Estée Lauder to Discontinue Prescriptives
September 17, 2009 by Michelle Smith
Filed under Fragrances
Fans of Prescriptives fragrance Calyx, better hurry up and grab a bottle or two, because when it’s gone, it’s gone for good. Estée Lauder Companies Inc. announced today that they are discontinuing the 30 year old Prescriptives line after an evaluation and are turning their focus to other brands.
“We believe that the difficult decision relating to Prescriptives will allow us to redirect our resources to key strategic imperatives where we see the highest growth potential,” said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies. “Ultimately this action allows us to focus on those areas which we expect to benefit the Company, our shareholders and business partners. We intend to work closely with our retail partners and continue to communicate with our consumers to ensure a seamless transition.”
Other Estée Lauder Companies Inc. brands that will remain active include:
Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Lab Series, Origins, M-A-C, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, Kiton, La Mer, Donna Karan, Aveda, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Michael Kors, American Beauty, Flirt!, Good Skin(TM), Grassroots Research Labs, Sean John, Missoni, Daisy Fuentes, Tom Ford, Coach and Ojon.
I am curious what the evaluation showed. Why Prescriptives, I wonder? I’m sure that it’s a money issue, but Prescriptives always seemed to be one of the more affordable luxuries.
**Update** I heard today that Calyx will still be available. It’s going to be carried under the Aramis and Designer Fragrance brand names.
Image credit: Prescriptives.com
This is sad. I recall one of my first major makeovers at a counter was Prescriptives and it was awesome. I think, however, that perhaps they never really positioned the brand well enough. I was never clear on who the Prescriptives customer and wearer was. All the other brands are very well-defined.
That makes a lot of sense – their customer was not well-defined. The name “Prescriptives” makes it sound like some sort of medication. I wonder if that confused some people?
Maybe if Lauder would do away with some of the high priced “faces” they might improve their bottom line. I love Prescriptives foundations since it is hard to match a foundation to my face. Photo chrome absolutely is amazing and the powder is terrific for a woman who doesn’t like to look caked up when I am made up. Estee Lauder, to me, seems like a beyond middle age woman’s brand and it turns orange on my face. Prescriptives was simply a more sophisticated woman’s line who may have used Clinique as a teenager and needed a better option as she got older. The company failed to market this line when they could have overhauled some of the moisturizers and other skincare lines instead of just writing off the whole thing. It is a shame to see a good product die because of corporate stupidity!
CB, write to the company. If a demand is shown then perhaps they might carry customer favorties under one of the other lines. I read today that they will still be carrying the Calyx fragrance. It will be sold under the Aramis brand name.
I found out about Estee Lauder’s decision to discontinue the Prescriptives line today when I went to a department store to replenish my stock of the minerals powder, minerals liquid foundation and Traceless. I am so sad to hear that the most natural looking foundation available on the market will no longer be available. I do hope Estee Lauder considers continuing the product under a different line or rebranding it as it is by far THE BEST foundation on the market for anyone who couldn’t find the right match. Hopefully as more women learn about this matter and inquire Estee Lauder will reconsider or at least continue offer the most popular items in the line.
Definitely write to the company. It’s a money thing and if they know that people will buy certain items, then they might still carry them under another name.
I am really upset over the fact that Prescriptives will be discontinued. I have used Prescriptives for years and loved it. It was the one makeup that truly matched my skin color. They have a great line of makeup and I hope that they will reconsider discontinuing it.
Debbie
I have heard other people say the same thing. Contact the company and maybe it’s possible that they will carry some of the makeup under one of the other lines. In the meantime, stock up while it’s stil available.
Prescriptives lost their way in the late 90’s and never recovered. They make great products but forgot who they were and what they did well. Poor vision.
They were a makeup artist line before Bobbi Brown existed, but tried to be Estee Lauder II and when the makeup artistry line became super trendy they were shuffling around trying to be more like them. The one thing they did that no one else did was custom blend. But in 98 they rolled out “recipes” for the CB, customers were matched in a pre-maid foundation shade and then the recipe for that color was made in custom. That to me was the final nail in the coffin.
And they became just another line….sad.