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If you were in charge of one of those brands, what would you want to change about the line?
If you were in charge of one of those brands, what would you want to change about the line? Share!
Right now, I just want Guerlain to put out more shades of Rouge Gs… so that’s on my mind. But a more serious answer might be MAC and wanting to turn the ship around a bit — better quality, more interesting collections.
Thanks to Hannah for today’s questions! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
I want to be in charge of MAC, so I can halt the recycling of shades in new collections, so there’s more variety and creativity. Also, I would limit the number of collections so they aren’t as frequent.
YAAAS! I was coming here to type exactly this. A couple of years ago, I was MAC obsessed and spent all my free time on Specktra and Instagram sharking for new info. Now I’m like “meh” to a lot of the collections. Everything is starting to look the same and when MAC finally does whip up something unique the quality is either questionable or it’s unreasonably limited. I really want them to pump their breaks, sit down and really get those creative juices flowing to come up with better collections. I’d much rather appreciate fewer, more thought out releases than what’s been coming out lately
Exactly my thoughts!
I desperately want Lancome to redo their packaging to make it all retro glamor. They were my first higher-end brand, I’ve used a lot of their skincare and cosmetics for more than 20 years now, but their packaging doesn’t reflect the quality or the market they seem to be aiming for. Slap those same products into vintage packaging and bam. I had hoped they’d go in that direction since Lisa Eldridge is such a huge fan of vintage makeup but so far, nothing. So put me in charge of Lancome and I’d do it up hella chic.
I completely agree! Lancôme was my first skincare brand and although I have fond memories of their products, I feel their packaging hasn’t really evolved. I’m down with the retro glamour. Doesn’t seem like many brands have gone that direction, not to my knowledge at least.
MAC needs a serious overhaul –they need to stop cranking out all of these hit-or-miss collections and focus on quality over quantity. And how about some sales and free samples? Even Tom Ford has friends and family sales. And Guerlain needs to stop putting fragrance into everything, a prime reason I can never try their Meteorite powders, bronzers, and foundations.
I totally second your comment about MAC, Katherine. I don’t know the quality of any of the products in this particular collection, but I was really put off by the silly “Haute Dogs” wordplay. I thought, Really? That definitely was a low point for them, in my opinion.
“Haute Dogs” as a topic was a low point in my opinion, too, and some spokespeople / collaborators not my cup of tea or rather a direction that I did not think MAC would turn to. Sometimes MAC does appear too gaudy to me and that does not just put me off a specific collection but off the brand and products in general.
Hey Christine, I’m right on board with you when it comes to MAC! They need help. Badly. I mean, I obviously love them, I own enough of their products, so I must, right?
BUT:
1.) They need to do all their matte eyeshadow in Matte2!
2.) Slow down with virtually endless stream of sub-par or impossibly inaccessible LE collections, and instead concentrate on improving their quality AND having more quantity on hand, too.
3.) When something is a true hit, like the Vamplify line or Savant eyeshadow, for goodness sake, jump on that and make it PERMANENT.
MAC! They need to make liquid lipsticks!! And there are some lipstick colors missing. Vibrant purple! Darker than Heroine but still vibrant and not greyish.
And they/I need a black (and matte) lipstick that is in the permanent collection. It is not new but they didn’t sell it in the Netherlands.
I would create new paintpots. Stormy Pink is great but I would like one that is taupe on the purple side and darker, stil mat.
My ultimate dream.. Designing my own collection.
– High quality, pigmented products with excellent application and texture.
– Nice, sturdy, and portable packaging.
– Reasonable prices.
– Carefully selected/wide range of colors.
– INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ?
Oh, I just realized I didn’t answer the question!
– Urban Decay: more mattes. They should realize we want to be able to create more than one whole look with a palette.
– Too Faced: I think they’re inconsistent when it comes to quality and effort put on the packaging and color selection. I wish they’d come up with more palettes like the original Chocolate Bar in the new improved packaging. That is a thing of beauty, quality and packaging wise.
– Designer brands in general: quality. You can’t keep charging people 30+ for products that are mediocre at best.
Agree about UD. I prefer matte in the crease and above, but it’s hard to create different looks when your using the same matte shades everyday and only changing up the lid.
Urban Decay. They’re getting so boring, like a movie franchise that keeps churning out sequels.
I also think their new packaging is okay, nothing exciting.
TL;DR: I’d change MAC to something the people want.
I will have to jump on the bandwagon here and say I’d want to run MAC. The quality of their products has taken such an unsatisfactory turn. So many of their collections seem to be nothing but repeats of particular shades in a different package. They have not shown creativity or produced innovative, future-forward cosmetics in a long while. The company has allowed so many indie and low-end brands (no shade being thrown) to come up and steal their spotlight and stronghold on the youth market. MAC still has a grasp, but they’re slipping. For goodness sake, MAC, there are $3 concealers out there that are better than your $20 products! Unacceptable.
I would clean house and put together a new team that would focus on growing or leading trends, customer demands and overall satisfaction. I would heavily utilize certain social media platforms, and welcome with open arms some of the most influential social media makeup ‘gurus’ of the current generation. I would also create a division that would overhaul all MAC stores that have received numerous complaints from customers regarding inadequate assistance. Substandard on-the-floor customer service is frequently tarnishing the reputation of this company, and it requires swift reconditioning. As for the MAC products, I wouldn’t change too many things. Classic, popular products would remain as they are, but stagnant movers will be terminated or sent back to the drawing board. I would mostly want to alter the foundation line by incorporating more ” –.5″colors, or give the option of foundation customization. For the customers who require two foundation shades to reach their appropriate color, can you imagine a MAC where you can set the mixing percentage of two or more foundation shades and have it sent straight to your door? An idea like this will take some fine tuning, but it’s not impossible. Or if you’re not comfortable with the mixing concept, then possibly the idea of making half-sized foundations so that two of them equals the price of one? I’d also target reformulating some of the darker foundation shades; especially for the yellow undertones. No [golden] brown complexion customer has ever described themselves as, “Dark skin, with an Oompa-Loompa undertone.” Those formulations need to be better tested with an acceptable, realistic result. The onslaught of sub-par collection releases will have to come to a brief end. A collection should have pertinence and intrigue; not just “15 minutes of fame” packaging. I’d instruct the digital/graphics team to remodel the MAC site and app for better fluidity and efficiency. The current MAC site layout may look cool, but it’s navigation is poor. And lastly, the biggest thing I’d change to MAC is discount purchases. I’d offer clearance deals or percentages off sales to normal customers. I’d also incorporate a progressive points program so customers can cash in their accrued credit to use on future items. The “MAC Empties” plan is nice and all, but it can be forgettable. There needs to be more incentives for customers to return to MAC. Buyers want to spend their money on mod, affordable, quality products, and not on just run-of-the-mill limited edition collections.
Bravo!!!! ???
Thank you. 🙂
I would return MAC’s current website back to its former design – so much easier to browse colors, which is 9 times out of 10 why I go to the MAC website.
Me too! I miss their old layout. I thought it was so much easier to find items on their previous design. Now, I can’t stand going there. I especially dislike the blush section. There’s nothing but a rainbow panel with no indication of the blush’s name. It’s like playing hide and go seek for the shade you want. I now buy online MAC products elsewhere.
You are SO right about their lackluster website. It’s impossible to see anything.
All they need to do is simply add some text to those colored boxes and voilà !! One problem solved.
I agree with you 110%! If they can offer discounts for the Pro program they could offer it to customers. Not 30 or 40%, of course but 15-20% would be fine by me. I mean, look, if a company releases a complete new collection every other month they should offer a discount to encourage people to spend (and give the customer’s wallet a break). My husband and I talked about MAC’s endless LE collections and he disagrees; he thinks a die-hard fan would buy no matter how limited or expensive but I think offering a discount would go a long way for both the brand and the customer.
I think the Pro discount is 20% off. Don’t quote me on that…I could be wrong. But MAC definitely could offer something other than once in a while 2-day or overnight shipping to regular customers. Just because a product will get to me in 3 days or less, does not encourage me to buy more.
As for limited editions, I can understand paying full price if the item is something that’s never been released before and it’s genuinely unique. But what’s the point of paying full price on an item that’s been sitting on their site all this time, and now they want us to get excited because they took it out of a black package and put it into a container that’s, let’s say, blue? Com’on!! Die hard MAC fans are still alive and well out there, but too many people are growing wary of the company’s shenanigans. Even if MAC doesn’t want to give every customer a discount on LE products, then they could at least do some sort of giveaway or contest where a set number of people can win a “discount pass” for certain releases. MAC could advertise that the way to enter is by purchasing anything from their site for $5 or more, or whatever. All qualifying accounts will automatically be entered. Just…a little something.
I did read, and I love your ideas. I think everyone is right, and MAC needs a major overhaul.
Thank you very much. 🙂
That MAC website is the WORST!! I avoid at all costs, unless I can’t find the product anywhere else. And why buy through the MAC website, when I can buy MAC through Nordstrom and get discounts and cash back via ebates and mr. rebates?
Exactly! And also Belk, Dillards, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s sell MAC products online and they all qualify for eBates and Mr. Rebates.
Excellent plan! I particularly like the point about the stores with sub-par service – once upon a time, MAC was *the* place to go if you wanted advice from properly trained artists.
I’ve never gone to MAC for advice. I’ve always done my research online. I’ve only ever gone to a MAC store 3 times in my entire life, and my experiences were pretty good; except for this one girl, but she wasn’t relevant to the store’s service. I’m more horrified by the stories I’ve heard and videos I’ve watched about customers being mistreated, and the little or no consequences being taken against these appalling MAC employees. I have 0% tolerance for employees berating customers. There are NO “three strikes, you’re out” policy when I’m involved.
I would change Becca, a new fave. It just doesn’t seem cohesive enough, and is moving in the direction of being all about shimmer/strobing. The products are good quality, but I wish there was a sense of it being a “line” if that makes sense.
I totally agree with MAC. They go overboard when it comes to launching new collections. They should launch 1-2 collections every month maximally. And please stop doing these collections where you just launch one lipstick and one eyeshadow – that’s not a collection for me. I would rather go for big collections with special packaging from time to time and high quality. Like the yearly summer and holiday collection. And please MAC – listen to what your customers are saying. You are in the process of loosing the high standart you once had.
I would love to be in charge of Clinique. Their products are so good on sensitive skin, but their foundation range sucks (their palest shade is like 3 shades too dark and 4 shades too pink for me, and my WOC friends have problems on the darker end) and they’re not seen as big players in the makeup game.
I’d love to change that and get in more couture looking eye shadows and lipsticks. They also need a good highlighter. Their contour is very warm, so it doesn’t even do its job.
The ingredients and skincare are great, but the actual COLORS they produce (with the exception of cheek pops and some cult products like black honey lipstick) are lackluster.
Clinique has great eyeshadows too, which is usually totally overlooked alongside the rest of their colour products. And agreed, the foundations are awful.
Or I would be in charge of MAC and freaking bring back Samoa Silk. They always throw away the good stuff. Like discontinuing Kid for a year, then bringing it back. WTF. If it’s permanent, keep it permanent. Even Tom Ford made Nude Dip permanent after listening to their customers
Yes, please, to Samoa Silk! And Tete-A-Tint, too! Oooh, also MAC needs to bring back Kid in the original Veluxe formula instead of plain matte, the Veluxe made it darken and warm up on the lid, which is why I love it, and the new doesn’t.
My first thought would be MAC. Their quality is very inconsistent and these limited edition collections with no special packaging are getting on my nerves. If I’m buying a limited edition product, their better be special packaging!
But I would really love to revamp some of the drugstore brands. They seriously need to start expanding their lines for deeper shades. While I love my MAC and Lancome foundations, there are days that I just want to throw something on my face for a few hours, but I don’t want it to be my $46 foundation! These brands need to recognize that WOC helped to shape this industry and we need to be represented.
*puts down the mic…gets off the soapbox*
I definitely agree with everything you said, and especially about foundation shades at the drugstore level! It’s ridiculous that there are very few and far between shades darker than “Tan”! And even in their darker end of “Honey” or “Tan”, it’s pretty difficult to get a decent match, I have only found 1 ever.
I think most people will say MAC! But they do need an overhaul. They need stop bringing out new collections every month and limit it to a few a year, but up the quality and make them more original instead of redoing the same thing and repromoting the same products.
I’d also say Guerlain need to make their light foundations lighter and less orange and quit with the heavy scents in all their products and definitely bring out Rouge G’s!
I would pull MAC out of China, and restore it to cruelty free status. I would give it a formula update so the quality was restored, and limit le collections to 4 well planned collections per year.
Hands down my favourite comment out of all here. Many have complained about MAC’s endless, repetitive and low-quality LE collections, but my biggest qualm with MAC is the animal testing. I’ve completely moved over to cruelty-free brands, barring MAC. I feel that even if I boycott them, I wouldn’t make the slightest dent. They need to stop with the animal cruelty, period.
I’m glad someone came up with this one before me! In this day and age, there is no reason to test on animals. China being… well, China, will never change their stand on testing sadly. Therfore, MAC will most likely continue testing.
As much as I have loved MAC over the years, there are other brands- and great brands who don’t test and stay out of China.
Just a side note as well… When it comes to animal testing, testing on animals doesn’t always translate to humans!
I don’t know if its allowed to promote a non profit on here or not but, I can always remove later..
beaglefreedomproject.org <— please visit!
This is exactly what I was going to say. I hate that MAC is so popular and yet they choose to sell in a market that requires their products are tested on animals.
Any brand that does this should have a good hard think about themselves.
MAC and Make Up For Ever to create more White foundations/concealers. I appricate they try to cover all skin tone but they both fail for us with really pale skin… I want a White Ultra HD (MUFE) and a Pro Long Wear Concealer (MAC) for sure. *_*
For MAC I like use to recommend reluaching of LE shades one a year to vote on.
Totally with you on the Mac thing. Also, why not finally answering demand for LEs – I always feel it’s a joke that so much sells out in under a day.
I also would make Nars and MUFE easily obtainable over here in Germany again, plus make Chanel think over its weird decision to make LEs like the holiday one super limited edition here. Seriously, a handful of counters in the whole country? I don’t get that at all.
Plus, a proper rewards system for Douglas like the one Sephora has!
I agree with you Christine regarding Mac.
If I were in charge of MAC, I would take cult favorite or very popular LE items and make them permanent (they’ve done it before with lipsticks, and I just don’t understand why they don’t do it with other products), like for example the Extra Dimension blushes and skinfinishes, the Huggable lipcolours, and the Mattene lipsticks. I’d increase stock of LE items, because they’re pretty much guaranteed to sell so it’s not like they’re risking a loss by increasing the stock beyond what they’re doing now. I’d reformulate the matte shadows into matte2 OR release more matte2 shades. Finally, increase the quality of LE products and tweak some of the poorer performing permanent products.
If I were in charge of UD, I’d tell them to stop recycling shades into their palettes, and diversify the”mood” or “theme” of palettes! At this point if you showed me the shades in a palette I would have no way of telling you what that palette was. I feel like the palettes never have a new or unique “theme,” outside of either a) a rainbow or b) a Naked palette. I’d just like to see more effort and creativity put into their palettes, because the quality of eye shadows in their permanent line is aces!
One brands I’ve always been interested in but never tried is MUFE, simply because of their stance on animal testing. I’d stop marketing in China 😀 Maybe it’s LVMH that decided that though?
Urban Decay, for sure. I know the success of the Naked palettes has been big for them, but they need to get back into the business of wild colors that initially drew me to them. And yeah, I agree with many folks here that they should bring in more mattes with high pigmentation. Also, lose the gooey liquid lip glosses – everyone I know hates those.
And for GOODNESS’ SAKE, quit putting Radar and the same six other shades in every darn palette. We have them already, okay?
Hourglass. I love their packaging and style. Hefty cases, yes please! Also I’d like to expand their product line and carry on with their high quality.
I agree with everything being said about Mac. I would also want to be in charge of Urban Decay and stop the whole naked craze. Try and get the company back in touch with it’s roots. Bring back the original packaging. The company has totally lost it’s “edgy” status since the release of naked/changing their packaging and colors.
I’d echo the comments of others and say Urban Decay. My first UD product was a sparkly silver lipstick back in the 90’s, and I loved their edgy, underground image. But Naked has changed everything and lately their color range just seems so… safe. (Minus the Vice palettes). I’d love to see the drama and boldness of Illamasqua married to the quality of UD!
Rouge G’s need more cool pinks, fuchsias, and purples. Too many of the colors are warm. Why don’t they come out with a better range of colors? I love their formulation.
I think I would change the marketplace to be fairer to small business. I believe that Estee Lauder should be upfront about owning MAC, Bobby Brown, Clinique and their other brands. Other large manufacturers of cosmetics should also be more transparent. The U.S. is anti-monopoly, yet it seems to not translate to cosmetics.
Oh count me in for revamping MAC. I pretty much echo every other comment here: uninspired and WAY too numerous “limited edition” collections. This thing of theirs about not making enough product to meet demand annoys the crap out of me too. They need a MAJOR overhaul of their in-store customer service, and they need better lipstick formulas. They cosmetics industry and trends have moved on, and MAC stays in a rut thinking what they have always done will continue to work. Oh I could go on and on and on, but you all pretty much spelled it out and fully agree with the other comments here.
Urban Decay is my other choice. The same repeated shades in palette after palette after palette is wearing on me. I would like to see UD do a couple of collections each year. Trendy color combos with a good mix of matte and shimmer and adequate transition shades. And please don’t discontinue the lip crayons! I love those things! Bring back the edge! By releasing collections, they could keep the Naked stuff in their permanent line (it’s a money maker – you can’t deny that), but they could rock that edgy goodness that made them famous. This is the one company I seriously wish would let ME curate a palette. I could put together one that would out sell Naked 1. (If you’re listening UD – please let me do this! You wouldn’t regret it!). ?
MAC — too many collections and quality has gone way down. Also, once you find a color or formulation you really like, they discontinue it. Everything is about cutesy packaging but the formulations are mostly hit and miss, very unfortunate. How many times are they going to recycle Carbon eyeshadow yet they never fix the formulation?
Urban Decay, stop putting mircro-glitter in matte eyeshadow.
I’d like Anastasia, MAC, and Bobbi Brown to make a wider selection of tinted brow gel colors. Add a lighter taupe. They greyed colors go on and dry darker than they look in the tube, which looks harsh. The blonde colors are too warm for me. The browns are too dark for me. White brow hairs need color but product color has to be just right to go with greying light-medium brown hair, and other awkward or unusual colors of hair.
I’d like EL to bring back the original formula and colors for Double Wear foundation, original formula for Daywear creams, the navy flip compacts for blush c. 2000 (flip open like a phone). And bring back the black cake eyeliner from c. 2005, make it in brown and a blue as well.
In general I’d like more products without sunscreens of any kind.
I would have to sort the Estée Lauder shades out! Such excellent products that actually do what they say but their foundation and concealer colours don’t match up well at all!
I think Cover Girl needs to get in touch with their customer base. Namely in how they market the Queen collection. “What collection?” you ask? Exactly. It was introduced in ’05 or ’06 with Queen Latifah as a spokesmodel and collaborator and it includes darker skin foundations as well as color cosmetics. Proctor and Gamble still thinks that women of color live in “urban” areas and this pretty good collection is only sold in limited areas. Really? I mean women of color live outside “the big city”, too. It’s such an inconvenience for me to travel to the “urban” areas (about a 20 minute drive) just to see some foundation from Cover Girl when the main Cover Girl line is everywhere–Ulta, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Stop & Shop, etc. Or gamble (no pun intended) by ordering sight unseen online. It’s so annoying and asinine that they actively choose to cloister their own products.
Can’t say anything about MAC as I rarely use their products. Sounds like I need to give them a pass until they get better anyway.
Urban Decay: get back to the quality of the early Vice palettes, both in product and packaging. UD’s packaging has gotten rather cheap compared to their high early standard.
Also design a Naked line that works on pale girls, especially ones who need cool undertones. Most of my friends who use UD have voiced the latter complaint. The “Naked Smoked” is kind of a bad joke, because none of the three existing palettes are that day-appropriate (especially for work) if you don’t sport something of a tan. (In short, if you’re going to stake a claim in the world of nude palettes, don’t do it halfway.)
And finally, probably drop the new site-only line of “complete look” sets for, gosh, only $90 each. Anyone who uses UD much is going to have a lot of those products already. It feels like just another step toward repackaged re-releases. Boo. I want my innovative UD back. Few things are sadder in fashion than breakthrough brands going mass-consumer.
Clinique: very much agree with other comments about how ho-hum this line has gotten. Even the basic products are not as good as before; why they messed with their moisturizer, which has been their bestseller for decades and has been waxed joyously about in most women’s magazines, is beyond me… And if you’re going to revamp a baseline product, at least bother getting rid of more of the artificial components.
They need to either reclaim their earlier quality (and establish a greater color range!) and advertise themselves as timeless, reliable, and cooperative with other labels’ products, or broadly reinvent their brand to be more timely and fashion-responsive. I’d go with option one, because that’s been Clinique’s draw for decades (for good reason, mostly), and I’d push for limited (but not too limited) edition releases of products designed by trendier or higher-end makeup labels. “UD/Tom Ford for Clinique” rather than “Marimekko for Target,” assuming you could get that kind of cooperative project to happen. Trendy makeup will come and go, and the market is full of hot new brands, which is great for consumers but hard on makers trying to compete. But the need for quality basics at a mid-range price is a constant, as well as periodic “fun” products that don’t fight with your basics in terms of application and formulation.
Makeup Revolution: packaging to match product quality! But these guys are new and likely trying to save money for reinvestment in their business. But repackaging is something they will need to look into soon to catch more of the market and keep their existing clientele hungry for more.
I sound like I actually know what I’m talking about! X-D As if, right? But I can dream about Chanel doing a lipstick mini package to complement Clinique’s cheek pops, can’t I?
Basically, I would want some of the high end brands to put out better quality of eye shadows in their palettes – Dior, Guerlain etc. They can do it, because they have done so in the past – Dior’s Bonne Etoile and Guerlain’s Les Gris.
I would like some of the “drugstore” brands to put out a wider range of foundations so that all customers are catered for.
I would like that all brands are cruelty free and stop selling to China, who insists that products be tested on animals.
MAC needs to limit the amount of collections it has per year and focus on quality.
Please – no more matte blacks and rich dark browns in EVERY collection.
There are a few:
I think part of the question is missing, so I’m not sure what is meant by “those brands.”
MAC — I can’t say it better than Momo. If I were in charge of MAC, I’d probably just hire her. 🙂 (I’d also pull out of China and make MAC CF again, but that’s a personal thing. I’d do the same for every cosmetics company testing so they can sell in China. I support Viva Glam AIDS charity whole-heartedly. I support Back to MAC as being good for the environment. So I do occasionally buy MAC. But I’d buy much more if they were CF again.)
Tarte — Tarte has been slipping. I’d go back to the older talc-free formulas. I’d bring back some color: Tarte does a great job with neutrals, but people are getting tired of the same things over and over. Tarte doesn’t have to go neon, but some pretty purples, blues, greens, plums would spice things up, and they’ve done them well in the past. Why not use the Amazonian flowers, animals and insects for some color inspiration? I’d make Mirage a permanent blush color just because I love it so much.
Stila — I hate to say this, as I have a history with Stila. When my kids were young and I was broke for years due to medical bills and my not being able to work, Stila was a small company just starting to sell nationallly. Stila had a contest promotion, and I won a travel case with several makeup products. I thanked them and told them how much it meant to me and why. They sent me a really, really nice letter and more items out of the goodness of their hearts. I was loyal to them after that, even when they started selling in China without giving their customers a heads up that they were no longer CF.
But…Stila ha gotten really boring, and has pretty much fallen off my radar this last year. I think the new eyeshadow formula isn’t as good. The last collection was small and unimaginative. The water blushes were interesting, but they didn’t really capture my interest and seemed messy to me. I saw more than one YouTube guru spill them. The new liquid lipsticks are pretty, but the colors are standard. Perfectly Poreless Putty Perfector is supposed to be a great product, but with only two shades, it really limits who can use it. (Again, I’d pull out of China and return to being CF. )
Agreeing with everyone about getting MAC to just cool it with all the ridiculous LE collections. Some of them are definitely appealing, but there are way too many being pumped out and all in a hurry.
KVD – I’d get them to change the wonky formula on a bunch of the Studded Kiss lipsticks
Urban Decay – I’d get them to stop mislabeling their finishes (they call a shade “satin” when it’s a full on metallic glitter, wth) and I’d also put a big halt on all the Naked stuff. I guess a ton of people still love it, but there are just so many now it’s like how much more Naked can they do? Also, more matte shades, especially brights.
Mainstream polish brands – stop reformulating amazing, popular shades (*points at Sally Hansen Pacific Blue*) and turning them into a whole different color with a crap formula just to save a quick buck.
Same as you Christine regarding MAC. I think I’d slow down releases to just a Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer, Holiday and stop with the (campy/cheesy) limited edition every 2 weeks.
I wish all makeup brands that test on animals to stop.. There is just no need, and there are plenty who don’t.
MAC needs to up its quality and freshen up its tired lipstick, eye shadow and blush collection. Their lipsticks over the past 8 years or so have lost quality and gotten pricier.
I think my primary change for a lot of brands would be, refillable packaging. You mention the Rouge G lipsticks – those are a perfect candidate for being able to buy just the lipstick half, and slip it into an existing mirror half. The mascara does have a refill option, I think. But it’s something I would really like to see from more products and more brands.
I would be in charge of MAC. I would only have about 4 “limited edition” collections each year and I would have at least 4 times more products available for the LE release so that people who weren’t actually hovering over their computers the second the release is available could actually have a chance to get what they want before it’s sold out. I would limit the special collections instead of having 2 every month so that if you found something you loved, you could actually have a chance to use it and replace it without finding out it was all sold out.
😀
MAC – like you and everyone else. basically already stated. The hit or miss collections, the quality, the recycling of permanent products in collections. Perhaps I would make some of their better LE items permanent. I love MAC but they are all over the place….there’s much I would change…especially putting an end to the animal testing.
I would like to address Estee Lauder/ Mac:
Estee Lauder:
I would change its marketing campaigns to target and cater to the specific needs of its ‘muses’ of colour. For example, there is a huge, almost cult like following of Caribbean ladies who swear by the Double Wear Liquid Foundation, we truly appreciate its huge variety of shades that complement our many skin tones. And when we find a product that works, we do not hesitate to buy it, and would move heaven and earth to get it! And what does the company do? There is a cosmetics company here that is the only authorised retailer of the product, and they will no longer be stocking the makeup, some people are having some issues getting their orders through via Sephora and EL does not ship directly to our country…WAY to GO guys :/
If I were in charge of MAC, the first thing I would do is limit the number of “Limited Edition” to once per year- Christmas, that special time, when a gift of makeup is super awesome, and knowing that it is almost one of a kind makes it even more so. There are too many collections, to keep up with them, and to try to replace the products when they are all done is just annoying.
The next thing I would do is do away with the “Pro” Store. here is no universal makeup academy that could certify us all to be ‘pros’ and we can all aspire to learn ad improve our skills/ techniques, so leave the buying power In the hands of the consumer. 🙂 Just my 2Cents!
MAC. I would have fewer limited collections that sell out in 5 minutes. Customers feel cheated. I would also, have fewer collections of there is nothing truly different or remarkable. At least have special packaging. It makes the consumer feel like they are getting something luxe. Also, fewer collections will enable the average consumer to keep up and actually purchase them. At $16 for one lipstick it’s not exactly a bargain.
mac seriously needs to stop duping their own products! also i would love to see some liquid lipstick from them, even though my poor wallet wouldn’t be able to afford to buy too many lol.
to be honest though i would grab any of the big brands and make them more inclusive of nonwhite people, because honestly the foundation ranges on some brands is just sad and finding foundation is such a chore sometimes. something like loreal’s true match system would be nice, although i’m definitely not going to argue with the prices on loreal’s stuff! and i’d like to see a wider range of nudes for most brand and really any color product that isn’t specifically geared to/modelled on white people.
I agree with you. I laugh when I peruse the drugstore foundations. The differences between shades are so great. For example in L’Oreal’s true match line, the difference between C7 and C8 is so large. It’s like the difference between Beyonce’s complexion and Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede. Umm…no. They are so not one shade apart from each other.
I would change the formulation of the Dior quints. They are just awful, and at that price point, they should be amazing. Beautiful groupings, bad formulation.
I just thought of a couple more. I know you’re not a fan, Christine, but OPI needs to stop doing the “if we give it a different name no one will know it’s the same color from last year and the year before”.
Also, Lush and The Body Shop were sort of pioneers in the skin care game with their use of food based items for optimal health and beauty and The Body Shop with the “trade not aid” credo. But why are newer skin care companies going paraben-, gluten-, phthalate-free and they are still carrying products with these potentially harmful ingredients?!?
I would make sure any and all of them were cruelty free!
Great question! I would like Dior to create more matte lipsticks. It seems like they specialize more in satiny, creamy lipsticks and gloss. It would be fabulous if Dior created a special collection of classic matte lipsticks. That’s what I would do if I was in charge of Dior. As for Nars, they always have great products, but can they please bring back the Black Forest Matte eye shadow. It’s the best black eye shadow I’ve ever worn. It will be the first on my agenda to bring back the Black Forest Matte eye shadow as well as the Paper Tiger cream eye shadow. Both great eyeshadows.