Originally published in student-made magazine Femme
Written November 2017
Since its launch in the US in 2014, Glossier has rapidly achieved cult status in the beauty-
sphere. So, when news landed that the brand was shipping to the UK, it was no surprise
people were excited.
Glossier was set up by 32-year-old Emily Weiss, famous for her blog Into The Gloss that she
founded in 2010 whilst working as Vogue’s style director’s assistant. Emily would post
interviews that gave insight into the bathroom cabinets of celebrities including Kim
Kardashian and Karlie Kloss. She was able to make a living from blogging alone thanks to
advertisement money when the site grew in popularity.
Into the Gloss fast became a hub for beauty discussion and Emily started seeing a demand for products absent from the industry. “Let’s create a brand that reflects what women want right now,” she told Forbes of her thought process. They reported she raised $2 million in venture capital funding ready to form a team. From there, with a focus on dewy skin and simple products (with the help of millennial pink branding), came along beauty game changer, Glossier.
The brand launched with ‘Phase 1’ which consisted of four skincare essentials: a skin tint, lip balm, priming moisturiser and face mist. Glossier’s ethos is all about stripping things back to basics with gentle formulas. “Treat your skin like silk. It’s delicate! We purposely make all of our products ‘for sensitive skin’ because what skin isn’t sensitive?” said Emily to Forbes.
Glossier later introduced ‘Phase 2,’ makeup staples with the same brand values - keeping the skin looking natural and glowy. “It’s very counter to the pop culture message, which is heavy contour, cut creased lid, caked on, baked makeup,” Emily explained when speaking to Fashion Magazine. The range includes a highlighter, brow gel, concealer, powder, cream blush, lip gloss and matte lip. An eau de parfum with base notes of ambrette, ambrox and musk, an oil wash and body cream designed for “all day hydration”, are the latest additions to the brand.
In 2015 Entrepreneur wrote that Glossier’s sale revenues were already in “the multiple millions”. Emily put this down to being “a socially driven brand” in an interview with Mashable. Through the strategic use of their huge online following - their Instagram alone boasts 835,000 followers – where they advertise and socialise with customers, Glossier is revolutionary as the first digital beauty brand. “We’re responsive in real time to our customers’ needs and the changing needs of women,” told Emily to Time.
But what makes Glossier successful also lies in one of the brand’s sentiments: Glossier is for all women who want to enhance their natural beauty. “Our girl doesn’t need our products, but she chooses them because they make her feel great — simple as that,” Emily stated to The Fader.
Emily’s perfect combination of girl power and the ability to create products as wonderful as they are Instagrammable to build her cult following makes one thing certain: Glossier is here to stay - and our now glowing skin is extremely thankful.
Our top picks:
1. Boy Brow, £14
Thickens, grooms and fills in your brows whilst providing a natural look courtesy of the soft pomade.
2. Milk Jelly Cleanser, £15
Designed to leave your face feeling velvety soft and hydrated, this gel cleanser is ideal for taking off makeup or washing your face in the morning.
3. Stretch Concealer, £15
Creamy enough to give you a glow, but buildable enough to cover dark circles and blemishes.
4. Cloud Paint, £15
Dab the cream onto your cheeks for a subtle flush of colour. The shade range is inspired by a pink New York sunset.
Feature photo: Charisse Kenion on Unsplash
Komentarze