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How do you feel about seasonal collections launching early?


How do you feel about seasonal collections launching early? Share!

I’m not sure how it’s possible, but they feel like they’re coming faster each year, and it’s fine for it to be in advance of the true season by a month or so, but I’m not so sure about fall launching in June/July!

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Katherine T. Avatar

I don’t like it at all. A month early is ok, but fall/winter palettes with smoky eyes and red lips in the middle of summer? That’s like Christmas in July. I don’t mind some early sneak peaks, so I can eyeball and budget in advance, but I like to enjoy and savor each season, without the crazy pressure to buy for next season, especially if it’s LE. When brands are rushing out makeup earlier and earlier, the quality and creativity can suffer. It’s easy to cut corners on QC, pick some “safe” but boring colors (or even worse poorly tested colors), slap some catchy name on it, shove it out the door, and hope the masses buy.

Pearl Avatar

Yes! It’s funny but I was wondering the same thing about the collections coming out earlier and earlier – I thought it was just me. I like the idea of a preview and being able to budget in advance, but with these ultra early releases/previews and often limited edition to boot, it just amps up the pressure and it’s just so pushy! Anymore I end up just sticking with the tried and true permanent staples and using my dupes.

Momo Avatar

I’m fine with seasonal collections launching 1 – 3 months before the actual season, but some early launches don’t seem to make sense to me. For example, I’m still trying to figure out why MAC released its Trend Forecast Spring ’16 collection in August of 2015? Wouldn’t January 2016 have been better? Or has MAC always done this for all their Trend Forecast collections?

Nancy T Avatar

They are indeed coming out too early, and therefore, they are rushing the season. It’s nuts when fall collections are out in early summer and holiday collections start appearing in October! I want to enjoy the season I’m in, not feel like these corporations pushing into the next one.

Melanie Avatar

In Germany most of the collections come a little bit later. The Chanel fall collection 2015 for example comes out in Germany in early October.

Mariella Avatar

It’d be nice if they’d wait until there’s at least a “vibe” of that new season in the air. I remember it most strikingly when I got Dior’s Bonne Etoile palette a few years go because that was SUCH a “fall-looking” palette. I called as soon as I read about it here and picked up the LAST one (because the Dior gal when on vacation and her fill in didn’t look at the list) in the middle of an August heatwave, which meant that when fall actually arrived, they had NONE of these left to sell. But I’ll also admit that in my desperation to get something I really want that is seasonal and LE, heck, I’d buy something from a “summer collection” in the middle of a blizzard!

xamyx Avatar

I don’t have an opinion either way. I live in SoCal, and we don’t have “seasons”, so I wear what I want, when I want. Plus, my personal aesthetic is very specific, so I don’t wear typical Spring/Summer shades. That said, I don’t like seeing promos of a product that won’t be available for several months; I want to be able to buy a product within 2-3 weeks of knowing about it. I also have an issue with so many LE products, and would like to see more items rotated into the permanent range, and/or have more product available for a longer time.

Kat Avatar

I think launching a seasonal collection 1 month before the season starts is OK. Like launching a fall collection at the end of August, a holiday collection mid-November. Just not a fall collection in June/July!

Staci Avatar

I hate it, just like all other seasonal things starting too early. It takes away from the actual time. I’m seeing Halloween stuff in stores now. By the time Halloween actually gets here, I’ll be so over it. It makes these seasonal things less special.

Nicole Avatar

I agree- July/August is just getting silly! Yet, I buy it because it is always LE of course. I feel like Tom Ford releases at a good time. But, I tend get frustrated with their release date because it is later than the other companies that release early and I have already spent so much money by then! It’s the same way with fashion though. I don’t see it changing unless everyone stops buying it until the actual season or closer to it. So, may as well just get used to it and deal.

Jess Avatar

I agree, Christine. As much as I do get excited about new collections, I think seasonal collections are getting released ridiculously early these days.

Lulle Avatar

A few weeks before the calendar season officially starts should be the limit. For some reason I feel like the Fall collections this year came way too early. Summer is a season most people enjoy and launching collections that remind us of the cold and wet season isn’t exactly exciting!
I bought stuff from the Tarte Energy Noire collection (really wanted them and there was a sale) a few weeks ago, and I haven’t even had the heart to swatch the taupes and purples in this crazy hot weather we’ve had. I wish they had launched it Early September.
And the most annoying early releases: Holiday collections launching – and getting sold out – in October. If your sets and palettes aren’t gonna be around when people actually shop for gifts, they’re not “Holiday collections”.

GK Avatar

Fall collections come out when it’s still 109degrees. Holiday comes out before Halloween. Spring comes out when it’s 50degrees. I hesitate to buy, but if you don’t, everything is sold out. I’m not a fan of pushing the season. I want to enjoy what’s current & have something to look forward to.

Erica Avatar

I understand the corporate plan to sell seasonal products however I think for makeup in particular is a misfire. You anticipate Fall products in late summer (ie August), not early July. My birthday is July 6 so personally I love “Christmas in July” sales as part of my bday haul (lol). When I was a young’un, July was for clearance/summer sales in anticipation of the makeup/clothing Fall collections. Now I’m buying leather jackets and Fall makeup during 4th of July sales and the mid July Nordstrom anniversary sale. By the next decade, we’ll be buying Fall makeup collections during Memorial Day (in the U.S.).

mish-mash Avatar

I have 6 nieces all out of the country , it helps to get an idea of what they might like even though I usually send a Sephora gift card.

mish-mash Avatar

On this same note, as a kid all the holiday catalogs arrived after Thanksgiving and I still remember the excitement pawing over them….those days are gone

WildDove Avatar

I like the early launches so I can see looks and trends for the upcoming season. For me, a big part of the enjoyment of fashion and beauty is to use my imagination to plan ahead for the looks I want to wear next season.

I don’t like it when collections sell out before the season even starts though — manufacture more so that everyone who wants the products can get them in any reasonable amount of time in relation to the season.

Vanessa Avatar

At this rate, the fall 2016 collection is going to be released on Fall 2015! It kind of reminds me of Black Friday sales starting on Thanksgiving now. All these companies are trying to out-do each other so much, but I think eventually everyone will get tired of it and they’ll go back to releasing collections at appropriate times. (At least I hope so!)

charlotte Avatar

I find it terribly annoying, and I agree.. it’s coming earlier each year. I want to buy fall colors in fall.. not be forced to buy them in the summer because they will be sold out if I don’t.

Genevieve Avatar

I think it takes the fun out of the season when brands launch their products too early. It’s like when the retail shops launch their next season’s clothes when the weather is indicating otherwise. I guess with the season starting times varying so much it’s hard to predict when summer/winter will end, but with makeup the brands can work to traditional seasonal times.

Georgia Avatar

I don’t like it! It’s 80 degrees here and fall and winter are being pushed down our throats! I think Christmas stuff will be coming out in a week or two. It’s just so wrong. I’m still enjoying summer and it will probably be “summer” here in California for several more months.

kellly Avatar

BRING IT!!! I’m always up for something new, and fall colors go well with my coloration so I’m always ready to see what’s new out there. Not that my budget is on track with that, but I still like to see what’s out there. Fall is my favorite season anyway so I need to celebrate!

Caroline Avatar

I want to buy seasonally-appropriate make up at the right time, not feel pressurised to buy on the spot in case it sells out way ahead. That’s just stupid, and I refuse to be dragged into that situation.

Toni Avatar

I like to have a sneak peek but at the same time I don’t! Confused? Scared I’ll love it then the pressure’s on to buy it. I agree that they are launching earlier and earlier.

Anne Avatar

I feel like it’s okay to launch them like a month before the season (ie I can get my fall stuff in August so on September 1st I can go into gaga fall mode) but any earlier and it’s a bit too obviously money-grubbing and distasteful like the holiday crap they pull out 5 months in advance. It’s like, yeah, we know, you want to roll around in a pile of our money, just chill bro.

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