How Limited Edition is TOO Limited Edition?
How Limited Edition is TOO Limited Edition?
These days, it seems like certain products are getting enough buzz that when they launch, they sell out within minutes–not hours–and what do we do? (Like MAC Stereo Rose, Urban Book of Shadows Vol. III, most recently!) How many scour eBay trying to scoop up one for ourselves, even if we have to be 30-70% more? How many of us stalk other retailers (either in-store or online) hoping to get to that store in time?
I don’t like to support the beauty scalpers, but when companies make stock so limited that it sells out in a half hour or less, what do these companies honestly expect you to do? It really makes you wonder just how many they made available and whether they really thought they were making enough and just happened to underestimate demand — or how much they’re trying to capitalize off the limited edition nature of their products (and future products, in particular) by deliberately under-supplying? We’ll never know!
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the hunt for a coveted beauty product can be thrilling, but only to a point. At some point, it just because a frustrating endeavor that makes you feel a little silly in retrospect. Did I really need to waste 10 hours of my life searching high and low for this one makeup palette?
I really, really want Chanel’s Jade Nail Lacquer, but there’s just no way I could lay down $250 for it and live with myself. No way! Have you ever spent a ton on a limited edition product and lived to regret it? Or was it worth every penny?
Is the idea of limited edition, limited availability, limited stock getting out of hand? Or is it still a thrill?
P.S. — For those who missed out on Urban Decay’s Book of Shadows Vol. III, other retailers such as Beauty.com, Sephora, and Ulta will have them on October 1st. Of course, I’m skeptical about the hard-and-fast nature of that date and would encourage those who really want this palette to keep an eye out at least a few days, if not a week, prior to that date. You may also want to follow @urbandecay411 on Twitter, as they’ll likely have the most up-to-date information and are rather active in the space.
Personally, I’ve always believed the concept of limited edition to be a marketing strategy and advertising ploy. If I’m unable to get a limited edition product, I just give it a Gallic shrug and tell myself, “C’est la vie!” There will be plenty of others coming along. And, now that so many different cosmetic brands are owned by the same parent company, I often find a similar product in one of the other lines.
That’s so true. I believe it is purely a marketing strategy too. Christine, this is one of the best posts you’ve ever written! Thank you for making us think about all that crazy search for LE stuff.
And it’s a fairly smart advertising strategy too. With some products being LE, they become hyped up and a must-have item: people believe that they need the item more since there is limited stock. The companies do this to not only make the brand more popular, but to increase the sales higher than if the product was just permanent. People will immediately buy a company’s product (think Chanel Paradoxal) if the company is known to have popular products with limited stock. Yay marketing! Fun stuff to talk about 🙂
You’re absolutely right.
Exactly! From a marketing perspective, what’s better than people lining up at midnight, just drooling to give you their hard earned cash!
But for us, it’s ridiculously irritating.
LE used to grant a certain specialness to a product. LE has now become a crass marketing ploy. Just how many lipsticks and eye shadows can be truly unique enough to warrant the Limited Edition frenzy to which females seem prone? Chanel Jade, yes. A lot of MAC stuff is eventually re-promoted. This form of marketing does not flatter the image which these companies must have of women.
I’ve yet to see the Limited-Edition hype used to sell products for men. Most of the time, a man wouldn’t even know something was being sold to them!
Actually, companies may not target men with this ploy in hygenic products and such, but they DEFINTELY do qith things like technology. Think of the Ipad, Xbox, Playstation? These companies amp up the new products and have very limited stock when first sold. This is the same as Mac; just like stereo rose was sold out immediately, a couple of years ago there were people lined outside Best buy waiting to purchase their new exclusive playstation. Its an excellent marketing plan. So yes, they do this to men too! Hehe
I dunno… haven’t you seen men line up outside Best Buy for an XBox 360 or the newest Halo game? I think we all have a weakness.
But yeah, especially with Mac, I don’t cry over lost things, because it’ll be back.
Oh God yes, men are victim to ‘limited edition’ marketing as well. Trust me on this, my fiance recently spent an ungodly sum of money to get a ‘collector’s edition’ of a popular video game. Why? Because it came with pretty pictures, a little book or something, and nifty packaging. 😐
what game was this? My boyfriend spent a lot on a collector’s edition on World of Warcraft and this past weekend paid $60 to put a game on hold that is coming out next month – Fable…just so he can have it for sure and to get a *special* weapon for people who place it on hold. Nice marketing…the list of people putting the game on hold was 5 pages!
And he tries to make fun/tease me about it…haha! 🙂
My brother is also a sucker like me when it comes to limited edition. He spent like $50 extra for a game b/c it came with a tin or something lame. But I’ll grab a shadow or 3 (backup!) if it’s limited as well so I’m also lame 🙁
Works on men too. Think cars (slightly more expensive than a blush though 😉 ). Or collectibles like comic-books or figurines.
But it’s not limited edition with electronics, eventually if you wait a couple of weeks/months you’ll get the same product at the same price.
You do have some things that are limited edition — e.g. video games that come out with collector’s editions!
But you can usually find the collector’s edition somewhere online even months after it was supposed to be sold out.
Same can be said with cosmetics 🙂
Couldn’t have said it any better. MAC especially drives me crazy with all their collections, but pretty much all cosmetic companies are guilty of this
i think people buy some le items just for the hype , which is ok, but i absolutly HATE it when peolple buy a le item, get home, try it out, make a video on you tube and are dissapointed w/ it – THEN they return it to mac. so that means that item will not be avalable for a diff person who couldnt get that item only bc it was sold out. they just crushed the dreams of a person getting it for themselves who actually wanted the item. kinda melodramatic , but its so TRUE and make me so mad. just keep the damn item, cuz mac cant send it back and get a new one.
I really hate that too. so many people wanted the Marine Life highlighter and most of the youtubers didn’t even like it. But bought it just cause it was all hyped.
MAC makes me really mad. They put out info (pics, release dates, etc) about new collections months in advance allowing people to get hyped up over new prouducts or re-releases, and then 90% of us get disappointed. My MAC counter got 5 Marine Life and Ripe Peach blushes each. MAC has to know in advance that they’re going to sell out quickly when the entire makeup blogoshere is going nuts about a product 2 months before it’s release. They could’ve figured out the whole “supply vs demand” thing by now, they choose not too.
Just to clarify, MAC doesn’t release information months in advance. Leaks may occur, but MAC PR does not send out information until 1-2 weeks before the collecion launches.
You received MAC Venomous collection products a month and a half before the release…
Exclusive press event — not the norm, and not something available to every press/blogger. Think of that was the rare exception but in *general* it is 1-2 weeks. For instance, I haven’t received press releases for the new lipstick/foundation coming out next week yet.
The new Lipsticks/Foundation longwear are already in stores for a week, here in Austria! They are cool, the feeling of the lipsticks are perfect, it glides on so easily and feels like a light lipbalm, but it really stays forever! And the foundation & concealer are very similar to the Studio Fix Foundation, but do also stay a lot longer. Love them all <3
Aaargh – so bad, the VV Collection doesn't come to the very little stores (here in Austria – i don't know if its everywhere) because we just have an pop. of 120.000 – i was sooo angry! And we don't have maccosmetics.com or any other Store shipping to us. )):
Sometimes I question whether “leaks” are really leaks, or if they too is are marketing ploy. I think the goal of most companies (not just makeup) is to make you believe you cant live without their product. Whether you love it or hate it, these strategies keep a company current and keep us wanting more and more and more.
I can tell you from my experience that leaks don’t happen via the company itself (e.g. PR sends info over, “leak this!”) – that’s just my experience, though. For MAC, a lot of info comes out when the artists (who work at the retail counters/stores) go to update and then type up the info to online communities (which is actually against their contract).
MAC chooses not to do anything (at least visibly to us consumers) about it – and they don’t take a heavy handed approach to bloggers either (some companies do issue cease and desist letters, make threatening phone calls, etc.).
Christine is RIGHT. The update books are a primary source of leakage. I’ve seen more collections coming up from the update book alot earlier than i’ve seen them on the internet. ASide from that.. i’ve gotten into cyber-arguments because i feel that if you find something at a CCO or something thats sold out everywhere, the price gouging is truly ridiculous. I REFUSE to pay 125$ for a blusher.. AND i refuse to go INSANE to get a palette. I don’t care whats in it. Mostly everything can be duped at some point somewhere.. I’m not gonna die without..
but dont you review new mac collection in advance. the vv collection stuff was released from your website over a month before the release
Yes, but it was a very rare occurrence — in general, MAC PR is very tight-lipped and doesn’t send out the release information until 1-2 weeks. Only selected attendees received the info for VV.
what about the mac tartan holiday stuff? that looks like a pr to me, and it’ll be at least 2 months before it is released, no?
It’s not through PR – it was images posted on an Asian website (source is always provided at the bottom of the post). I don’t know how other websites get it, but it’s not coming through MAC PR for me.
I didn’t get it from MAC – that’s what I’m saying – that I don’t get official information from MAC until (typically!!) 1-2 weeks before the launch, and as an “insider” on that side of the fence, I wanted to share my experience 🙂
Ok, gotcha. Still though… why send out such limited amounts when they know (or should have an idea) what the demand for something is going to be? Omaha (pop. 400,000+) has only one MAC counter and they usually only get about five of something!
Oh, I agree — the idea that they only sell 5 of an item is mind-boggling! Even… slow counters, lol.
The idea that a store is only provided 5 of one LE product is especially crazy since the Associates usually snap up most of them (if not all – which I have been told happens a lot).
I’ve had some associates say they’re barred from buying, lol!
Really?
I hope that happens at my local store!
this is stupid! no point of stressing out over a makeup product especially if its mac because they will release it soon
but i have to admit I love dark shades of makeup so im all over the vv collection on the 30th
I agree with you. They know what will sell out and it seems like the purposely make a small amount available. One item will generate so much buzz and most of the sale for that specific collection. I don’t see why they can’t be like Urban Decay w/the Naked palette…and make a statement that they want everyone who wants one to be able to get it, so they keep distributing it even though it wasn’t supposed to be on sale this long. That seems a lot more fair rather than have one LE item that they know will sell out within hours and ignore the thousands of others who also wanted that specific item. Most of the time it seems too over-hyped anyway.
The UD Naked is *not* limited edition, it just sold out like crazy. I missed the mark on my “this will sell out” bet. It is a lovely, lovely palette, but not a crazy price, OMG must have, palette. I will purchase it when I find it again
Thanks for the correction 🙂
I hate limited edition stuff. Although the UK is probably not as bad as the US when it comes to selling out, after all Stereo Rose was available here for almost 2 whole days and so far I have managed to buy everything I wanted, having said that, Chanel Paradoxal nail polish sold out within hours here too. It’s just crazy to have to keep stalking websites to be able to buy make up, it’s not gold, or diamond, or anything that valuable after all! 🙁 I hate getting stressed out about whether I can buy whatever I fancy and have to keep checking websites every hour or so, in order to not miss out. I would like to leisurely walk to the shop and check everything out days/weeks after launches and not worry about anything selling out. I just don’t see how extremely limited stock benefits companies. I mean would not Mac liked to have make twice as much profit on Stereo Rose or Marine Life, and would Urban Decay not have benefited from making twice as many AIW palettes? I just don’t get it. Sure it makes people want to buy their next big thing asap, but if it leaves many angry, disappointed people, those might not bother again and go to other brands who don’t screw them around quite as much. I understand the need of making things in limited quantities if brands come out with new collections every 1-2-3 months, but it would be nice to not have to worry about missing out on something if I can’t get to the shops or online for a day or two. Rant over. 🙂
PS. All new Urban Decay palettes (BOS 3, Naked, Black, Vegan) are available at debenhams.com (UK) and there’s 10% off all cosmetics plus free delivery!
The Urban Decay BoSIII and Naked Palettes are in Boots now too! xoxo
it’s only showing up as good for UK delivery!!!
There are times that Limited Edition gets way too out of hand for products that are going to be very hard to find later on and have many people be so upset that they missed out on it. For me, I strategize to get online early as possible so that they don’t sell out too quickly.
I’m not too worried about not getting it. Urban Decay just sent out the email saying that the BOS had arrived at their website.. about an hour after it sold out? Not sure what the point of the email was. Good thing I wasn’t planning on getting it.. I’d be pretty upset right now!
I got the same email! It was pushed to my phone, i got the email right away but when i got to the website it was already sold out!
YES! That’s almost as irritating as seeing magazine editors put makeup in their magazines when it’s been sold out for weeks!! (They always show off Chanel polishes and Mac LE stuff)
The one thing with magazines is they often have the information/product months before it comes out, so when they write about it, they don’t write about it “timely” in a sense – does that make sense? I re-read that and I was confused, LOL.
I notice this in my country, too. There are MAC LE items in the mags (which are published monthly or every two weeks) while at the date of the first sales day of the magazine, already the whole collection they represent is sold out – so not just the most raved items but practically everything. How bad can you plan? I keep seeing this happening regularly.
I generally figure if its meant to be, it’ll be. I rarely spend time chasing products.
Did I miss something with UD BoS III? I’m still waiting to see it when it comes to sephora, before buying(No matter how in demand a product is, I CAN”T buy sight unseen)
That said, I do think the limited edition hype can be ridiculous. not just with makeup. Remember the Beanie Baby craze, and the Teeny Beanies in McDonalds kids meals? A girl in my neighborhood spent a full year eating frozen McD’s because her mom HAD to get enough kids meals to get her, AND her two daughters INDIVIDUAL sets.
I think sometimes interesting things do come out, but so much of the time it IS just a marketing ploy for things you could live without. Especially if you’re willing to search for a dupe from a different brand.
That said, I’m still sad that MAC doesn’t even have permanent limited lines of some of the glittery finish lipglosses (Superglass, Dare to Wear, etc.) since I have yet to find a brand that makes similar.
LOL I’m 22 and I still have my McD’s teeny beanies lying around somewhere! I was definitely a part of that fad along with pogs.
Heh. Me and my sister shared a few. my mom was more into them than us. I still have a few, but not very many, since most of my stuffed animals are in an attic somewhere. I recently saw a garage sale selling beanie babies for like…. 15 for 12$…. I recognized some of them had been promoted as “collector” items, including one that was stolen from me, and replacing it when that happened would have meant buying it for 75$, because of its “rarity”. Seing that same beanie for under 1$, barely ten years later….. sort of boggles the mind.
I like to think I’m not that stupid of a consumer, but who can really say. if i like a product and its limited edition, i buy it. If its not there, I don’t.
Yeah, I had the Beanie Babies hand guide (I feel so embarrassed for admitting that!) and I remember some of them were worth hundreds of dollars to over a grand. I have a few that were considered to be worth a lot but now they’re not worth anything. I remember it was taboo to even take the tags off.
WE apparently missed something with the UD BOS III! I never received any notification that it had been released. The only thing I saw on it was the feature about the NYC release. After reading some stuff online today I logged on to the UD site and BAM! It already came and went!
I stopped hunting for LE stuff years ago. It’s just wasn’t worth it anymore especially when half the stuff, I only used once or bought it and realized it looked horrible on me.
In some instances I think the company legitimately makes too little stock because they don’t anticipate how sought after an item will be, case in point, Marine Life. But this UD palette thing is extraordinarily unreasonable. Just like the AIW palette, the Naked palette, etc. Then they tried to bundle the AIW one with a bunch of other products for $300 to profit off the hype, instead of just selling the remaining stock. I am not a fan of their business practices, and am not surprised if it blows up in their face.
I gotta say, if UD pulls the same stunt with BoS III as they did with AiW, I think people will be pretty pissed. The worst part about the AiW bundle was that it wasn’t even a value pack!
If you see on Facebook, they’re constantly posting when they’re most hyped items are in stock. I guess in hopes that people will jump for them. I have to say, it kind of makes me feel like a dog catching a frisbee. Luckily, the Naked palette is just about the only thing I ever liked from UD and I probably won’t bother buying anything else.
“Dog catching a frisbee” — great analogy.
Same here. I sold every BOS I got (including AIW). Will never buy another BOS from UD. I did get the NAKED palette because it looked like (and is) something I’ll actually use. UD is on my sh*t list.
Urban Decay makes only One (1) item that can’t be easily duped. Most of their colors are regular MAC stock, and glitter eye paint can be mixed up at home. Mary Kate and Ashley Eye Glitter.. no, NYX has better glitter. Buy the liner, get a spoolie from a MAC counter to put it on lashes. Done it. Granny here still gets out some.
Eye shadow primer. That’s it, the only real stand out product. All the brand has is uber cool packaging and hilarious names. But on Saturday Night people see your face, not that fancy box. And I have been getting along fine with MAC lid primer and Paint Pot just to spite UD and Sephora- Hate them!
Christine, what an AWESOME article you wrote! I have been just thinking about these things lately, as much as I still love my beauty I will never become blind to the true facts. I try my hardest but don’t go near the ebay sellers with items at jacked up prices.
I’m confused by the sell out of UD BOS III in the USA it was made available in the UK a few weeks ago and is yet to sell out?
There may be more customers in the U.S. than the UK.
I checked a UK website but it didn’t ship internationally, so I’m still on my quest, sigh.
lol I sound really stoopid now don’t I 🙂 you would think therefore we would have a smaller allocation though surely as Marine Life/Stereo Rose went within a day so us ladies must be there buying :\ I don’t get it usually in the UK we are worse off (i.e we don’t see certain products like the Sephora UD exclusives)
Just wait for MAC Disney when its released here start of next month that will disappear immediately as well. It is a little bit exciting though to order that special something you wanted before it sells out (lol does that make me sad?)
It does! I don’t mind LE, and I don’t mind things selling out (that’s good – no waste!), but I think MINUTES! is a little quick.
Always buy MAC from the same person at the same place. Make a friend- they’ll hold you stuff for a little while. Not very long, and you better buy what they held BUT that’s where the Stereo Rose went! And why I knew to give C. my Felines list.
Do not EVER abuse this! You’ll be s%#* listed. But it’s what happens.
Same situation with MAC Stereo Rose here in Hong Kong. It never sold out! I think I was the only one who looked stupid enough to rush for it on the first day of release.
I also think it’s a marketing ploy. I don’t think they underestimate demand at all. They know better. I’m sure they have plenty to go around, they just release them a little at a time. Then, once it’s been around long enough, they sell off whatever’s left. It’s genius really, making people fall off their chairs for no reason. I fall victim to hype all the time. Like the Naked palette (which in my opinion, is worth the hype!). Still, it sold out like crazy everywhere and people were actually getting angry over it — even though it’s permanent!
I guess I see them leaving profit on the table – they could still have the palette sell out, but why not in a few hours? a day? Still quite impressive!
That is true! I guess I’m looking at this as if it were a government conspiracy except it’s the makeup industry haha
Kind of like they did with the Alice in Wonderland palette. They “sold out” and it was “LE” then months later they release some Alice set for $200 something dollars, you couldn’t just get the palette, no, you had to buy all that other crap.
I, personally, was lucky enough to get a BoS III…but I cannot believe it sold out that quickly. I KNOW they have more made…I mean, UD posted about it on their Twitter. I love UD with all my heart, but I feel lately they’ve really been profitting from this “limited quanitity” ploy. I mean, look at Naked! It isn’t even making it to the shelves, or the carts of online reatilers before it sells out! All over the hype and unavailability of it.
Again, can’t wait to receive mine, and it WILL be at Sephora, Ulta, and so on…but 15 minutes is insanity. They HAD to have expected this after the demand for AiW. That one brought in a lot of new customers.
You are right Marina. I am one of those new customers they got with AiW. That was my first UD palette. I got Naked a month ago and ordered NYC today. I guess I have been lucky that when I go to order these products they are in stock although I must admit I stalked them for NYC today.
At the Sephora where I live they have at least ten of the naked palettes and they heve the display, so its not sold out everywhere 🙂
OMG! There is a Book of Shadows III? Okay this is the first I’ve heard about it and I’m subscribe to receive e-mail alerts from them! I do think the limited edition is getting out of hand. Seriously! I mean I love make-up and all but I have other priorities other than standing at the store before it opens to grab one or remembering to call to have one put on hold for me. If I don’t get around to checking something out, I know eventually it will be release in another collection later. It’s not the end of the world if I don’t get it.
Back to UD-BOS, the problem I find with it is that there are a lot of repeat eyeshadows. I have them in other palettes or in individual so sometimes it’s not worth it to get it just for the special/limited edition eyeshadows. I can always try to get a dupe for it.
totally agree..i think there are only 6 shades exclusive to this palette…so for those people who already have the other BOS and palettes from UD..is it still really worth buying this new BOS??i wanted this BOS but i think in some way, UD is ripping off their customers by CONSTANTLY repeating the same eyeshadows in all most all of their “SO CALLED LE PALETTE”
On my way towards the bobbi brown counter i was ambushed by salesm people telling me the naked palette was in & i need to get it. i politley said i already have it. One girl asked how? a man told me i needed to by another one bc a lady was just in & bought 15 of them. i said why? it’s not even limited edition. They kept telling me that we never know, they just might make it limited edition & i should buy a back up. it was so annoying. i thought id share, this post made me think about it again.
This is funny – I had the same response in House of Fraser (UK) last week when I asked if they had the Naked palette. “We don’t know if its going to be LE or not so you need to get one asap.” You DO know, and I passed on it anyway. :p
Ha! That’s so funny 😛 Must have been really annoying too though..
This sounds weird/irrational maybe, but it’s gotten to a point with me where when I see an INSANE level of buzz around a particular product (like with these BOSs especially) I automatically do NOT want the product, because I start to see the product as a marketing scam rather than “makeup I’d like to wear”. It just makes me feel like I’m being swindled.
I feel like that as well.
Ha! Me too. Nothing is THAT special. There will be some other must have item in a few weeks.
I’m growing annoyed with all the limited edition launches. I’m at the point now where I’ll just skip the whole lot if the demand is too high. It’s make up, not the end of the world. I got caught up in it for a year. All I have for it is a whole in my wallet, and a lot of impulse purchases made because something wasn’t going to last forever. I’m over it. -That means YOU, Venomous Villains- Forget about it!
It will be interesting to see how quickly VV sells out, since it pulls in non-MAC/makeup fans who are just Disney fans in addition to MAC/makeup fans/buyers.
I figured it would be like that. I already told myself, “it ain’t gonna happen.” If I walk by two days later, and it’s still there, maybe I’ll take a quick peek.
I talked to my MAC MUA today and she told me that people have already called to ask permission to sleep in front of the door for the release of VV. That is just completely insane to me!
lol! same here!
VV-colours are mostly not my thing. The two dark nail laquers I got already in the version from Orly (thanks for your Swatches!) and the GPS French Quarter would be nice but I still have two “Dirty” GPS, so I do not have to run after it. Anything else, I do not need.
I think it will be similar to the Hello Kitty collection where you had HK fans going into MAC just to get a case with HK on it.
I’m really curious how it will do, too. Are that many Disney fans really into the villains? (some of which aren’t even popular, like the guy from Princess and the Frog?)
Yes, actually! There is a very devoted Disney population to villains 😉
I have to agree with your statement completely. I’ve purchased many LE items in the past because they were LE, and I better collect them all. No I look back at my make up and say “how could of I been so silly – I don’t even like some of these products”.
I’ve only purchased from Too The Beach Collection (impluse buy), and Dare to Wear this year (planned purchased). I’m planning on considering one lipgloss from Disney VV, but I think to myself “is this going to matter to me in 15 years – probably not”.
I usually get that certain product at retail when and IF it’s available from the company who makes it. If it’s sold out before I manage to get my hands on it, well.. I’m certainly not going to pay a piece of my soul to get it. I’m sorry.
GREAT post! i agree in terms of the “chase” being exciting but when stores/sites get 5 of items in stock when they clearly see how much hype there is..i just don’t understand. Why even do that?? it doesnt even make sense for making money…wouldnt it be better to make a a large stock?
I agree!!!
Well said!
how timely – I checked my email after reading this and saw an announcement from UD that their Book of Shadows III is available online. Not even 30 minutes after the email was sent I went to UD’s website and of course it was already sold out. ridiculous.
They sent out the email about an hour and a half after it already sold out. It’s probably a case of one arm not talking to the other arm, or whatever the analogy is, and I imagine the email was written up and scheduled to be sent out at a specific time. But just like MAC, they launch a collection online before any emails come out.
sometimes it can be really frustrating if the things you’d like to have are extremly limited. I remember the thing with Essence’s Moonlight Collection in time for the second film of the twilight saga. A lot of YT beauties&blogs overhyped it and I hear some stores were sold out after half an hour after they’ve put out the display. The same thing with the other Essence-twilight collabration- this time only a red gloss: overhyped and quickly sold out.
I don’t really go on a “hunt” unless it’s something I think will be often used and loved.
oh, and the second time there were even ebay scalpers selling the whole collection for 3x the retail value and they wrote “this collection is not even out yet, get it now”
which i think is really too much but sadly I think there will be people desperate enough to buy them at those prices
I love limited editions, but it’s so stressful…I’m thinking too much anyway and I’m always scared, I won’t get what I want, although I want to have it really bad…It’s just not good for my mood, because I know, that MAC etc. don’t want left-overs of the collection, that’s why they rather produce too little than too much. Plus the hype makes the products even more popular, and ensures the company, that the beauty-addicts will hunt further collections down, for dupes etc. That’s how they make money in the end 😉
This is making me nervous, I REALLY want BOS III and now I’m feeling like I won’t be qucik enough to get it :/
I think too limited is a complete turn-off on the item. Normally, I might consider it, but when it sells out in a matter of minutes, it makes me think that the company doesn’t really care about the customer, and that I should not give hem my money.
A few minutes to get a an item, and then it is sold out? I think of it as the item didn’t exist in the first place.
Also, getting the email after it was already sold out? Bad move, and kinda ticked me off. Felt like salt in the wound, as it were.
Some people get mad about these things, I just take another glass of wine and live happily ever after?
That is sooo sexy, Sadie, lol.
Thanks for this post Christine. It is helping with my disappointment. I have only been collecting about 9 months now and wow I am surprised my feeling were really hurt I didn’t get in on the BOS today on time. I don’t feel well today either and fell asleep shortly before it popped up after waiting by the computer all morning. LOL. I feel like their hype is being built up at the expense of mine and others feelings. Whew, if this happens all the time I better start getting used to it.
Thank you so much for posting this Christine. The whole limited edition thing has gotten WAY out of hand. It’s not fun anymore, it’s stressful. These companies can predict the demand for these products yet they still continue to make and sell miniscule amouts! This is not right, and if they keep it up they will begin to lose customers.
I agree. What really irritates me is that the company doesn’t care about the customer. They do it to keep up the hype and thus keep up their profits. MAC and UD are the worst culprits to my knowledge.
Ah. 🙁
I checked this morning and the UDNYC hadn’t even launched yet, I guess I didn’t check vigilantly enough these past few hours. 🙁
I really wanted it too.
Me too!!!!!! I even checked all weekend just in case… and since i got to work, went to lunch and came back and they’re sold out!!! =(
Same with me. Checked all weekend but was too busy at work this AM and next thing i knew, it had launched and was all sold out. Honestly, makeup is a hobby for me and with all these high stress limited edition launches, it is sadly not fun anymore. =(
I refuse to pay those ridiculous Ebay prices for LE products and I think everybody else should do that too! Instead give feedback to MAC, UD and other brands who keep launching these tiny amounts of certain products. I’m sure they don’t like to disappoint their customers too much and also they’ll notice the demand is huge and they should benefit from it instead of those sellers on Ebay.
On the other hand, is it really the tiny amounts produced or the fact that some people know how to take advantage of the limited editions? With Stereo Rose for example, there were many reports of people buying 5-10 pieces of it and it didn’t take long for the first ones to get listed on Ebay. One person selling 5 pieces etc. I’m not sure if it was with Stereo Rose but I do remember seeing a listing on Ebay which stated the product will be send to the buyer once the seller gets it from MAC!!! Come on, you don’t even have the product yet and you’re already re-selling!
Hey Heli!
I don’t know who’s letting anyone buy 5-10 pieces! I know that when you order from the MAC website (for any product), you can only order 4 max! I ordered 4 of Stereo Rose (one for me, one for a friend, two to giveaway). Even in-store, there is the 4-max limit that only a manager can override (LOL, I tried to buy 10 packs of 100 pack wipes!).
I wasn’t even around when UD put it up, so I don’t know if they had any quantity limitations or not.
I am a big believer in doing everything you can to avoid supporting beauty scalpers, because when you do, you only reinforce the behavior and they’ll keep buying up product just to resell it later. I don’t begrudge people making money on one hand, since it is just economics, but I just can’t support it myself!
Just a warning as well not sure if anyone has come across it but there is a LOT of fake MAC on EBAY and it is very easy to be duped as the packaging looks pretty spot on, I tend to find its obviously fake when it is very cheap and also doesn’t have a shade name but a number instead (for example put in Hello Kitty MAC and loads of cheap mascaras come up as far as I know MAC never did a Hello Kitty mascara!). I read a scary article on it in a magazine about the nasty stuff in the fake make up!
My friend bought 5! From a few different places though. She kept two for herself, selling two and swapping one for a rare LE item!
I totally agree about the beauty scalper comment, totally.
When I got stereo rose, I only bought one! It makes me mad how I heard people were buying 4 each to resell.
I agree – it is disappointing to hear from those who deliberately bought to resell. I even had about 10 people trying to leave comments trying to resell theirs online!
Hi Christine, I left a comment here for my stereo rose…reason? I bought into the hype without swatching first. When I tried it I hated it, and knew that there were a lot of ppl here that wld want it. I sold it at a very reasonable price. I dont think one shd be lumped together with ppl who deliberately hoard so as to sell at exhorbitant prices. Thanks.
That’s not who I was referring to at all – I’m only referring to people who buy with the purpose of reselling at a higher price – not people who don’t like it, sell it later, or people who buy extras and resell at cost + shipping!
Christine, very well stated (both your original article, your comments here, especially this comment). I can’t support the beauty scalpers at all, either!
It’s funny, about a month or two ago, I ended up doing a marketing survey that just happened to be for Urban Decay makeup. The one comment I left at the end when they asked if we had anything else to say, was to not lower themselves to the likes of MAC with such limited amounts of LE items. It’s obvious, at this point, that the companies aren’t perpetually making manufacturing mistakes. It’s a great marketing ploy on their part, but as the consumer, I just end up feeling like it’s a really sleezy thing to do. Yet another thing that is all part of economics, I guess, since a company’s goal is to make a profit, but it still really, really irks me!
Thanks so much for such a great post.
I like limited edition items to a certain extent – because I like that companies will try out new colors, shades, formulas, etc. and make them available. I do wish that companies (e.g. MAC) would consider adding products that sold well to their permanent line from time to time. But I will also say that I do (personally!) feel that MAC has a very solid permanent line, which is already quite extensive, so I can understand why they do LE and not permanent additions (like some other brands do).
It’s so difficult! I just don’t want to have to stay up all night waiting to purchase it or wait in line for four hours, LOL!
I was just saying to my friend that UD is doing a great job hyping all these new LE palettes. Previously I purchased some LE stuff, just because of the hype and they have been disappointing. So now I say pass to everything and surprisingly, I don’t feel like I am missing out! It feels actually good that I am not buying into hypes = smart buyer 😀
WHAT??? SOLD OUT??? I’ve been looking on their website all weekend and all morning today. Did they only make 10 and sell out within seconds? =( It’s so annoying! If they know so many people are going to want it, why only make a few? That sucks and now I don’t even want it. (I’m sure i’m just upset right now and i’ll buy it later)But ughhh it’s so frustrating waiting and nothing.
Nevermind… an e-mail was sent out. So much for leaving my phone at work for 30 minutes. =(
Don’t beat yourself up about forgetting your phone b/c it was sent out after they were sold out!
How ironic is it that as I was reading this article I just got an e-mail from Urban Decay saying Book of Shadows III is now on their website. I wonder how long before it’s sold out. I do agree that some things are totally blown out of the water. I have to wonder how many people buy these limited edition items and then rarely every use them.
Well got my one question answered. By the time I was done leaving my first comment the Book of Shadows III was sold out on the website.
Sold out within 10 minutes, is what UD said on Twitter – and that was around 9ish PST.
I have to admit that the more limited edition something is (like the BoS sets), the less I’ll be inclined to get future versions of it. I’m already pretty meh about BoS and it’s actually also giving me a negative impression of all UD palettes (I don’t have Midnight Cowboy anywhere and I have no intention of getting it).
MAC editions are usually pretty good (with exceptions e.g. Stereo Rose). I think they should make enough so that, and I know this might be difficult to predict, that things don’t sell out until the second day. I.e. if something is getting a lot of hype, they should put out more of it.
I’m not going to go out of my way to get MAC Stereo Rose or UD Naked. Although I would really like to have both, scouring the stores is just not feasible. The best I can do is stay updated on the web sites, but I doubt very much that I will be able to score either.
One good thing to remember is that UD Naked is perm 🙂
I got a UD Naked palette a few weeks ago by asking a Sephora clerk if they had any in the back… let me tell you… it is totally worth the hype! Colors you can wear with any thing or any other shades, good quality, and can make a ton of looks with it.
I find the whole Limited Edition items to be weird marketing wise… I mean if MAC made Stereo Rose permanent surely a lot more people would buy it and MAC would make more money…??? At the MAC store here they only got 5 in…
What bugs me the most are people who buy 5 or 10 of each limited item they can get their hands on and then sell them for stupid prices on Ebay (which they also get for it) Just annoying….
Part of it IS to keep it in limited quantity so that you have people buy it right away – they don’t want you to wait a month and then buy it. Or buy it when you’ve thought about it. It’s like impulse buying, you know? It’s also not just about that product sells out but it sets a precedent — e.g. Marine Life sold out SO SO SO quickly that I think even MORE people were prepared to wait all night to grab Stereo Rose. But in general, “limited edition” translates to “don’t wait around.” I can get with it a few times, but there are just some items that have sold out so quickly lately that it boggles my mind.
Geez, Chanel’s SoHo collection was up all weekend and didn’t sell out, LOL!
i have a love/hate relationship w/ LE items. i hate that mac has been coming out w/ so many collections. it doesnt give me enough time to save up my money. i also hate that lately w/ mac collection i feel like i have to call a day ealy and have my mac counter put some stuff aside that i think may sell out. or else i stress out that they will sell out b4 i can try everything on. and i think its ridiculous how they only get about 5-8 le items (marine life, stereo rose) and then people buy 5 of them and sell them on ebay for triple amount. how is that helping mac, when they are buying it from them retail price? i dont think thats fair, i think 2 should be a limit. and whats up w/ mac repromoting items that came out le a couple months ago in a collection? (ex, by candlelight, feline, liquid lurex, notoriety, skintone 2 ) are they running out of new items? they should running out of ideas? they shopuld repromote stuff we havent seen in years- (ex spiced chocolate quad-i just really want it!=-)
So strange…UD vol 3, hasn’t sold out in UK, been out for about 3 or 4 weeks now, doesn’t seem to be much interest here. I’m not surprised, it’s not that great, I dnt understand the hype???
I don’t get it either. I bought mine weeks ago and it’s still available. I like it, the colours are great, the design less so, but it’s not the best thing ever. Certainly wouldn’t have thought it would sell out in 10 minutes???
I destroyed my packaging the day I got it home, LOL! The shadows are now in a CD case palette that I made. By the time you worked out the cost of the shadows you weren’t paying much for the packaging so I decided to take the plunge. I don’t have a lot of space to store products so I just had to get rid of all the cardboard. It was heavy too!
They’d be smart to ship to the US, they would probably make more money…my bf was in Dublin last week and I asked him to stop at Debanhams to pick me up BOS, then realized their site said online only….I figured I wouldnt even bother since they would probably be sold out IF they had any in store…then I hear about all the stores out there still having in stock… The UK stores could just charge a bit more for shipping and it would still be a million times better than the ebay prices…
I was able to get the BOS today from UD, however I woke up many times throughout the night checking the site like a maniac…then for about 3 hours straight I just kept refreshing their site, when it actually showed up, I ran to grab my card and thought a few seconds when my cart only said “1”, I regret not picking up extra naked palettes for gifts, so Im hoping there are some closer to the holidays…but I thought about all the other “waiters” and “refreshers” and left my cart at 1 like everyone else should have!
I cant believe they let people have 3 a piece at the NY event, at something like that it really should be one per person….
aaaagh!!!! sorry for the rant lol!!! reading all these comments makes me antsy and stressed! lol
I honestly cannot believe how fast it sold out. I think it’s so sad when companies cannot make enough product to satisfy their customers. I am seeing less and less “thrill” and more and more aggravation and anger out of making things this limited. I believe that all LE hype is done purposefully by the companies.
I don’t really like LE stuff just because if you REALLY like it, you won’t be able to resupply later. Plus, limited edition stuff costs more, and so that’s lame too.
THIS! Port Red is my favorite red, and I just ran out. Thankfully a friend’s CCO had two left and she knows I love them, so she snagged them for me but like… it’s annoying to only use something you love on special occasions when you want to wear it all the time!
I really get annoyed by the excess of “LE” stuff going on these days. Although I was able to snag the BOSIII and the Naked palette, I wanted both of those items because I will actually use them and don’t have something like them in my current collection. I have never and will never purchase something simply because it is in high demand or “LE”
Calling so many things you release limited edition, really takes the special out of your products. It’s like calling every idea you ever have a fantastic one. Pretty soon, people are going to get annoyed with you and want you to go away.
I think it’s really ridiculous about the LE hype. My friend got me this BOS III while she was in NY, and really it IS super pretty… but it’s surprising to me that it sold out SO quickly. I’d love to know how many BOS’ they actually made for this launch date. 100? 500? 50? Who knows?
Of course they’ll restock it. Probably soon on urban decay’s site. I wouldn’t stress, just keep checking.
Seriously though, you would think this would cost them their fans, rather than hype up the product more.
Dior recently did something to “p” me off with their VIP program, and if they’re sheisty about it they can consider me no longer a customer.
Once I’m jaded I’m done with a brand. There is so much more out there and there are pretty much dupes for it all. (makeup, clothing.. what have you)
I think that we underestimate stock/quantity as customers — UD has 20K+ followers on Twitter, a healthy Facebook page (I’m too lazy to go check, haha) — I doubt it was just 50 or 100. My personal feeling is it was probably around 5,000-10,000 units. Since they’re saying it’s only temporarily out of stock, then it might have been less just to further build up hype.
I know that sounds really high, but I think you’d just be surprised at just how many people are logging on and keeping up with what’s new and going to sell out.
sometimes it’s really annoying with all these limited editions which are really limited.
that just gives a few people the opportunity to sell this stuff for way too much money on ebay.
if i would sell makeup products i don’t want to see ebay sellers making money with my products, i’d rather want to make money myself.
does anyone unterstand what i mean? 🙂
Great article, Christine!! And it’s so true, sure…it’s all a hype and we (poor make-up addicts) fall for it. We know how it works, but we still keep on buying and wanting these hyped up goodies.
Well….what can I say, we are spoiled people who want to have everything we see and like, no matter what it takes or costs! 😉 Just kidding of course, but I have to say that I’m also one of the people who bought UD Naked & BOS III of Ebay, but I do have a excuse since UD isn’t sold in The Netherlands!
XXX Debbie
Totally understand 🙂 I get the eBay thing, I do, especially for all the lovely international beauty fans!
I don’t think it’s entirely fair to say eBay sellers are all evil for buying more than one Stereo Rose or BOS or whathaveyou, because some people do actualy make a living like that and also very often these items are listed at 99p and end up bid up to £40-50, which is surely not the sellers fault? It’s all down to the hype, and if anyone’s to blame here, it’s the companies that launch these stupidly limited releases. I for one love eBay because I have found many products unavailable in the UK or LE items I wasn’t interested in at the time of their release, etc., and often pick up products cheaper than shop price. If you don’t like buying from eBay sellers, then don’t. End of story.
I don’t like diversion in general – you’re not buying from a legitimate outlet, and not all sellers are reputable, so you may not get real product. But the real issue I have is when people buy items specifically to sell them for double or triple their cost. I don’t buy from eBay sellers as a rule. I’m not annoyed by those who simply stock items and sell them at cost or around retail price – I am talking about people who buy purely to resell at a much higher price. I’m even more so talking about the companies that don’t take control of diversion.
I only cave when it is *so* me that I have to have it. I think some LE collections are way overrated. So they’ve put a sticker on the packaging. Does this make the product 10x more special? No! I think MAC in particular is pushing it too far. They come out with so many new collections and honestly, 2/3 of these products are SO not worth getting (dupable!). It drives me nuts sometimes.
Anyway, I think companies know how we feel about LE and play into that. I always think: “If it’s *this* popular, they will rerelease it sometime (e.g. Feline, 165 brush) / if not, I’ll live. Or find sth else in another brand.”
PS: you’ve probably heard already but we have a dupe for Jade available here for like $2 (€2,5), it’s not available in the US so I’d be happy to send you or whoever wants one a bottle! Just a heads up 🙂
Thanks, Roxanne! I just want the original, LOL. I’ll probably cave and get a dupe… but I have this thing. I want the original, not the copy, LOL.
I’m worse… I want both. LOL!! (This line also provides a Particulière & Orange Fizz dupe, btw.)
Haha. Well, that’s me, too. I don’t mind checking out copies or dupes… but there’s something about the original that I want too!
I received their email announcing the item this morning. Clicked on the link. Look at the page. Out of stock.
I actually responded, asking them what the point was of sending us emails to buy an item that they don’t even have available. They simply said that within minutes of the item going up, it was sold out and they couldn’t stop the emails from going out.
/sigh
Huh. Personally, I’ve never seen a mass emailing service that didn’t let you cancel an email campaign with, like, over an hour to spare! I bet they decided to send them anyways as part of the hype machine. Or else, the communications dept just didn’t get the message to cancel. Either way it doesn’t sound good.
I second your comment, Carrie. I think it’s more a case of lack of communication than not being able to.
It gets pretty annoying, the whole LE thing. I was swept up in it last year. And I wound up with a lot of stuff hyped up by a lot of other users that didn’t necessarily end up working for me and back-ups that I would never end up using. The only thing I really let myself chase this year was Stereo Rose, but as I wasn’t free to go purchase it myself, I had to ask my mom to do it, since I didn’t think it would be available the following day when I could go. Lo and behold, the next day I had a look in the THREE MAC stores at my mall, and they were sold out of Stereo Rose, all three of them. That’s crazy, was there only what, 2 at each counter? I have a feeling they do this limited thing, so that next time they ever decide to re-release Stereo Rose, the exact same thing will happen.
And the funny thing, for all the over-hyped things that sell out on the website or in stores, everywhere, those same items still wind-up at CCO’s or outlets, I’ve seen it, so I think maybe we should all not let ourselves get caught up, if we’re meant to have it, we’ll get it. It’s weird too, for how limited these items are, how many of them end up in CCO’s. I so believe there is more produced than MAC seems to let on, which I think is kind of frustrating. There’s always other ways, like checking CCO’s and then bonus being that they’ll be even cheaper then.
I totally agree about the weirdness of finding these products at CCO’s later! What is up with that?! I mean, I like it…I’ve gotten MSFs and shadows that I otherwise had given up on. But it’s a strange feeling to buy something at a discount that so many people probably paid inflated prices for on eBay.
I know some readers have said they have super slow counters — so I bet it’s from stores that don’t do a ton of business!
I completely agree with you gals. I just visited a cco last and guess what i found…msfs including perfect topping, blonde brunett rehead, and many others. Even things from neo scifi. I was just in awe of the msfs because they generated so much hype.
On that note, a lot of companies have been coming out with so many LE products that i have started to avoid looking at them.
This includes Mac which is getting on my nerve with putting out products that are similar to their regular collection. Enough already!
Great topic Christine.
Sold out in 10 minutes is too limited of a limited edition. It makes me question, is the product this coveted and wonderful? Or is the frenzy only a result of the company releasing just a few and generating “sold out” buzz? Makes me suspicious about just how many palettes they really have.
It’s getting completely out of hand and I think no one should go and buy it on EBAY make those “bastards” pay off what they bought and not make a gain. Resist the temptation. It’s just makeup after all. Something similar is bound to come out from some other company. Companies need to stop playing into this. I got their email at 11 something after they’d sold out. It’s stupid.
I understand it’s a marketing ploy to make something “limited edition”. However I feel like companies at UD are just being ri-damn-diculous now. Less than 10 minutes? DID YOU RELEASE 100? I feel like a good product is a good product, you don’t need that type of foolishness in order to sell a product. But what do I know? 😐
The only time I’ve ever sort of “succumb” to product hype, was with Stereo Rose. It was a product that I liked previously (just from swatches) and I was about to buy one from a makeup sale via Livejournal. I skipped it though, not really regretting it, because it was announced that it would be part of an upcoming collection. Then I started seeing people’s comments online, about buying 5 of them and asking others what was the absolute max amount someone could buy at different counters…needless to say I was disgusted at their greed but also, I became obsessed with getting one. Days before its launch, I was all over various dept store sites and MAC online, trying to make sure I got one. In retrospect, I feel a little silly about making such a big deal about it but if I hadn’t, I know I wouldn’t have gotten one.
For something like MSF’s, I think the hype is deserved since they take longer to produce; fewer to sell. But something like a pressed product, I often times don’t understand the buzz; there are considerable dupes as well.
For something like UD Book of Shadows, all of their palettes looks the same anyway AS WELL AS having repeat colors from previous BOS palettes and common color stories. I did want to get this BOS III because I don’t own any UD palettes, but I would NEVER pay more than retail to get one. I can completely ignore the hype.
Hey Christine! I heard that Milan’s Dress Maker Nail Lacquer is supposed to be a pretty good dupe for Chanel’s Jade. You should check it out : )
Yeah, but I want the real thing, LOL. It’s like I want THE original, not the copy 😉
yeah i feel the same way- i WANT the original. i dont want to waste my money and buy a dupe. i guess im a brand hoar. =)ive been finding too many dupes at the drugstore-but i dont mind spending etra money (not outragous amounts though)on the real thing if u can find it.
Luckily I haven’t had a tough time getting any of these limited edition palettes. I always buy them at the store, not online, I’m just not quick enough. The key is to go to Ulta instead of Sephora. I got my AIW palette a week after the release date and I kid you not there were 20 of them. The same thing with the Naked palette, there were probably 12. You bet when BOS 3 is released I’ll be going there.
This isn’t always true. I went to my Ulta close to me and they seem to never have the Naked Palette in stock. I went to one closer to the City and they had three just sitting there, days after it came out and you couldn’t find them anywhere. I was like do ppl not know about this Ulta? LOL so I think I’ll look there for my LE stuff. But not scour all of the Ultas in my Metro area. Who has time for that?
I would never pay more than the retail price for a product just because it’s LE. I just wouldn’t because, thank God, there are so many other brands and products to choose from. But it’s not only about the fact that something is LE, I also don’t want to support those ridiculous eBay sellers and prices. I refuse to do so!
Yes, I do want BoS III., but if I don’t get it – I’ll live. I could live so far without it and I’m sure I’ll manage to continue live without it. 😀
I believe companies know exactly what they are doing. Sometimes I love the hunt but I cannot buy something marked up 5 times.Is it me or have you noticed MAC for instance almost everything is limited edition now? come on seriously…
To add insult to injury I JUST recieved an email saying it was available for purchase. This is madness!
Same here! I got it about two hours after it went online, I was like WTF?
Personally, I think it’s a pretty dumb move on any company’s part to make such a small quantity of anything that eBay and other sellers can sell at obscene profits. The company isn’t getting that money, someone on the secondary market is, and it just makes no sense why a company would rather have someone other than them make huge profits on an item they sold at MSR.
And anything that sells out in under an hour is WAY too limited. Great that UD is going to restock (did they say up front that there would be more? I don’t know, I wasn’t stalking BoS III) but still, I think it’s absurd that an item sold by a “large” company [one that mass-produces items, not one that makes custom or artisan products to order] sold out that fast.
To me there comes a point where rational takes over and you have to weigh value for your $$. There will always be another shadow, palette, or color that is similar or close, or even better. In addition, if you are patient and wait long enough, you can usually find the coveted item at a price point that is “reasonable”. It might be later, well after the mad dash, but in reality that gives you time to decide if the “want” is still as strong!
i dont buy limited editions. only becouse thats a marketing trick to make people crazy
Honestly I hate when UD does this esp when most of their colors are repromotes or re named. So I could care less if they sell out. Its all about re packaging for them
Thats so true…they’ll just end up selling another palette with those same colors and 10 colors from their permanent line anyway. Its really sad how they do that since I own all of the eyeshadows from the permanent line and if I want that “one” color from a *NEW* palette I have to pay for colors I already have, i own every palette so far except Naked and BOS 3 and ill have 5 of the same color anyway
I find I’m getting more frustrated the more collections come out. I actually managed to get Marine Life, Stereo Rose and Ripe Peach, which I guess means I’m lucky. But I do not like the idea that, in order to get each of these, I had to haul myself to the store the day that the collection launched because I knew that there would be a mad dash for these particular products.
I’ve been searching for a back-up for my almost-empty Lightscapade and I’ve wanted to try Metal Rock as a deep blush, but I’m not interested in paying $100 each for them.
Forecasting is never an exact science and maybe some of these companies have gotten burned with lots of leftover inventory in the past, but they have to realise that, when products are selling out immediately, their forecast is too low and they need to change it going forward (or risk alienating their customer base).
Ditto to everyone above; though I am a bit confused, isn’t the Naked palette part of the permanent line, not limited edition?
Yeah, Naked is perm!
i used to get excited and prepared for LE products, now i just totally ignore it. i’ve been collecting makeup for 2 years and found things that work best for me. lots of LE items are overhyped which makes me feel kind of dumb spending so much effort getting them. but for the really good stuff,i think the makeup companies are loosing out because people pay more on ebay when the money could’ve went to them and you’ll always find a similar product.
Limited edition products are fine, but I agree it has become out of control. I am a student who loves makeup, but my budget doesn’t always allow for rushing to buy limited edition makeup. It makes me upset, and let me use MAC as an example.
I really like blushes, and there have been many LE ones I would have liked from various collections the past while. However, I have not been able to afford new makeup. So I go to MAC yesterday with my roommate, and I do not like any of the new blush collections I see. And I don’t want anything that’s in the permanent collection, so I end up not purchasing anything and being bitter because I’ve seen many blushes I WOULD have liked, but they don’t stick around for long enough.
*End of rant*
So to conclude, I do not like this limited edition craziness because I am not a person with disposable income to spend instantly when something new comes out. I would rather brands make enough product for a decent time frame, and then advertise that it’s your last chance before it disappears.
I’ve already bought some LE stuff on ebay but only long-time coveted items and with a reasonable price.
It’s a bit frustrating and annoying. I used to scout the MAC website at every release (all day!) and I bought products I later realized I didn’t want that much or didn’t suit me…
Nowadays, I don’t buy MAC collections right away, I wait. Even if the product I want is the most coveted one of the collection and I know that it will sell out, I don’t buy it right away. I wait for your swatches and opinion as well as others’ opinions. Beside,s they often release it again after a while. That’s how I got Marine High Life Powder from the Beach Collection. It sold out in minutes ( + I don’t live near a MAC store) so I waited, it was released again so I put it my basket and was going to confirm my order but then when I confirmed it told me it was out of stock (frustration)! And then, when I’ve lost all hope, a month later, it came back and it didn’t sell out. I waited a week to buy (was hesitating), everybody already got it and the people who missed bought it on ebay for an insane amount of money. ^^
I also believe like the girls who commented that it is marketing. They don’t have to make a product a LE, the packaging maybe but not the product itself.
The only item I own of UD is the eyeliners 24/7 but I’ve been trying to buy some UD stuff more than once but it goes on sale in France much later than in UK or in the US and the e-store refuse to give you the day it comes out, I always end up too late (Alice, Naked palettes…).
They put so many LE products! Even if I want one of they product and have the opportunity to buy it (miracle!) I don’t, because it annoys me.
Long comment! sorry 🙂
This is precisely why I’ve given up on brands whose releases only consist of limited edition products. Only reason why I’ve ever cared is because maybe 1 or 2 products released are something I don’t have but with MAC it feels like not only are products a heap of re-promotes but the quality of the product feels extremely watered-down in pigmentation and wear. I know I really want the MSE’s from VV as well as the Bite of an Apple blush but I have literally no chance of getting in stores because of an unrealistically limited stock and at my counter they’ll let you walk away with as many products as you want. So in otherwords, it’s just not worth it. Only reason I’ll go to MAC is if I want a new bottle of mineralized satinfinish but so far I have no such urge to restock.
I personally find it quite exciting when a product is limited edition and you have to stay on your toes not to miss it. It brings some fun to the whole purchasing experience. Plus, knowing that not everybody was able to get their hands on the product makes it more thrilling.
Part of the problem is also people who are trying to turn a profit on eBay by quickly buying them and then selling them for twice as much.
I start to lose interest when it sells out that quickly. For me, it’s just not worth the hassle. It’s not like they are inventing a new color that has never existed before!
This is a fantastic post, Christine!
I understand the excitement about limited edition products, but for me, it’s all just makeup in the end. I love makeup, and it’s definitely something that I have fun with, but I can’t picture myself stressing out so much about a product that may very well sell out in under 30 minutes. I’ll find a way to move on and find other makeup to play with. Haha. If I get stressed out over a limited edition product, then I feel I won’t have as much fun with this hobby anymore, and that would make me really sad.
I also believe that the whole “TOO Limited Edition” thing is definitely intentional by the companies. I can’t fault the companies entirely for it though, since it gives them good business and good buzz. It’s a dog-eat-dog world with businesses, and this isn’t an exception to the makeup companies. They’re competing with each other to release the next big product that gets all of the hype. In this retrospect, companies like MAC and Urban Decay are geniuses.
I’m aware that people may complain about the ethics of these companies, but if people keep getting into the hype, then the companies will continue to do what they’re doing. It’s what makes them successful, and if I owned a makeup company, I would be doing the same thing.
i can see the bussiness aspect of limited items. but nowadays it should be called the first ” 5-6 limited edition items” , since tHATS how many of a coveted item they get in stock of an per store. i think limited edition should mean it will last 1-2 weeks.
I know exactly what you mean, I have been stalking sephoras website waiting for the Urban Decay Naked Palette, it seems everyone has it but me 🙁
I just cant bring myself to buy one off ebay at a high cost and not even know if its authentic. I guess ill just wait :/
The good news with Naked is it’s perm and eventually they’ll have it in stock 😀
I ordered mine about a month ago. Sephora had it in stock one morning, when I went to place my order in the afternoon it was out of stock. Two days later it was back. I was on their email notification list the whole time and never heard from them once. The key is to keep checking I guess.
God I always feel like such a sucker for limited edition products. Like there are certain ones where I’m like mehh, pass, but for others, I pull my hair out trying to find them! I somehow finangled getting a Marine Life, but I haven’t used it at ALL because I’m scared I will love it and run out of it!!!
LOL i thought i was the only one! i bitched until i got a marine life.. now it sits in my room still in the box! Never even opened.
I used to enjoy limited edition but more often than not they piss me off now, because if I don’t have the money or the time the SECOND these things come out, I don’t get to have them. Moreover, I don’t have the time to invest to keep refreshing websites to see if items were uploaded and being sold early, etc, so more often than not I miss out entirely.
I agree, it’s pretty ridiculous. I understand having a coveted item, but what good is the item if you have to crawl through mud to get it? UD is the newest, and I think almost worst offender here. It’s a pallete. They should be making a gazillion of these. This is the 3rd edition they’ve put out, so by now they KNOW exactly how many they should make.
It makes more people angry than exhilarated, I think, to make SUCH short supply. It’s not like they’re Chanel. I understand Chanel running out. But others need to make a bigger supply.
I even get irritated by Mac! How they constantly make colors that sell out in hours of release? I don’t like sitting at the computer, counting down minutes until they open the line, just so they can take my money. If the products were available even for a week or two, it would give us time to THINK about what we want. See others’ swatches, etc. But they don’t want us to think, just grab!
I USUALLY get what I want at Mac, (Although, 1 hour late made me miss Smoke & Diamonds…) but this kind of urgency from Urban Decay? Gimmie a break. They’re losing more fans than making them.
Can you believe Chanel SoHo is all still available?!?! I thought it was going to sell out IMMEDIATELY.
where is it still available? i am trying to get the nail polishes…
Online at chanel.com
This is obviously a marketing ploy. Urban Decay knows a lot of their customers buy from Sephora and Ulta, so they release the product on their website first in a limited amount, brag about “SELLING OUT IN 10 MINUTES!!!” and then when the hype is generated and people know how coveted it is, they rush to get more when they’re released at Sephora.
It’s the same reason they send press samples, to get the word out there and build up anticipation months before the release so people know to wake up at butt-crack O’clock to get this overhyped product before anyone else.
What I don’t understand is the NAKED palette…this is supposed to be perm but you can’t find it anywhere. Has UD’s factories broken down? What’s the deal? And I think there should ordering limit of 2 on LE products. I see someone maybe buying just one extra as a product as a gift, but more than that…you know it’s going on Ebay. Ok that’s just my 2 cents.
I think its wrong b/c greedy ebay sellers will buy up a bunch and sell them at ridiculous prices. They should make enough to last a good month at least.
UD is becoming TOO MUCH like MAC with their LE stuff, and that is NOT a good thing.
I was one of the many that was stalking their website today and I was able to get my order through in the 10 minutes before it sold out. I felt sooo bad for the girl on their facebook who was up since midnight and missed out during the 10 mins she was taking a shower.
Lately UD’s LE stuff just is getting to ploy like, of course LE is always a ploy, but this is to the extreme. I mean, 10 minutes? Seriously?? There’s no way they didn’t know what the demand would be, they knew from the hype on their FB page and the NYC event. And if their stock is really THAT limited the day of, they should be limited the amount each person can buy, at least until they can catch up on inventory.
All I’ll say is that I have found myself spending hours trying to track something down before. At the end of the day – Once I finally come swinting out of my office, rubbing my eyes at the daylight – I’m usually just embarrassed by myself 😛
It is a little silly, isn’t it? You’re like, “Did I REALLY just spent the past two hours trying to find this?”
I’m so glad you posted your “How Limited Edition is TOO Limited Edition?” today. It’s so appropriate. I called UD about an hour before the email arrived regarding BOS and was told to watch for an email within the next day or two. It was implied that it wouldn’t go on sale today, but needless to day, it did. When the email arrived about an hour later, I responded immediately and it was already sold out. This is really frustrating – your great review made me really want one.
Seems to me, the LE business has gone a little to far. These companies know that items like this will be in high demand, and to whet the desires of the buyers and then not produce enough makes me wonder if these companies are the ones I want to continue to do business with. Maybe we should start showing our dislike of this practice by buying from companies who do produce enough to meet the demand of their customers.
I’d also say that just speaking up, whether on this post or on other places, is good, too. Urban Decay, in particular, is very active on all aspects of social media, so at the end of the day, they’re reading and hearing customer complaints and that customers are beginning to see and feel like it’s just marketing — which is disingenuous — and not liking it. Whether any brand listens to it, we’ll have to wait and see.
I really hope they take notice. I’ve recently been buying a lot of Urban Decay because I like their shadows and liners.
I stayed up all night refreshing the website since they tweeted that it would be available in the “morning.” At around 10am I got sick of it, felt incredibly stupid, and vowed never to buy a BOS. (This one isn’t very aesthetically pleasing anyway and I fail to see the diversity at all.) I think I’m pretty much done with the brand actually. I’m not too keen on their practices or policies. They actually tweeted about how they were trying to get legitimate palettes removed from ebay! (From British sellers!) They need to learn about property rights. Also, they did a RT about how one person got a BOS. Rubbing it in if you ask me. They need new PR too.
Hmm, 10 mins? That smells fishy. I do hope to catch this at Sephora when it launches, I plan to check it out in person. I’ve actually been “saving” for it, and would be gravely disappointed if I couldnt get it.
I think it’s “unfair” to say the least. I collect BE limited edition eyeshadow sets that come out with no warning and feel extremly upset when it gets sold out. I try to do a bit of research on wether I have that color/it’s actually LE, etc but sometimes that costs me the product. It sucks, and also it makes you impulse buy the next time. I guess that’s their plan and it works.
UD says it’s temporarily out of stock, so apparently they’ll be restocking BoS III on their website.
The most I ever paid for a L.E. item was $70 for the Dior Graphic Lights quint, which was also an Asia exclusive. Sometimes you just have to step back and say to yourself, “if this was a permanent item, would I purchase it today?” It’s amazing what you can discover about shopping habits and marketing strategies. Many of us (myself included) have purchased a L.E. item even if we didn’t particularly like the color. Now I keep reminding myself that every collection, no matter what brand, is going to have some L.E. items each season and if I were to try to purchase them all for that reason alone I’d be an idiot.
Although you can justify that with the exchange rate or international shipping maybe it would have cost the same ;P
The whole limited edition thing is annoying. Just like Eileen said, it is a marketing strategy. Especially with this hype on MAC collections and Urban Decay’s Naked palette. I’m sure if you look in your eyeshadow stash, you’ll already find you have all the colors and more. It is just perfectly boxed in this nice little palette that “looks different” than anything else you have which leads you to believe that “you don’t have it yet.” It’s a nightmare and addiction…but we’ll all get through this together.
If MAC does me a favor and do a re-release of Ripe Peach then I’ll be good forever. I have developed a love hate relationship with MAC especially this year. They make me sick with their limited edition…LIMITED QUANTITIES. I wish I didn’t have a bad MAC addiction or I’d kick ’em to the curb.
Waiting hours and hours (pics in my blog) Book of Shadows Vol. III in Times Square was fun and the time went fast so I love Urban Decay – The Urban Decay people (on Twitter) talk to use mere makeup addicts and I really appreciate that. I got a free full sized UD mascara for tweeting event pics. So nice.
I’m sick of the LE items myself. Especially if its a great color that can be worn anytime and a million different ways. I got a stereo rose the last time it came out and people were like OH can i buy that off you? Um, really? REALLY??? Crazy.. its MAKEUP..
since I dont own a creditcard and most limiteds don’t come out in NL, i dont really have to worry about it: I cant get them anyway.
when does urban decay usually have their friends and family sale?
I haven’t heard anything about it yet!
It makes me not want to purchase their (Urban Decay’s) products. They’ve become very full of themselves. From a small boutique to a bunch of mediocre snobs.
I could not agree more. I’d like this palette, but I will not resort to ebay for it.
My feelings towards Urban Decay soured when they wouldn’t answer a simple question for me about their products. I emailed them and got no response and posted twice on their Facebook page. They were responding to people on their FB page but would not answer my question for anything. If this palette wasn’t so nice, I’d stick to my usual boycott of them.
it drives me frigging nuts!!!!!!!!! its more like its for staff, staff f&f, and mean people who buy 10 at once and charge 10times the amount how exactly is that a smart selling strategy? you get f**ked off with it after so long and give up on the brand! GRRRRR
It is total BS. As a person who manufactures my own goods for my business I can tell you it is not cost effective to order in tiny quantities. They didn’t run out they are limiting the release to create hype and panic to boost sales and force an impulse buy. In this economy it is smart especially for a high dollar item but it isn’t cool. This is not how you treat loyal customers and keep them. I’m not buying into the frenzy anymore.
Great post, and the number of replies you’ve had is testament to the fact that people are getting really upset about this.
I’m a LONG time UD fan, so they have a soft spot in my heart. I don’t usually ‘do’ palettes but the BOS’s have become a collection for me, and so I do seek them out. However the way these are being hyped and over-marketed is really beginning to tick me off, and where I once saw UD as different and going against the grain, now I’m seeing them in a pretty negative light. Creating a buzz for a product is clever, creating this frenzied madness is damaging.
I’m also truly disgusted with people who bulk buy these items to sell on eBay, but the only way to stop this is if we all stop buying from them. I appreciate that the value of an item is determined by the purchaser, but no BOS is worth £50 or £60. We all need to calm down and take a breath. Didn’t get one on launch? It’s ok, you’ll live. Really have to have one? Well, ok, but purchase at a reasonable price. Once scalpers realise they can’t get stupid money for these products (£500 for Chanel Jade? Are you on crack??), they too will calm with the hype. Or they’ll just have a lot of BOS’s that they’ll be selling off for less than retail just to get rid of them. :p
that’s what pre-order is for. to get a count of how much you’d have to produce. UD is just plain obnoxious, and there’s a certain point where hype what originally seemed like a good marketing plan just becomes annoyed customers
I’m totally glad you brought it up as someone who gets a complimentary palette, but yet understands how annoying it is for a regular consumer
I’ve been there! I was JUST there for Stereo Rose. I didn’t get a complimentery AiW and had to make sure I was there when it went up so I could review & swatch ASAP! I can still relate 😉
I just don’t agree with the limited edition ploy. I do believe it is all to boost sales and financial gains for a large company to boost sales figures. I wish they would make it 1.) more accessible to the consumer and 2.) don’t make only a select number of things and then sell out in 1 hour.
I think it is going too far now – brands just seem to be playing hard to get and it’s getting on my nerves. That said, I don’t think things are as bad in the UK. UD BOS III came out 3 weeks ago and it’s still available without too much problem.
i TOTALLY agree. granted i DO have the UD loves NYC palette, but i know that if i had never went to the Sephora pre-launch, i would have never gotten this.
frankly i dont spend alot on something if its sold out already.
if its sold out and i cant get it, i die a little inside but i move on 🙂
If it’s a limited edition, then I won’t buy it. When I buy cosmetics that really look nice on me, I want to be able to replace them when I run out.
Ultimately, I respect a company’s right to put out as many or as few of a product as they want to. But it does get annoying when something I really wanted sells out so fast that I never had a chance. I’ve never bought a limited edition product from anywhere other than right from the company. I refuse to pay more than the original price. If it sells out before I can buy it, I figure I’ll just live without it.
the UD naked palette is permanent right?
Yes!
Limited edition on products that I love are a pain; it’s triggers me into OCD mode, causing me to buy loads of them and to hoard! I think make up companies should allow for their customers to rate a product online, and that they’d put out more of the more popular products that were meant to be limited edition; like make them part of the permanent collection.
“I really, really want Chanel’s Jade Nail Lacquer, but there’s just no way I could lay down $250 for it and live with myself. No way!”
I’ve heard that Milani’s Dressmaker is like, an EXACT dupe for this. If you google Jade vs. Dressmaker you can see swatches! So I just ordered mine from Milani’s website. 🙂 $4.99 instead of $250? DONE! ;D
I saw, but I have a thing for the original 🙂 That’s always how I’ve been – I’d rather have the original than the dupe.
Oh Christine, I hope the price of it goes down! This is why I like you though, you’d rather have the original, yet you refuse to pay $250 for it. You are normal. That is refreshing. 🙂
I think if it was $50, I might go for it. I REALLY want it, and I’ve REALLY wanted it for awhile — normally I force myself to wait to ensure it’s not just a passing want (because many times, it is!). But yeah, $250?!?!?! I’m only going to wear it once, I know it! LOL!
So I’m assuming this is a bluish polish..it’s up on ebay for around 35 right now 🙂
Green 😀 That’s probably Nouvelle Vague, which sellers are touting as the “new Jade” LOL!
oh..darn!
What pisses me off are the people that feel the need to buy FIVE of something. No, you’re really not going to use all five, so don’t be a jerk and let four other girls get them too.
I feel like LE items are overrated. 9/10 of the LE items I have purchased in the past are disappointing.the product isn’t even worth purchasing but it is the hype of the products that gets you. I guess with school and just plain life, I don’t have the time to sit and watch tons nd tons of reviews on yt where so many different products are being raved. Yes occasionally I do get suckered into purchasing some but my addiction has totally calmed down. I don’t feel the need to line up to purchase one product. I have honestly too much makeup and half of them are still new and untouched. I honestly will not die if I don’t have a product everyone else has. I can dupe nd create looks using what I have.
The extremely limited edition stuff that sells out instantly is actually costing them sales on my part. If I’m interested in a LE, I’ll head down to Sephora or MAC, check it out, and probably buy some other things while I’m there. If what I’m interested in sells out instantly, I don’t bother gong down and usually don’t wind up buying anything from that collection. I think it’s a bad decision that will ultimately cost them sales.
This is a common issue with video games as well, and some companies -will- under supply the product to increase hype and demand.
I read this wondering when it would be released. I got the UD email an hour after I read this. Went online straight away to buy it and it is out. Normally if something sells out quick and I at least had a sparkle of a chance to buy it, it just wasn’t meant for me. But there was no sparkle of a chance with this one. I hope they don’t bring it out again with a bunch of un-needed items like the Alice Shadow Box. I’m crossing my fingers for Ulta or Sephora to have it.
For me, there’s a definite thrill of getting my hands on something most of my friends won’t be able to get! I remember getting Stereo Rose, then going to several other stores asking them if they were sold out. It gives me a sense of satisfaction 🙂 That being said, I didn’t get this BOS. I had the opportunity to do the NY pre-sale, but the hype surrounding it was way too much for me.
I guess in the end, it’s very psychological. Makeup makes me feel great, and a limited edition piece makes me feel fabulous!
I see how UD is limiting supply to hype up demand, but it just annoys me as a customer. They should have at least have had enough stock to supply a weeks worth–even a few days. This is just ridiculous. I wonder if they actually sold out or if they just faking a shortage to drive up demand.
Not sure if anyone else has said this, but michele1218 on YouTube linked to a comparison of Milani’s Dress Maker to Chanel’s Jade… they look nearly identical.
http://stephscloset.com/blog/beauty/2010/08/724/dupe-alert-chanel-jade-nail-polish/
I don’t think the shade would suit me, but it’s cool that it has such a good dupe.
Anyway, I think the uber limited edition-ess of some products (like Stereo Rose) is kind of ridiculous. I can’t see myself spending a ton on ebay for something that’s probably not that much better than the tons of other products out there. In any case, I prefer to buy from MAC/Nordstrom/whomever directly.
I’ve heard! But I really want the original, not the dupe/copy 🙂 Thank you though!
Hah, the others hadn’t been posted when I wrote! I get that though. I think I would be the same way if someone told me there was a Revlon dupe for an LE MAC item I wanted. I’d still want the MAC item!
What is so special about the Chanel Jade nail polish? I’m not hugely into nail polishes, but even so, it doesn’t seem that special to me. (But then I guess not everyone thinks Mac Pleasureflush MSF is the most beautiful highlighter ever, lol.)
I suppose it was a more unique shade at the time? I don’t have it, so I don’t REALLY know. But I like green, love Chanel’s polishes in general, and am missing this one!
Stuff doesn’t sell out as quickly here in Ireland. I got the naked palette no problem and the BOS III was available but I decided not to get it. I don’t mind limited edition but having an absolute minute supply seems ridiculous.
Welp I missed out just like a lot of other people did, but I’m just telling myself OH WELL, I missed out on my fifth Midnight Cowboy and my like 7th Zero eyeliner and a whole bunch of paper crap that will just get in my way when I go to open the palette. UD can kiss my limited edition ass if this is the way they want to fake that their products are super-duper special.
I was actually up most of the night refreshing the UD website, twitter and facebook. I was so happy to have snagged 10. One for each of my sisters, my friends, my mom and mil. Unfortunately, UD just called my husband and told them it’s backordered. Now, I have to call everyone to let them know they aren’t getting it anytime soon. Sux. I feel UD is purposely backordering my purchase cuz of the amount. Here, I thought we were being smart to send one person to buy it all. Not only do they not have enough palettes for everyone who wants it, they don’t even have enough for those who were able to buy them!
I think there’s an overuse of LE.
The idea is good: a manifacturer decides to make few exemplars of a product in a particular time of the year, or in a special moment for him, as anniversaries and so on. The LE has a MEANING, it’s special for real.
Now, there’s a LE about every day: people are overwhelmed and, sooner or later, they become accostumed to LEs, and they lose enthusiasm about them. I personally find difficult to fall in love for LE products or simply like a lot one of them.
I think brands should have a stop and make LE less frequently…
MAC does that a lot, and I hate it, I stopped buying MAC altogether.. they can go to hell!
I’d rather spend my money on chanel, YSL, Nars, etc.
And Lisa, I agree!…. I adore NARS so much. *sighs* lol
I couldn’t have said this any better. I had to wait for the Naked palette to arrive at Ulta because I REFUSED to pay $80-$100 on Ebay for it! LOL As far as the BOS Vol III… I want it because I missed out on Vols. I & II but please believe I’m not paying over $54 (plus tax) for it. NO. It’s not that serious. The only LE product I paid for that was more than the original price was the MAC Blush Ombre in Vintage Grape and I dropped $30 ($5 more than the original price) for it and don’t regret it. I’ll try to catch vol. III when available but I’m not gonna break my neck for it.
=/ looks like I missed out…but it’s still being released by Sephora and Ulta right?
Yep! 🙂
I’m a little disappointed about how fast all this stuff sells out in the first place. They hype it up so much and then it’s all gone. You think they’d plan to make a lot more…wouldn’t that mean more of a profit??
Idk. I’m bummed. =/
It seems that ideally–from a business perspective–you’d want to make enough to fulfill the initial demand of “I will buy it the day it comes out!” kind of people. You want to capture those impulse/immediate buyers and not give people TOO much time to think, but at the same time, not keep quantity so low that you really don’t maximize the potential profit.
The idea is that impulse buying means you’d buy more or something you wouldn’t normally buy if you had some time to mull it over, so they don’t want the product to sit on shelves for weeks. Which is fine, but it just seems like they’re leaving money on the table if they under-supply to a degree where they can’t even satisfy their core customers.
true, but theirs so many people that buy into the hype- buy it the first day, get home, test it out, make a video on youtube- THEN they are dissapointed , so they end up returning it to (EX MAC) , and their goes an item that someone else could have gotten b4 it sold out. bc mac has to return it to the company but that doesnt mean their going to get a replacement to sell. so it all can be very wasteful.
That’s understandable, but if you paid $30 for something and didn’t like it, I don’t think it’s wrong for them to return it – some people save up for weeks to get that one over-hyped item and are as disappointed when they try it as those who missed out. The blame has to rest more on the hype machine itself (the brand) than the customers who buy to use/own!
That really frustrates me. I really wanted the Marine Life, Stereo Rose and this. It is so disappointing to miss out all those times. I also just hardly got a job and my paycheck won’t be until next Friday. I was so lucky to have had bday money to buy Lithe pigment, I knew that’d be gone fast!
My fear is that the Venomous Villains will sell out those two BEAUTIFUL mineralized eyeshadows. I also fear that Sephora will have this before Friday (even then I have to deposit) and I will miss out on this too.
It’s really sad companies do this. I can understand a HUGE collection, but one product that continues to be popular I really don’t understand. Plus us girls love great deals, this is one to go after! 🙁 I’m ultra bummed still.
I am HORRIBLE with LE. I’m still new to Mac and all the higher ends. I got a lot of room to build in my collection. Some LE are so pretty and I’d hate to miss out on it.
I am so stoked for the mac venemous villains collection – i have been putting aside a little money each week to afford all the products i want. but the problem is, i am in college! so what happens if the products go online while i’m in school? i’m afraid they’ll sell out before i get home 🙁
christine – what do you think will happen? will it sell out in a matter of hours therefore i should skip class? or do you think i’ll be safe?
It’s really hard to say, because 1) it’s a HUGE collection; 2) MAC and Disney fans are coming together–a lot of people have said “boo!” packaging and said they’re not buying on the MAC fan side of things… but who knows; 3) we have no idea what kind of stock they have for it.
Products will probably show up on Monday afternoon before it launches in-store on Thursday the 30th — BUT they may not. They may pop up sometime between 5AM-10AM PST on Tuesday morning as well.
What you can do, though, is consider that you have several retailers: MAC, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Dillards. I know that many Nordstrom counters will allow you to call and ship (from any store), so you could always try that instead of ordering online. Just call any one or the closest to you (even if that’s still a ways away!) to ask.
i never order online, not after what happened to stereo rose ( people ordering it online b4 it sold out -only to get an email saying its going to take 2 weeks till they get it or they sold out even after people had bought it) i always either go in first day within hour opening, OR call my local mac store and ask to put some items on hold that may sell out, i go in their all the time, so they know me. =)
In most European countries, MAC seems to online release tiny amounts of each LE-item, even a lot fewer than in the US. I see people on forums talking about ordering something one or two weeks after release, that would be quite impossible here for 80% of the items. Recently the Digi-Pops and Dazzle Lipsticks sold rather slowly, but that was really an exception; most collections are wiped out in the same week with just bits and pieces left at some counters maybe and the most coveted items are usually sold out on the first day, the second latest.
I´m sometimes annoyed about the LE-items because there are couple of times when they contain colours that I really have not found anywhere else and not in MAC-quality, either. It´s not helping if Estee Lauder had them, too, since their price point is even higher.
Another aspect which I find inconvenient is the fact that there is no chance to buy a replacement when the product runs out, unless you bought multiples at one time. For perishable items such as glosses and lipsticks and other creamy products, buying lots of backup is just not an option. I cannot buy lipsticks for the next ten years in advance 😀
A reasonable solution would be seasonal products, such as for example the amount of items for 3 LE’s combined at once, separated in colour stories, but all available for let´s say three of four months.
That way it´s still limited but the quantity sold is much higher since there also would develop buzzes about certain products.
Yes, MAC tells that the colours are following the fashion, and certain themes and they always want to be current, etc, but I do not believe that people do not use certain LE-colours anymore already after a month because they’d be “out of fashion” and that then they are looking for more. If several collections would be available for some months, there’d be also lots to buy, too, so no-one would have their LE-shopping done with in the first week, either.
It happens with the Viva Glam Gaga & Cindy, for example, only that in fact those, which should be available regularly, are sold out all the time, too!
A good idea that was posted in these replies before, is to check if one would buy the item still if it was not LE.
For me, I meanwhile have discovered NYX (only ordering online from the US is possible)where I can find a nice deal of pretty bright colours, too, I know their products do not have the same ingredients as MAC and also have a lot more mineral oil in the formulations, but they for example also have liquid liners in many colours; as those need be replaced almost as often as Mascara, it is much more economical.
For example they have bright pink and bright red blushes, like they sometimes appear in MAC collections, as regular items.
In Germany they even make drugstore LEs 😀 You’d need to run to probably at least three drugstores until you find the item, since they usually feature only 3 or 4 pieces of each item and are not_restocked XD Also for those items, Cherry Culture offers lots of similar things and I can order them from my place, without having to waste so much time.
ops.. I mean to “only release” 😀
I have been vying and dying for Chanel Jade nail polish (green is actually my favourite colour!) but could not (and still can’t) bring myself to pay the exorbitant prices on eBay. I just hope that one day Chanel does a re-release of Jade, because if they did, I’m sure they would still make another good sales record.
I also agree with you that in retrospect, the time and energy spent on finding coveted LE items can seem silly but we still do it!
At least I’m not the only one pining!
http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10001_10001_123932979299_-1?breadcrumb=Home~Beauty
Hi Christine – I just ordered the BoSIII off the Debenhams website in the UK, and I also ordered this, mainly because I have no idea what it is! Is this an old product that they are reselling? I’ve never heard of this, it’s not on the Urban Decay website…do you know anything about this palette – “the black eye palette”? Thanks – you are super helpful
I don’t have any info on it, and I’ve emailed UD twice about it but haven’t received any response. I believe that it may come out here in the U.S. at a later date, but it is new for the UK at the very least – definitely not an old product! 🙂 Lipglossiping has details!
I just saw The Black Palette on a blog and the shadow colors by themselves were disappointing. They all looked black. The woman then swatched them over Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy and they turned up much nicer and had more dimension. I’d suggest getting some Pixie Epoxy if you want the shadow colors to look like they do in the pan. 🙂
When it comes to MAC collections, I’m very lucky in that I have weekday close access to a MAC counter or store. So I usually can grab things I would like from them.
For being able to finally indulge the makeup addict in me for the past year, I’ve been pretty good about LE.
I did not buy Ripe Peach because I couldn’t fit into my budget and wasn’t as interested in it as the other stuff in the forecast collection. Of course, I didn’t know so much hype would be built after it got released – even you were surprised!
As for Marine Life…..I did get sucked into it but now it just sits prettily in a drawer – used it twice since then?
I did not buy the MSF’s because they are just over-hyped blushes/highlighters to me. I was tempted by Candlelight MSF. BUT I don’t think they are particularly revolutionary.
If I miss an LE product, I just shrug it off. If I’m conveniently near or have the time to see a retailer, I’ll check it out but if it’s not there then –> Out of Sight, Out of Mind!
It’s a pain in the butt when it is so hyped up and a minimal chance to get it while it’s in stock. I knew it would be online today, so first thing I did when I woke up was check to see if it was on the UD site yet, and shortly after I woke it went up, so I ordered 1 BOS. I didn’t get a confirmation email yet so we will see what happens. If I can snag another one when it comes to Sephora, I’ll be getting one for my friend. It is just so inconvenient, most people have jobs and other things going on in their life and can’t be sitting on the computer waiting or going to the store before it’s even open for something to launch so it doesn’t sell out.
I think it’s ridiculous. I got sick of the LE BS back when Beanie Babies were popular. 😛
They know their Book of Shadows palettes always sell like hotcakes, so I think they do this intentionally to create a frenzy for it. Same with MAC. The Stereo Rose and To the Beach powder business was a bunch of nonsense, despite their both being beautiful powders.
I’ll attempt to purchase this palette on 10/1, but if I’m not successful, oh well. No way will I resort to those thieves on ebay.
I purchase 2 bottles of Jade when it first came out (Online) I did not like it on me and sent it back to Chanel. If I had known so many people wanted it that bad I would have sold it. I would not have charged anything extra to sell it. I just would not do that.
Regarding Limited Edition Products if there is one I want I hope to get it but if I don’t I really don’t care that much. There is always something new and exciting.
Ahhhhhhh! NO! My ears! My gut! I die! LOL.
In my head, you sounded just like Rachel Zoe when you said that 😛
lol!
Thanks for posting this, it’s been a long time coming. Limited Edition products are nice & I agree it’s a great marketing strategy for the companies, but what’s the point if you can’t get it?
If these makeup companies are really here to sell makeup limited edition or not than fine I’m here to buy it up, but I hate to be made a fool of looking for something that I will never get because they knowingly on produced 10 or 20. Frankly it makes me not want to purchase anything else from their line.
I want nice makeup at a nice price that I can actually buy without all the hassle, pretty simple.
okay, i definitely have a love/hate relationship with limited edition products. i HATE the stress that waiting for a new hyped-up collection to come out (ahem, MAC!!) gives me. like thinking about getting everything i want from VV is totally stressing me out. i just want the day to come and be over with. but i LOVE the feeling of getting something that is so coveted (like stereo rose, marine life, etc)..it’s almost like an accomplished feeling of some sort..weird, i know….but i think we all feel that way sometimes. and i also love LE packaging and colors and such. i don’t know. it’s annoying but at the same time totally awesome. but you know, i definitely haven’t and never will pay more than retail price for any limited edition products that i want. and no way will i be driving around all over the state to find something that’s sold out. luckily i haven’t had to even think about doing anything like that as of yet, but if i do miss something i want, i will have to live with it. whatever it is will probably end up being repromoted anyways. 🙂
I was introduced to Urban Decay via their AIW palette. At the time I saw a couple teaser pictures online, thought it was a neat idea and had some pretty eyeshadows unique to my collection. But I still thought about it for a little bit, then decided I would try to obtain one. A Sephora had opened up in my area recently and luckily they had it in stock well before the official release date. At the time I had no idea how popular and difficult it was for others to find the palette, so it was a no stress, enjoyable purchase for me. I had time to think about what I was going to buy, and I still use my eyeshadows frequently. I think it would have been better if Urban Decay had treated this more like the Naked palette. It is not limited edition, and yet is very popular and continuously sells out, and the people who want them will be able to get them. They just have to wait patiently. With the BOS III palette, I wish there was more of a guarantee, like a specific time frame that they will be selling this so that eyeryone will have ample opportunity to get one. Or perhaps if demand starts to drop off, simply stop producing so many palettes if that is the concern. I like Urban Decay but the practice of hyping up a product, failing to have a reasonable quantity in stock on the release date, and then bragging about how quickly it sold out does bother me, and obviously many other fans. I did plan on trying to get this, but only in stores, I have a job and other responsibilities and cannot sit at a computer screen all day clicking “refresh.”
Christine, thank you for writing this article in a tactful way! I’m pretty pissed with UD for the stunt this morning (especially when they were bragging on Facebook and Twitter that it sold out in 10 minutes). I truly believe that they understocked as a marketing strategy, and it leaves me frustrated with the brand. I have my Naked palette and I don’t think I’ll make any purchases from them in the future.
I do agree — you can’t act so excited that it sold out when SO many people are upset they didn’t get one. It should have been focused on, “We’re getting more! Hold tight! Thanks for all your love!” or something – like oh, we’re sorry, we’re going to fix it! attitude.
There is a message on facebook saying they’ll have more in stock soon.
“Hey UDers – we’re temporarily out of stock of the Book of Shadows, Vol. III – there will be more soon in the following weeks. We have shipments coming into our warehouse. Thanks for everyone’s patience.”
Wow following weeks…I wonder if that means I can still snag one…I am so upset I missed out. I knew exactly when it came out, thanks to Christine, but I failed to rack up a job on time. *oii*
>.> reading these comments gets my hopes up
I was really shocked to learn about the BOS III selling out a few hours ago, I have been waiting for this to come out for awhile and am signed up to receive emails from Urban Decay, however I was in class all day and couldn’t check the internet so I feel a bit cheated because these products sell out so fast that if you aren’t near a computer the entire day all day you really don’t have a chance.
I am so over MAC and the LE stuff. Its so annoying when I can never get it on time before it sells out with in 30 minutes. Some people have lives, and work. I just dont want to waste my time with it any more. Grrr.
I agree with you about the limited edition stuff, but did you know that milani dressmaker nail polish is an exact dupe for Chanel jade!
I have heard that, but thank you for letting me know! I’m really not looking for a dupe, because what I want is the original!
because of the nature of “limited edition” I really don’t go for products like that. The reason being when I run out of it, and if I really love it. . . I’ll have to go to ebay or a makeup forum to try to find it. I’ll probably end up paying double what it’s worth, and to much LE products are just not worth it in my mind anymore. Those people who purposely buy it for the sole reason to capitalize on it just make it no fun anymore.
I think it is a marketing strategy and I can respect the company’s strategy, but I think they take it too far. At least make enough for a week or so, but selling out in a half hour tells us they either purposely didn’t make enough or that they have a stockpile somewhere that will become available when they think the time is right. Think about the Naked Palette and how much hype has built up on youtube…now everybody wants one and actually getting your hands on one is considered lucky. Once they become available again, everyone is going to go crazy and even the people who didn’t want one before will spring for it.
However I DO like the idea of limited edition items themselves– it keeps things interesting and gets me excited about the new seasons.
I do enjoy collecting limited edition products but not at a cost beyond it’s retail value. I will go to the stores at opening time on the release date but I just don’t see the point in paying rediculous amounts on beauty products! There will always be another exciting limited edition product. I think the term just gets everyone excited. There is really no point in paying scalpers ten times the price because collections come out all the time. Especially MAC. They always repromote products so be patient.
I can understand the concept behind LE, but is it really necessary to limit production to the point where people have to stalk websites or line up for products? Something like BOS III I can understand because it comes around once a year but MAC has too many LE items! I don’t want to be stalking websites, calling different counters or pay insane prices on ebay so others can make a profit. That is what i call TOO Limited Edition.
I really hate this marketing strategy of cosmetics company. Only the lucky ones can get their LE items. 🙁
But think about it – if you are one of the lucky few, you’re going to really cherish that product. Just something to think about
The MAC MUA will always text me as soon as limited edition stocks reach the store, then I will reply her with whatever stuff that I wanna reserve (thanks to Christine <3). I couldn't get hold of Lithe Pigment from the recent Fabulous Feline collection, they only have 3 in the store (it is a very busy store, and my country only has 5 MAC stores). sigh..
This post is very thought provoking and resounding for me. After being unable to get my hands on Stereo Rose, despite being at my MAC store within twenty minutes of it opening on release date, it made me think about WHERE these LE products are going to exactly. My MAC is a large pro store. I find the idea of them only having 5 stereo roses pretty unbelievable, yet when I made it to MAC, minutes after opening, there was maybe 5 or 6 people in the store….where is this stock going?! how can a store sell out within minutes, when they have only 5 customers in the store at a time? Its absolutely outrageous.
After being unable to get a stereo rose from any of the MACs in my city, I check ebay a couple of days later and low and behold, certain ebay sellers have 10+ stereo rose’s in their online shops! Its obvious people buy several items of a coveted item just to make profit by selling online to desperate collectors for triple the price.
It makes me wonder, does MAC have a policy whereby the amount of a certain product is limited per customer or transaction?
If not, they definitely should. It makes me want to never buy from MAC again when I miss out on an item because having to chase a product down the same day its released makes me mad as hell.
My MAC store limits 4 per item, and online, they limit 4 per item as well.
To find Nouvelle Vague I have to search for 12 shops (ok, I phoned, but you have understood). To find Illusion d’Or, that has not even been commercialized in Italy, it seems, a friend of mine has gone to Ireland for holiday and bought one for me. She said “In case you change your mind, you can easily sell it on E-bay. It is 75€ there!” while the polish itself, in a normal shop, costs about 20 (and it is not cheap even at 20!!!).
So in my opinion, companies are spoiling their own gain. 100 limited edition of X. 99 buyers with the aim of re-selling it on Ebay with incredible high prices and 1 make-up addicted are getting it.
The company, ok, has gained 100*(price of X). But the addicted that for the n-th time has been spoiled of the possibility to have the beloved cosmetic, would get angry. Plus 99 re-sellers on Ebay have gained a lot. So, 99 re-sellers have gained a lot of money (even 10 times the original price) but the company has gained just 100*(price of X). So they are favouring the re-sellers, not the company. o_O
Yes, I really think companies should re-consider their way of making money!
Im over the LE hype. You get something so coveted and then you are scared to use it and it never fails if anything ever happens to any of your makeup its your LE lipgloss that gets lost in the bar or your style black eyshadow that falls off the counter and breaks. Its too stressful for me. With all the dupes in the world get over it.
I’ve always believed that “Limited Edition” was simply a marketing strategy, and there would surely be plenty of the item for those who wanted it. I was proven wrong enough times that it was VERY annoying. Although most cosmetics brands are owned by the same parent company, and that a similar item may come along sooner or later, I’m a pretty stubborn person when it comes to settling for the next best thing.
Most recently, I’ve been trying to get my hands on the Urban Decay Naked Palette from Summer 2010. It’s getting ridiculous on how I’m practically stalking the Sephora and Urban Decay sites for updates despite already being on the e-mail notification lists.
The first LE product I went crazy trying to find was Bobbi Brown’s Chocolate Palette. I searched the internet and called several stores before calling Sak’s 800 # and ordering it from them. I also went nuts for Lancome’s Erika F because so many people raved about it but it wasn’t available in the US. I swapped with someone in Germany to buy it (ended up being an expensive swap) and now I live here in Germany, see it all the time and think “Meh, it wasn’t that special.” I’ve learned to not get swept up in the hype and only buy things I really want and know I will use.
This is a great post because it hits on not just the annoyance of too little of something being released, but it brings up a bad habit consumers have become too comfortable with — buying for sake of ownership instead of value.
For example, I remember buying three of the MAC Hello Kitty lipglasses because of the adorable packaging and limited edition status. However, the lipglasses themselves suck. The pigment quality is poor and I have yet to use a single one of them. Why did I buy them? Just to have them. Looking back, it was ultimately a stupid purchase. They have no practical value to me. Now I need to go through the emotional process of giving them up via Back 2 Mac so I can get something of true value; something that I will actually use and enjoy.
Businesses are, at the end of the day, trying to make money. The problem with Limited Edition isn’t that they are limited edition. I can see the point in not wanting to have a permanent inventory on an item that only sells well every couple of seasons. Why would MAC overstock itself on dark lipsticks when they really only bring in maximum sales during the fall season? Its a waste in production, inventory, resources, product, and ultimately, money. The real problem with Limited Editions is how we’ve been cultured to own more than we need and the emphasis we place on owning something just for the sake of having it. Blame this on marketing, the thrill of having something exclusive, or just trying to keep up with other collectors, but ultimately the decision to buy comes down to the consumers themselves. Cosmetics have grown more aggressive with Limited Edition marketing; its one of the few ways they can post profits and stay afloat in an economy where consumers are holding on to as many dollars as possible by putting off as many purchases as possible. Making a product scarce is an effective way to separate persons from their money during such an economic climate.
So how do we as collectors, makeup artists, bloggers, or just cosmetic junkies in general overcome this? We need to take a step back from the marketing for a moment and ask ourselves about the real value of the product that’s being pushed on us. Is this really that unique of an eyeshadow color, or is there a dupe in the permanent line that has a better formulation and can either be purchased for less or at a later date? Just how many tubes of lipstick do I have in this shade of pink? The packaging is cute and the product looks fun, but do I really even like cream eyeshadows and do I ever use them? But most of all, does this product meet a certain expectation of quality I have for this brand and will I be getting lasting enjoyment by purchasing it?
Its not just important but great to have hobbies or occupations that we enjoy doing. At the same time, we have to be aware of things we enjoy might be bordering on an obsession that’s interfering with normal functioning. Isn’t there something more beneficial to myself and others that I could be doing than stalking retailers just to get my hands on a Limited Edition product for the sake of owning it?
In the end, if we really do want to mend the holes in our pockets and be happy with our purchases when we leave the store, then the solution is to be more critical as a consumer as we’re shopping in the first place. We need to focus on the value that a purchase delivers in terms of uniqueness, quality, practicality, and enjoyment before we buy. Money is a reflection of our irreplaceable time spent on laborious activity — we should at least put it to good use.
It’s honestly really annoying. Not only with limited edition palettes and such, even things like MAC collections and launches get ridiculous. You have to dish out the money right then and there for products you’d rather wait to spend money on.
I think that limited edition products should be made and released according to the demand. If they sell out quickly, they should make more. What’s the worst that could happen? The company will make more money off of the products?
I spent about 60 $ on the Urban Decay Naked Palette because I live in Germany where you normally cannot get that brand at all – basically I am used to paying way more especially for brands like MAC etc… (even in stores here MAC is 1.5 tzimes the price of the one in the US…)
In general I don’t ‘do’ LE stuff.
Most of the time it’s just overhyped and nothing special but by promoting it like something special and creating a buzz people go nuts for it. I’d only buy something if it really adds something extra to my stash, not just because some beauty editor of company hypes is up.
Like Chanel’s ‘Jade’ polish… There so much good dupes out there. Why spend a whole lot of money just to be able to tell your friends you have the Chanel one?
Maybe it’s just the dutch attitude but I’d never line up at a store to get a certain product. If it’s there when I want it: great. If it’s not: fine, I’ll find something else.
Yes SOMETIMES hype influences me to buy things. Not going to lie.
Part of it is a feeling of a sense of belonging–you got the same color everyone wanted, you chat about it, post pictures, yay!
I’m not going to lie–if I saw a Marine Life in a CCO I would buy it right now because of the hype. I also got Stereo Rose (again). When MAC re-released Parrot I bought it because of the hype I read about for years–and it is one of my favorite colors! Those are the only two majorly hyped sold-out Limited Edition products lately. What else am I missing?
I totally understand everyone’s frustration but when you break it down it’s just an eyeshadow palette that is going to be restocked at a later date. It’s not like it’s never going to be instock again. It will be in Sephora and the other retailers at a later date. Naked constantly sold on me. I got lucky one night on Sephora and could order it. If not I would continue waiting. I never stressed about it. I was one of the fortunate ones to be on their website right at the time BOS3 went on sale because I was on my lunch break. If it wasn’t meant to be I would have just waited until Oct with the masses. Limited edition truly means what it says Limited. Not everyone is going to be guranteed to get one.
Agreed. If you want one, you’ve got to be quick and dedicated. That’s the whole point.
I had my credit card info saved with all the other items I wanted to buy already in my shopping cart, just waiting for BoSIII to launch. When the moment came there was no scrambling, just in and out.
I didn’t check my email until an hour after UD sent the email that it was available and of course it was sold out. I’m pissed off but I’m still determined to get it when it comes to Sephora. I don’t do ebay so I’d never pay 30-70% more for anything.
They didn’t even send out that email until AFTER it sold out. I distinctly remember it popping into my mail box because I was on email at the time and thinking “people are going to come unglued when they get this knowing they already missed it.” Bad move on UD’s part, I think. Whether it was bad communication between warehouse and PR, or intentional, either way it looks the company look atrocious
This is a great topic. I personally think it has gotten out of hand. It’s great for those who want to make a quick buck on Ebay, but for the rest of us, it is simply annoying. I love to have the latest, newest product, just like everyone else, but at the end of the day, why? Is it worth it? I understand it’s like being in some exclusive beauty club of the I got it vs. they couldn’t get it’s. But what is this club even offering? Like many of you say, it is all hype and by the time we get the product do we like it? How often do we use it? Or are we off chasing the next LE palette or release and forget about our last treasure?
I’m fairly new to makeup blogs and used to just go to the counters and pick out what I like, so a lot of things I missed because I didn’t know it was the popular must have item. (to be honest, I think the beauty blogosphere has created this cycle) Or if I had a chance to try it out, would’ve probably loved. Some things I’m just now learning how to use so I totally missed out on, for example, I’m still learning about E/s, blush, MSF, so I missed out on all of the BOS and Stereo Rose. Can you beleive when I went to buy that line that day, they might have had Stereo rose, but I didn’t “know” about it. LOL
For me, to save my money, and stress levels ;-), I’m going to adopt the attitude of if I get it, I get it, if I don’t, I don’t. There will always be something else. If I’ve lived this long without it, surely I’ll be ok without it. 😀
I agree. Beauty blogs are definitely much much amplifying the hype associated with these products. That’s a genius point – thanks for making it
I checked the Urban Decay site this morning and they have changed the message about the Book of Colors III from sold out to “Temporarily sold out. More on the way.” Perhaps they have gotten a clue that their potential customers feel burned by the marketing strategy for this product.
I think there is a different between ‘LE’ and ‘LE’.
For example, Chanel brings around 4 or 5 LE collections to the table each year. In my experience, the eyeshadow palettes will always sell out at my local (busy) counter, but it will take 1 or 2 weeks. So me and my mom can go, swatch everything, maybe even think for a day if we ‘really really need it’ (yes!), and buy it. When we return a week later, it is usually sold out.
THAT is the way I like it. It’s limited, but not so limited that loyal customers are being disappointed if they don’t come shop for it first morning it is launched. (Exceptions like Jade not taken into consideration :-).
What has been done here is a whole different kind of LE. OFCOURSE it isn’t limited to the quantity that has been brought to sale now, there are many, many more palettes in stock. I just do not believe I am wrong in this.
They are just playing with their loyal customers, profitting of it because it all turns into a great hype (for a cardboard box palette with tiny pans of eyeshadow, of which many colors are not new at all), and now they can sit back, relax and watch the money come in.
I hope this will blow up in their face, because this is not the way a company should treat their customers.
I think it’s really easy to get caught up in the hype of LE. I hate it when something is sold out in an hour due to it being limited edition. It never makes sense to me from a marketing standpoint. If the company could sell 500 of an item but chooses to only sell 50, and makeup scalpers buy 45 of those items and then sell them at 3 times the original cost, the company is missing out on that additional profit that they would have made had they chose to manufacture and sell more items. (hope that makes sense)
I think a good definition of limited edition would be to make enough to meet demand and for the product to be available for 2 months, then stop making it. Never have it on sale/mark it down. That way everyone who was on the ball could get one without saturating the market.
I used to love limited edition, for a whole year I got something from every collection and I would scrape to find the money to do it. And then I got sick and couldn’t get to the store in time, and I had a break through. I survived without the product. I haven’t bought anything at MAC in months and just recently visited the store for the first time in a long time. It was nice to see the MAC girls who know me and there honestly wasn’t anything that I “needed.” Wanted yes but nothing that can’t be put off another month or so. Cosmetics are not that important, even as a MUA my life and friends are more valuable than some blush or lipstick.
Marketing ploy or not they are making money off of you and counting that you will do anything, pay anything for something with a satin finish and great color pay off.
This will probably get lost in a sea of responses. Pretty much of the MAC lipsticks i got for are LE since i like corals it’s one of the things I bet per year in the multitude of collections that come out. The things I’ve had to track down through resellers where the blush ombres of Marine Life since those where not a typical product and I wanted them since I like have a small stash of colours as my go to’s. those product allows me to control the tone of the blush I use.
I’m a sucker for multi use products.
UD Naked palette and Alice in Wonderland palette I literally stock Sephora for it release since it the only way to get those product in Canada. But unlike MAC there didn’t move a release date to some other time and I didn’t miss out on them.
tbh, I think there should be laws made about buying out all the stock and then selling it for more. it’s just a grimey thing to do and is a big part of the reason things sell out sooo fast.
it’s like forced inflation kind of?
I live in nyc so I just got the palette at the pre-release,
and because there was a limit of 3 per person there were plenty to go around as long as you got there on time.
I was # 188/1000 and I only stood on line for 10-15 minutes.
I agree with you.
The only LE collection I really splurged on was To The Beach. I got there early in the morning and was lucky enough to be one of the two people in the store. (Another woman was getting her makeup done.)
The SA looks at my list and is getting all my stuff together when this lady runs in practically screaming if they have any Marine Life powders left. She pulls out what must have been at least twenty of them in a bag. Obviously for resale in ebay. The SA calls bloomingdales and it turns out they have a few left.. so this lady literally runs out of the store. I’m checking out and praying that by the time I get there everything isn’t gone. The SA at the other counter had saved one, though.
I don’t think I’d be able to work at counters like that, dealing with people who buy 5+ products to resell. It’s disgusting.
I agree, and I’m especially bummed with Urban Decay making the new primer potion (the one in the squeezable tube) limited edition. Why? We’ve been complaining about the packaging for a long time, why limit the improved packaging?!Sigh. And I realy wanted the BOS3, but I just bought the Naked palette, and can’t plunk down for the BOS until after I’m done paying for moving expenses, which I guess means I’ll miss out on it since it sells out so fast. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait for the BOS4.
Its definitely a marketing ploy…I don’t buy into,if I’m able to Purchase & I like the product I’ll purchase…other than that. I don’t believe nor purchase “The Hype”.
Since it is coming out at Sephora on 10/1, UD will miss out on people buying directly from them. Most customers would probably prefer to buy from Sephora or Ulta anyway to rack up more beauty points. I think UD would have made more $$ per unit from customers buying directly from them versus from other stores like Sephora.
Thats the name of the game. Early bird catches the worm. Missed out on the Book of Shadows, I just checked the site two days ago. Sometimes I get upset cause they say it is going to be released and then they release it earlier. I already put the Mac Villians items on hold, if they don’t put the things I want on hold im gonna flip out.
🙂
What I didn’t like is on Facebook Urban Decay said that the palette would be released the following day, but instead released it that day! So I went to work all thinking that I would be prepared to get the palette the next day, but instead when I came home Urban Decay decided to just release the darn thing the same day and it was already sold out. I was effing pissed. I definitely think that they did this on purpose. They should have known better. Looking at how well the Naked palette sold, they would had to of known how well this was going to sell.
I wonder though if Urban Decay would have told folks the time that book of shadows was going to be released it probably would have shut their website down due to too much traffic at one time. I can see now why they were very vague and only gave the date of the release. I suppose more folks will be upset in the next wave of BOS 3 being restocked and unable to get one before it does sell out a second time on Urban Decay’s website. I see the same thing happening on Sephora and Ulta when the time comes. Like someone else mentioned you have to be quick and dedicated and have a strategy for getting what you want. Be the first one in Sephora or Ulta the day it’s released there if you can’t order it directly from Urban Decay. Unlike other folks I only purchased one of BOS3 for myself. Saw no need to be greedy and order multiples to resell on ebay.
that’s crazy! we have it here in England and there’s loads.. not sold out at all!
When I was there to buy one, ONE! and it sold out before my turn to idiots buying TEN. MAC knew they’d go straight to Ebay, but didn’t make enough or put a limit.
This was the Manish Aurora eye Palette. But with Fab Felines they sold out of three pigments so fast! One, Mauvement, was to be in Rodarte but that’s cancelled. Make up is SO CHEAP TO MAKE!! and they get stingy with pigments? The cheapest, most expensive cash cow in the business?
More cool stuff will be out soon for Holiday, I’ll splash out on sets. But the LE not enough to go around thing ticks me.