Let me start off by saying I am not a beauty blogger. Or even remotely knowledgeable about make-up. Before you hit that X on this Glossier review hear me out.
I’m super excited to write this blog post as a gal that doesn’t know jack shit about make-up because it’s pretty much what Glossier is going for. Easy to apply, hassle-free, make-up. Which is perfect for me because my make-up application skills are mediocre at best. All of this is to say that if I find a make-up product simple and easy to use, trust me it really really is.
Let’s dive in to all things Glossier including my visit to the NYC Flagship store, a few snafus, the products I’m loving and the products I’m not loving…
[Check out my update: The Glossier Products I *Still* Use Every Day]
Visiting the Glossier Flagship in NYC
I’ve been meaning to hit up Glossier’s flagship store here in NYC but anytime I’ve walked by it the line is always insane. The one time I finally went was on a Thursday afternoon. If you want to visit the store in person I definitely recommend trying to go at an “off-peak” time. AKA not over the weekend.
The Glossier store is both magical and overwhelming. I really can’t think of a better combination of words to describe it.
It’s magical in the sense that it’s so beautifully designed. Everything is of course their signature millennial pink, even down to the jumpsuits the employees wear. It’s a wonderland of make-up and you can try everythangggg.
It’s definitely also overwhelming. Even on a Thursday afternoon it felt crowded and like I had to do a bit of dancing around people to get to different products. The staff is super helpful — they helped me out SO much when I was unsure of what color to buy in various things — but you do need to seek people out if you want help with anything or to purchase something. For this introvert it took an extra 5 minutes to get the courage to ask someone to check out as I awkwardly tried to find a staff member not preoccupied with another customer. But maybe that’s just a me issue 😂
You’ll check out with a staff member that’s on the floor. A few minutes later you pick up your order near the entrance / exit. The orders are magically put together in some other space.
While it was super fun to see all the products in person and test out the different shades, going forward I’ll probably be avoiding the store in favor of ordering online. Way less hectic! And I don’t have to worry about there being a line.
Pro tip: Definitely check your order before you leave. I didn’t realize this until I got home but one of my products was packed wrong. I got a different color powder than what I ordered. Customer service quickly helped me out over email. They messengered the correct product the next day. But save yourself the extra hassle and double check!
And another thing: I ordered a few things online a few weeks after hitting up the store. I wanted to try some things y’all recommended on instagram!
My online order arrived completely wrong. Instead of make-up remover and highlighter I got boy brow and a lipstick. Customer service was once again super helpful and remedied the situation quickly. But still annoying to open up the package and find the wrong items.
✨
The Full Glossier Review: What I Thought About Everything I Tried
I’ll break this down step-by-step based on the order I use things when I’m doing my make-up. Cool?
Priming Moisturizer – $22
I’ve been using the same Clinique moisturizer since high school. As they say: If it ain’t broke…
Even though I’m a creature of habit I’ve been liking the Priming Moisturizer from Glossier A LOT. It’s not the most hydrating moisturizer out there, but for my combination skin it does the trick. It’s also summer time so my skin isn’t as dry as in the winter.
I like that it doesn’t feel sticky, even as the day goes on and I potentially get sweaty walking around NYC. In conjunction with the foundation I’ve been using [below] it’s been a good combo for me, and my skin.
At night I still use a different moisturizer which was recommended to me by my dermatologist.
Perfecting Skin Tint – $26
I bought it in G10
This stuff is very sheer. If you’re looking for something full coverage, look elsewhere. For me right now, especially during the toasty summer months, I love love love that this stuff is sheer. I haven’t been liking thicker foundation lately and this is a nice contrast for me.
I’ve been squeezing a few dots over my cheeks, chin and forehead and them smoothing it over my skin with my hands. After applying blush [below!] I sometimes will apply another layer to tone down the color.
This stuff does the trick and smooths out unevenness in my skin. Because it’s so liquid-y it goes on real light, but also doesn’t get clumpy or dry in other places like other foundation I’ve used.
Right now I’m cool with something shear because my skin is in a pretty happy place and my acne is under control. But if I was dealing with acne flare-ups like I used to, this wouldn’t be the product for me.
Stretch Concealer – $18
I bought it in G10
In recent years I’ve never really worn concealer. I’m sure I did as a teen struggling with acne, but since I haven’t seen a need for it.
I’ve been applying this stuff lightly using my ring finger under my eyes (especially if it’s the evening and I’ve been up since 5:00AM teaching 😂), under my eyebrows (I read somewhere that it makes them look freshly groomed!), around my nose and anywhere else that’s looking a bit red.
Compared to other concealer I’ve played around with, this stuff stays put. I like that it doesn’t get all weird and cake-y under my eyes. It’s also super creamy so glides on easily wherever you’re applying it.
Wowder – $22
I bought it in G8-G10
I’m on the fence about this one and I’m not sure I love it just yet. Part of this might be because I’m applying it with my fingers which I’m not used to (I was too cheap to splurge for the brush) but I’m also just not sold on it as an alternative for other powders just yet.
I personally don’t love a super dewy look, I worry that for me it just makes me look sweaty and greasy. For that reason I’ve always been a fan of applying powder. Sometimes that’s actually all I’ll do as far as evening out my skin tone — a little bit of powder, some mascara and that’s my make-up routine.
Like all of the other products I appreciate that this stuff isn’t cake-y and applies light. Overall it does the trick and tones down the greasy look I’d otherwise get with just foundation on. I also have always found powder to be the thing that seals in the look. I’ll continue to play around with this stuff. And maybe I’ll finally splurge on the freaking brush too 😂
Cloud Paint Cream Blush: $18
I bought it in beam
I’ve never used cream blush before and this stuff is a bolder experience than I’m used to. But I dig it.
I’ve been applying a tiny dab of it with my ring finger over the apple of my cheeks. It feels a little too extra for me as is so I’ll often times do another layer of the skin perfecting tint over it so I don’t feel too rosy in my cheeks.
While there’s some things I won’t skip in my make-up routine (MASCARA for sure!) when I’m feeling lazy I skip applying this blush. I like it and this color is nice for my skin tone, but it’s not a game changer or anything.
Haloscope – $22
I bought it in Quarts
This stuff just arrived this week so I haven’t had as much of a chance to play around with it as some of the other products.
I’m still relatively new to using highlighter, period, so I’m not 100% sure what I like and what I don’t like. And the only product I can compare this stuff to is the highlighter I’ve used from MILK.
Haloscope is far more subtle, with the highlighter from MILK it feels very obvious. Look at me, I’m glistening! This stuff feels less obvious for sure. I think I’m craving a happy medium so need to play around with this stuff more to see if I can layer it to get that idea.
Can someone please teach me how to be a cool, trendy, millennial that uses highlighter? K, thanks.
Lash Slick – $16
Okay, I might not know anything about make-up as a whole. But mascara is the one thing I really really care about. If I’m going to apply anything, it’s mascara. Girl gotta look AWAKE. Even if I don’t feel like I am…
If you’re looking for DRAMA, this mascara is not for you. But I like that it gives my lashes a solid UMPH and separates the lashes without getting clumpy or too aggressive. Bonus: It’s water resistant which means it’s going to stay put. You wash it off using warm water. I haven’t put it to the test yet while teaching hot yoga as I don’t want to learn whether or not it works the hard way…
For day-to-day make-up, this mascara is my new favorite. Will for sure be repurchasing. But if I want more volume and d-r-a-m-a for a special occasion, I’ll stick to my old favorite from Tarte
Glossier’s Famous Boy Brow: $16
I bought it in brown
Okay, lemme tell you about my eyebrows for a second.
Girlfriend is #blessed with some thick.ass.brows. I spent the first 25 or so years of my life trying to tame and groom these bad boys. Luckily around 2015 bold brows started to become fashionable. And flash forward to now: peeps are filling in their eyebrows to make ’em look thicker. Bless up, world.
I still have some residual self-consciousness surrounding my bold, dark brows, so I’ve been cautious with how strongly I use my Boy Brow. Overall though I like using them to fill-in the sparser parts of my brows.
I’m not 100% sure I need this stuff in my life, though, and may or may not order it again when I run out. To be determined.
Milky Oil Make Up Remover- $12
I’m really sad to say that this stuff has been my least favorite of all the products I’ve tried. I used it at the store to remove some the make-up I’d been testing on my hand. I didn’t purchase this stuff at the store that day but ended up ordering it a few weeks later online.
Well, I used it last night for the first time while I was getting ready to go to bed and my skin was NOT a fan. I squeezed out a tiny bit onto a cotton oval to remove my mascara. Next thing I know the skin under my eyes is RED and burning. Turns out I’m not the only one with this issue and a few people talk about having a similar reaction in reviews on the Glossier website.
I woke up and everything looked fine. My skin is somewhat sensitive but I’ve never had a reaction to a product like this. And I’ve used various make-up removing wipes and liquids over the years. For now I’ll stick to coconut oil for all my make-up removing needs…
✨
Some Glossier Pro-Tips:
The online reviews are EXCELLENT: As with ALL reviews (I’m looking at YOU Yelp!) you gotta take things with a grain of salt. But I find that people write super thorough and thoughtful reviews on the Glossier website. It’s not just people being scathing or salty for no reason.
Eyeing a few products? Buy a set: Glossier has a few sets that bring together some fan-favorites at a cheaper price. A few of the items I bought above were bought as a set. Gotta save that money!
✨
Want more beauty content? Check out my update: The Glossier Products I *Still* Use Every Day
✨
Your turn: Have you tried anything from Glossier?
Save to Pinterest:
omg i neeeeeeded this!! all i’ve tried is the lip balm which i’m obsessed with and boy brow which i def got in the wrong color. i wanna try the skin tint and cloud paint!
I have seen ads for Glossier but never considered buying their products until now. I want to try the boy brow and the lash slick!