Discontinued Beauty Items

There is an excellent feature in the New York Times today HERE  about how bloggers are bringing new life into old products. Prior to blogs, other than sending a written letter out into the blue of a large corporation, there wasn’t really any other way to communicate just how much we miss certain items. Now, social media savvy brands are finally getting the message that some products, we don’t want to live without, and that board meeting decision to give it the heave ho was quite wrong.

So far, brands such as Lancome, Pentene and Bobbi Brown have brought back past and much missed products. While they might not find a place on the shelves again, the brands are utilizing social media and giving bereft customers the opportunity to buy their favourites on line instead. I’ve always been a little cynical about ‘back by demand’ items.. like, er, really? But it seems in some cases it isn’t just marketing spin.

What’s interesting most of all is just how well brands are starting to listen to the on-line voice. Charles Denton, who bought fabulous luxury beauty line Erno Lazlo last year, shaved the range from 127 to 60 products, but ended up keeping two products destined for discontinuation because he was getting in excess of 200 emails a day from customers worried that he was going to get rid of something they didn’t want to do without. 

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So, the message here for brands is that it isn’t just the blog posts you need to read, it is the comments as well, because hidden inside every beauty blog is the most comprehensive feedback any brand could ever ask for. A blog isn’t just one voice, it is the voice of many. The message for bloggers and blog readers is that your comments really do count. 

I’m interested to know if there are any discontinued items you’d like to see back?

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Jane Cunningham

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22 responses to “Discontinued Beauty Items”

  1. kelizabethr

    I love your blog; thanks for the great content! I shared this article2 — very good news 4 bloggers. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Claire

    I miss benefit you’re bluffing stick, I’ve not found anything else that has enough yellow in to conceal the redness in my cheeks without making my cheeks so pale that I look ill.

    Reply
  3. Alice Shaw

    Lush Happy Pill. It made me happy :’)

    Reply
  4. Beauty Balm

    Estee Lauder Herbal Hair Pack Deep Conditioner was just gorgeous! Wish they’d bring it back x

    Reply
  5. liloo

    my mind can’t think. there are always some stuff i think ‘oh i wish i could still buy that’ but put on the spot like that i forget.
    however there are 2 instant which i like:

    – cheapy and crappy nail polish from miss sporty called vanity. it costs 1.50 or something ridiculous like that, probably lasts 3 months after you opened it but makes my nails so pretty. i could write a 1000 word essay on it.
    – the body shop 30ml eau de toilette ‘amorito’ <--- YUM!!
    – h&m black eyeliner. super cheap, very black, a tad too thick but i would buy 3 back up if i could go back in time

    xx

    Reply
  6. thetriplehelixliaison

    I’d really love to see the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in Ash come back! I’ve searched far and wide in both drugstores and department stores for a comparable product in terms of longevity, texture, color, and nothing is a dupe for it! 🙁

    I really CAN’T live without this product; I use it as a brow filler. I bought 5 backups when I found out it was being D/C. But I’m going to run out eventually. 🙁

    Reply
  7. Sarah

    Sunsilk shampoo which was amazing for my hair. Fortunately have the loreal ever strong which is just as good but it’s taken years to find!

    Reply
  8. JoanneP

    Dior Beige Massai. What on earth did Dior think? The colors are universally flattering. This quint has the satin and matte finishes that seem to go extinct in Dior 5-color quint range now. They’re all frosty, sparkly and unoriginal.

    Reply
  9. Ali

    Years ago, Maybelline did what I think was the Holy Grail mascara. It’s so long ago I can’t remember what it was called, but it was in an ivory coloured tube with a gold cap. Length, definition and zero clumps every time.

    The other product I would love to see come back is Herbal Essences original formula shampoo. It was green, thick and had the most amazing scent.

    Reply
  10. Rebecca

    John Frieda’s Surf Spray. I miss it and am OUTRAGED it was discontinued and know I’m not the only one!

    Reply
  11. blog-a-beauté

    I wish BOBBI BROWN would bring back the university palette which had all its cream foundations and concealers in it! I would buy it in a heartbeat. It’d be perfect for my makeup kit and I’m sure makeup artists around the world would be thrilled to have it back and would snap it up in seconds!

    Reply
  12. laura

    Pout plump lipgloss in caramel though I would be happy with any of the colours! I actually had people stop me in the street and in shops asking me what I was wearing then I think the company went bust. Gutted.

    Nothing compares as nothing else has the colour and the peppermint plumping effect!

    Reply
  13. Niche

    “John Frieda’s Surf Spray. I miss it and am OUTRAGED it was discontinued and know I’m not the only one!”

    Agreed. If they brought this back, I would buy a case. The Bumble and Bumble surf spray does not have the same effect on my super straight Asian hair.

    Reply
  14. French Fancy

    Hi, this is a great post! The product I would like to see revived more than anything else is Chanel Illuminating Eyeshadow (Ombre Creme) in the shade ‘Riviera’. It was in the main range for about 5 years back in the ‘noughties’ and it was just the most perfectly textured cream eyeshadow: not too dry or claggy, not too oily or glittery and it was a gorgeous taupey-gold-beige. I used it every day as a colour wash and it also made an excellent base for a more smoky eye for night. I was heartbroken when it was discontinued and I stockpiled as many backups as I could from Chanel counters and from eBay. Sadly, all stocks have run dry now and the best replacement I could find was a limited edition Nars cream eyeshadow called ‘Corfu’ but it is sheerer and more shimmery (more of a holiday colour). Seriously, I’ve tried all cream eyeshadows and none compare. I have a tiny amount of the Chanel ‘Riviera’ left and I was wondering whether a company like Cosmetics a la Carte that can reproduce old, discountinued lipsticks if you send them the product, could do the same with my eyeshadow! Sadly, Chanel doesn’t seem to be too receptive to bloggers etc. so I expect my please would fall on deaf ears but if you are reading this Chanel executives, PLEASE, PLEASE bring Riviera back into production 🙂

    Reply
  15. Kate

    Glad to see other people are missing John Freida’s Surf Spray – it topped a blog post I wrote on sorely missed discontinued products:

    http://kate-allen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/i-hate-being-robbed-discontinued-beauty.html

    x

    Reply
  16. Laura Harrison, Make-up artist

    Argh, sure I’m going to forget some but…
    Bobbi Brown – original Tinted Eye Brightener formula. The new one isn’t a patch on the pot version. I’ll also be devastated when my Lip Tint in Tea Rose runs out!
    MAC – Flip eyeshadow. So pretty.

    Reply
  17. Verena

    For me it’s Remington’s H1022 heated rollers in a travel case!
    Just the right amount of rollers (10), just the right sizes (5 small, 5 larger ones)
    – perfect for travelling, for use at home – anywhere!
    PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!
    I am worried that mine won’t last the next 20 years!

    Reply
  18. Ms Wildthyme

    @blog-a-beaute, you can get a similar BBU palette, but it is online only.

    http://www.bobbibrown.co.uk/product/5141/15910/Makeup/Face/Foundation/BBU-Face-Palette/Online-Exclusive/index.tmpl

    Reply
  19. Sarah

    I really miss Nars Oil-Free foundation in San Tropez. It matched my skin tone perfectly! When it was discontinued, the alternative they offered me was too orange.

    Reply
  20. blog-a-beauté

    @Ms Wildthyme:

    Omg, thank you. You’re a gem for pointing that out, I had no idea about it! Buying now! x

    Reply
  21. Sabrina

    I wish Lush would bring back their Goth Juice and King of the Mods hair gels. That’s all I can think of at the moment.

    Reply
  22. Anonymous

    I think Estee Lauder Herbal Hair pack was amaaaazing…the best one I’ve ever used,and I have friends who loved it too..they did bring it back once after discontinuing it the 1st time,,then discontinued it again 🙁

    Reply

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