Gone Baby Gone

Ugh! I’m so frustrated. I am loyal to my products year in and year out, but are they faithful to me? No, not so much. I can not begin to tell you how many times I have been told that my favorite hair product or lip-gloss or blush has been discontinued. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but trust me when I tell you, it’s a big fucking deal.

Ladies, I know you know what I’m talking about. It sucks when this happens.

About four years ago, I was heartbroken to find out that my favorite perfume, Shiseido’s Relaxing Fragrance, had been discontinued. You don’t understand…I discovered this scent when I first moved to Tokyo in 1999. And, I bought into the whole “Relaxing” nonsense part of the perfume. I’d give myself a spritz here and a spritz there and would automatically feel calmer. Mark liked the scent too. Anything that made me calm, had his full support.

So, when I was told, after many inquiring phone-calls on my part, that the scent was no more, I became obsessed. I was a woman on a mission. I researched every site on the internet that might distribute my perfume, and wherever I found it, I bought it up. I now have enough Shiseido Relaxing Fragrance to last me well into my 60’s. Let’s hope perfume can last that long.

Just in case, I’ve had to branch out and adopt a new scent. And, much like the perfume fiasco of 2008, I’ve encountered a similar situation with my personal brand of blush. I have been wearing MAC cosmetics for the past twenty years, and the only thing that they keep changing on me is my blush.

Let me tell you, it’s not easy to find the right shade. First I was a Strada girl. Discontinued. Then I became a Rose Quartz chick. Gone. Now, I’m a Coygirl girl. And, you know what I just found out on my latest jaunt to Bloomingdale’s this week? That’s right. They’re discontinuing Coygirl. Unfuckingbelievable.

Jillian is showcasing all the wonderful products MAC has to offer, except my fucking blush.

I stood at the MAC counter dumbstruck. Totally flummoxed, I asked Jillian, the Retail Manager, who was helping me, “Are you telling me I have to find a new color?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Shit. I feel like I just did this. I’m very particular and don’t like to change things up,” I whined.

“Don’t look at me, I change my hair color every 3 months. I’m like a color chameleon when it comes to this stuff,” Jillian added, with a wave of her hand.

So, here I go again. “How many Coygirl’s do you have?” I asked.

“Five left,” she replied.

“I’ll take ’em!”

That's right. I just spent $200 on blush.

And, so a new hunt begins. I will now be at every MAC counter buying up every Coygirl that I can find, along with my Back-To-Basics Sunflower Leave-In Conditioner that was just discontinued as well. Damn it.

The only problem, between my perfume, blush, leave-in-conditioner and favorite paper supplies, I’m running low on storage space. Mark is nervous this obsessive behavior of mine is headed toward a starring role on A&E’s Hoarders Show. Now, that would suck.

What’s your favorite discontinued product?