I love you if you’re reading this, I know I’m not the most consistent blogger. To be honest I find so much ease with my Instagram in getting my thoughts across that I tend to leave my blog posts for when inspiration strikes! Moving on, I’m back with my “Notes on Brands” series where I go into more detailed product reviews. You can read my previous one on Sunday Riley here if you’d like. This time I’ll be reviewing all my Glossier products!
As a brand, I do like the aesthetic and the less is more approach of Glossier. I’m not a fangirl or rep, I find their marketing a bit annoying but I’m always interested in seeing where they’re headed next and the products they come out with. Overall, their price point isn’t the most attainable but not outrageous either. It sits comfortably in the middle. There are some products from Glossier that I absolutely love and others that are just average. I wish they were more international in their approachability rather than having to jump through hoops to get a hold of their products but I suppose it’s just a matter of time. Things are improving in that regard.
My very first purchase from Glossier was the Phase One Set about two years ago. Of course, all the products are used up now but I did take pictures at the time (which I’m using now).
Milky Jelly Cleanser
It was reviews of the Milky Jelly Cleanser and it’s texture and formula that made me buy from Glossier in the first place. I wasn’t disappointed! It’s a sheer white gel that feels very gentle on the eyes and I’ve had no problems like stinging or cloudiness. This is actually pretty good at taking off most of my makeup unless it’s waterproof mascara or certain liquid liners. But I feel like it does take more product to do a thorough job. For that reason, if I’m wearing makeup, I use this as my second cleanse. If it’s minimal and I’ve used my Bioderma Micellar Water beforehand, then I use just this and it takes everything off with no residue. It feels a bit watery when you apply it to dry skin but thicker and more gel like when it comes in contact with water. It doesn’t really lather but turns more milky in contact with water and once you’ve rinsed it off you do get that *clean* feeling without dryness. I’ve bought this twice now and it’s a product I consider one of the better cleansers out there. Apart from rose water which also lents as a scent (not very strong though) this also contains Hyaluronic acid and pathenol which are good hydrating ingredients to include. They’re a bit further down the line so it’s not the main focus but I suppose it’s not a bad thing to have.
Water/Aqua/Eau, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Propanediol, Isohexadecane, Poloxamer 184, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Xylitylglucoside, Betaine, Allantoin, Glycerin, Panthenol, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anhydroxylitol, Polysorbate 80, Xylitol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isopropyl Myristate, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
Balm Dot Com
This reminds me of Vaseline or any of your bog standard thick lip balms. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But after trying Milky Jelly Cleanser and finding something unique, Balm Dot Com (as brilliant as the name is) the product itself is bit of a let down. This has more to do with my personal preference. Although I have chronically dry lips, this texture is one that I do not like. It’s too thick and gloopy for my liking. I do appreciate it when my lips are chapped (which hasn’t happened for a year now) but otherwise it’s not a consistency I like using day in day out. This basic version also doesn’t contain any fragrance which is always desirable in a lip balm if you do have problematic lips like mine. This contains petrolatum, castor seed oil and beeswax which makes this pretty effective. It’s just that I like my Nuxe Reve de Miel a lot more and hence won’t be repurchasing this. This is more travel friendly though!
Petrolatum, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Beeswax, Lanolin, Flavor, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200)
Priming Moisturizer
This reminds me a lot of the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré. It’s a very basic moisturiser and I don’t mean that in a snarky way at all! If you’re someone who uses essences and serums like me, chances are you just want a moisturiser to function well in terms of locking all that goodness in and absorbing in well. It does just that. The consistency is creamy, it’s good enough to be used in all weathers. I find these kind of products really good to travel with because of the packaging and you can basically use this anywhere. By itself, it does make the skin feel smooth and supple. I’ve carried this on flights couple of times where I’ve used it on my hands, lower back (areas that get dry easily). Does this also function as a primer? This does make your skin more smooth and makeup does adhere well to it. But if you expect your primer to provide oil control, even out texture and blur the skin, then this doesn’t really do that. Lastly, my knowledge of ingredients is self learned and always evolving, I’m not a chemist or from a chemistry background. I say this because I’m a little confused with the ingredients list. You have your typical emollients, emulsifiers in the formula but also plant extracts, I have no idea what they do though.
Aqua/Water/Eau, Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Stearic Acid, Propanediol, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Phenyl Trimethicone Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Beeswax/Cera Alba/Cire d’Abeille, Mel/Honey Extract/Extrait de Miel, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Phospholipids, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Tetrapeptide-14, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Butylene Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Citric Acid, Cetyl Palmitate, Betaine, Potassium Sorbate, Ceteareth-20, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate.
Perfecting Skin Tint
This has unexpectedly turned out to be a holy grail base for me! I was right in assuming it was similar to Mac Face and Body, except I find this to be better. I usually have a really hard time finding a match to my skin tone. The Skin Tint in Dark is an exceptionally accurate match for me! I really love natural bases where it doesn’t look like I have anything on and even with multiple layers of Skin Tint, this manages to look so skin like and natural, texture wise. One layer just about covers any redness, two can even out my skin tone. I actually layer depending on how my coverage I need. So I apply a just one layer to my forehead but maybe 2-3 around my chin and underage area. I know it’s not a product to everyone’s liking. I’m grateful I do not have a very uneven texture, so this suits my needs perfectly. The wear time on this is decent but not that best. This lasts well for 5-6 hours without any primer or setting on me. I can make it last longer by layering more and just using a primer. The finish this gives is dewy. Sometimes if I’m applying 3 layers this can look too dewy and I use a powder or my YSL Blur Perfector to mattify it a bit. This is also very easy to apply, even with fingers or any kind of brush. As much as the beauty blender has revolutionised applying foundation, using it is a bit of a pain for me so I always appreciate bases that apply well with brushes! I’ve repurchased this already and I definitely would again in the future.
Cloud Paints
These cream blushes are adorable to look at and thankfully, the gimmick works. I love the name and idea behind this. These are definitely one of the easiest cream blushes to apply. Puff is bright pink that fades away to a lovely almost natural flush. Dusk is my favourite and a really good warm, peachy nude. It’s darker than Beam which makes it ideal as a blush and contour kind of shade. Initially it’s easy to use too much product because the tube is filled up. I’ve noticed the screw area getting messy with each use. As cute is the packaging looks, I do wish it was more elegant in dispensing the product. The blush itself sheers out so well, it would be really hard to go over the top. I’ve used this over the Skin Tint where it looks best, no sheen, just blends into the skin texture. Over foundation, this also looks very even and blends seamlessly. By itself it also looks great but takes a punch in terms of wear time. These aren’t the most long wearing blushes but the cream formula disappears easily on my skin when it’s hot. Not too much of a problem when worn over any kind of base though, it would last a good 5-6 hours.
Invisible Shield
Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ SPF 35 is a chemical sunscreen. When it comes to physical vs chemical vs mineral, I actually don’t have a strong preference. My main concern is whitecast, how well it applies and works with other products on my face. I know it’s not the first one out there, but it is the first transparent sunscreen I’ve tried. Not having to worry about white cast is a relief and although the product amount is rather small, it’s a good daily sunscreen. The packaging looks sleek and the sunscreen is a gel texture which blends into a transparent nothing (if you’re using just one pump). When I first started using this I was applying maybe one or two pumps, it works into the skin really well, has a nice citrusy scent and made my skin dewy. In hindsight I probably wasn’t using the right amount. I think you need to apply a lot more and that’s where it gets tricky. If you’re applying a teaspoonful or 3-4 pumps, you’re going to look like a greaseball which isn’t a cute look.
This sunscreen contains Avobenzone (UVB and UVA), Homosalate(UVB) and Octisalate(UVB). Avobenzone by itself is known to not be very photostable which is why Octisalate is introduced to make it stable. This means it’s protection won’t degrade with sun exposure. These ingredients are used in a LOT of chemical sunscreens but there are also some views stating that they disrupt hormones. I’m not entirely certain it does and so, you do you. I don’t really have concrete information to offer on that. But my reasons for not repurchasing this have more to do with how it feels on my skin and the amount you get. 30ml of product is insufficient for a sunscreen. You also can’t really tell how much product is remaining. They’ve how reduced the price of this product but I don’t think it’s the best sunscreen out there.
Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate, Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Butylene Glycol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Silica, Bioflavonoids, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Boy Brow
I bought Boy Brow when I was experimenting with brow gels in general to see if I preferred them over pencils. I’ve concluded that I don’t. But let’s talk about Boy Brow specifically, I don’t really like this. The formula is very wet and you get too much product on the wand that needs to removed first. I also find the wand too thick for my thin brows. If you have bushy brows or just a larger area to play with, this wouldn’t be an issue. I like subtle filled in brows and even with my efforts to minimise application, the pigment in this is too much for me, it makes them too bold and really statement. But it’s a formula that sets well and doesn’t budge, I guess thats my only positive! I actually don’t think it’s a bad product, I know a lot of people really like this, it’s just not a good match for me.
So there’s my round up on Glossier! I actually think the products are good for what they claim, it’s a matter of whether they suit your needs and makeup style. I haven’t tried any of the newer launches. I’m interested in Lidstar and the Stretch Concealer but I don’t feel very strongly about buying it right now. Let me know what you loved or hated from Glossier if you’ve tried them!
Cloud Paints – Glossier
Milky Jelly Cleanser – Glossier
Priming Moisturiser – Glossier
Boy Brow – Glossier
Perfecting Skin Tint – Glossier
Balm Dot Com – Glossier
Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen – Glossier
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