Who else thinks MAC is being a tad ridiculous?

[nadiya]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ..kels* there IS one thing that's been ticking me off about MAC though.. they discontinued shadesticks & now they're repromoting a few in Gold Fever. did they really need to take them away, only to dangle them in front of our faces again? only this time with a nice shiny "LE" tag?! seriously. give me a break. if you're going to d/c something - don't do it only to hype it up again.

Yup, totally agree with you there Kels. And it will have two fluidlines that they're discontinuing included as well. What's that all about?

 

[Dianora]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nadiya I used to feel overwhelmed with trying to keep up but be honest, I think I'm now undergoing a case of MAC fatigue. I still love checking out new collections but I don't buy as much from collections as I used to.

Me too. This year's haul: 2 N eyeshadows, 3 Fafi paintpots, and then I received 5 Cool Heat/Naughty Nauticals eyeshadows for my birthday. And I think that's IT for the year. I used to go and at least look at and swatch things just to see if anything popped out, but I haven't even been doing that lately. Everything that comes out that I like is similar to something I already have - I guess that's to be expected, there are only so many colors you can come up with when you're releasing so many LE items in a year.

 

[GlamYOURUs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chamichams Why hatin'? Just practice self control and you'll be good. I don't buy LE stuff unless I totally can't live without it.

No one is hating here honey. Its just the overwhelming feeling of trying to play catch up on every collection that comes out AND trying to focus on the ones that will be coming out later so we can better budget our expenses.
You need to understand that everyone is different, and not everyone can practice self control. And it doesn't help when MAC prices jump up and our economy is going downhill either.

 

[Mizz Coco Lust]

im a sucker for hot/cute packaging. if heatherette was in macs classic black, it would've just been any other pink lipstick or lipglass to me.

isnt that sad?lol

 

[onezumi]

The LE stuff works the opposite way on me. They look cute, but I know they will be gone, so I avoid buying them ever because I don't like buying things that I can't buy again if I love it.

I'm the minority, though.

 

[SaturdayStevens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mizz Coco Lust im a sucker for hot/cute packaging. if heatherette was in macs classic black, it would've just been any other pink lipstick or lipglass to me. isnt that sad?lol

Me too. I barely gave any thought to Girl About Town untill I found out that its in the Manish Arora collection. Now I'm like "MUST GET IT!"

Also, I could easily get Moth Brown now, but I know that I won't like it as much as if I had got one with the Barbie symbol on it.

 

[lara]

Make-up aficionados might be going 'oh, it's too much, I can't possibly keep up!', but Specktra/MUA/beauty bloggers aren't exactly typical make-up customers. Mary-Sue Suburban looks at the changing colour stories, thinks that they're pretty and buys one item from whatever collection is out when she visits every three months for a foundation refill - colour stories are for shoppers who purchase an impulse item along with their Studio Fix, not hardcore collectors.

Colour stories just create an impulse want/need for regular customers who otherwise wouldn't have had it. They're not a gun to the head of the tiny, tiny minority of people who are hardcore m/up collectors/fans/etc.

 

[MACLovin]

^ I agree, lara. MAC isn't forcing anyone to purchase entire collections because of the novelty packaging/items when one likely wouldn't even use the product in the first place. It's really up to the consumer to use their discretion, and not be like "OMG SPARKLY PACKAGING! MUST. BUY. EVERYTHING!" ...of course, it's tempting to those with the 'collector' mindset, but it's not practical nor is it expected.

 

[nadiya]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara Make-up aficionados might be going 'oh, it's too much, I can't possibly keep up!', but Specktra/MUA/beauty bloggers aren't exactly typical make-up customers. Mary-Sue Suburban looks at the changing colour stories, thinks that they're pretty and buys one item from whatever collection is out when she visits every three months for a foundation refill - colour stories are for shoppers who purchase an impulse item along with their Studio Fix, not hardcore collectors. Colour stories just create an impulse want/need for regular customers who otherwise wouldn't have had it. They're not a gun to the head of the tiny, tiny minority of people who are hardcore m/up collectors/fans/etc.

I do see where you're coming from, no doubt I'm taking this rather personally, lol! I guess I just find it annoying that the regular line seems to be shrinking while the number of collections are growing.

 

[emeraldjewels]

I do agree, its killing me trying to keep up with all these new collections, but at the same time MAC aren't forcing me to crazy with every collection and buy colours i'll probably only wear once because of the pretty packaging. I do that to myself lol! At the end of the day, we don't HAVE to keep buying with every collection. If we don't like it we should just not buy it.

 

[iheartcolor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlamYOURUs with all of its new LE collections coming out? Its so overwhelming. I am totally for a new collection to come out every month but having 3 in 1 month is WAY TOO MUCH! I am getting tired, annoyed and frustrated here. I feel like selling all my MAC just to buy the new stuff. But not only that, I feel like buying a stripper pole and strut my stuff for a fee. Or, robbing the MAC counter after hours. Who else is with me here?

I agree with you! This is also happening in my other hobby - which is model horses

Unlike MAC though, one item can cost up to $300 (before people try to resell on the secondary market for *more*)

I hear ya! To all the companies out there: "TAKE A BREAK!"

-Lauren

 

[MiCHiE]

Well....I still haven't bought any LE items since Heatherette. And, I don't even care. In the real world, people don't care, nor are not trying to keep up. It's just another color. I think Specktra keeps the fire burning, but you determine how much it will consume.

**EDIT**I did buy 2 Tendertones. That is all.

 

[sharkbytes]

I agree with a lot of what's been said here, but there is an element of the ridiculous with a few things:

1. The amount of repromotes: Ok, I understand that when putting together a color story, there's probably a permanent line color or two that will go perfectly and so it's used. Right now, Freckletone lipstick is repromoted in the Ungaro collection. It's permanent, and on MAC's website the description reads "full frontal neutral peach" when you click on the regular line lipsticks. When you click on Ungaro, it reads "neutral yellow-toned beige." There's no way that's an accident, and I'm sure people who aren't as makeup savvy as we are here on specktra fall for that nonsense. It's the same thing, but people think they're getting something special with a collection.


2. Replacing collection items with regular items in-store: We've all seen it many times before--the newer collection has been out for a few days, and there's something that's so pretty it sells out quickly. So MAC refills the holes in the display with a similar item that *isn't* part of the collection. I noticed this most recently when the Cult of Cherry display had Dubonnet instead of So Scarlet. There wasn't any sort of special packaging, so I'll bet a few people walked away with Dubonnet thinking it was a hot new fall color. I just think it's crappy of them to do that sort of thing, knowing that a lot of people don't obsessively follow the collections like we do, and just want something new and trendy to wear.

 

[BeautyPsycho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimmy i would rather they release less collections, but better collections. alot of things in the collections that are now coming out can easily be duped by permanent mac products or products from other cosmetic lines. however, i'm sure mac corporate knows that there's a certain collectability factor, so they're probably just taking advantage of that and who can really blame them?

I agree 100%
I would rather have 1 collection per month, but a good one, that will make me "ohhh" and "ahh" whole month long

instead of 12 collections that are so so.
We shouldn't compare 2007 and 2008, but say 1998 and 2008. Specktra.net As we scroll down, list is smaller and smaller...

I don't know if people changed in those few years, I'm sure they did... We have short attention span lol, we get easily distracted by new stuff and we are like "Gimme, gimme, buy, buy, new, new"
That being said, I try to be reasonable (I don't have much choice actually) and only buy stuff that I really want and like.
I don't really want MAC to be famous as a mu company that has 100 collections/year, but for their quality and other good things

 

[stacylynne]

It's exciting when a new collection comes out. But, a lot of the LE collections can be duped.

When a new collection comes out, look @ the colors & check the site for color comparisons. I don't really buy the LE Collections.
Good Luck to all & keep your money & pay attention to the colors, the combos they but together & make up your own

 

[gigglepot]

IMO MAC are just trying to please everyone.. I am only new to MAC but I have already seen that whilst one collection some ppl fall over the floor for, other ppl do not & are more looking forward to another collection for example.. I see threads on here about how awesome the Emanuel collection is and then I also see threads saying that it sucks and the Manish one is going to be so much better so ppl are holding out for it... I think MAC listens to what ppl say so that they sell the products and by doing that they are trying to cover all bases when it comes to collections.. yes some of them repeat etc but thats because I think they know they will sell anyways lol.. I dont even know if what I am trying to say is making sense but I know what I mean lol

 

[lara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharkbytes 2. Replacing collection items with regular items in-store: We've all seen it many times before--the newer collection has been out for a few days, and there's something that's so pretty it sells out quickly. So MAC refills the holes in the display with a similar item that *isn't* part of the collection. I noticed this most recently when the Cult of Cherry display had Dubonnet instead of So Scarlet. There wasn't any sort of special packaging, so I'll bet a few people walked away with Dubonnet thinking it was a hot new fall color. I just think it's crappy of them to do that sort of thing, knowing that a lot of people don't obsessively follow the collections like we do, and just want something new and trendy to wear.

It's better to have something to suggest as a replacement for a LE item than have a gaping hole in the displayer, or have a displayer with 'sold out' stickers on everything.

If the blood red LE lipstick is something trendy to wear, what makes the blood red regular product untrendy?

 

[SparklingWaves]

Even if I wanted to get certain items from a collection, they are gone in my area mighty fast. Over the past year, I have noticed this trend over the past year getting worse. Sometimes by day two of a LE release, those items are completely sold out. Hmmm. I bet some people are passing the word and educating themselves about new releases from m/up sites. Unless, it's only a one person purchasing all of those most sought after products. No, I remember my friend telling me she had several customers buying them up. Oh, well, that's life in the M.A.C. lane.

 

[lara]

The physical amount of stock provided for a release is smaller than it has been, plus some locations will always receive a very small amount of stock compared to large, fast-moving premium locations.

My store (a flagship counter in a CBD location) receives a float of 30 units of LE lipstick whilst another store in a suburban location receives 6 pieces of LE lipstick.
I sell out in two days because my traffic is higher, they sell out because they told their handful of customers about it.

This is a company that does stock transfers twice weekly and we still sell out constantly.

 

[capmorlovesmac]

The Ungaro Collection came out on Saturday here and the purple e/s was already sold out at the pro store and only two of it were left at the Counter a couple of streets away!! The shop was closed on Sunday and I was there just after they opened today. The CoC Spiced Chocolate Quad and one of the Nail Laquer in Silverstruck and the Plum de Bois Blush I think were sold out pretty fast too. So many sold out stickers on the displays. But today at the Counter magically almost everythink of CoC was available again because they reordered those items

I mean it's great that these items are back again, because some magazines still mention the CoC but I tend to panic if I see those sold out stickers