DEAR SHOPPING: My name is Garry, and I live in Folsom. My sister in Butte, Mont., sent me a box from a Pond's product she uses that is no longer available where she lives. Someone at Pond's told her in a telephone inquiry that the product is available in California at Kmart, Wal-Mart, Longs Drugs, etc., but I've been unable to find it. The product is Pond's Smooth Perfection complexion- perfecting moisturizer. Amazon.com sells it, but the Web site says it is "temporarily not available." It sounds like it might be a product that is in the process of being discontinued. Any ideas on expanding my search?
– Garry, Folsom
DEAR GARRY: Search no more. Unfortunately, the product has been discontinued, according to Pond's. What has happened is that Pond's is manufactured by Unilever, which also sells Dove. Dove is essentially taking over as the line for skin-care products. Pond's recommends Dove's Pro-Age line, which includes daytime and nighttime moisturizers, an eye cream and a cleanser. This line is relatively new, but I found it at Rite-Aid and Walgreens.
DEAR SHOPPING: My two favorite mascaras have been discontinued, according to the stores that carried them. They are Maximeyes by Christian Dior in Black Iris and Bourjois Volume Glamour, which also is a variation of purple. Any chance of finding a source for these two products or something similar? I've tried L'Oréal, Avon and Almay, but they don't have the beautiful color or the fullness to the lashes.
– Sue, Diamond Springs
DEAR SUE: "Discontinued" often translates to reformulated or repackaged – even renamed. Sephora still carries Bourjois Volume Glamour, but only in black. Bourjois does have another mascara called Yes to Volume ($14.50), which is sold at ULTA and comes in a purple shade called Violet Revolte.
As for Christian Dior, it looks like your Maxieyes has been replaced by a mascara called Ultimeyes ($24). It comes in black, brown and blue.
Chanel's Cils À Cils mascara comes in a violet shade ($26), as does Urban Decay, which has Big Fatty Colored Mascara ($17) in Purple Haze. It's available at Sephora. And here's a little news flash: BeneFit cosmetics will launch a plum version of its Bad Gal mascara ($19) in October. I've already seen the shade, and it might suit your needs.
Send questions to Shopping for Answers, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852, or e-mail shopping@sacbee.com.
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