I went to New York a few months ago, and top of my list of places to visit was the Glossier showroom in Soho. Did I need to buy any more make up or skincare products - of course not! Did I have spare cash to go on a splurge? Yep you know it, I definitely did not. But did I want to be part of the Glossier gang and try the cult beauty products on offer? You betcha I did. By the way, in case you haven't already figured out, I have no willpower when it comes to shopping. Oops.
The shopping experience is definitely different, and I did feel a bit lost and slightly older than average person in there. I was
there during the Thanksgiving period, so perhaps it was a younger crowd than usual. The store is not really a store, and is called a showroom, where all the products are displayed for you to test out.
You get given a pencil and order form which has all the products and prices listed out, you tick which ones you want and hand the form over to the staff and they put your order together. Its a little bit like Argos now that I think about it, instead of a number, they call your name out when its ready for collection.
There are different sets called Phase 1 and Phase 2 which allows you to buy 3 specific products at a lower price rather than individually which adds up to more. The packaging is minimal chic, with the products coming in funky zip lock bags placed in white boxes. The boxes are then put in a carrier bag which is essentially a giant version of the clear zip lock liquid bags you use at airports.
I bought 7 products, which was quite restrained for me, and I did have to narrow it down due to budget constraints. I went for the Phase 1 set ($40) which had: milky jelly cleanser, priming moisturiser, balm dot com in cherry and the Phase 2 set ($40) which had: generation g lipstick in jam, boy brow, and stretch concealer. I also bought the perfecting skin tint to try as i'm always on the look out for lightweight coverage for the face. It all came to $106 which is roughly £75/€85, not too bad for 7 items, although not cheap cheap either. Seeing as it's been a few months since purchasing the products, I'm going to give it a bit of a review. I'll break it into 3 categories: Best, borderline, and worst.
Best
The best products I bought were the milky jelly cleanser, boy brow, priming moisturiser, and cherry balm dot com. The priming moisturiser is by far the product I've used the most, and it goes on every time I apply my make up. I was looking for ages for a reliable primer that also moisturises my parched skin. I found putting moisturiser and then a primer on a bit too much, and sometimes experienced pilling. I had tried the Smashbox Primerizer, but it was never hydrating enough. However, this Glossier one works a treat and is the perfect level of hydration, feeling just like a moisturiser and absorbs really well. The milky jelly cleanser does what it says on the tin. It's a great simple cleanser that removes the daily dirt that builds up on your face, and leaves you feeling clean and fresh. It doesn't boast any other qualities, but is perfect when you want a simplistic skin care routine. The balm dotcom comes in 6 different flavours and shades, and I chose the cherry one which is the most pigmented. It's a great lip balm that really nourishes your lips, and has a long lasting effect unlike some other brands out there which require frequent application. The cherry balm tastes like you'd expect it, and gives off a natural rosiness to your lips; perfect when you want to go lipstick free but need that boost of colour. The boy brow is by far the product that is raved about the most by magazines, bloggers and celebs. It is a brow pomade which helps you to achieve natural model like brows. Whilst I use this often and like the effect, I do find that I need to use it in conjunction with a brow pencil to give my brows a bit more definition. But for those gals out there who have lovely naturally defined brows, the boy brow is perfect to groom your brows in place. I bought the brown, but it also comes in blonde, black and clear.
Borderline
Generation G is the sheer matte lipstick that Glossier do, and it comes in 6 equally gorgeous shades. I went for 'Jam', the deep berry magenta colour which is beautiful. Glossier claims that the colours adapt to everyone's lips differently, so they will look slightly different on each person. While I like this lipstick, I don't love it and reach for it as often as some of my other lippy choices. Due to its matte formula, I do find that it is a little dry on the lips, and can leave the colour looking quite patchy throughout the day. Never a good look. The last time I used it I forgot to do my mirror check after a couple of hours, and gave myself a bit of a shock with the state of my lips. The best way to prevent dryness or patchy-ness is to wear it over the cherry balm dotcom, and it seemed to make it last a bit longer as well. Bonus. The second borderline item is the stretch concealer. I know a lot of people swear by this product, and for me it was OK, but it did have a tendency to dry out my skin. I found it not as easy to blend as well, especially on dry skin days. However, if you have normal to oily skin, this concealer could really work for you, and a little goes a long way with this product - hence the name. That is definitely a positive, as it costs $18, equivalent to £13/€15, which is not expensive for concealer, but it is definitely more expensive than my all time favourite Collection Lasting Perfection concealer which is around 4 quid.
Worst
OK, the worst product is the perfecting skin tint. At $26 (£19/€21), I had some high hopes and excitement for this product. I have annoying redness in my cheeks due to skin sensitivity, so I am always looking for something to hide it, or tone it down. I don't like using full coverage foundation as i'm not a fan of too much makeup as I feel my sensitive skin needs to breathe in order to calm itself. So this skin tint sounded perfect. It claimed to even out discolouration, smooth and leave your skin dewy. I was wrong, and it was pretty disappointing. I found the formula too runny, and therefore not offering any coverage to even out any discolouration. It also had the unfortunate effect of clinging on to any dryness on your face and highlighting it, not really helping your complexion. Again, like the concealer, it may work wonders for you if you have normal or oily skin, but for dry skin or sensitive skin gals, it may not be right for you.
So based on my hit rate, I would say that the trip to Glossier was worth it. They do certain products really well, and would work on a wide range of skin types. However, with the rest of the range, it is a bit more trial and error, and you need to be prepared to except that despite the hype surrounding certain products, it may not be right for you. I would definitely go back and re-purchase anything I use up (i'm talking to you priming moisturiser), and I would definitely try some of the other products I didn't buy the first time round (uh huh cloud paint you're next). This is a brand that i'll keep a check on as they are constantly launching new products, which i'm more than happy to try out!
Glossier is now available to buy online in the UK, US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Ireland. They are adding new countries slowly so keep your eyes peeled!
www.glossier.com