Guide to Glossier

I feel like I’ve been using Glossier for my whole young adult life, but when I went to check when I bought my first product, I realized it was just two years back in 2017.

My first purchase happened when Glossier launched their Birthday Balm Dotcom in collaboration with Milk Bar. As a lip balm addict, I couldn’t resist the idea of a birthday cake scent, and I had already heard rave reviews about their famous skin and lip balm. This balm is clear with small glitter particles and has a thick consistency that melts into the lips. The glitter is hardly visible on the lips, and doesn’t feel gritty whatsoever. It smells delicious, too. Unfortunately, I had to retire mine since it was getting old and raggedy from years in my backpacks and purses, but I would definitely repurchase (if I ever run out of lip balms).

My next purchase was a Cloud Paint in Beam. These little paint tubes are filled with a liquid/cream blush formula that has a gel-ish, lotion-like texture. A little goes a long way and the product squirts out very easily, which means it’s easy to go a little heavy handed. Beam is a beautiful peach color, which is different from the cool pink blushes I usually pick. This color looks best on me when I have even the slightest color on my face, so I use it most during the summer months. Beam is the perfect color for achieving the look of having spent the day at the beach. Sometimes I dot a little over my nose, too, for that just-sunburnt look.

 

 

I also really enjoy the Cloud Paint in Puff. Puff is more of a normal color for me – it’s a bright pop of pink with a cooler undertone than Beam. I use this year round for a beautiful pink flush on the cheeks. I’ve found the best way to apply these is to squeeze the tiniest amount onto my middle finger, pat with my opposite middle finger, and lightly dot it over my cheeks. After blending it out with my fingers, I add more as needed to even it out.

 

The Perfecting Skin Tint isn’t for everyone, but I personally love it. My skin is typically pretty even in color and while I do get zits here and there, they aren’t usually too bad. This skin tint provides barely-there coverage, but certainly evens out discoloration while still looking natural. I love that it’s a liquid consistency, and I typically blend it out with a brush or my fingers rather than a beauty blender so that I don’t lose too much product. I use the shade medium, despite being pretty fair-skinned, but Glossier recently expanded the shade selection to be more inclusive of darker skin tones. The tint is so sheer that color matching isn’t too big of a problem – if it’s too dark or too light, you’ll hardly notice.

Stretch Concealer is my go-to, every day concealer. For the longest time I used concealers with a doe foot applicator, but I ordered this little guy on a whim one day. I have the shade light (like the skin tint, the shade range has since expanded) and it’s the perfect under-eye concealer to throw on and go. I tap it on with my ring finger, and its emollient consistency makes it easy to blend. If I need a bit more coverage, I’ll let it dry down a bit before applying another light layer. It’s seeming to last me a while, so you get what you pay for.

 

Glossier’s Lash Slick mascara must be my favorite Glossier product that I’ve tried to date. When this launched last year, I picked it up straight away. I have straight lashes that don’t hold a curl well, and I am always on the hunt for a mascara that is perfect for every day wear while still keeping my lashes curled. Reviews for this mascara show incredible before and after shots that make users look like they have the most natural, wispy lash extensions, and who doesn’t want that? Best of all, it’s a bit cheaper than most high-end, Sephora brand mascaras. At $16 a pop, it’s only a few bucks more than some of the drugstore’s leading products. I’ve repurchased once already, and I plan to again once my current tube meets its end.

As for Glossier skincare, the Super Pure serum is one of my favorite serums (and skincare products in general) of all time. I wholeheartedly feel that, when I use this serum after cleansing at night, it keeps breakouts at bay. There are other, cheaper niacinamide and zinc serums on the market (like this one from The Ordinary), but since I’ve had good results with Glossier’s I’m not sure I’ll ever stray. I have the old packaging, which means I didn’t get as much bang for my buck, but the newer packaging has more product for the same price!

 

 

For me, the Glossier Zit Stick is a pass. I was really excited about the prospect of a no-show spot treatment that I could wear under during the day, since my Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is far from undetectable. However, the Zit Stick was far too harsh on my skin, no matter what acne I was experiencing. This left burns on my face.

 

My last Glossier recommendation is their fragrance. Glossier You is pretty indescribable to me, but the brand lists the base notes as ambrette (comfy, warm), ambrox (smooth, salty, animalistic), and musk (long-lasting, addictive), and the top notes as iris root (earthy, green, woody) and pink pepper (spice, sparkling). It’s definitely a musky scent, but still feminine. It truly does melt into your skin. It’s an amazing year-round fragrance that is perfect for day or night, from the office to a party. I think this is a scent that smells a bit different on everyone, but almost everyone who’s tried it seems to love it.

 

 

What have you tried from Glossier? What’s on your wishlist?

Xo,

Meghan