We all know the feeling—when they stop making your favourite lipstick colour. We’re filled with rage, disappointment, and frustration. We begin frantic searching online for end-of-the-line cosmetics sell-offs to see if we can score a couple of the precious remains. If you’re like me, you immediately sit down and fire off a snarky email to the cosmetics giant who betrayed you in hopes they will put your colour back into production.
I received my first tube of Estée Lauder’s Frosted Apricot lipstick in a gift-with-purchase more than fifty years ago. Back in those days, you only had to spend $8.50 on their products to get a free gift pouch of new cosmetics to try. A similar promotion today requires a financial outlay equivalent to the cost of a week’s groceries to receive a similar ‘gift’, the contents of which you will probably toss or give away.
Over the decades I have bought, used, tossed, loved, and hated as many colours of lipstick as there are stars in the sky. Only one has survived the great annual editing process—Estée Lauder’s Frosted Apricot. It goes with everything, has the right amount of pigment and has enough staying power to last a few hours. Depending on what I’m wearing, it reads pink or peach and doesn’t change colour.
When my final tube was reaching the dig-it-out-with-a-Q-Tip stage, I stopped at the Estée Lauder counter at Nordstrom to pick up a new one. The sales associate proudly informed me their Frosted Apricot has been ‘reformulated’ and assured me I would love it. I. Do. Not. It’s duller, browner, and lacks that hint of pink. This boomer was not happy with their new formulation.
I guess fifty years is a pretty good run for a favourite colour. It’s far longer than most colours last. I’ve had some success scoring discontinued lipsticks online a few times but when they’re gone they’re gone. There are sites that offer options that supposedly duplicate the old colour but I’m skeptical. I think Revlon still makes two old favourite lipsticks, Fire and Ice and Cherries In The Snow, neither of which I use, but at least Revlon respects us oldies who are loyal fans.
It’s amazing how far we will go to source a lipstick colour we like. I fell in love with the bright coral worn by Ashley Jensen on the British detective series Agatha Raisin. I Google’d endlessly to discover an entire internet underworld is dedicated to Agatha Raisin’s lip colour. (Obviously I have too much time on my hands—a lovely benefit of being retired.) Early searches indicated that it was a Tom Ford lipstick but when I bought a coral one that I thought was finally the one, it turned out to be all wrong on me.
My sources eventually put me in touch with the original makeup artist on the show who gave me the correct name of the Tom Ford product which, of course, had been discontinued. Undaunted, I found it on Poshmark but when I received the holy grail it looked dreadful on me. I guess you need Ashley Jensen’s exquisite colouring and full lips for it to work. I was never blessed with full lips which become even thinner with age. Even Mick Jagger’s once enormous lippage lost its acreage in old age.
It looks like I’ll be spending a great deal of time cruising the cosmetics counters in Hudson’s Bay and Sephora to swipe dozens of lipsticks on the back of my hand in search of a replacement for Frosted Apricot. I really should get with the times and be open to new colours and formulations, shouldn’t I?
I suppose I must also brace myself for the eventual discontinuing of my favourite OPI Cajun Shrimp nail polish. Hopefully, they will give me a bit of time to mourn the loss of Frosted Apricot lipstick first before they pull Cajun Shrimp. And, if Lancôme ever discontinues Hypnose mascara . . . well, I hate to think of the consequences. That blow could be a bridge too far. I’m not sure my old nerves could take all those major losses back to back. So, rest in peace my dear, departed Frosted Apricot lipstick. You will be lovingly and truly missed.
Do you still mourn a discontinued favourite beauty product?
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I can never understand the logic of why a company has a great selling item and then finds the need to ” improve” it with something else. Sorry to hear they have discontinued your favourite lipstick. My foundation was ” reformulated” and that perfect shade that matched has disappeared. Also another one is finding a Bra that fits and then they discontinue it. During and after the pandemic a lot of clothing brands and stores have disappeared, possibly due to supply issues? Sort of sad to see. I am also missing Sears bedding, towels and their winter coats.
We’re fighting a losing battle. On the subject of bras, that’s an entire subject itself. Most of us gave up wearing them during COVID and it’s been difficult to return to wearing them. I’ll never understand why it’s so difficult to find a fit that’s so comfortable you barely feel it – no pinching, digging, or scratching. Thanks for your comments, Carolyn!
I too have felt your angst. I have had two favourite ones for years, but sadly they both have gone the way of the dodo bird. I hate to think what I have spent on other colours that I thought would work.
They don’t!
And, since COVID we’re all more reluctant to try on the store samples (if they’ll even let us) to see if they work. I guess they sell more product that way. Thanks, Deb.
I hear you Lynda. I too loved Frosted Apricot.
My last purchase I got 2 just in case. It happens
With so many items. Now no more Chanel No5 Powder
That I loved and used for years.
I just went back to Lancome’s Dual Finish face powder after years of using a MAC one. The Lancome one is lovely and I’m glad they still make it!!! I saw a Frosted Apricot on e-Bay but they wanted $69.00. HA!! Always great to hear from you Margaret.
Had the same problem with my favourite perfume🥺