How do you feel about brands reformulating their popular products?
If a brand is going to reformulate, here’s what I’d like to see more brands do: 1) discontinue + discount existing product AND let customers know that it is a) being discontinued and b) will be reformulated/replaced; 2) reformulate in a way that improves the product (whether decreasing size and price, integrating better ingredients, fixing packaging issues, or whatever); 3) be consistent!! if shade A is coming back then please make it be shade A in color/texture, otherwise you might as well rename it; and 4) don’t reformulate every other year if there are only minimal (or no) visible improvements.
— Christine
Amen.
I would just like more transparency when a brand reformulates. Let us know when, why, and how a product is being reformulated. I can’t stand having to guess at whether or not a product has been changed, especially when I suspect that it’s for the worse. I would love to see more products reformulated in a smaller or mini-size for a lower price. I would also love to see beloved products get shade range extensions for deeper skintones.
Well said! I cannot think of anything else to add… maybe, they need to think twice in the first place about whether the reformulation is actually needed or they’re really just on verge of ruining a good thing and they’d be better off to put their energy into fixing one of the mediocre products.
I say don’t fix what isn’t broken.
I get that sometimes ingredients become harder to come by or need to be changed or whatever, and I agree with Christine… First of all, LET CUSTOMERS KNOW PRODUCT IS BRING DISCONTINUED/REFORMULATED so they can be informed and stock up on favorites. But we all know that most of the time, reformulations don’t work to better the product.
I so totally agree with this. I hate it when a favorite product just disappears off the shelves. I had a favorite Tom Ford lipstick that, WHOOSH, was gone one day. I would have bought a couple of back-ups. I wonder: what do they do with these? Throw them out? Give employees a chance to buy them? Does anyone know? Any Sephora or Ulta, etc. employees know the answer to this?
I think a lot of stores send discontinued products to discount stores like TJ Maxx, Winners, maybe outlets.
Companies tell us what to do with the product. Generally the more prestige brands have us send the items back. Then they either dispose, discount on their own site, send to outlets, or send to flash sale sites. Sometimes items are destroyed in store. This is more common with drugstore type products or hair product reformulations. Sometimes items are clearanced out but that’s very rare for the prestige brands.
TF they send to cosmetics company store owned by EL. I have one by me that Carrie’s TF. The bareminerals ones carry Burberry.
I’ve seen a whole selection of Tom Ford at my local Cosmetics Company Store in an outlet mall.
I can only speak for drugstore, since I work in one. First the discontinued items are marked down, if there are any left. Then, when it’s time to do the reset, they will either get moved into the clearance section or recalled by corporate or the manufacturer. I assume items get recalled because the store has found another retailer willing to buy and resell it (Iike a TJ Maxx or a job lots) that will pay more for it than the store would recoup by selling it at 75% off. Often, though, by the time an item is at that point, all the shades anyone is likely to buy are sold out. Markdowns tend to sell pretty quickly unless the color is undesirable.
This is more an issue of discontinuing a shade or range, not really a reformulation issue.
When brands dc an item, they’ll let them sell the current stock – so long as it’s selling and just not restock the store. If a store has back stock that doesn’t sell, then the brand will pull and offer to another outlet for sale at discount or to be destroyed if it’s beyond sale date.
I 100% agree with you! I’m a huge fan of MUFE shadows and to see my old version preformed better and packs a better punch in color is sad since I can no longer purchase them and new once are so underwhelming and inconsistent :/. Wish they just changed the packing to square and add more colors to an already amazing shadows but it looks like they were just cutting costs sadly …
^ THIS! The MUFE reformulation was SO disappointing!
I agree with all you said. Would also add to advise customers that the product has been (or is going to be) reformulated. Otherwise, it’s like buying Tom Ford’s old Wicked blush that was secretly reformulated to make it completely matte, when expecting it would have a flattering shimmer as the earlier formula had. (I’m not talking about it’s official reformulation, but the one done to the previous blush that wasn’t publicized.)
I don’t now that it’s ever been a good idea? In my limited brand and product experiences, I can’t think of one example where it the product or brand was better for it.
Everything you said Christine! It’s frustrating to find out too late and not from the brand itself that some products are discontinued.
Also, why reformulate something w/ a good formula and that is working well?
Don’t fix what isn’t broken (i.e. MUFE eyeshadow reformulation…) and also, I know most brands will put their products on clearance if it’s about to be discontinued (like BE’s Ready eyeshadows) but give us more lead time to stock up. Often, by the time it’s hit the Last Chance section of a brand’s website, they’re already out of stock.
I’m guessing it’s because they go to outlets and off-brand/discount retailers like TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, etc.
Arrrghhh grrr…it seems like every time I turn around Dior reformulated their lip products but I cant tell the difference. And why reformulate Miss Dior? Why? And sometimes like mufe es was great before anyway???
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as the saying goes. Popular products are popular for a REASON so there is no need to reformulate (unless some ingredient goes on the endangered species list or is found to be harmful). A perfect example – the MUFE and Sephora eyeshadows, which were, for the most part, really good, while their reformulated versions are far below the “originals”. And don’t even get me started on MAC discontinuing the Matte2 formula (and the original Pro Longwear shadows which were so excellent).
ALL of what Christine said above encompasses how I feel about this new, and rather brand suicidal, plague that we’ve been seeing play out at a fast and furious pace recently. It’s exasperating when an excellent, well loved eyeshadow formula or lipstick is changed, and NOT for the better! MUFE with the Artist Shadows. And Guerlain with their decision to ax the perfectly excellent Rouge G lipstick formula. Many others come to mind, ie; MUG Blush formula, anyone?
If something works, is much loved by your customer base as well as those who want to be, is well reviewed on; it does NOT need “fixing”! Guerlain could have simply opted to add more Rouge G shades to the existing range, even still given us that new customizable packaging WITHOUT changing the formula. MUFE could have likewise changed from very large round pans to square/rectangular pans without altering the shades and formula. Some things are best left as is!
For me, reformulated product is a totally new product and all bets are off. I am distinguishing this from repackaging, where the product is the same. I am not so attached to any makeup that I am not willing or able to find an alternative but years ago, my hair color got reformulated and turned to garbage. That was the end of box color for me.
Agree with all of your comments Christine. New formulation = new product. I get it if there is an iconic, cult favorite product the brand risks losing traction – e.g. Lingerie de Peau foundation, Double Wear, MUFE HD (at least they renamed it Ultra HD) BUT it’s not fair to the consumer
I really can’t stand color switches on the down low. MAC Warm Soul, Benefit Dallas, Milani Luminoso for example.
When they do that it’s so they make more profit, it’s not for us and I’m sick of it. So many things they the years have disappeared that I loved.
Generally when brands reformulate it is either a worse product (less pigmneted etc) or nothing like the original. I really don’t like it at all.
When it’s foundations, I tend to lose my shade and I really dislike that.
Everything Christine said and an additional pet peeve. I hate when a brand either reformulates a foundation or releases a new foundation with a different formula and then uses the same shade name and number to identify it but the shade and/or number are not the same. I have purchased a foundation that the brand chose to name and number the same as another foundation in the line and then when I got it the foundation was not only darker but the undertone was different. When you rely on on-line purchases it is difficult but the brands don’t need to make it virtually impossible to get the right foundation shade.
Yes! That is so annoying!
I really, really hate it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. More often than not, the brand just ends up making the product worse, and I strongly suspect “reformulate” is code for “make it cheaper” or “we’re not being talked about enough; better do something, even if it’s stupid.”
I agree with everything you said, too, Christine.
I don’t really care if a company reformulates a product as long as they don’t discontinue entire shades in the process! Yes, I’m still bitter about Kat Von D dropping Thin Lizzy from Studded Kiss when they went creme.
I feel negatively about it when they call it the same name. It’s no longer the same product, so don’t call it the same thing.
I agree with all you said and I agree with the opinion of other ladies here. Another “reformulation” trick is the quantity reducing (with the same price), under the pretext of new packaging. It is unacceptable for me. Like MAC Lightful Softening Lotion, that is a very good product. The old version had 150ml and the new 100ml.