The Rise (And Rise) Of Glossier
January 1 | 3 minute read
Words by Jane McFarland
Originally published on | July 15
It was 2016, and I was wielding a tube of Boy Brow like a prized possession. After years of overzealous plucking and unrealistic aspirations of looking like Cara Delevingne, I had persuaded a fellow editorial assistant attending New York Fashion Week to pop into Glossier’s Lafayette Street store and pick up the product with a rumoured 10,000-person waiting list: Boy Brow.
Tube in hand, I was the envy of all my mates. Plus, my brows had never looked better. Following Glossier’s UK launch the following year, iterations of its Balm Dotcom tinted lip balm could almost always be found at the bottom of my handbag, and while I’ve struggled to find a ‘signature scent’, a spritz of Glossier You has ended up the perfect, subtle fragrance for someone who, well, doesn’t love perfume.
I’m not the only one. With 3 million followers on Instagram, the billion-dollar juggernaut’s – think full, natural brows, flushed cheeks, and shiny skin – and pleasingly photogenic packaging are adored the world over. And now, it’s coming to Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand) exclusively via MECCA.
The Story
For the uninitiated, Glossier’s origin story is start-up folklore. In 2010, Emily Weiss – a former Condé Nast fashion intern – started a beauty blog in her spare time: Into The Gloss. The premise? Snooping around the bathroom cabinets of the rich and famous (see Emma Watson, Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson and Khloé Kardashian) and sharing their beauty routines.
This no-holds-barred approach to divulging personal recommendations and staple toners coincided with the launch of social media platforms, resonating with thousands who relished an insider beauty tip but had always been too afraid to ask.
Then came Glossier (pronounced like “dossier”) which debuted in October 2014 with a collection of four products: Priming Moisturizer, lip and skin salve Balm Dotcom, Soothing Face Mist (a rosewater spray), and Perfecting Skin Tint (a sheer foundation). The Millennial-friendly cosmetics brand, which championed inclusive casting and natural-looking beauty, gained immediate traction as a beauty brand for normal people. (Normal, beauty-obsessed people.)
Its signature pink hue transcended the beauty industry to become associated with Instagram as a whole, giving salmon-y, ‘Millennial’ pink a certain irony, effortlessness and ubiquity – no Barbie cosplay required. Within five years, the company was valued at US$1.2 billion. Weiss, meanwhile, ushered in a new era of female entrepreneurs: heading up a unicorn business while ensuring that sharing skincare routines, filming at-home tutorials and product unboxings would become cemented in pop culture.
The products
Glossier’s evolution from Instagram catnip to a household name comes down to its products. 'Skin first, makeup second, smile always’ is one company tagline; ‘You look good’ is another. Don't know where to start? Go for the hero items.
Slick your brows into place with the aforementioned Boy Brow – the one-swipe creamy wax doesn’t stiffen or flake throughout the day and the tube is the ideal size for carrying everywhere. Looking for a pinch-perfect blush? Don’t sleep on Cloud Paint. A cream-to-gel blush, it’s easy to build and blend for a streak-free flush. Plus, you only need a tiny drop for both cheeks.
Nowadays it’s rare to stick to one brand exclusively, but Glossier’s product range runs the gamut from skincare to fragrance to makeup. For Weiss, the premise of Glossier was to create a brand people could fall in love with and a decade later, she may have just succeeded: welcome to a 21st century legacy brand.
