What to Buy From Glossier

I remember the days when Glossier was quite the talked-about brand for their “My Skin But Better” approach to Makeup. The hype died down a little but they still have a pretty substantial cult following. The thing is, if you were ever interested in buying Glossier products you either had to buy from their website or go to a physical Glossier store which isn’t accessible for many people. Now that Glossier have launched in Sephora, I’m sure a lot more people will be interested in the brand again and for those of you who are interested, I want to share my opinion of the Glossier products I’ve tried to help with your purchasing decisions.

I don’t have every single product, but I do have a decent little collection of makeup products and skincare samples I got myself from both Glossier’s website and their store in London Covent Garden, so let’s get into what I think of them and what I think is worth the purchase:

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

This is a very gentle rose-scented cleanser that doesn’t lather or emulsify upon contact with water. It very lightly removes surface impurities leaving skin feeling clean and soft without any tightness. I would say this is best for dry skin, morning cleanse or no makeup days.

Buy or Skip? Although I can see why some people would want to use this, the price point isn’t justified for what it is as there are much better cleansers out there at a more affordable cost so it’s not a must-have unless you’re particularly a fan of Glossier as a whole and want to build a collection (this is true for all of Glossier skincare so I won’t keep repeating below).

Glossier Cleanser Concentrate

I found this AHA & Niacinamide-based cleanser to lather well with water and clean deep within my pores. It left my skin soft but tight and slightly dried out, so I definitely have to rush with my hydrating steps straight after. After use, my skin was looking bright and refined which is expected of the key ingredients. It has a fresh soapy scent that I was okay with. I’d say this one is suitable for oily, clogged and textured skin.

Buy or Skip? Although it does a thorough job I wouldn’t purchase it as it’s too pricey for what it is.

Glossier Universal Pro-Retinol

This retinol cream is formulated with 0.5% pro-retinol in the form of Retinyl Sunflowerate which is a hybrid of pure retinol and sunflower seed fatty acids that should give your skin the benefits of a retinoid with less of the side effects that retinol is typical known for. It has a very thick almost balm-like fatty feeling. It didn’t sting or feel itchy. It didn’t leave a sticky residue but did feel a little greasy and left me with clammy fingers after application. My skin felt silky smooth after. A retinol cream isn’t going to give any results with just one use, so this mini review is purely about how the product feels on the skin.

Buy or Skip? Buy it if the texture and formula sounds appealing, but be warned I’ve read reviews where the full size product’s pump mechanism packaging is troublesome, and also many people experienced breakouts and inflammation which could either be due to the sunflower seed oil, purging from the retinol or a bad reaction to the product in general. I’d skip it because there are other ways of achieving great skin without causing trouble first.

Glossier Priming Moisturizer

This lotion like moisturizing primer felts quite emollient and nourishing. It has a natural tocopherol or fatty oil-type scent. I can feel it sitting on my skin and it’s a bit clammy until absorbed, but does feel like a perfect smooth canvas for makeup. I did notice however that it stung my eyes and attracted dust to my skin so I’m deducting points for that.

Buy or Skip? I can see why people like this as a makeup primer, but it’s not the best out there so I’d skip this one too.

Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance

This is the balance version of the priming moisturiser that’s meant to be more suitable for oily skin types. It feels light with viscosity and a bit of stretch and slight tack. It has a soft primer feel that is initially moisturising but then dries down matte with a slight tacky grip that is similar to the Urban Decay All Nighter primer but more on the tight side. I suppose the balance version is more for oily skin types who want a matte base.

Bur or Skip? Again, I’ve tried better primers, so skip, unless you’re really compelled to have a Glossier skincare collection.

Glossier Futuredew

A thick pearly peach oil serum that works beautifully as a makeup primer, making foundation apply smoother and look dewy. On its own without foundation on top, it looks oily rather than dewy so I definitely only recommend it as a makeup primer. Matte foundations sit better with this as it stops it from looking dry and clinging to patches and texture, and leaves the skin looking natural and healthy. If you use a dewy foundation, the dew will be enhanced too, and the skin has a plump bounce to it. The herby scent however is not to my liking so I personally wouldn’t purchase it in full size.

Buy or Skip? If you don’t mind botanical scents, I think the Futuredew is worth a try. If Glossier ever come out with an unscented version of the Futuredew I’d definitely purchase it.

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint

This skin tint has mixed reviews, some people say it does nothing and some people say it gives them an even canvas to work on. Personally, I side with the latter and also love it for exactly what it is, a product that tints the skin. You can only see a noticeable tint if you have a shade darker or lighter than your natural skin tone, and even more so if you apply a lot of it. So if your face and neck are different shades, it works well at tinting the skin to bring more balance between the shades.

It’s quite a thin liquid formula and I’ve noticed that no matter how much I apply, it never gets cakey as it’s so thin and almost skincare-like, however, it can start to look a little greasy if I use too much. It also really works well mixed in with cream blushers to mute the pigment, on top of mineral sunscreen to minimise any white cast, and to adjust foundations that are the wrong shade. I love how this skin tint feels on my skin, like silky soft nourished skincare, but it really doesn’t give anything other than a tint of colour and I wish it provided some coverage.

You can see in the swatches above that the shade G8 is too warm for me so I think the lighter shades G9 or G10 would be a better match. As it’s quite a sheer tint, if you apply a small amount it doesn’t matter what shade you get as long as it’s somewhat close to your natural skin tone, but I still recommend testing the shades in person before buying.

Buy or Skip? Buy it if you’re not looking for coverage and just want to tint and even out your skin-tone, or skip it if you have any marks that require actual coverage.

Glossier Solar Paint

The Solar Paint samples had 4 shades, Flare – a neutral peachy beige, Ray – a warm orange bronze, Heat – a deeper brown bronze with a touch of peachy orange warmth and a hint of pink & Volt – a deep reddish purple burgundy brown. Flare was the most subtle and suited my skin tone well, Ray was a bit more Summery with an orangey warmth, and Heat & Volt were tested on my eyelids as they are too deep for my face.

They apply like a wet gel cream that dries down quickly but is a little patchy. They also have fine shimmer particles which catch the light for a subtle bronzey glow but can also emphasize texture. The lightest shade, Flare, was the least patchy on me from afar but that could be because there wasn’t a very big contrast against my skin tone so any patchiness was less noticeable unless you look up close. I wouldn’t purchase this product but I would look out for a bronzer that’s a similar shade to Flare.

I tried a sample but the actual product comes in a long tube with a doe foot wand that you use to swipe or dot on the product then blend with fingers, a brush or a sponge. I think dabbing it on with fingers will give the least patchiness so it probably would have been better in a squeeze tube packaging the like Cloud Paint which I’m writing about next.

Buy or Skip? Skip, because even though the shades are nice, they are not the easiest to work with and can end up patchy.

Glossier Cloud Paint

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I like the glossier cloud paint formula. It’s a gel cream that blends easily without being patchy and sets down to a soft light powdery matte finish. I also like acrylic paint squeeze tube aesthetic of the packaging because its cute and also hygienic as you’re not getting your fingers in the product. You have to be careful to squeeze out a tiny amount at a time as they are quite pigmented and very easy to squeeze out too much which is wasteful. When you first open it there is a foil cover over the hole, so rather than taking it off I recommend piercing it with a thin needle to form a smaller hole that prevents you from squeezing out too much.

I have the Cloud Paint in 4 shades and one sample. The full sizes I have are Storm, Puff, Beam & Dusk, and the sample I had is Dawn. Storm is a moody and mature but sometimes murky looking deep berry shade that I can use only with a very light hand in colder seasons. Puff is a neutral leaning cool pink that looks like how I would naturally blush; it’s my favourite shade as I can wear it in any season without it being too much or too little. Beam is a sunny youthful peach colour, that I can wear in Spring or Summer, however, it is sometimes a touch too vibrant and contrasting against my skin tone so not a favourite on it’s own. Dusk is a peachy brown which looks somewhat in between a light bronzer and blusher so it’s quite flattering. Dawn is a vibrant warm orange with a hint of pink undertone and gives summery warmth and perkiness to the cheeks when a tiny amount is blended in really well for a soft wash of colour, but as it’s highly pigmented it’s very easy to go overboard and look clown-like. One of the best things about Cloud Paint is that you can customise your own shades by mixing different shades together which helps to mute, brighten or create something completely different.

Buy or Skip? Buy it, but test out the shades in person to see what suits you best.

Glossier Sky Wash

Sky Wash is a cream eyeshadow stick. The cream comes out on the doe foot wand quite thick and pasty and you have to work quick to blend it on your eyelids before it sets down to a soft matte powdery finish. It’s buildable but can be quite patchy so it’s not the easiest to work with. Also as it’s patchy, I have to try to be as even as possible before it dries and sets down. I do like that it doesn’t stay wet on the lids but even though it dries it does end up creasing on my oily semi-hooded eyelids. It can give a sheer wash of colour or be built up to a more opaque colour. I have the Sky Wash in the shade Valley which is a peachy orange shade. I used it on a trip as my eyeshadow and blusher and honestly preferred the shade Valley as a blusher. The Sky Wash is good for travel to save luggage space but not good for daily use as it doesn’t last long.

Buy or Skip? Skip. It’s not the easiest to work with and there are way better cream eyeshadow formulas and stick eyeshadow out there.

Glossier Lash Slick

The Lash Slick is a mascara with a plastic wand and bristles in a tapered cone shape, to give quite a natural look to the lashes while enhancing the length but not so much the volume. It’s buildable and doesn’t clump and I love the long fluttery feminine appearance it gives my lashes. It’s great for daily use and also for bottom lashes but it’s not enough for nights out or when you want more volume and drama to your lashes. To get the pigment to show up in the swatch pictures I applied 5 swipes otherwise it was very faintly visible, this is because all the product is at the base of the plastic bristles so on the actual lashes to get good pigment and a little volume you have to grip the lashes onto the wand from the root and zigzag up to the tip of the lashes to separate and lengthen. If you only use the tip of the bristles you will only get length and separation without much pigment or volume. This film-forming mascara is smudge resistant and stays put on my lashes without weighing down or flaking away. It’s also very easy to remove.

Buy or Skip? Buy it if you want an everyday natural mascara that only gives length, but skip it if you are looking for volume and impact.

Glossier Boy Brow

The Boy Brow is rightly a very popular product as the cream pomade formula does a wonderful job of fluffing up the brows to give a fuller somewhat bushy but neat appearance. It also lightly fills in any sparse areas so it’s a perfect one-and-done sort of brow product. I love that it feels soft in my brows and not crispy as some brow gels can be. I also like how short the applicator is as it allows more control and easier to get every hair that you want to coat evenly. I already have quite full brows with just a few sparse areas so I apply this with a light hand to create less of a bushy look and just neaten my brows, but you can definitely keep adding volume and fluff to the brows by going back and forth more to work it in. My natural brow hair colour is a cool dark black but I find the shade Brown works well to soften the colour of my eyebrows ever so slightly, whereas if I were to use the shade Black my eyebrows could look harsh and blocky which is not my preferred style. If you don’t want any pigment and just want to fluff and volumise your brows then it also comes in a Clear shade.

Buy or Skip? Buy it! The Boy Brow is definitely worth every penny.

Glossier Brow Flick

The Brow Flick is a brow pen with a brush tip to create realistic hair-like strokes over any sparse areas. There’s a bit of a learning curve with applying this as you really need to be lighthanded and do quick flicks in your brows to get a natural look. If you press too hard it can look like obvious drawn-on lines, but once you get the hang of it it looks great. You can see in the swatch the different types of strokes I could create with varied pressure and swiftness. Personally, I find a freshly open Brow Flick to be slightly too opaquely pigmented for me to work with but after quite a few uses the pigment starts to fade and it looks more natural. I was even able to use it as an eyeliner whenever I was in a pinch, that’s how pigmented it initially was. I got the shade Black to make the individual flicks of hair look more realistic. I also think the Black Brow Flick paired with the Brown Boy Brow work really well together.

Buy or Skip? Buy it! Another brow product that’s worth it especially if you want a more realistic natural look.

Glossier Balm Dotcom

The Balm Dotcom was the first product of Glossier’s I had heard about several years ago. I initially didn’t think to buy it as some other reviewers said it’s just bougie Vaseline, however, after using it myself I truly believe it’s way more elevated than Vaseline and not comparable at all in terms of how it feels and looks on the lips. I always found Vaseline to be uncomfortable on my lips but the Balm Dotcom sits very comfortably and moisturises my lips well. I will say though that it’s not the most moisturising and deeply nourishing lip balm I’ve used and if you have quite chapped lips, this probably won’t be enough for you. However, if you’re like me and don’t really suffer from dry flakey chapped lips, and just want a nice thin balm on your lips then this is great.

I also love that it’s available in so many different colours and flavours (I say flavour but it’s more of a scent as it’s not to be eaten). I first picked up 4 that I liked the smell of the most: Mint, Mango, Cherry & Cookie Butter. These were in the old formula and packaging. When Glossier recently reformulated and repackaged the Balm Dotcom, I picked up 2 more: Wild Fig & Birthday. Cherry and Cookie Butter have been discontinued but Glossier sometimes bring products back after high demand so I think they’re still worth talking about. You’ll notice in the picture above, Cookie Butter is missing and that’s because I gave it to my sister but I’ve included a swatch of it below along with swatches of the other ones I have. The scents Mint, Wild Fig, Cherry, Birthday and Mango are my favourites. I’ve tried the other options they have in store and didn’t like them as much as these ones. I’ll save the scent descriptions for a separate post, but scroll down to see swatches.

I’ve got to say I don’t notice a major difference in the old and new formulas, they’re both great and if I really think hard maybe the new one is slightly thinner. (Update Spring/Summer 2023: I’ve noticed a difference now that the weather is warmer, the new formula is oilier and melts easily so my Birthday Balm Dotcom is more of a liquid oil now instead of a solid balm). The new packaging was much needed and I’m happy they changed it because with the old packaging, you had to squeeze the balm onto your finger and then apply it, whereas now you can apply it directly to your lips from the tube.

Buy or Skip? Buy it! Especially if you want fun scents, hints of colour and light comfortable moisture on your lips.

Glossier Generation G Lipstick

Generation G lipstick is a soft matte lipstick that gives a sheer yet buildable just blotted and blurred appearance to the lips. Even though I love the effect, the lipstick is heavily scented of rose which is a little off-putting for me so whenever I finish it I won’t repurchase it. I have it in the shade Cake which is a soft peachy brown nude, and also in the limited edition shade Cranberry which is a deep neutral berry burgundy. I gave the shade Cranberry to my sister so the swatches are a little different.

Buy or Skip? Buy it if you don’t mind the strong rose scent and want a soft blurry blotted lip, but you can probably find better K-Beauty alternatives that do the same thing and are either unscented or have a more pleasant subtle scent.

Glossier Ultralip Lipstick

Ultralip is a sheer balm-like hydrating lipstick with a shine. It’s not unique by any means but it’s still up my alley and comes in some pretty shades. I like how lightweight, non-sticky and comfortable it feel on the lips. I also love how sheer yet buildable the pigment is. I love lipsticks like this where your natural lip colour is peaking through a little with a sheer wash of tint over it.

I have the full size of the limited edition shade Cranberry, and a sample card of 4 shades: Villa, Fete, Trench & Vesper. I’ve also tried the shades Portrait, Ember and Cachet in store, and I find all of the shades to be quite flattering on my skin tone. Cranberry is a sheer deep neutral berry burgundy, Villa is a sheer neutral pink mauve nude, Fete is a sheer vibrant red, Trench is a sheer warm caramel nude, and Vesper is a sheer pinkish purple berry. Villa and Trench look the most natural, and out of the two I prefer Villa for an MLBB shade. Fete, Vesper and Cranberry are less natural lip shades on me but beautiful to wear when I want a bit of oomph. Surprisingly I found Fete to suit me the most as it makes my complexion come alive. Another thing to note is that unlike the Generation G lipstick, the Ultralip lipstick does not have a fragrance so it’s even more comfortable for me.

Buy or Skip? Buy it, especially if you like sheer hydrating lipsticks in cute flattering shades.

Glossier Lip Gloss

This is a high-shine lip gloss that gives the lips a juicy glass-like plump effect. It’s quite a popular lip gloss, with most people opting for the original or red versions, however, I have it in the limited edition shade Cranberry which is a sheer burgundy berry with fine sparkles. It is without a doubt a beautiful lip gloss and one that is on the less sticky gloopy side compared to others, however still a touch too thick for my liking. Depending on how much you apply, it can end up feeling heavy and sticky so I either apply a very thin layer or I apply an oil-based lip balm first to create more slip which thins out the texture of this lip gloss when applied on top.

Buy or Skip? Buy it in any shade if you like the glass shine and don’t mind a touch of gloopiness as its better than other sticky messy glosses, however, if you prefer to have the same high-shine but with zero gloop, skip this and let me steer you in the direction of the Romand Glasting Water Gloss which is the best lip gloss I’ve ever used.

Glossier The Lip Trio in Cranberry (Holiday Exclusive)

The Lip Trio in Cranberry was a limited edition holiday exclusive set containing Generation G lipstick, Ultralip lipstick and Lip Gloss all in the shade Cranberry, which as mentioned earlier is a deep neutral berry burgundy shade. Glossier come out with limited edition sets like this from time to time, and I think it’s a good way of trying each of the different lip formulas if you’re curious. However, I’d suggest purchasing something like this if you already know the shade will suit you, if you know you like all of the formulas, or if you’re simply a collector. I for one realised after getting this set that I could do without the Generation G and Lip Gloss, as the Ultralip formula was much more my cup of tea. You can use each of the products separately or layer them for more dimension and impact. When I wear them together, I apply Generation G first, followed by Ultralip and then top off with the Lip Gloss.

Buy or Skip? Skip the set unless you know you like all the formulas, otherwise, just buy whichever individual product you like in an available shade that suits you.

Glossier Body Hero

After swatching the Body Hero on the back of my hand, I used the rest in the shower as my body cleanser. The Body Hero oil cleanser feels smooth and luxe to apply. It emulsifies well upon contact with water leaving the skin clean and fresh. The product feels great but there’s a massive drawback, the fragrance! It’s a very strong headache-inducing floral perfume scent that lingers for several hours. I’ve heard that the scent is similar to the Glossier You Perfume, and in my opinion, it would have been beautiful if it were more subtle, or even just no scent at all would have been perfect.

Buy or Skip? Unless you’re a fan of the scent, a very strong scent at that, I’d skip this one. You can get other beautiful body cleansing oils that won’t give you a headache from brands such as Rituals and Loccitane.

Glossier Body Hero Exfoliating Bar

I haven’t used this yet and I’m already thinking to gift it to someone purely because of the scent as it has the same strong floral perfumed scent as the Body Hero mentioned above. I can tell you however, just by touching the surface, the exfoliating bar feels like it contains some nourishing oils and quite rough scrub particles to exfoliate the skin and get rid of dead skin cells.

Buy or Skip? For the same reason as the Body Hero, I’d skip this unless you like the scent.

Glossier You Look Good Mirror

This is a limited edition mirror that they sell from time to time or give as a gift with purchase. I got mine as a gift with purchase. It’s cute and small, perfect for popping in your handbag. I also love that it comes in a little pouch.

Buy or Skip? Whenever it’s available as a gift with purchase, then why not meet the minimum spend threshold and get it, however, I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase it on its own unless you are a Glossier merch collector.

Glossier Seasonal Stickers

With every purchase, Glossier gives you a seasonal or branch location sticker for free. I think these stickers are cute and it’s nice to see the different kinds. I have the Summer 2021, Winter 2021, You Look Good & London stickers.

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So these are all the Glossier products I’ve tried, and if you’re interested in any of them I encourage you to go into Sephora or your closest Glossier store to test the products and different shades yourself before purchasing.

I’ll end off by telling you exactly which products out of the ones above I think are worth a try: Futuredew, Skin Tint, Cloud Paint, Lash Slick, Boy Brow, Brow Flick, Balm Dotcom, Generation G, Ultralip, and Lip Gloss.

As well as my top 5 absolute favourite must-haves: Cloud Paint, Boy Brow, Brow Flick, Balm Dotcom & Ultralip.

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Have you ever used Glossier products before? Please share your opinions in the comments section as I’m always curious to know my readers’ thoughts and recommendations 😀