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How should brands utilize limited edition products in their releases?
How should brands utilize limited edition products in their releases? Should seasonal collections be limited edition? Should there be a few here and there?
I’d like to see a brand that adds limited edition shades more often to their permanent range, or if there is a gap in the permanent range, then the shade should be added to it from the beginning. Brands like Chanel and NARS come to mind as brands that have a mixture of limited edition and permanent shades within new collections, and I like that – some seasonal or “on-trend” shades plus new additions.
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I think limited edition shades that do really well should be added to the permanent range.
I agree. I think a new limited edition release should be used almost like it’s testing out a product’s popularity. If it sells out so so well, I think that shows it should be potentially added permanently. Especially since those popular limited editions become so hard to find, particularly for those of us who often have to save up for big items or prefer to wait for reviews or buy items in person.
I prefer brands who introduce “seasonal” shades into the permanent line, like NARS, or if they feel they *must* do LE, at least keep it around for a reasonable amount of time, and make enough product so it doesn’t sell out as soon as it’s released. I also prefer if a brand releases an innovative shade or product, that no one else has, and it’s a “staple” product, such as Chanel Notorious, it be added to the permanent range…
I always think there should be a mixture of limited edition and permanent items in seasonal collections – otherwise, in an odd way, I feel less inclined to buy into a collection when it’s inevitable that anything I discover that I love is only limited edition! 😀
I just don’t really like limited edition very much, period. I don’t like the “fighting game” that comes with it.
Limited releases often make mad because I find something I love and can’t get it again! I’m still pissed off at NARS for this!
I find everything from NARS to be easily available, which is one of the reasons I’m so loyal to the brand. The only thing I’ve seen a *little* difficult to find are the big blush palettes, but even then, they turn up on ebay for not much more than retail. Of course there are a few shades I wish would come back (Santorini & Night Bird), and Rajasthan should have been permanent, but they’re still a lot better about it than most brands!
Hi XAMYX,
You can still find Nars Rajasthan at Beauty.com. I bought it about a month ago. Actually, Beauty.com seems to keep a large of stock of limited edition Nars products. 🙂
I already have Rajasthan, and *love* it, but being that it’s one of NARS best duos, it should be permanent! I will keep this info in mind, though; I may want a backup… Now, if I can just get my hands on Santorini & Night Bird…
I am not a big fan of LE collections. Brands *cough*MAC*cough* never make enough of the products. So if you don’t wait online for the launch you miss out. I wish brands would make something LE available for more than one order. Zoya is my favorite nail polish because they always make their collections permanent.
I agree with what Christine said, I feel there should be less emphasis on LE products. Releasing some on-trend products for a limited time is fine, but I feel they should never be TOO limited, or too many LE products being released solely to pressure people to buy. My biggest pet peeve are when companies release basic products (neutrals, base products, skincare) as LE.
I also like what Meow Cosmetics does with their seasonal collection, they just rotate the seasonal collections and they all come back every year. I feel brands should start seasonal collections that repeat every year, comprised of the best-selling color products of the season. The trends never change that much anyway, and if there are new trends they can always release them as a standalone LE product and change it every year.
I agree with you Christine. I would be brilliant if LE’s were not only a “spend while you can get this” kind of thing for brands but more like some sort of market research to get better and more appreciated items in their permanent collection for customers to love and enjoy.
I agree with Christine! Limited ed products that have become crowd FAVES should ideally appear every now and then within their new release collections. This is an advantage to us beauty consumers and also to the companies since mixing of the faves with the new ones (especially if in cost-effective palettes!) would increase their chances of being sold
I agree that more brands should add LE products to their permanent range. And I think a brand like MAC that has a lot of popular LE products should consider adding some to their permanent line or at least repromote certain shades more often.
Too many limited edition products (coughMACcough) turn me off a brand like nothing else. If odds are too high that whatever product catches my eye in a look was limited edition and no longer available, I’m just never going to bother looking at some point. The other downside of limited edition products is that it’s harder to google reviews. While Temptalia’s my best source for that, you can’t review everything and your skintone is about as different from mine as it gets, so it makes it harder.
I mostly wish brands would keep limited edition products to something that really is kind of off the wall. I’ll take the chance on a product for something a bit kooky, but not on something that stands a chance of making my daily routine.
I also like the idea of how Chanel and NARS handle their collections – keeping some new products on as permanent with other parts of the collection as limited. Fyrinnae comes to mind as well, they don’t have limited editions but do phase out old shades sometimes, which is reasonable.
I feel that if a product or shade is in SUCH high demand it should be added, or re-released more than once. It’s obviously a seller so why not make it available for more to buy? It will only benefit the brand’s profit. Of course MAC is an example here, as there have been several products that were sold out instantly and have never been seen again, with seemingly very few pieces of the item to be had. Also those items that many many people wish they had been able to purchase but outside of not sleeping for two days to buy online, weren’t able to buy. With the transparency that is the internet blogs, it is so easy for brands to see what is in demand. Why not make good use of that?
I think brands should avoid limited edition products, because ultimately they can make use of brand loyalty by making good quality, easily accessible, reasonably priced products, and counting on people repurchasing products when they finish their first pan/tube/bottle. Brands which come out with a lot of limited edition stuff makes me feel like they’re replacing quality with a marketing strategy. It’s no surprise that many limited edition items aren’t as good quality as the permanent ones.
For people who like to collect products, brands should add limited edition products to the permanent line somehow. I missed out on a few LE Sleek single blushes, but identical shades can be found in their permanent blush palettes. They also rereleased a collection that I really wanted and missed out on the first time. The point is, a lot of consumers like to do their research now with the internet and makeup blogging. It’s really frustrating when you can see swatches of a really great product and then know you can NEVER get your hands on it.
I like how Inglot has such a huge variety of shades – and I don’t think they do LE releases (though I could be wrong). Brands should keep all their products in their permanent range and highlight what they already have for seasonal marketing, rather than come out with new stuff. They can also come out with LE packaging for permanent products, which does entice people to buy as much as LE products. I am not against innovation, but I find 99% of the time a brand releases something “new” and “improved”, it’s either worse or just merely gimmicky. I don’t want to buy anything new and improved, I want to buy something tried and tested! And LE products should of course be the same price as the permanent ones.
I think when some LE products are a HUGE sucess and it sells out so so well, I think that shows it should be added permanently.
While it is good own a unique product, it is frustrating when you can not find it anywhere, or have to spend hours trying to buy online in the release date. (*cough*MAC*cough*) hahaha
Too Faced is a brand that launches LE products once in a while and they make a considerable stock in that especific LE product, so it doesn’t sold out as soon as it’s released.
I´ve never had problems with NARS either, excepting the blushes palettes, that are always a gigantic sucess!
By the way, I love NARS products, but the fact that they always put the same shades (ORGASM and LAGUNA) in every single palette that they make, AHHHHHH, MAKES ME SO SO SO ANGRY! Come on, let´s be creative!
I agree! If something sells out in a nanosecond and is killer popular, they ought to make it part of their regular line, or at least restock it so more people get a chance to get it instead of making the people who snag them all and put them on eBay rich.
I’m in total agreement: if a LE is flying off the shelves within days of its release then surely its a good sign that its should be added to the permanent range. One of the YSL reps I know well told me yesterday that its all about the exclusivity factor so that people can say they got a Limited Edtion, which I guess is fair enough but even if a cosmetic company doesn’t put a popular LE item on to its permanent range couldn’t they, as a couple of people have suggested , rotate it once or twice a year so we aren’t left pulling our hair out because we can’t find the product anywhere as its sold out so fast?!