Glossier / Up Until Now
One of my friends said she was trying to determine whether to jump into Glossier or not, and one of my articles led her to a yes. The next day, another friends said she’s longing for the next “Glossier” to come along. I made my first Glossier order in January of 2017 and have been a steady 6-month customer since. I wanted to share my raw and honest thoughts on the products that really have become my holy grail, and those I’d skip time and time again.
I personally do love Glossier’s value add to the beauty industry. Emily Weiss, from her start with Into the Gloss, revolutionized the beauty industry to be user-friendly and customer-driven. Her very style of blogging and researching/reviewing products very much inspired this blog and showed me the appetite for beauty based in reality. Glossier Play, the brand’s “playful” component to their typical minimalist beauty actually describes the brand better than their motto of “skin first, makeup second.” To me, Glossier has always been about ordering and using the products as a fun little experiment instead of a real staple in my beauty routine. This echoes the common critiques of the brand as providing products for individuals with already perfect skin. I also discovered Glossier when I was struggling with more serious acne, and it was discouraging to try skincare that wasn’t necessarily working for me. I will admit I haven’t tried their newest skincare products released in the past year (as I found other brands that worked much better than their initial stuff) but I’m open to trying Solution and their masks.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Skincare and Body
The Super Pack (Super Glow, Super Bounce, Super Pure)
$65
will not repurchase
Glossier’s Super Pack was my first real time trying serums. I decided to order all of them to try helping out with congestion and lackluster in my skin. Super Glow is a vitamin C, Super Pure is niacinamide, and Super Bounce is a hyaluronic acid. I tried alternating which serum I was using, but felt like I was just putting different colored bottles of micellar water on my skin. For context, The Ordinary’s niacinamide is 2x the strength of Super Pure. Granted I didn’t know much about 1) ingredients in serums, or 2) how long you likely have to use them before you might see results, I didn’t think these were doing anything for my skin. Also, all the serums together will run you $65— that’s a pretty penny for not much payout.
The Skincare Set (Priming Moisturizer, Milky Jelly Cleanser, Balm Dotcom)
$45
will not repurchase
One of Glossier’s earliest hot products was their milky jelly cleanser. The formula and idea of a cleanser that wasn’t foaming or stripping, and potentially moisturizing, was appealing to the masses. I’d say 2 of the products in this set led me to understand that I have sensitive skin. Both the cleanser and the priming moisturizer actually caused sensitivity and redness in my skin. The moisturizer was a little too abrasive for me, and I didn’t feel like it was nourishing my skin as much as other moisturizers I’ve tried. I also didn’t like the packaging of the cleanser. I will say, for a moisturize, cleanser and balm, $45 is a pretty good price point. You can view my balm dotcom reviews below.
Glossier You
$60
repurchased
I was incredibly excited for Glossier’s fragrance release given the mention of amber, one of my favorite scents. I also loved how it was described as a personal fragrance that enhances what you already smell like. I requested a tester with another Glossier purchase as buying a fragrance online, without ever smelling it, is certainly risky. I loved the scent and still do (I can easily pick it up if someone else is wearing it). It’s great as something simple and clean, although a lot of users dislike it. I thought it was very light with little staying power. Once I found my grown-up version of You, Fleur de Peau by Diptyque, I knew I had a new normal.
Body Hero Daily Perfecting Cream
$22
will not repurchase
I really liked the smell of Body Hero and still do, it’s slightly powdery and citrusy. I didn’t see any lasting effects on my skin and it didn’t give me the wet look that some comments say. However, I don’t think many individuals see lasting results with creams that claim to smooth the skin’s surface. If this was in my local grocery store for a lesser price, I’d buy it. However, I can get cheaper and more effective body creams elsewhere.
Makeup
Balm Dotcom (Rose, Mint, Original, Coconut)
$12 each
repurchased
Ah, Glossier’s golden child. This salve can be used on the lips, cuticles and elbows. Anywhere, really. I’m not the biggest fan of the original only because I know there are bigger and better flavors out there! I love the sweet coconut any time of the year. I love mint and rose before I go to sleep or in the morning for whatever reason. All of the versions I wear lack any type of tint (even though rose does have a pinkish color), but I’m curious how the others look. I will keep ordering these as they also last a very long time for me.
Perfecting Skin Tint 2 in Light
$26
will not repurchase
I wanted to like the Skin Tint so badly. I’m not a foundation person and probably never will be, but I loved the idea of a product that could alleviate redness or discoloration while not making my skin look cakey. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get this to lay well on my skin (even when pairing it with the priming moisturizer). I would notice the product breaking up on my chin and my forehead and would definitely need to set it with a powder, or at least go over it with a brush. I know this product has very mixed reviews and most negative reviews are lack of coverage and the lack of shade ranges. This product doesn’t advertise itself as full coverage by any means, but I’m not sure what it actually does for those who like it.
Haloscope in Quartz and Moonstone
$22 each
repurchased
Haloscope is really neat as a natural-looking highlighter. It doesn’t necessarily look wet, but certainly glows on the skin. The moisturizer core has coconut, almond and caster seed oil. There are supposedly crystals in the outer ring. I rub the top with my finger and tap the product on my cheekbones. Sometimes the product looks texturized if worn over power, but overall, I love the functionality.
Cloud Paint in Dusk and Puff
$18 each
repurchased
This product is super fun to play with, primarily because such a TINY amount goes a long way. The dusk gives a bronzy look on my skin while puff is a sweet, bright pop of pink. You can mix any of the shades as well and use them as shadow. Overall, I have repurchased and would likely repurchase if I ever run out. These are also great to travel with.
Phase 2 (Generation G Lipstick in Cake, Stretch Concealer in Light, Boy Brow in Blonde)
$40
repurchased Boy Brow
Can you tell I’ve used this one quite a bit?
This was another pretty cost-effective bundle for what you get. I was eager to try their concealer and Boy Brow. My sister personally loves the concealer but I don’t really get it. It is very minimal coverage and this shade was too much of a yellow tone for my skin. I found the texture very dry but also wet-looking. I passed on the concealer, as I’d want the exact opposite of what I just mentioned: a moisturizing product with a matte finish for under the eyes. Boy Brow, however, became a brow staple before I started coloring my brows (but I still use it if I’m in need of a touch up). The formula contains fibers that plump up your brows and the blonde color blends in very nicely with my hair. I’ve repurchased Boy Brow a few times. Generation G in Cake is a pretty basic nude lipstick. I found the formula to be quite dry despite contradicting reviews. The colors are very pretty for a stain effect, but I just don’t wear lip color enough to purchase Glossier’s.
Wowder 2 in Light
$22
will not repurchase
Honestly, I probably have only used Wowder once or twice (and didn’t buy the brush that comes with it). This was an instance where my own powder choice from MAC is just so reliable and good, Wowder didn’t wow me. If I need a looser setting powder, I can pick up something very equivalent from the local Ulta. I can’t fathom how they are making $22 a pop for this.
Lidstar in Cub
$18
will repurchase
My Lidstar only comes out on very special occasions as my go-to shadow look is very natural. Cub is a rose gold that looks really nice with blue eyes. I think it would look really cool to do a look with cub and lily, their lilac color. Maybe when I’m feeling adventurous I’ll combine them.
Lip Gloss in Clear
$14
will repurchase
I bought this as a novelty because it’s such a throwback. If I want plump, incredibly shiny lips, this Lip Gloss is my go-to. It’s sticky for sure, even though a lot of reviews online say it isn’t. I don’t wear it too much as there aren’t too many practical applications for lip gloss (especially not at my work, where I spend most of my time) but it’s fun to play with. The common theme continues.
Lash Slick
$16
will not repurchase
If you read my other beauty articles, I’m a total mascara girl. I have tried out TONS of brands and am incredibly picky from wand to formula to packaging. I think I didn’t like Lash Slick because of my personal relationship with mascara, where my goal is for it to essentially give me a second pair of eyelashes. Lash Slick was my go-to for running to the grocery store or anytime I was really going for a no-makeup makeup look. It made my lashes darker and longer, but didn’t provide the drama that I prefer from brands like MAC and Benefit. The price point for Lash Slick is actually closer to drug store brands than higher-end (which doesn’t follow Glossier’s pricing for other products, oddly enough). I didn’t feel that it came off as easily as reviews claimed either. Another component of why I’ve been a MAC loyalist is my ability to give products back to them to recycle for me. The rate I use mascara means I go through a lot of tubes, and you can’t really recycle them that well on your own.
The Playground (Vinylic in Casino, Colorslide in Pretty Penny, Glitter Gelee in Firewalk, Niteshine in Platinum Rose)
$75 together, but $15 off for a set
will repurchase vinylic, colorslide, niteshine
This group of products is by far my most diverse set purchase in terms of what I use and don’t. I love Vinylic as a stain and I really found my shade in casino. The Colorside is a great basic liner, but it’s nothing too revolutionary. I could probably find another copper liner that does the same job, but I was excited to try it and enjoy using it. Niteshine is like a more intense Haloscope that works best on a night out, but I rarely use it. The gelee is something I’ve never used. There is a ton of backlash for the use of glitter in this product and glitter’s effect on the environment. Lots of customers have complained to Glossier about this and they have mentioned they’ll be changing the formula going forward. However, now I’m just stuck with a little pot of rose gold gel that I don’t know what to do with. Help?
Another big backlash for Glossier Play’s products was how they were packaged. For some reason, Glossier wrapped each component in foil prior to boxing them individually. Chances are with the emphasis on social media and unboxing, the brand wanted to promote a new and exciting experience for the customer. If anything, this confused everyone greatly. Not only was the packaging not serving a purpose (and let me tell you, Gen Z appears to be very aware of the environment), but the extra layer made it difficult to remove the component from its box. I won’t repurchase any of these products until they rework packaging choices.
I applaud Glossier for the sheer volume of social media accounts, posts, blog articles (this one included), influencers, customers and millennials it has touched. They are genius marketers with a pretty commendable message and brand (as in I don’t think they are doing anything inherently harmful by promoting a beauty-based lifestyle). Glossier remains accessible for lots of different looks and they are attempting to grow shade range options as well. Is it always worth the hype, at the end of the day? No, I don’t think so. Are some of their products worthy of a premium price? Sign me up for Balm Dotcom and Boy Brow any day.