Yes, absolutely. I think brands should consider adding limited edition products into their permanent line and/or re-releasing at some point down the road. However, it should be genuine; a part of the process the brand goes through vs. teasing something as limited edition when the intention was always to make it permanent (or re-release it).
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Yes! Well said, Christine.
Yes, absolutely. Especially so if it was a very well-loved and sought after item of good quality. Or if it’s a specific, well made shade that fills an existing gap in the permanent lineup. MAC has had some gorgeous LE shades of green (Savant) or green- teal (Jealousy Wakes) that have nothing remotely close in shades of comparable quality. And definitely make Maria Moretti and La Vie En Rouge lipsticks permanent, too, MAC!
I completely agree about those MAC shades. Not only does make not have them in the permanent lineup, but nobody else seems to have anything quite like them.
Absolutely, as long as it’s like a “due to popular demand” thing, and not just something they planned on doing all along. Hyping something up as LE and then making it permanent right away is just shady marketing.
Along that line, I wish Sugarpill would bring back Olivia. I would die. It’s so so so pretty and I didn’t manage to get it. 🙁
Absolutely. When something LE gets so much love, they should add it to the permanent line or at least re-release it so people can get one.
I love when we get second chances 🙂 Becca, please bring back Rose Quartz!
I agree 100%
My answer is the same as yours, Christine. Brands should make a new formula or shade permanent if it has been very popular, but pretending something is LE only to plan to re-release it or make it permanent later is basically a scam.
Anyways, I think brands should make a lot less LE products. A few shades here and there is fine, but whole new formulas should not be LE.
Part of me wants to say yes, but on the other that would make them less special, less unique, and thus yet desirable.
completely agree christine! if it is a hit with the customer they should make it permanent! I personally would love to see charlotte tibury’s confession lipstick made permanent!!
Yes, I think it is important for brands to bring back LE products. In particular, products that were found to perform exceptionally or were extremely popular and are in demand. There are new “makeup” lovers all of the time and many times they would not have been aware of a particular product and would have no hope of ever getting to try that product unless it was re-released. I also think that the secondary market buys these products in bulk and then sells them at extremely elevated prices which is wrong IMHO. I don’t mind there making a profit but to buy something that cost $50. and sell it for $250 is gouging the customer. There hoarding these products actually keeps many from being able to purchase because the product is sold out. I also agree with you Christine, that marketing something as LE when you have every intention of making it permanent is also wrong. Over-hyping a product and offering limited quantities only to bring it back as a part of the permanent line, ( I am looking at you Violet Voss and Two Faced), has cost several companies my business and it was a resolution of mine not to buy into that type of hype again.
Oh yes! I’ve a list of probably 10 items I would dearly love to be able to get because I missed out on them or wasn’t all that “into” makeup when they were released. And if they bring them back, make them truly available and not just “online only”.
YES! if they have excellent quality. And let’s not discontinue excellent products replacing them with lower quality, or even worse… still keep them in their range. I don’t speak about favorites, but really good products in terms of ingredients.
Depends, I think. If the marketplace really responds and wants it, why would you not give customers what they want. But as Christine says, it should be genuine and market driven. Not a cheap, manipulative ploy.
No esp if their goal is to hype the re-release up and then it is sold out in minutes to a$$hats who turn around and sell it on Ebay for double /triple the cost. Want no part of it then!
But I remember the good ol days when Revlon had true limited ed collections and released seasonally. It was actual limited ed too ie not repromotes or part of their permanent line. Wish I held onto certain lipsticks for collecting purposes. The 90s/early 00’s were good times!
I would love Revlon to bring back Exotica lipstick!
I think I had that one. I remember so many cool, unique ones but they just don’t release LE like they used to and it makes me sad:(
I like the idea of a product with limited edition packaging or presentation every now and again (whether from the permanent line or something new), and/or the introduction of a product with unique colors or formula as limited edition, which is actually a market test to see if it is worthy enough to be added to the permanent line. I believe this makes a LE item seem special and collectible, like a first edition book release, which may or may not become a 2nd edition printing, based on its popularity. I like what Dior did with its highlighters this year. Two of the shades were LE last year, and were so successful that Dior brought them back this year, added two more shades and made them part of their permanent line — at the same price!
Anne, I love your idea about the packaging being “first edition” type of thing!
You’re right – Dior did it right this year by bringing back the insanely popular Glowing Gardens highlighters in a new embossing (plus more shades). That way the ones from last year are still special but people can get the highlighter if they missed it! I wish more brands would do that.
Agree 100%, Christine. I don’t understand why a company wouldn’t want to bring back a limited edition item that was very successful – it also gives people a chance to pick up an item that they weren’t sure on or were not able to get the first time around.
I don’t like brands But having limited edition to begin with. They should just make it if they are going to make it. However, since they do have limited editions, they should definitely bring them back for a time.
YES! My absolute favorite lipstick was a Limited Edition shade, and I hate having to find a perfect dupe for it, since it’s such a unique shade.
I agree that they should if it’s popular, a big seller, or predicted to be a big seller. I don’t get the attitude of buying a LE product for oneself to use and not wanting others to get an extended chance to buy it too. If I was a scalper or reseller, then I see the reasoning, but for personal use, no way. Make it available to more people; share the fun!
I agree completely! I don’t like how often brands rely on limited edition releases now, especially because it creates such a “gotta have it” frenzy in consumers. I wish they’d be more willing to add things to their permanent line if they got a lot of love (looking at you Kat Von D Pastel Goth palette)
I liked the MAC promotion – 2/3 years ago where they asked for customer ideas. It was fun to see what products customers were asking for.
I will never understand why brands don’t wise up and make products that were insanely popular LEs into permanent products!
I really want MAC to bring back Screenqueen lipstick from the Icons – Racquel Welch collection. It was the best color for me!
Chanel is horrible for discontinuing products every five seconds. Why should I buy anything? I may fall in love with the color or the texture. They charge exorbitant amounts for their products, only to eliminate them at the end of three months. They have certainly lost me as a customer.
Not a fan of limited editions. I think it’s a ploy and can be so difficult to get. I say do away with LEs.
YES! I hate having to stock up on a lipstick shade because it’s “limited edition”. The latest one I stocked up on was MAC Selena’s Amor Prohibido. I’m sure they can tell if something is selling well enough that it is worth keeping, right?
Yes, absolutely! It’s inevitable that I discover and fall in love with a product and then said product is discontinued shortly thereafter! I have started taking it personally. LOL
I suppose so, if it is cost effective for them. The products that didn’t sell well probably wouldn’t be back. Interesting to think about.
Definitely if there was a strong sell on original release.
Yes, definitely instead of having people have to search it out on Ebay and pay a lot more money for something they missed out on. I just purchased Dior 4 Colours Eyeshadow Palette 002 in Coral Gradation and I love it but I think I purchased the last one because I don’t see it available any where right now. Dior when they do a limited edition you need to purchase it right away and not wait for the reviews because it will be gone by time the reviews come out they are the worst with limited editions.
Absolutely! How often have you gotten something you love as a limited edition product and then had to do without, because it was out of circulation when you wanted it again??? This has happened to me more than once, which has caused me many times to re-condsider a limited edition purchase.
I wish they would bring back (or make permanent!) the ones that turned out to be both high-quality and either popular, or especially useful for people with neglected skintones (deeper, cooler, olive, etc.). I agree with you that it shouldn’t be part of the strategy from the beginning, though.
As long as they are meaningful products, yes. If it’s something that they are bringing back for the heck of it, or to extend the product’s fifteen minutes of fame, then no.
Only when I want them?
Seriously, this is a big issue. I hate finding out about a limited edition too late to buy it. I went nuts with the Mauvember lipstick from Bite Beauty and ended up hoarding it as it popped in and out of Sephora. Even worse is seeing something I know would be great for me online, but it was a limited edition from two years ago. I totally overpaid for a Bobbi Brown palette as a result of this.
I realize cosmetics companies can’t keep items in their inventory forever, but I wish somehow that there could be something analogous to print-on-demand. On the other hand, limited edition items are too often just a lot of hype, and they seem to have oversaturated the market. They can be a good value, but like a sale item, people do buy what they don’t need and don’t even necessarily want, just because. Sigh.
Well said Christine. Maybe companies should monitor Temptalia.com for our opinions on what products should be brought back 🙂
YES!!!!!
Totally agree! I’m not falling anymore for these hype LE God knows I have collected highliterS to outlast a cat’s 9 lives! Not falling for it again! And then the brand releases them later. Not nice!
Absolutely yes! I keep hoping upon hope for Tom Ford to bring back the Enchanted palette. His cream shadows used to be LE and he brought them back and I now own practically every single one and I’d buy more if they brought out more colors.
Yes if they had a lot of interest! Some of the brands (MAC comes to mind) release them constantly. Unless someone has the time to stalk the makeup counter, just assume you will need to buy on eBay from all of the people who buy them for just THAT reason. Even now that I “could” actually afford to pay that, it condones the behavior. And I live in Phoenix so no lipstick is arriving here intact. 🙁
No company will ever please everyone but I have a job so I miss out a lot (KVD metal/Matte for instance).
I was irked when I paid close to $70 for. NARS Steven Klein palette and then it was released as Narisist for $20 less.
Yes please!
Yes they should if the LE product proves to be a sell out – eg Dior’s Bonne Etoile, Tom Ford’s Emerald Lust eye palette and there are probably lots and lots more.
Yes, because sometimes dupes don’t cut it. Also, if it’s a color that becomes more popular than the LE palette it belongs to, it should be a permanent single.
I think if certain limited edition items become really big successes, they should definitely think about putting them into their permanent collection (ex: the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette). But I also think they should limit the amount of LE items/collections in general, which would make keeping certain items permanently more possible as it would happen less often.
Completely agree Christine. Made me so happy to see UD releasing eye shadow singles from previous limited ED to their permanent line, C Note will be mine again. Gives me hope that they will include Skimp from the Gwen Stefani palette, it’s one of the few colors I hit pan on.
Yes, but it should be driven by public demand and not within the 18 months of the initial launch. When re-leases happen very quickly, it appears as though the “LE” was a marketing ploy.
And if the LE products received poor reviews, it seems that they never truly sold out in the first place and the “re-release” is an attempt to sell off leftovers—
Yes, but if something proves very popular and sells out in half an instant, they should also consider adding it as an addition to their regular line. When MAC or UD brings out something that is pretty well going to be a big seller, they ought to account for it and make more than just 5 of them so that people have a decent chance of actually getting something, barring sitting at their computers for the second of midnight to place their orders.
I agree, as long as the product was good, re-releasing it isn’t a bad strategy. I know they love creating the “air of exclusivity” but this isn’t like a LE Hermes bag, it’s frickin’ makeup.
Well said, Christine. I totally agree.
I think companies should listen to their customers and bring back very popular items back as permanent, less any LE packaging (to preserve the uniqueness of the original release). If not at least bring it back occasionally to give others a chance.
I couldn’t agree more with you about companies who release an item as LE when they plan all along to make it permanent. (Cough *Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette* Cough.)
I definitely think so it would also stop them getting stupidly expensive on places like eBay and Amazon.