Our Thoughts on The "Glossier Girl" (And How To Be One)
“Glossier Girls, so dewey that they are almost a part of the decimal system”
Don’t believe us? Just take a look at their website:
Upon viewing the site, you’re greeted with fresh-faced, glossy girls wearing zip *nada* eyelash mascara (... or are they??) but all the brow mascara in the world - which happens to be just enough. There’s a little glow on their cheekbones, a little glow on their cupid’s bow, and a little glow in their hearts. Positively, they are radiating glossiness.
And don’t we all want to be a Glossier Girl? Glossier’s branding, complete with millennial pink accenting and so strong that they had to launch a cult perfume just to cover up the smell, is a 2000s baby’s makeup starter pack - aka. the perfect brand for the casual Gen Z teenager just starting out in makeup as well as the matured woman looking for a hint of “within” radiance. This branding - in essence, are they wearing wearing makeup, or aren’t they wearing makeup - is what has captured the internet’s attention and made us all want to be Glossier Girls.
We bring Glossier to your attention, dear readers, because Glossier recently flipped their branding when bringing out their new line, Glossier Play. Don’t worry - their original branding is still in tact, but now you’ll find that their new more colorful makeup line is now available to view, purchase, and drool over in the menu of their website. Click on it, and you’ll be greeted with 80s retro inspired looks (that are still somehow so new and fresh) and a bounty of color. The millennial minimalism (try saying that outloud, I dare you) that was so apparent in their original makeup collection has shape shifted into color. It’s minimalist makeup but “excess” makeup at the same time, and it is so very inspiring. Oh yes - the turns have tabled in 2019, and it looks like with Glossier, we must continue to expect the unexpected, which in this case, appears to be a good dose of gelées, intensely shimmery cheekbone highlighters, and glittery sparkle. You could say that the “gloss” has turned into shine.
The New Glitter Gelee
The first product released in Glossier’s new line Play is the Glitter Gelée, which comes with a silicone precision liner in the duo pack. This may look like just another glitter eye topper, and maybe it is in terms of formula - but the colors are pretty outstanding. How do we rank them? First, Glass Bonsai, then Phatansm, then Bijoux Bijoux, and then Firewalk. Glass Bonsai earns first place as a very unique, orange-yellow-green - a color so hard to identify because it constantly flickers and changes in the light before you’re able to name what you’ve seen. One word: mesmerizing.
The only problem with these Glitter Gelées is that they’re made with the same plastic that water bottles are made of. This is not only terrible for the environment in terms of biodegradability, but fish in the sea can easily eat these tiny specks of plastic. Unfortunately, that may be a deal breaker for a lot of makeup lovers - we want our glitter to be made with biodegradable goodness, please.
Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate
Pdff… did you ever think we’d see the day when Glossier, of all brands, released a concentrate? Like, of anything?
Playing the role of Haloscope’s older sister, Niteshine is definitely on the thicker side; however, keeping true to what Glossier knows and loves, the payoff does seem to be more natural than striking or blinding - but the color still looks pretty pigmented for Glossier.
The highlighter is available in three shades, most of which seem to be pink-toned with the exception of the darkest shade, which leans more neutral. While this looks like a good highlighter, it’s not too different to what other brands have released and it may not be worth the twenty dollars. To us, it didn’t seem to fit well into their new Glossier Play line or the original line, and the packaging looks a little cheap.
Our top tip? A swatch on the hand does not indicate how a highlighter will look on your cheek. Sometimes, shinier highlighters (rather than glowier highlighters) can be texturizing. If you’re in one of Glossier’s showrooms, make sure to dap a little bit of the Niteshine sample onto your cheekbone to see whether that formula has really been perfected and how it really performs.
Colorslide Eye Pencil
While you don’t need every color in the collection (especially as at eighteen dollars each - that’ll add up pretty quickly), there are a few shades that really stand out. At the very least, this eyeliner collection does contain staple colors for every collection. Specifically, Early Girl, Brack, and Cash Salad are our must-haves, and Jumbo is a great orange-red that will work well with Early Girl and Cash Salad, too.
The verdict?
They’re good, and some of the colors are very pretty, but they’re not outstanding in any way. When it comes to “Blade,” however, Glossier’s new hella cool looking sharpener, it’s a 100% yes from us. There’s never been a more sleek, carefully designed (by Germans) sharpener on the market, and those are just facts. Another plus? Well, no one says it better than Miss Mads in the review section: “The cleaning stick is, dare I say it, revolutionary.”