I think I have been fairly successful at obtaining most of the hyped up releases, but there have been many that were not worth the hype. The way I look at things is that most products have dupes, and if they don’t, they will, so everything is just a matter of time.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
On a lot of things. I try not to get wrapped up in hype and the ohbIbhave to havebtjis bc it is LE and just get good things at the moment. I may not have LE this or that but I have many great products from various places and I like what I have so I am not going to waste too much time on shoulda woulda coulda stuff:)
I’m sure..on a lot of things. But I try to focus on the awesome things I do have and not the stuff that is hyped up or LE. I rather not waste time on the shoulda woulda coulda stuff 🙂
Plenty of times! Either because a brand played games (*ahem* UD Urban Spectrum) or the understocked an LE product due to unforseen demand, and sometimes, my own fault for waiting a little too long. My dilly-dallying caused me to miss out on MAC Alluring Aquatics. Also missed out on VG Nicki Minaj for the same reason. And missed out on Riri Woo because an SA gave me the wrong info entirely!
But, you make a very valid point. There either are already, or will eventually be a dupe for whatever it is!
EDIT: But I actually did get the UD Spectrum on its 3rd (or 4th?) release due to a friend helping me out in a big way when my nerves frayed to smithereens thinking this would be yet one more 1-4 days of it being available!
Yes and no. As far as recent LE pieces (last 2 or 3 years) when they are initially launched, none that I can remember. If there is an LE collection coming up and I see pieces I want, I try to pre-order. If not, I most likely don’t bother with the collection because I don’t need the fomo headache. I don’t know if Chanel or Guerlain allow pre-orders, but so far I’ve been able to get their items online when a collection launches. MAC and Tom Ford are the ones that I try to pre-order.
As for yes, I took a hiatus from makeup until about 5 years ago and missed out on a lot of good pieces when they were initially released. I’d always been brand loyal to MAC but have since tried out other brands and found 2 that I liked well enough to mine Ebay for past pieces I’d missed. I’ve collected just about everything I was looking for and I settled for dupes for the other pieces I can’t get.
Hunting down MAC Selena reminded me of why I generally steer clear of much hyped LE collections. I’m glad they are re-releasing it – this is the first time I remember MAC ever doing a re-release. I have the eyeshadows but will be picking up a few lipsticks this time around (if I am lucky enough).
I did miss out on Charlotte Tilbury Look in a Palette when it came out and was really upset since I love CT and would love such a palette for travelling. I have since bought Armani Night Light Palette and By Terry Sun Design, and lo – CT released the Look in a Palette again!
I feel like my travelling make up needs are covered though :/ so the Look in a Palette would be redundant.
If it makes you feel any better, the Armani lights palette is so much better than the CT palette. The Armani shadows are far and away better formulations. I don’t regret the CT (own the 2nd one released over the summer), but you’re limited in looks with the shadow options in the CT.
Too Faced Peach Palette, the first time, escaped my grasp. But I got it this time. I did miss out on the Lorac MegaPro 3 Palette this time around, though.
Oh sure – a few that come to mind are MAC Moth Brown and the ABH Self Made palette (I only decided I wanted it – mainly for the shade Pink Champagne, which I have since been able to buy as a single, since ABH eyeshadows are now available at Sephora – AFTER it was sold out at my local Sephora). I am sure there are lots of other beauty products I missed out on but in reality, I really had to think about this question so I guess I really don’t miss “the ones that got away” all that much and that has been a bit of a revelation to me!
MAC Water Deities lipgloss, LE earlier this year. It’s fine, I bought a dupe or two (permanent ones, available from other brands) and learned a lesson about LEs.
You could check out a CCO. I got it there recently
Erica — good to know, thanks. I have since bought dupes I am happy with, but if opportunity presents itself, I will see.
Meh about missing out. I really don’t care at all for the exact reasons Christine states:
1. There are enough dupes in the world to recreate anything 10x over if you’re willing think about it and be creative.
2. I felt I missed out on Chanel’s Empreinte du Desert quad completely not paying attention that it was LE. If I wanted to, I can still get that quad new and unused in so many places. You just have to be willing to look. It’s still out there in numbers, just not on the typical retail makeup sites.
3. The whole LE thing this past year so overwhelmed me (if not mostly disgusted me with the consumer manipulation topped off with lousy quality that Christine reported on over and over) that I’ll pretty much ignore them, and carry on taking my time, curating trying to choose carefully.
I’m not usually that interested in LE things, but I didn’t realize that Bite Taro was LE so I was waiting to get it later, and now it seems to be gone. Boo.
Most defnitely! Like tom Ford Cognac Sable! By the time i got to try it in store, it was discontinued. The tester was all they had! 🙁
Yes; there have been some things I have missed, usually because I learned of a LE product 6 months too late or a discontinued item that I didn’t know was going to be discontinued, but had I known, I would have picked up a couple to stash away. The latter problem irritates me the most, especially if it was a HG that I had had a hard time finding in the first place. (I now check the status of my favorite foundation, fragrance and lipstick at least seasonally. I WILL hoard them if they are going to be discontinued. Lessons learned!)
Chanel discontinued my favorite brow product (3 color pans) in 2016 and I stocked up. Some items are just so special that I don’t need the hassle of finding a substitute.
I missed out on MAC Viva Glam Rihanna 2, which I really wanted, but didn’t have the funds while it was available and now that it’s not available, I don’t want it SO bad that I’m willing to pay overcharged prices at third party sites.
All the time with LE collections, especially with my being on the West Coast. Often, I don’t even try any more. There are lots of items I miss out on do to price, or timing, but that’s life.
My biggest miss was the Sephora Pantone Marsala eye shadow kit. It was gorgeous but I didn’t think it would sell out because it was warmer toned colors which aren’t usually that popular.
Not really, I didn’t buy the Guerlain “Snowball” Meterioites last year because I have no joke ten containers of Meterioites, and even though it was exquisite, it was a touch pricey. I kept looking at it, wanting it, but I refused to give in because it would sit with the others, being admired, and used once or twice.
Yes – the beautiful Tom Ford Emerald Lust quad and whilst I have dupes for most of the shades, they aren’t in any one convenient package. I missed out, not through lack of trying, but because so few retailers shipped internationally then and Tom Ford wasn’t on their list.
But you are quite right Christine – usually something equally as good comes along and there are dupes for everything.
Indeed I have.
Every once in a while, I find out there was a Black Honey product I missed out on from years past. Especially the black honey eyeshadow quad! Or the blushes. But there are so many dupes out there that it’s not that big of a deal.
Others are a little harder to find solid replacements:
Sigma Paris Palette
Kat Von D Esperanza Palette
Estee Lauder’s Gelee formula Illuminators
Only ones I can think of are the colourpop metallic lips when first launched. They sold out before I ever got notification they were back. I’ve since gotten plenty.
I missed the Marc Jacobs holiday eye shadow palette last year.
Oh yeah! I had a really limited budget for a long time!
A ton. Especially the MAC LE items like Julia Petit and Selena (though maybe I’ll be able to get the latter in a few days). A lot of the way you have to be quick about the LE stuff is really ableist and as I’m not someone who can stay up until 3 am or wake up early, and have a lot of trouble getting to physical stores (especially if it were for lining up before it opened as I can’t stand that long) I miss out on a lot.
I’ve most definitely missed out on some of the most hyped products. I learned my lesson though by purchasing the original UD Naked Palette from an eBay seller. It was far overpriced, to begin with at that time, of course. But, the palette itself didn’t wow me as much as I felt it should have.
I really miss the Lady Gaga LE lipstick that MAC sold a few years back. It was such a lovely shade. That’s one of the worst things about limited edition products. You just might run across something you love and then you can’t buy it anymore. That stinks!
Hi Christine…..I missed the ABH Mario palette. I’m just sick about it. Now they want $70-100.00 for it, and I don’t have the money. I wrote in to ABH but I know they won’t rerelease it. I want it so BAD!!! I’m just heart sick. I ordered another less expensive one, but I am still so disappointed. I’m hoping I can at least get the Renaissance palette. Sometimes I really dislike limited additions. 🙁
I found the Mario palette on eBay priced at retail. And, it’s 100% authentic. Don’t give up!
Thank YOU!!!!!
If I know I love a brand I will jump on new LE things. There are a few brands that I refuse to buy from regardless of whether products are LE or permanent because they constantly do the hype thing when it comes to LE. Nothing is that special. I have also stopped buying morst of the holiday offerings. I have been disappointed so many times even on high end products from brands like Dior.
Christine, you are totally right about dupes. I always just go to YouTube and watch the half drugstore/half HE videos and always feel better.
Happy New Year!
Yes, I didn’t get the gorgeous Chanel gold/copper eye shadow palette in time. So sad!
I HATE to miss out if I want something. I don’t consider it missing out if I didn’t want it anyway, but if I can’t hunt it down, because it’s discontinued, sold out, or too new to be in stores, I find it online. Ulta.com, Sephora.com, Ebay, fishpond.com (more expensive but very cool), or the brand’s own website. I feel like I’m missing out on Mariah Carey’s MAC collection because I can’t lay that money out, but I know I’ll get it piece by piece if I don’t get bored of it first.
One of the reasons I love coming to Temptalia is because you members get it…most of the stuff I pursue no one in my life cares about or even knows of its existence. I know there are some brands and products I like that you guys haven’t heard of, just as I learn of new products and brands here from all of you, but outside of this board, I only have one friend who cares about this, who understands what it is to be a beauty junkie.
3/4 of anything ever LE’d by MAC
OH YEA lol. As much as I love makeup, I’m a single parent with bills so I can’t splurge on every release that I’d like. I usually get the products I can’t stop thinking about but rarely do I even get something on it’s immediate release.
I like reading reviews on new beauty products and watching reviews or youtubers discuss it rather than buy it especially if I don’t really need it.
Absolutely yes! And absolutely not willing to fall for so much hype. I do not try to buy each new thing that comes up I think is crazy. Even on high end products some have not the best reviews. I’m happy with what I have often but just for fun finding something pretty and a color that’ll suit me but I’m not a snob or can’t afford it either. With two kids in excellent universities one graduated recently from Brown, rather help hubby pay those loans first than overspend on superficial needless things like my makeup. Proud of my chikadees. Not Sephora.