If there’s one thing I’ve noticed year on year since I started having some interest in makeup, is that limited edition collection and products are on the rise. Not content with having just 4 seasonal collections a year, brands are now releasing little capsule collections from time to time, often with pretty packaging or embossing, and loudly proclaiming them to be “Limited Edition! Get it now before it’s gone!”
And you know what? They all fly off the shelves and make the companies a boatload of money. One of the worst culprits is MAC Cosmetics which seems to release a new limited edition collection practically every week, and everything seems to sell out before they even reach the counters. Clearly, pretty packaging and pretty products sell. But how much of it is truly due to the packaging and colours and how much of it is the allure of owning a limited edition item?
I was thinking about this quite recently, when there was a slew of Spring and Summer limited edition offerings from all the major cosmetics brands in the market. I would see all the pretty colours and designs, the interesting combination of colours in palettes, the intricate embossing flooding Instagram and blogs… and I felt numb.
I picked up one or two items myself, but I realised that barring a few brands that consistently churn out quality products, many of these limited edition items are less impressive than their permanent counterparts. So I got to wondering if you are swayed or influenced to buy something because it is a limited edition product? Or because it is so limited in supply and because people build up the hype to the extent that you just have to own it even if you never use it?
One of the brands that consistently produces high quality cosmetics, even in their limited edition collections, is Guerlain. I have yet to find a dud in their limited edition offerings, and they are also usually consistently swoonworthy in their intricacy and delicacy. The upside also, is that the products are usually usable and high quality too and when I realised that they don’t churn out limited edition items the way many other brands in their ilk do, I realised that might be why they are able to maintain the quality.
I used to be quite a follower of Chanel and Dior collections, picking up one or two items from each collection but in recent times, I’ve found the quality to not be as high as what I had come to expect from the brands, especially considering their asking prices. In fact, for me most of the items have been misses and duds and that disappoints me because I used to be quite a fan of both brands.
Quality aside, giving in to the limited edition hype means that, as a blogger, I have to churn out a post as quickly as I can before they are all gone, and that means that if you read many beauty blogs, you are likely to see 20 billion posts all talking about the latest limited edition collection. Yawn! 😛 It’s not just you, it’s me too. Yawn! 😛 Plus I don’t have the luxury of time to be that much on the ball as the pro bloggers are, so that’s the other drawback.
So I have made my decision to not give in to the limited edition hype anymore. There are always exceptions of course, as there may be items that I like or am attracted to, and I’m afraid I’m horrible at passing up the chance to own pretty Guerlain goodies, especially if there’s Meteorites involved 😀 I recently acquired the Guerlain Aquarella Meteorites and I don’t even know if I should blog about it because I don’t know if it’s already all gone! I was quite pissed off when I told you about the very worthy Rose Grenat Rouge G only to be told it was already sold out in many places 😛
If I am gifted with any limited edition item, I might blog about it but I plan to shift my focus to permanent items. For me, it relieves the pressure to blog and for you, it gives you the chance to not have to make a snap decision to shell out money you may otherwise save for something else. There are always exceptions of course. Prettiness like the Rose Grenat lipstick should not be missed 🙂
I’ve also realised that at the end of the day, makeup is only as good as actually using it so it doesn’t quite matter if it’s a limited edition item or a permanent item so long as it looks good and performs well. I’ve also learned that I’m not one to buy or keep things just to look at them and admire them. I want something that I can use. In that sense, I’d much rather focus on something that is available all the time as opposed to one that just appears fleetingly on the horizon. You could say that I’ve finally grown up! Haha 😀
What say you: Do you fall for the limited edition makeup hype?
I must say I’ve been there and done that, chasing the hype, chasing the rainbow and feeling frustrated if I miss out on anything. But in recent times, that feeling has passed. I’m now a lot more blasé about things, less keen on new things, more interested in permanence. Maybe I have grown up after all 😀
Paris B
Strangely, I was never after any limited edition. Buy hype, well, sometimes if it attracts me enough to let go of all rational reasons. :p
It’s all hype you know – get it before it’s gone and before you know it, your money’s gone too! LOL!
Hahahaha!! Money gone faster we can blink the eyes!! I think I have more grown-up responsibilities now, and reading beauty blogs / youtube videos for the past 3 years has made me more saturated to the beauty world – companies will ALWAYS launch new collections and sales will ALWAYS be on. Even shopping sites that constantly email you discount codes will ALWAYS run promotion. So there’s no need to rush to part with my money just yet. 😀
Before children come into my life, yeah just tell me something is limited ed and although my brain tells me I don’t need it, but my irrational side tells me to get it. So correction to first comment: yes I was sucked into limited edition hype n-years before, and that was BEFORE i have gone madly insane into makeup!! heehee… save a lot of money to think about it! Nowadays, if you tell me something is limited edition, I think a lot more before making the purchase. And often times, after waiting out the initial hype, I find that I don’t want it as much anymore. 🙂
Very good post! I am initiannly very drawn to the limited editions but then I come to my scenses and never buy them. Cuz, do I really need them? Can I live without them? More often than not the answer is yes. But Im still thinking about buying something from MACs aquatic collection just because of the packaging 🙁
I know of many who picked up the Aquatic collection purely for the packaging so you aren’t alone Fia! 😀 But still, I think we will mostly be swayed depending on our personal interests and likes and dislikes. So while I will not be swayed by MAC, I may be swayed by Guerlain 😉
Interesting topic, Paris B. Yeah I’m not one of keep unused makeup and stare at them. Sorry but I think that’s just a waste of money but I do understand the “collector’s mindset” – you collect stuff and treat them like you would like a piece of art. I mean, you wouldn’t draw all over it or try to “use” a painting, would you? 😉 But I’m no collector and like to use what I buy. I am drawn to pretty packaging but I won’t make a beeline for something in particular, especially if it’s not available where I am. I suppose I will only get an LE item if I can obtain it easily and would suit my needs. I sound so practical but I really am – even though “pretty” and “practical” don’t always go together.
I’m like you! I like pretty makeup but I like it better if it looks pretty on my skin as well as in the pan LOL I guess I don’t get collecting makeup the way some people do. That said, I don’t get collectors of other things either so it’s not just makeup that I don’t get LOL In many way, I think a lot of us are practical. We after all only have limited funds and abilities to get certain items so we have to be picky and practical. That said, even if it’s terribly pretty and I’ll never use it e.g. bronzers, I’ll pass. That for me, is just wasting my limited funds 🙂
I used to with MAC, but had some poor experiences with buying online (didn’t look as good IRL) and by the time I got to a counter, the stuff would be gone. I occasionally do it with Dior, but I’m getting frugal in my old age. Like you, I don’t like the lower quality that the items sometimes have.
You know what I hate? That these limited edition items are gone almost before they are launched in stores for us to see and touch and decide. A lot of the time, they’re already snapped up online and that boggles my mind. How do you know you’ll like it if you’ve never seen it and if I do see it and like it, why can’t I buy it?! I think sometimes, these craze for limited edition items, especially MAC, is fueled by the social media hype and that also bugs me simply because it seems to fuel mindless and undiscerning buying for the sake of owning something that’s limited edition. Like you, I used to be a bit more generous with Dior but their recent quality has left me feeling wanting. For me, that means money saved… towards a nice bag! 😉