The company is everywhere, but can Glossier live up to they hype?
Four years ago, a PR rep sent me two masks from a new makeup line called Glossier. The company was absolutely everywhere at the time. Every blogger, every celeb, every magazine was yelling from a mountaintop about the glories of Glossier. So imagine my disappointment when the masks were just meh.
That experience soured me on Glossier. How much of the buzz around this buzzworthy brand was just hype? How much was that pretty packaging made for cute Instagrams? How much was that “influencers” were just a little too happy for the sponsored posts?
But after too many Instagram ads to count, I decided to give the brand a second chance. Here are the results.
I ordered five products from Glossier, some were awesome, some were meh. Let’s discuss each in turn.
Boy Brow. I fill in my brows every day because it’s the perfect way to frame your face. I typically use this NYX $10 brow pencil, and it works great. But holy mother, ladies, Boy Brow works even better.
Boy Brow ($15) gives you a slightly thicker, but somehow more natural looking brow. The waxy consistency holds your brows in place and doesn’t flake off. A little dab will do you, but I have a feeling the tiny (and I mean teeny) tube will not last very long. This is a must try product.
Balm Dot Com. People rave about Glossier’s tinted and scented lip balms, but I was non-plussed. The consistency of the cherry product was thick, kind of grainy, and didn’t spread well. As for the color, the model photos all show these gorgeous sheer hues. Complete bull. Even after warming the product up so it would spread without a trowel, my lips looked like I’d been eating a cherry Blow Pop. Not exactly what I was going for.
Wowder. Even though I’m 35, and have pores, and Vogue says I shouldn’t, I still wear powder every day. So I know a good powder when I see one, and Glossier’s Wowder is a great one.
Wowder ($22) makes a lot of claims. It’s not chalky, not cakey, won’t settle into fine lines, or look powdery. Uh-huh, heard it all before. But this product actually delivers. This is the powder for women who are not supposed to wear powder. And unlike translucent powder, which doesn’t hide anything, this product has just enough pigment in it to make skin look flawless.
You can buy the Wowder and Wowder brush ($20) together, but I don’t think the brush is a necessity. It’s soft, a good quality, and does pick up just the right amount of product. But I still prefer a wider, fluffier brush, like this e.l.f brush. But no matter which brush you use, Wowder is a must try.
Milk Jelly Cleanser. I go back and forth on this cleanser. It has its uses, but it’s not perfect. If you struggle with dry skin, the Milk Jelly Cleanser ($18) is worth a try. If you are one of those people who never gets all the makeup off, it’s worth a try. Your mileage may vary depending on your needs, but it’s worth a shot.
Haloscope. Highlighting and contouring are still makeup buzzwords five years after the Kardashians taught women to paint lines on our faces. Haloscope ($22) is Glossier’s answer to the perfect highlighter. The effect is shimmery, dewy, and hydrating, but it’s also not for me.
The product does everything it promises. But my skin is so damaged from years of acne that the ethereal pink shimmer and creamy consistency just drew attention to things I didn’t want attention drawn to. If you’re looking for a highlighter, and you have pretty good skin, this one will look amazing. It just wasn’t amazing for me.
All products featured on Saw It On Social were bought and paid for with my own money. Freebies are not asked for, nor accepted. The whole point is to determine whether I would spend my money on the product again, something that requires buying it in the first place.
If you have a suggestion for the Social column, send it to capitolhillstyle (at) gmail (dot) com. This post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for The Work Edit.
[image by jennifer debarros photography; featured image found here]
Check out Cloud Paints– amazing and lasts all day
I think I’d have the same problem as the haloscope. Creams tend to settle into my scarring.
Feel the same way re: the hype, but the one product of theirs I like is Moon Mask. I wear it on long flights, very hydrating and sheer.
Love, love, love your unbiased, non-paid for opinions. Thank you and keep it up!!
Right?! There are very very few bloggers who actually post real un-sponsored reviews. I followed a few bloggers and a bunch of them started to become strictly paid ads. The blogs I read for fun , real reviews suddenly became paid magazine ads in disguise of “real people” blogs. I get that in order to make blogging a full time job you need to do sponsorship’s. However, I read blogs because they are supposed to be real. I trust Belle’s advice and I’ll keep reading because I know her reviews are real.
Oh and let me add that now I want to buy the Brow wow. I’ve seen it everywhere, but trust Belle’s review of it!
I meant to type Boy Brow. Geesh.
Me too!
I have pale skin and thin lips that make it really hard for me to wear lipstick without looking like a child, but their Generation G matte lipstick — worn very lightly, almost like a stain — is amazing. Can wear subtley forday or lay it on for evening.
Also love their sunscreen, though it’s crazy expensive for the amount you get. It genuinely doesn’t feel or smell like sunscreen, though.
Their skin perfecting tint was too yellow for me in medium, though; and I think the step down would be too pale. Can’t win them all.
how did you select the right shade for the lip stain via the web site?
My blogging partner and I also had an up and down experience with Glossier. At first, we found a ton of products that we immediately loved and still use today – balm dotcom in Cherry and Rose, generation G in Crush, Boy Brow, Cloud Paints, Super Pure serum, and Invisible Shield SPF. Unfortunately, we’ve hit a streak of products that aren’t working as well – Super Bounce makes me break out (and it smells weird), Perfecting Tint makes her break out, and the Priming Moisturizers are just meh. That said, only a few products missed the mark for us – totally worth it to find so many other items that we love!
Agreed on the boy brow – I have barely there brows that need substantial filling in and usually only a pencil works but boy brow makes them look amazing. I’ve tried their lip color, meh. But I absolutely LOVE their undereye concealer. Haven’t found one that works better. It’s heavy so I apply with a brush and blend with a sponge but I have dark circles so it’s perfect. Definitely give it a try if you like cream concealers.
Have you tried Benefit’s Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel? It looks similar to Bow Brow, and I’ve been using it for awhile as the final step to my brows. I’d be curious to know if you think they’re comparable, if you’ve tried both.
I’ve tried both, the Benefit gave me acne. This hasn’t…yet.
Has anyone tried NYX’s brow gel in comparison? I’ve been using that one for years and love it.
Unfortunately I haven’t tried the Glossier product to compare, but I have tried Benefit’s and NYX’s. I find Benefit’s Gimme Brow to be significantly superior – enough to shell out the difference. NYX’s product is too, “wet,” and the shades are odd.
Agreed on boy brow. I have very light eyebrows (even though I’m a brunette, I use the blonde shade) and it’s the only thing that actually looks natural on me! It’s amazing. I’m almost done with my second tube of it. Worth every penny.
I tried the masks several times myself (greens and the galaxy one) and neither wowed me either. I totally agree with you– they were only okay.
I have used the concealer and while it works okay, it’s not heavy duty enough for me (I have serious genetic dark circles).
As usual, your posts are so helpful. Thank you!!!
Hey Belle,
Great review! Question- what has your experience been with derma rolling? Would you recommend it?
Thanks,
Sara
I’m working on it. I want to give it a while before I review it.
I’m always looking for good one-step brow products to try — sounds like I need Boy Brow! Same with powders, too — the LM translucent loose powder is awesome, but so messy.
Glossier totally changed my makeup routine. I’m 29, and was also a little put off my the intense marketing (how good could it really be?), but I’ve found it to be pretty solid for getting the no-makeup make up look. I’m committed to boybrow and Wowder – but also use the stretch concealer, paint blush and priming moisturizer. It’s easy and trusty stuff, and it helps me look put together without being “made up.” It’s actually one of the few brands I DIDN’T find on this blog, but I’m pretty committed now.
I am a huge fan of this column and find it very helpful. Thank you for this. My first experience with Glossier was similar to yours, so I’m happy to see they have some new products you would recommend.
I agree…found their lip products drying but loved boy brow. It just ran out way too fast for me to restock it. A sephora sales lady suggested Benefits Gimme Brow. So far, I like it…just a matter of if it will last any longer.