Boy Brow. Gen G. Lidstar. Any of these sound familiar? They are all popular items made by the makeup brand Glossier, a company gaining highly devoted followers faster than you can swipe on a few dots of their Cloud Paint blush. With storefronts in New York City and Los Angeles, this millennial pink brand of beauty products is a frequent favorite of novice and expert makeup wearers.
Glossier started as a sister company to Into The Gloss, both created by Emily Weiss. Into The Gloss is a beauty website that features product reviews, routines and interviews with consumers around the world. Into The Gloss was created in 2010. Its team launched Glossier in 2014, starting with a small array of products and growing into the line that is commonly known today.
The “About” page on Glossier’s website, glossier.com, includes the following description: “Glossier was founded on the fact that beauty isn’t made in a boardroom—it happens when the individual is celebrated. Personal choice is the most important decision a brand can never make.”
The company has made significant strides in recent months to make their makeup wearable for everyone. Glossier’s Perfecting Skin Tint product, a light-coverage foundation known to even out any blemishes or discoloration, was recently reformulated to double their range from six shades to include a new set of 12.
The company representatives also have spoken frequently about the ethics of the products. Products are never tested on animals, and each item is dermatologist-tested, according to the website FAQs.
But, is this all a façade?
One of Glossier’s key products is called “Milky Jelly Cleanser,” a conditioning face wash recognized on the website as “one face wash to rule them all.” A six-ounce bottle costs $18 through the Glossier website, but a similar-looking product retails for $9.99 on Target.com. The product has almost identical packaging to the Glossier product. Customer reviews even reference that it’s a better alternative.
If an almost identical product can be found at a local Target, why buy the more expensive Glossier product? Maybe consumers want to feel like they are a part of Glossier’s idealism that makeup doesn’t have to be perfect. They’ve created a movement because they support the idea that someone doesn’t have to be a trained makeup artist to wear one of their products. And shouldn’t beauty be about feeling your best—whether that’s a colorful lip, a prominent brow or no makeup at all?
I don’t imagine many of Glossier’s followers will abandon their ways anytime soon. Glossier is constantly improving alongside their customers. After consumer comments, they expanded their Stretch concealer shades. After one too many customers broke the lid of their Gen G lipstick (me, actually), they repackaged the popular lip color.
What’s next for this minimalistic brand, then? A marketing campaign recently launched Glossier Play, described as “a new beauty brand from Glossier Inc.” Beauty fans have taken to the articles and posts to speculate that Play will be Glossier’s first adventurous makeup line, complete with brighter colors, more glitter and more attitude. For a brand that’s made their name on natural beauty, this would be quite the change for the company, and it could be a really exciting time for makeup consumers who want to branch out. Play will launch sometime in March 2019, according to Glossier’s website.
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