Thursday, March 9, 2023

No More Pretty in Pink

Pink Light Bulbs

 

In her famous book Entertaining is Fun, Dorthy Draper recommended switching out your white light bulbs with pink light bulbs when guests come over. Pink bulbs are incredibly flattering to everyone, reducing the look of wrinkles and giving you a healthy rosy glow. So much cheaper and easier than plastic surgery or painting the room pink. 

I have used pink light bulbs in all of my lamps for literally decades and have posted about them several times. Light bulbs have been political footballs for years - the phase out of incandescent bulbs was proposed by the Bush administration, put into law by the Obama administration, rolled back by the Trump administration, and now two new strict standards have been put into effect by the Biden administration.

When the "ban" actually began during the Obama administration, I was delighted to see that pink incandescent light bulbs were exempted as specialty bulbs (as were chandelier bulbs and 3 way bulbs). But nevertheless my favorite Sylvania pink incandescent bulbs were the first to bite the dust and were discontinued several years ago. They were the prettiest pale coral pink like the inside of a conch shell and were available in a three way 50/100/150. I bought up every single one I could find when they were discontinued and had enough for several years. (I still have one left - LOL).


Long Discontinued Sylvania 3 Way Light Bulb


Then I started using the only ones left on the market - the 60 watt G.E. incandescent soft pink bulb pictured at the top of this post. They were not as pretty or as pink as the Sylvania, but beggars can't be choosers. I bought them in large quantities on Amazon and had not ordered any in over a year. When I went to order some the other day, I was horrified to see they are discontinued and sold out everywhere. Trust me, I looked. (Except for a couple of eBay sellers trying to sell them for $25 to $50 per light bulb. One seller has a pair on sale on eBay for $549.99. ) I kid you not.

The light bulb police are really serious this time - all bulbs have to meet standards that incandescent and halogen bulbs cannot realistically meet and it will be illegal to manufacture or sell them this year - 2023.

So my search will begin today for LED bulbs that are warm and flattering - yeah, right. I have starting researching the "best," and will buy several and test them out and post on my findings. If any of you have recommendations, please leave a comment. This is the most upset I have been about a product off the market since Coke Classic was "discontinued" in 1985.

And while LED lighting is more energy efficient, many studies here and abroad have discussed the consequences of light pollution on humans and animals. "Chief among the health consequences of blue light in LED and florescent bulbs is its ability to suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep patterns in humans and other organisms. Numerous scientific studies have warned that increased exposure to artificial blue light can worsen people’s sleeping habits, which in turn can lead to a variety of chronic health conditions over time. The increase in blue light radiation has also reduced the visibility of stars in the night sky, which may have impacts on people’s sense of nature. Blue light can also alter the behavioral patterns of animals including bats and moths, as it can change their movements towards or away from light sources." (The Guardian)

If any of you have pink light bulbs that you don't want, I am accepting care packages.




50 comments:

  1. Light bulbs have been a real issue around our house. I have yet to find an LED bulb of any kind that puts forth light I find pleasing. It IS distressing. Color is just reflected light--so the light from LED bulbs will also change all the colors around them. I am MOST interested in what you find to be the best option.

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  2. Grrr, I’m with you! Just haven’t found the right led. Will look forward to hearing what you discover in your research

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  3. Oh no! I also have ONE pink bulb left. Beth, please post your findings regarding the LED bulbs. How disappointing that our pink bulbs have been discontinued.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Can't wait for your report. Anxiously awaiting!!!!!
    LAS

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  6. Palm Beach ThrifterMarch 9, 2023 at 10:23 AM

    Checkout Chromolux full spectrum bulbs. I’ve used them for years. Wonderful light.

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  7. I cannot believe what the government has done to light bulbs! There is nothing uglier than ANY led bulb. It changes the atmosphere in a room from warm and cozy to harsh and cold. I am interested in your search but do not hold out hope for much of a substitute. We are all going to feel like we live in an operating room. Where is the entrepreneur who will begin the manufacturing of the incandescent light bulb again. The whole design world would line up and pay any price! Thanks for exposing what we all know.....we hate LED lighting!

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  8. I too have resisted using LED bulbs (ugh!) but it's becoming so hard to find incandescents and halogens. The online prices are getting ridiculous, as with the eBay pink bulbs. Some of the eBay sellers are importing incandescents from Mexico, and they're very expensive. I gave up and recently tried the GE Relax LED soft white bulbs, and I must say I'm impressed. In a side-by-side test in a pair of lamps on my sideboard, I could not tell the difference between the LED bulb in one and the incandescent bulb in the other. Next up is the chandelier bulb--hope it performs just as well!

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  9. We just installed MR14 led dimmable fixtures, the light is warmer when dimmed.while not pink it is a warm yellow.

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  10. This is so distressing. I ordered the pink bulbs you suggested in one of your earlier posts & was getting ready to reorder. NO! I want my incandescent bulbs! I hate LED's for lamps. In the garage, ok, just not inside my house. Another stupid decision by the powers that be, in my opinion. Sorry, but I just had to rant.

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  11. I always used pink lightbulbs - a decorating technique I learned from my mother. I loathe LED lighting as much as I hate florescent lights. What was left of my pink bulbs made it to our move to SW Florida 7 years ago, but the last few "died" recently. RIP (BTW, we are Venice/Englewood neighbors!)

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  12. Oh my gosh! You can not begin to know how I can relate to your “pink bulb” predicament. I, too, have been using only pink bulbs for as long as I can remember and have also bought a stock pile when they started discontinuing them. My supply is running low so I can not wait to hear your results in the hunt for an LED bulb that is remotely close to our beloved pink bulbs. I loath LED bulbs but have noticed they’ve come a long way in offering warmer colors for those who can not live with that horrible blue light from LED bulbs.

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  13. Nancy.Keyes.DesignMarch 9, 2023 at 12:50 PM

    I am an avid recycler, reduce waste in any way I can for the sake of the planet BUT don't touch my incandescent light bulbs! I have a pretty big stash of them in all sizes and many 3 ways. We went to a friend's gorgeous new apartment in Gramercy Park and the first thing he wanted to show me was his big closet with light bulbs. I often paint my bulbs with pink paint and it does a pretty good job.

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    1. That's an interesting thought... What type/brand of paint do you use?

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    2. I feel compelled to add that I had the same idea and Googled it and everyone says it is a serious fire hazard and that there is no safe paint to use, especially with incandescent light bulbs because they get hot. Safety first.

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  14. Thank goodness I bought a pack of 8 when you posted about these the last time. Now I am wondering if I should sell on eBay. No seriously I’m keeping them for me. Can’t wait to see what you suggest to replace. Lighting makes or breaks everything!

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  15. Great. Now along with every other thing in our lives, we have to deal with the light bulb police. I live in California where they are attempting to regulate every single, tiny aspect of our lives, and it is maddening. My energy bill was so high last month that I almost fell out of my tree, especially since I have done everything I possibly can to be green and conserve energy. I will be anxious to hear what your research turns up.

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  16. Thank you Beth. You can always be counted on to come to the rescue. I look forward to your research results!

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  17. I found pink LED bulbs for sale! Feit Electric and other brands have them. I haven't bought any yet.

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    1. Those are LED in a horrible garish pink - not incandescent in soft pink that are the subject of this post.

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    2. I got duped into buying those. Now I have 4 Barbie Pink bulbs I'll never use anywhere.
      Someone is going to be a billionaire when he/she patents the next generation of soft pink bulbs we all like!

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  18. Let’s send this post and replies directly to GE. Their research and development department need to get on it.

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  19. I checked that out thoroughly days ago and have zero confidence it is a legitimate website.

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  20. I haven't used pink bulbs, but I do have a stash of incandescent bulbs so my grandchildren can you their mom's Easy Bake Oven when they become old enough.

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  21. Sylvania Blush were the best, and I only have a couple left...I have a ridiculous stash of incandescents, but the GE Soft Pink are more of a warm white. It's so much more healthful to use incandescent rather than LED (not to mention the flicker gives me a headache), and this trend to leave LEDs on all the time is annoying, and a health disaster! (And what am I supposed to do about my baby chickens, or making yogurt with my oven light?) Maybe the government will come around to silently admitting their mistakes, and the beloved Blush bulbs will come back...yeah right.

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  22. My parents were antique dealers and we always used the pink
    Bulbs. Like you I purchased a lot of them on Amazon during the Obama ban. Im almost out and kicking myself that I did not buy more sooner. They are the best light! GE or Sylvania please make more before another ban !

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  23. I'm with you--the LED pink bulbs available are garish "party bulbs." I wonder if one could just paint a regular LED bulb with a transparent pale pink nail polish. I also wonder about the programmable Phillips Hue bulb. A cinematographer I know slightly uses them in his home. Very expensive and you have to control them with Bluetooth I think. Anyone tried them?

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  24. I have been using the GE soft pink bulbs for as long as I can remember. I bought 2 cases of them on Amazon in 2018. I needed to replace a bulb and noticed I only had two 2 packs left and put it on my list to order more. The first one I put in stopped working in minutes...noooooo so now only 1 2 pack left. The horror when I realized this morning when I couldn't find anymore. I absolutely HATE LED lights. When I bought my house 30 years ago everything was halogen but they got so hot they melted the plastic housing. Everything is now LED. I replaced my ceiling light fixtures with LED and I've been searching for incandescent fixtures and can't find anything I like. Occasionally they will blink or strobe and it drives me crazy. I oversee 3 office buildingd and during a remodel 10 years ago I was talked into LEDighting for a training room and lobby. Thankfully I got dimmable ones because they are horrible and everyone hates them. Just yesterday I got a call from someone wanting to come give me a quote on replacing our florescent fixtures with LED. I said never. He told me it will be mandatory in the next 2 years and you will not be able to purchase fluorescent bulbs anymore. I said I was told that 10 years ago when I put the LED fixtures in and it hasn't happened. He insisted it was butt who knows. It is ridiculous. If I want to spend more on energy costs that is my choice don't take away our lighting and make up go to something that is terrible!

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  25. The powers that be should just call it institutional/factory/hospital vibe.
    (Reminds me of perfumes & shampoos of many years ago that have long since had their beneficial/natural notes stripped away and replaced with synthetics and oils…and the consumers wonder why the manufacturers would rather lose a customer and their $, than bring back the original formulations and have a customer for life.) The five senses are powerful and have an effect on the body. Fill the environment with ugly lighting, uninteresting utilitarian architecture, primer gray home decorating colors and stainless steel appliances that are ‘in style’, cortisol inducing music, uninteresting textiles, foods void of nutrients, etc.. might as well be a a hospital.

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  26. I used to buy them at Home Depot. I only used them for parties. Like you, horrified to discover I couldn’t find them anywhere and then bought a few LED pink………not the beautiful soft pink that brought my parties to life! I look every time that I walk into Lowe’s and Home Depot or supermarkets. I didn’t realize it was a political decision until I just read your blog. Well now I know and I will stop looking. Thank you, sister in pink glow!

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  27. There was an amusing episode (Season Four, Episode Nine) of the television sitcom 'Last Man Standing', titled "Changing Light Bulbs," which had a storyline about the banning of incandescent light bulbs, wherein lead character "Mike Baxter"(Tim Allen) and his friend, neighbor and "Outdoor Man" employee "Chuck Larabee" (Jonathan Adams) engaged in a hunt for the old-school bulbs and the pursuit and acquisition of the contraband illuminators was likened to making a drug deal.

    Here following is a link to view and download that TV episode relevant to this subject of preferred, old-school lightbulbs:
    https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6vzh7k

    I recommend installing Real Downloader to download video from YouTube and other websites with fair use and public domain video.

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  28. This!! I've been looking everywhere for soft pink fairy lights or string lights for my Xmas tree. All that have been advertised as soft pink, including the pictures in the listing that show a soft pink, by time they get to me and I plug them in, they're a hot pink or almost purple. Ugh!!!! I've ordered and sent so many back that Amazon will probably revoke my return privileges.
    I think LED lights on a Xmas tree look just awful. They're blinding and you can't see the ornaments.
    If anyone finds any truly soft pink strands, please let me know.

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    1. I think the Vickerman Italian Pink lights are the best, but still not ideal.

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  29. I have looked everywhere for those Sylvania pink bulb!! I didn’t know they stopped making them! I am shocked & furious! They always used them in the dressing rooms at the stores I shopped in and I started using them in my homes, they made EVERYTHING INCLUDING ME LOOK BETTER!!! Guess I can stop looking now!!!!! These LED bulbs are horrible, garfish and institutional looking!!!! Do other countries make these pink bulbs like Sylvania had?? Maybe we can buy them somewhere in another country, at this point I will pay ANYTHING!!😠😡😠

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  30. Im so very happy to find such a gathering of true pink light softies 🤗.
    Any “electrical entrepreneur”s reading these posts have any ideas?
    I’m pretty sure it would be a booming business !
    In the meantime ,thank you soo much,for not giving up on the search for the illusive rosy glow.
    I would join a group search lol

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  31. Any updates re alternatives?

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  32. When I discovered that the pink bulbs were no longer available I was horrified. My mother also was the one that taught me how much more flattering the soft pinks were, and I've used them for years. I found this post today and am thankful for the info regarding what else is available....I'm grateful that I didn't waste my money on the bright pink ones. I finally had to give in and buy the white ones, finally, and I grieve those soft flattering tones regularly. I sincerely hope that some one comes up with an acceptable alternative, and will be checking back here. I have no idea that there was such a fan club for the pinks, and that others were suffering as much as I was without them!

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  33. I've been using GE Cync color LEDs. You can sort of get close to that Soft Pink color. Better than other color-changing bulbs I've tried, but it's still not the same. Your best result is going to be in a fixture with multiple bulbs, setting some to pink and some to a more peachy color.

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  34. I absolutely loathe LEDs!! I absolutely dread having to turn the lights on!(maybe that's the goal?! :-D) LEDs hurt my eyes, give me horrendous headaches, are terrible for our ecology (in terms of light pollution), humans (cirricadian rhythms which regulates many of our bodily systems), and recently learned from my dermatologist (faculty from a large research university) found out LED light causes dark spots on the skin and regular SPF does not mitigate effect. And then, there's the missing pink bulbs! I love my pink bulbs! My hope is they find a way to make LEDs both energy efficient and not mood killing, headache making, body dysregulating, melasma causing nightmares they are currently!! I miss the warm glow of incandescent lights an experience seemingly unrepeatable by LED manufacturers today. If they are already finding negative impacts on animals and humans now, I can't imagine what the impact will look like in 20-30 years. I hope someone has or can find a solid solution!!

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  35. Just read your comment about the discontinuation of pink light bulbs. I am on my last 2 and dreading when they run out of steam. I'm heartbroken. If anyone finds them, I'm in and will post if I do. Sad

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  36. Has anyone thought of suing the government for this stupid law that forces us to have depressing lighting? Light really affects me and I feel depressed with cold LED lights. I have tried many brands and none of them have the soft glow of incandescent. I'm all for protecting the environment but when there isn't a good alternative they should not have banned incandescent. If they can bend over backwards to protect the environment of mice and other creatures, why can't they do that for people? We are part of the environment, too!

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  37. Please keep us posted! 💕

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  38. i’m watching feud: capote vs the swans and cz guest is lamenting to babe paley how her lights never look as good as hers, babe says always use only soft pink lights 😭😭😭 i swear the government wants to homogenize the world into looking like a prison ward or an institution 😡 bring back the pink bulbs !!! 💘

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  39. The cz guest babe paley conversation is what brought me here today, too 😭 I have been on the hunt for what seems like ages 😔 Surely there is an underground market we haven’t tapped? A *pink* market, if you will lol I don’t care what we call it, just take my money & hand over the bulbs! #freethepinks

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  40. I'm with everyone who hates LED. I too have been using the Sylvania Pink Light bulbs for years. My mother had a stash of them 8 years ago, but my last 2 are in my lamps. I drive my husband crazy, telling him not to turn them on until completely necessary. Live in Canada and was thinking about driving to the states to buy them but I see that the issue is the same. Boo Hoo. I will forever mourn the loss of pink light bulbs. If I find any alternative, I will post

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  41. My great aunt was of an age with Dorothy Draper and I grew up under her style influence. My aunt used pink light bulbs in her dining room and living room. I am 72 and moved into my own place in 1978. It never occurred to me not to use pink bulbs the same way. My small stash is dwindling. I am a sad sight at Loews in the bulb section. I have a business background and have deserved a reputation for adapting to change. Can’t wait to hear what you like. I am confused and disappointed in my own choices. Not adapting well and my friends don’t want to hear it!!!!!

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  42. Well I'm astonished to find that there are zillions of people in my position. I too stocked up years ago and, in the recent heat wave, have been seriously looking for an LED replacement that will work with a dimmer. So far no luck, but unless I've missed the post that mentioned it, perhaps we should all get together and contact light manufacturers. Many colored LEDs work with installed dimmers. These lights are exceedingly popular so I presume that it might be in the manufacturer's best interest to manufacture them, not just for home use but for all those women's clothing stores and general fashion/ cosmetic outlets who sales would be increased by the general lack of glare.

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  43. Has anyone tried the color changing led bulbs? Wiz or hue brands that allow you to select the color and create your own?

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  44. Count me as another, one who just found out the soft pink bulbs are discontinued because I just realized I am out of the ones I last purchased in 2022! Anybody find anything comparable yet?

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  45. Anyone find anything yet?????

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