Makeup Brands That Hate Happiness

I try to keep my chill when it comes to makeup, and I think I'm usually very successful. I've learned not to panic over missing limited edition releases and, in most cases, to move on to something new when my old standard is outdated or discontinued. But sometimes, companies do the unthinkable: they discontinue a product that is miles above anything else I've tried. It's a 5 star product with no readily available alternative...and they get rid of it!

In other words, this is a post that's all about me throwing tantrums. :D

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow -- I'm not an eyeshadow person, but these babies? Wow. If you want your eyelids to look like pure metal, these liquid shadows are the way to go. I noticed that these were being phased out of Sephora earlier this year, but I figured it was just a market issue: most people who buy Josie Maran at Sephora seem interested in the skincare more than the makeup. Then I noticed that the Josie Maran website only lists one color, a green that would admittedly take a bit longer to sell out than the neutrals. I've tried a number of liquid and cream eyeshadows, and there isn't a single one that manages to be as frosted as these without a speck of obvious glitter. A small part of me hopes that they're just redoing the packaging, since the applicators are notorious for snapping off.

YSL Creme de Blush -- Throughout 2015, there were rumors that YSL was discontinuing this delicious mousse-textured blush and replacing it with a new formula. I ignored them because, really, if they were going to get rid of these little pots of perfection, they had to be coming out with something even better! Nope, they came out with a liquid formula that's okay, but not for me, and definitely not a replacement for the original Creme de Blush. (There isn't even a color dupe for Creme de Blush #9 Babydoll. Trust me, I looked.) How could anything compare? Creme de Blush #9 in Babydoll is shockingly pink in the pan, yet the color is so clean that it manages to look gorgeous and natural on fair skins. The texture is so light and smooth, it feels like blending air on your cheeks. Seriously, YSL, you had a homerun here.

Prescriptives Counters -- This is going to seem a little petty because you can still get most of the products in the Prescriptives range. Still, I must sniffle, "I miss going to the Prescriptives counter." Part of this is deeply routed nostalgia, because when I was growing up, Prescriptives had one of the only counters my mother would visit and spend her hard-earned money on. The sales associates were always helpful, and they really took their time customizing eyeshadow palettes and foundations for every customer. I know their products are available online, and they even do a custom foundation blending service, but I miss the counter *magic. (SHE'S GOT PUNS!)

Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow Packaging -- Look, I get that brands sometimes have to shake things up and come up with more exciting or more functional packaging. I was one of the many people who complained about Urban Decay's less-than-operable lipstick and liner tubes prior to their recent redos. But I'm a little miffed when a company exchanges a really nice packaging design with something less functional because of aesthetics. The Creamy Moist Glows have gone through two packaging changes in a relatively short period of time. Originally, they were housed in tiny screwtop jars a la the Sensual Skin Enhancer, which is just an awful packaging style for a blush--you can't get your brush inside of it, slash, the fact that you can't really keep your finger flat means you'll get blush under your nails and waste it. I loved the newly-designed circular compacts, which had a fantastic mirror and a tight snap closure. The round design didn't last long, though, because the brand decided to make all of the packaging uniform squares and rectangles. The new packaging isn't terrible, but it now has a push closure, so your product isn't as safe. I've actually had a newer blush compact open up in my bag because something pushed up against the gold bar.

(maybe) Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Powder Foundation -- Recently, I've received a few blog comments and emails asking about this long-standing favorite of mine. "Hey, Renee, do you know--is the D&G powder foundation being discontinued?" Apparently, the foundation is disappearing from some websites, slash, only a few shades are available at certain retailers. This made my blood pressure spike a bit, no lies; it took me years to find a setting powder that would both match me and look so skin-like on my dry skin. I found the full range at Nordstrom, so I'm not too freaked out yet. But rest assured, D&G: if you discontinue this powder, there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the over-dramatic beauty blogger in the corner.