Prescriptives Custom Blends Will Live On

Are you loving Prescriptives Custom Blend foundation or powder? Were you totally depressed to learn that the company is kaput? There's some good news!

While the brand will exit beauty counters at the end of January, you'll still be able to order your Custom Blend foundation and powder online (while supplies last) via the Prescriptives Custom Blend Replenishment Program. To take advantage, visit your local Prescriptives Custom Blend counter in the U.S. very soon and ask for your Custom Blend recipe form. Then register your recipe online at this link and you'll be notified by e-mail when it is available to purchase online in January 2010. It's that simple!

"While supplies last" implies this is not a "forever" offer. If you use Custom Blends, make sure to get your recipe and stock up while you can.

Photo courtesy of Prescriptives

Prescriptives Baked Eye Color Quad

This limited-edition Lustre Baked Eye Color Quad from Prescriptives ($40) is hot! Seriously in demand. Sold out at many stores.

The warm quad is shown to the left, and with its neutral, brown-toned shades, it's more popular than the cool quad shown below. You can find cool at many stores where warm is sold out.

It's really too bad that Prescriptives is about to be kaput. The company line at sales counters is that the brand's products will be "redistributed" across the many Estee Lauder brands. Sure. I know that you will be able to continue to purchase your custom-blend foundation, but how does one "redistribute" a color-based line that doesn't "fit" the model of the other brands? Does that simply mean that other Estee Lauder companies will continue to sell cosmetics? I listened politely, with a mental image of a phoenix, as a sales rep at Macy's gave me his optimistic account.

Back to the shadows. Each eye shade is “baked” on a terracotta plate for a creamier texture and pure pearl finish. You can wear the shades alone or blended together for a multidimensional jewel-toned eye look. I will be a witness to how nice the warm shades look - all of them!

You can still purchase these at Prescriptives online. The Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor stores I visited were wiped out of warm, but Lord & Taylor had cool. Macy's at Tysons Corner Center had both, but I bought the next to last warm one.

Go to this link to see the entire Prescriptives Lustre Holiday Color Collection. Both Lustre Shimmer Cheek Colors ($24) are nice. Actually, the whole collection is superb! I guess they are going out with a bang.

Photo courtesy of Prescriptives

Prescriptives is History

Today, according to WWD, the Estee Lauder Companies announced the "shuttering" of Prescriptives. They will "shut down wholesale distribution of its 30-year-old Prescriptives brand by Jan. 31. Products will continue to be available through the brand’s Web site for consumers needing replenishment, until supplies run out."

That's big news, although not surprising. The brand has been considered stodgy for years - no buzz. My "department store friends" have told me that it doesn't sell. WWD reported that sales have been "anemic."

If you use anything in the line, now's the time to buy at Prescriptives.com.

Update: See comments. Calyx will live on.

Photo courtesy of Prescriptives.