Yes, you read that right…$100 on new lipsticks (plural, more than one).

As you may or may not have heard (if you follow me on Twitter you’ll likely have heard), I just found out last week that my favorite, go to lipstick has been discontinued.  I’ve always heard about those ladies that freak out when their favorite whatever gets discontinued, but I’ve always been one to freak as I’ve found .  Up until now, that is.

This loss is about ready to do me in.  My favorite color, Clinique‘s Almost Lipstick, in Black Plum is the perfect shade for me.  It doesn’t scream “I’m wearing lipstick” instead it’s a totally, naturally flattering color. It’s also an almost lipstick, so it’s more sheer than a regular lipstick, but not as goopy or shiny as a gloss with the right about of last to it.  Perfection, I tell you, perfection.

Of course, they discontinued it because according to them, Black Honey flatters everyone so there’s no longer any need to carry any other color.  So not true and companies need to stop thinking that one color can flatter everyone.  I can’t wear Nars‘ Orgasim and I can’t wear Clinque’s Black Honey no matter how many makeup aficionados, counter girls, or magazines might try to convince me.  Put it on and you’ll see, they do nothing for me and just look garish.

But I digress.

So, I was able to call the Estee Lauder Lost But Not Forgotten line to see if they can track down some of my magical lipsticks, but until then, I figured I had to do something.  First up, I head to Ulta to see what they had…not much, but I did see a Stila lipstick line I was interested so I placed an order with Sephora.com.  Of course, I wanted the darker, more plumier of the two, but I guess that one was no longer available.

I ended up with Anna.  It’s a nice enough color, though it really could use a tad more plum.  It’s a little sheer, though the consistency is more of a lipstick than a sheer.  The staying power is pretty good though.

Next up, I head over to the Bobbie Brown counter as I hear that they have a new line of sheers.  Yeah, in a whopping four colors only!  Total disappointment.  Then again, I forgot just how subtle their palette tends to be, so they really didn’t have anything anyway.

From there I wander over to MAC.  I stopped using MAC as a whole a few years ago when 1) the salespeople were so obnoxious that I could never get anyone to wait on me and 2) I realized the foundation that I  loved so much because it covered my zits was in fact, causing more zits.  The saleslady today was actually quite helpful.  Turns out they do have a sheer line as well, but nothing in my color range – what’s with all these unnaturally pale colors?  We did find a Lustre in Desire that looks workable.  I picked it up along with my a backup of my favorite kohl eyeliner in Teddy.

Lastly, I headed over to Sephora and decided to play around a bit.  I needed to pick up a new Boscia Jujube Salve Stick anyway and hoped that I might be able to snag one for their goody bags that I missed out on with my mailorder.  While they were of course, out of the goody bags, the sales gal did hook me up with some samples, so that was nice.  And in the process, I think I just might have found my new sheer lip color.

Drumroll please….

Dior Addict High Shine in Front Row Fig!  It’s a great, barely there color that I can apply without a mirror.  It’s moisturizing and has a bit of a shine, but it isn’t goopy.  I think it just might be The One. Of course, I’m still holding out for those three backup sticks I ordered from Lost But Not Forgotten.  But this could truly be their replacement if need be.

Ladies, I gotta ask…how do you do it?  How do you survive when your favorite color (of anything) just disappears like that?

It’s expensive work.  And of course, the hubs and I just put all our credit cards and accounts online through Mint.com (a very cool site), and now every time a purchase is made (and in particular if you go over budget) it shoots out an email or text.  He’s now going to KNOW that I just spent $100 in lipsticks!!!! And another $45 in yoga pants at Old Navy. 😐 I guess the good news is that I can return whatever doesn’t work.

Photo: AuntieP on Flickr