about anything, even those vintage items no longer made.  I’ve had great luck on Ebay finding those hard to find discontinued items, but this is where you have to be careful because sellers here are looking to make a profit and my favorite discontinued makeup is selling for 4 times as much as its original cost.  Naturally, I won’t pay that price, but some people will.

Direct Consultants– Did you buy your favorite makeup directly from a consultant?  Brands like Beauticontrol and Mary Kay are sold through consultants, so checking with them for any leftover product is smart.  If they don’t have it, reach out to consultants on Facebook, through Twitter, or Instagram.  They may be able to help as well.

Discontinued Beauty has some of the more upscale salon products for the hair and body and BuyMeBeauty carries the major drugstore brands of cosmetics.  Discontinued Lipstick can custom mix cosmetic shades of your old discontinued favorites.

Dollar Stores and Salvage Stores– I recently lucked up and found bottles of my favorite scent of detergent that had been discontinued at our local Dollar Store.  Once I discovered this jackpot, I also went around to several more around town to see if I could score more!  If you have those salvage stores nearby, you might also luck up on some of your favorite discontinued products that are there simply because the box may have a dent in it or it just wasn’t selling well elsewhere.

Holding Onto Hope

Somewhere deep down I always hope that companies will bring my favorite things back, even for a short period of time.  I was recently just tickled to see a Caboodle in a store the other day.  Now, I’m in my 40’s and really have no need for one, but the urge was strong to buy one of these again, just like the one I had when I was 14.  In the event that you just can’t find your favorite product anywhere, sometimes you just have to move on and try something new.  As much as this isn’t fun, sometimes you just might find something better.

Photo/Eshan Namavar