It’s happened to us all, we finally find the perfect eye shadow that catches every flake of green in our eyes, we use it joyfully for a year and then it’s gone. Discontinued. Just like that. No warning. No back stock. And there we stand at a busy cosmetic counter trying desperately to decide which replacement shade will come close and how many more uses we can scrape out of the corners of our old compact before it’s completely gone.

When this happens – and it will – there is hope. Finding your perfect replacement shade is possible and not as hard as you might think.

Undertones are the key to the acquiring just the right replacement color. Look closely at the cosmetic you’re currently using. Compare it to other shades of the same color to determine if it is in fact a light green or a dark green. Does it have yellow undertones or blue? You know you’re looking for another hazelnut midtone shade, but is your current hazelnut more copper or more pink? Are you thinking, “What are we talking about here?”

We all know colors are made by blending two or more other colors together – cosmetics are the same. You love your current shade largely because of the undertones that make it blend with your skin tone and complement your facial color palette.

To help determine the undertone of your shade, ask for a color catalogue from your beauty consultant and find which color grouping your old shade was in. When a company discontinues a shade it’s because it hasn’t sold well or because it can be better marketed. They do know that someone has been using that color, so there will be a shade close to yours. You just have to find it. Another way to determine undertone is to go to a paint store and look at the paint chips. When you find your color, ask the sales associate what colors they blend to make that particular shade.

Next take a close look at the shimmer or frost used in your current color. This is especially useful when finding a new lipstick or gloss. Shimmer can alter the color both in its packaging and on your face. We see a frosted rose lipstick very close to our old one, but when we get it home and try it on we can’t get it off fast enough. Why? It could be the shimmer in your old shade was silver and this one is gold – big difference. So how can you tell before you buy? Expose the lipstick and compare it to other frosted shades. Sample a few on the back of your hand. You’ll see the difference. This trick works when shopping for any color cosmetic replacement. (It isn’t always possible to look or sample when buying from a grocery or drug store. There you’ll want to be sure there’s a return policy if you try it and don’t like it.)

Hint: Go shopping long before your shade is gone so you have something to compare the other colors to. Draw a line down the middle of the back of your hand with your current shade and sample others around it. If one is a possibility, keep it on. Have a damp tissue on hand to remove the shades that you know you don’t like. Don’t rub too hard or your skin will be darker and alter the shade.

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