How do you feel when brands include long-standing permanent items in their seasonal collections? Share!
A few things here and there, no problem, but if the majority of the collection is existing products, then it should be marketed differently — less as a new collection, more as a highlight of customer favorites.
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Disappointed and a little annoyed. It just seems lazy to me. I know they’re probably great products, and I love a good repromote, but when a collection is relatively small and it has permanent items in it, I get annoyed and quickly lose interest. It’s part of my frustration with Mac lately; the Lorde collection just includes a basic black liner, and for a collection that tiny, I just think that’s unacceptable, even if flicked liner is part of her signature look. Makes me think that they coulda done better!
Yeah I agree with you. It’s ok if there’s a couple things but when it gets to be like 1/4 or more of the collection…then it’s more of a re-promote than new collection to me.
Same stuff + different packaging = higher price. Not a fan at all. I agree with a couple of permanent products thrown into a collection, if they fit with the theme. I’d rather that than releasing something under a different name just to disguise it as something new. When collections start consisting of mostly permanent products, maybe it’s a sign that there are too many collections being put out.
If I ever see a MAC collection with a quad that DOESN’T have carbon in it, I think I’ll die from shock.
I’m okay with it but it’s like…unless they have limited-edition packaging or something it doesn’t really motivate me to buy it if I wasn’t going to before. Sometimes, though, an item catches my eye that I hadn’t noticed before…like when I bought a nail polish from a collection and then realized it was permanent, derp! But with drugstore makeup at least, it makes me feel a little cheated because I could have just waited for a good deal later to buy something permanent instead.
I much prefer it to the inclusion of products that are overwhelmingly similar to permanent ones, but with different names!
I agree with you!
Not a huge fan, but I don’t mind one or two. I do mind if it’s solely to jack up the price for the packaging.*cough*MAC*cough*
What i really like is when they put classic/permanent products in different packaging for the collection. Mac and Guerlain sometimes do this. If the packaging is something cute and collectible i don’t mind if the product is the same, especially if it is a product i already buy.
Well if it is done like mac and it’s only one or two items and not always the same one I don’t mind! But Nars that always use laguna and orgasm in every set is starting to get tired!
I don’t mind as long as they clearly state that the products aren’t limited; I think it can be a nice way of highlighting shades that might not be as popular but go perfectly with the collection concept. I’d prefer that to a limited shade that’s a dupe of something the brand has already been offering – to me that just makes it look like that company doesn’t pay attention to itself.
I agree with you, if it’s just a product here and there, sure.
It is kind of irritating, I would rather have more new exciting products to try, rather than things I can get any time.
Same here. If a collection includes a couple of pieces here and there that work well with the theme, I’m all for it. It’s a great way for customers to discover permanent gems they might not have paid attention to previously. If MOST of it is repromoted, then it can’t be called a new collection.
It personally drives me crazy. I thought the whole point of a new collection was to introduce NEW products. If they would include 1 or 2 that would be ok, but when half of the collection is old products but new packaging it’s just really disappointing and annoying. Cough Cough MAC.
The timing of the question amuses me due to the recent release of the Maleficient Collection by MAC…
Good thing they at least made an attempt to create a different packaging.
Still, I’m quite disappointed.
Even though I’ve never commented before:
Christine, I really appreciate your great reviews and their continuously growing quality in the past years. Just thought I should mention this.
So thank you very much for being such a reliable source regarding the quality of make up. 😉
I think I’m okay with it! 🙂
I fully agree with Christine’s response. While it’s nice to have coveted items become permanent, the customers should be made aware instead of thinking that the collection, in totality, is have to own now. That way, it saves money and offers honesty, which will acquire trust within that brand.
Originally I thought I was opposed to it because it felt lazy, but I’m coming around if it’s done in moderation.
I say this because I had been wanting revlon’s super lustrous lipstick in black cherry forever but have held off on buying it because I have similar shades. However, I recently spotted it in a display with gorgeous limited edition marchesa packaging, plus it was on sale, so I absolutely bought it!
I don’t mind if they have about 3 permanent items, especially if they are on-trend shades. But overall, I really prefer new or repromoted products and shades.
I absolutely agree. To repackage permanent line items to jack up the price is only excusable if the rest of the collection is made up of limited edition colors. MAC dropped the ball with this Maleficient collection because the permanent items are more expensive, the LE colors are meh and the packaging is just okay. Disappointed.
There are only so many colors and shades of color and at some point we’ll see them over again. I believe ‘limited editions’ (which I never purchase) will come back as another texture, shine, matte etc.
But this is the way they stay in business and keep us buying their products. They count on those of us who rarely run out of a product before buying more – and other brands – which I have always done. I have never once in all these years run out of blush or eyeshadow. I’m not suprised when the beauty (seasonal) collections include products they already have in their lineup.
Generally I don’t mind one or two colours, but I feel really cheated if their seasonal collections are a rehash of current colours – especially if there is a problem with the colour (fall out, too powdery etc.). I expect that seasonal collections should contain new colours and formats. What is really disappointing is when they use very similar colours and NAMES (eg Dior’s Royal Khaki and Khaki) in separate collections – very confusing.
I think we’ve reached a consensus 🙂 A couple of repromoted items in a collection is OK (so long as they are clearly identified as such), but collections that feature more than that really shouldn’t be marketed as new collections.
Mostly disappointed. All that does is make me walk away.
Two words: Ripped off! especially if its an entire collection. End of story .
Christine, sorry to be a pain but I was going thru some of your earlier posts and I fell totally in love with Guerlains rouge g lipstick in Gems #12. Have you ever found a dupe for it? Pretty please? Another lipstick I loved the look of was Giulette #63 was that a LE and do you think its kinda similar to Gems?
Thank you so much
No dupes for Gems yet! Giulette is pinker, less coral.
If the collection ‘needs’ a black eyeliner, say, to complete the theme, and the brand makes a famously good black eyeliner, then I see no reason to reinvent the wheel and include a new (possibly inferior, I’m looking at you , MAC Playland) black eyeliner. However, if the repromotes start to equal or outweigh the new things, or the new things look suspiciously like existing shades, then it’s quite disappointing, especially since it ends up looking like they just want to make you pay more for the same product in marginally different packaging…
I actually appreciate it! It lets you get new ideas on how to use old products, some that you may already own, and eliminates the pressure to buy immediately or else they will be gone! With MAC, especially, it seems as if their permanent line is ignored by marketing and all attention is given to special releases, which are appearing more and more frequently, and sell out immediately. If you are not in a store every few weeks, a new collection could go by and you might never have realized it. The Malificent collection is a good example, it offers the opportunity to purchase a sculpting powder available only to the pros in individual packaging (or online if you have a palette to put a single disc in), without having to create a new and only slightly different color. Offering an eyeshadow palette with permanent colors is a way to introduce those colors to customers, and if they don’t like all, but like one or two, they have the opportunity to buy just those. Its a win/win situation for both parties. MAC still makes money, customer gets the product they really want and may possibly continue to buy in the future. Otherwise you get caught up in the frenzy to buy or it will be gone forever, and may wind up purchasing products you may never use (like the black color in the Malificent palette, I never wear black!). That only benefits MAC, not the customer. One of the things I really respect about Clinique is that they rarely discontinue their colors. It may not be as exciting to visit the counter as frequently, but when I do,I know that my favorite lipstick colors will be there waiting for me, as well as the lip pencils, eye pencils etc. The only frenzy you have to avoid there is the GWP, and if you only buy what you use regularly, you can’t be taken advantage there either. I know I may be in the minority, but MAC has so many products, it doesn’t need to add new ones so frequently.
A few everyday type products in cute packaging (powders in pretty compacts, lipsticks in unique tubes) is actually a selling point. And debuting new permanent products as part of a collection can be a way to highlight something brand new. But making a “collection” of repromotes just makes the company look lazy and moneygrabbing.
I think it’s annoying in the sense that sometimes those permanent items are jacked up in price as they are part of a special collection (because of ‘special packaging’).
One recent occurrence that I found a bit ridiculous was MAC’s Divine Night collection which promoted the permanent Macroviolet fluid line and was $1 more expensive than the regular, permanent pot of the same shade. The only difference? Gold labelling. I had to roll my eyes at that. Since there is very little on the pot other than the MAC branding and a label sticker, it was eye-roll inducing for me.
I completely agree with you, Christine – on both accounts.
one or two, I don’t mind, as long as the quality is at least as good if not better than the permanent version, and there isn’t a huge price hike just because it’s part of the “collection” in special packaging. Too many or poor quality and I feel like it’s laziness or deceitful. If the whole thing or the majority of the items are permanent, it should be labelled as a re-promote or something to that effect, not a new collection.
I like a set to be either entirely made up of favorites, or predominantly limited edition (if there are 1 or 2 popular shades in there I don’t mind). For example, the limited edition Beauty Bloggers Favorites collection from Too Faced is an awesome idea in my opinion and I’d love something like that as a gift for the holidays. Equally, I’d also love a Tarte limited edition lipsurgence set, even if it had maybe one permanent color. If something is mostly permanents with like one limited edition shade, it feels like they’re just throwing the limited edition shade in there to get you to buy it, which is kinda uncool. Ultimately it’s the brand’s decision to make it, though, and you can choose not to buy it.