The Rise of Glossier
Glossier--A name that sounds undeniably French, yet was founded in New York City. The makeup and skincare company has taken the social media world, in particular, by storm and made millennial pink a color no longer for little girls.
At first glance, Glossier is nothing too special. Why in the over-saturated world of makeup where Sephora feels more like a battle ground than retail therapy, why would we need more makeup just as soon as we became committed to our tried and true methods? But, Glossier immediately stood out from the pack by creating a few cult products, a commitment to the intersection of skincare and makeup and a huge and active social media platform through Instagram, Youtube and their blog Into the Gloss.
The brainchild of Emily Weiss, who had a brief stint on The Hills as well as jobs as at W Magazine and Vogue, began with the blog Into the Gloss, where Weiss wrote a highly followed post called “The Top Shelf”, where they interview the Carrie Bradshaws of today, women who are leaders in their creative field, whether they are a writer, make-up art, dermatologist and even recently a dentist. As a close friend of Sophia Ambrose, creator of Nasty Gal, and Leandra Medine, the founder of the blog Man Repeller, Weiss continues to be in great company of women entrepreneurs who have paved a way for their voices and visions through a completely digital platform.
Just a few years ago in 2014, Weiss took her blog and created a makeup company dedicated to breaking down the stereotypes of makeup and focus on enhancing women’s natural beauty as opposed to covering it. The makeup of Glossier is often so subtle that people say it doesn’t do enough and that it is makeup for people who already have perfect skin. But as a fan of Glossier and someone who does not have perfect skin, I have found multiple products that have enhanced by face and ultimately made me feel like me. I first began to hear about the products of Glossier when one of my friends could not stop raving about this highlighter she was wearing. As someone who has slowly become more comfortable with makeup, the idea of using a highlighter was extremely daunting because I always feared looking like a Kardashian wearing way too much makeup. Yet, this highlighter completely shocked me, not only because of its extremely smooth glide, but also the subtle shine that it added to my skin. And at the $22 price tag, it doesn’t feel like it is breaking the bank.
Glossier is worth talking about and exploring for the way it was able to launch itself off of the platform Instagram, tapping into a wide range of diverse consumers from 14-year-old high school girls who were first learning about makeup to 29-year-old trendy women working in Brooklyn. Glossier’s use of the internet and multiple platforms never feels forced and ultimately invites the viewer into all of its platforms. I cannot count all of the times when I have found myself watching every Get Ready With Me video on youtube for hours lusting over the apartments and the makeup of the It girls. The true genius of Glossier is the decision to not take the traditional route of department stores and beauty giants such as Sephora or Ulta. Glossier connected directly with the generation of young women who get a majority of their news from Instagram and social media influencers.
When exploring Glossier’s products, it seems to combine all of the current trends in a seamless brand. Glossier combines the current obsession with skincare as seen through the Korean Beauty trend, the ease and lack of fussiness of Millennial life, but also people’s desire to look like their best individual selves. If you take a look at Glossier’s website, it is the perfect combination of everything you need in your life and often put together in a package that requires the least amount of thinking. A great place to start is Phase 1. In Phase 1, you get the Milky Jelly Cleaner, Priming Moisturizer and Balm Dotcom, all focused on creating the best base of skin care. In Phase 2, Glossier expands into makeup with the highly celebrated Boy Brow, Stretch Concealer and Generation G lip glosses. And unlike other package sets, at checkout you can choose the colors you want, allowing for a range of diversity for consumers. Also, I can’t forget to mention free returns, so no need to stress if that color isn’t right for you. Recently, the most highly coveted and marketed product has been the newest blushes called Cloud Paint that are meant to subtly highlight your cheeks and bring out a soft girlish glow on your face.
While not all of Glossier’s products will work for everyone, I believe Glossier allows for each woman to highlight and show off the parts of her face that she is most proud about and truly become a more confident women through their products.