I’m all about taking good care of my skin and wearing minimal makeup, so it’s surprising that I haven’t tried Glossier products before now. Their tagline is “skincare first, makeup second” which is what I’m all about! I ordered 3 products on May 31st and received them on June 2: the Milky Jelly Cleanser, Stretch Concealer, and Wowder. I’ve been using them for over 2 months and I feel like I can give a more thorough review now. This is just a mini review since I’ve only tried 3 products and can’t speak on the full brand just yet.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, they’re marked with 💰. If you use them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only link to products I genuinely love to use, and not because of the commission. Whether or not you decide to buy something using my affiliate links is completely up to you.
Brand Overview
Honestly, the reason I placed this order was because of their Black Lives Matter response. After George Floyd’s murder, many brands started sharing their stance against police brutality and support of BLM. Some brands seemed to just be doing it for show and because it was trendy, and not because they actually cared. Glossier isn’t one of them. They posted very early, and came with an immediate plan of action. They also have featured Black and brown creators on their Instagram and other marketing images seemingly since the beginning, unlike some brands that rarely featured anyone with dark skin but are now scrambling to find Black people to feature *rolls eyes*. I was impressed by Glossier’s quick response and initiative they put together to support Black-owned businesses, which pushed me to place an order and finally try their products. [UPDATE 8/2020: Recently, Glossier has come under fire for alleged mistreatment of some of their BIPOC employees at flagship stores. The Instagram account @outtathegloss is the main source where I’ve seen these statements come out, and reading the stories from these employees has me second guessing if I want to purchase any more Glossier products. I’m not into cancel culture, so I think I’ll hold off on making new purchases for now and keep watching to see how Glossier responds going forward.]
Products
Milky Jelly Cleanser- This cleanser is just ok for me. There’s a lot of fragrance in it from the added rose water, which I don’t really like. It’s a pretty strong floral scent and I can’t wait to rinse it off because it’s too much for me. The gel texture is nice and does a decent job of removing my makeup (I normally don’t wear a lot so keep that in mind, it probably wouldn’t work for heavier makeup). I still prefer to use balms as my first cleanse and gels like this as my second cleanse, so I’ll keep using it as my second or morning cleanse instead.
Would not repurchase –mainly due to the scent and honestly I don’t want to spend a lot on my face wash, I’d rather spend that on products that’ll stay on my skin and don’t get rinsed off
Shop here ($9 travel size, $18 full size)
Stretch Concealer & Wowder, both in G4- Ok concealer first: The concealer has a more golden undertone than the powder, which is much more neutral. I was so surprised that it actually covered my dark circles while being so lightweight. I still see a bit of darkness, which is what I always focus on, but honestly this concealer does a really good job on its own. (You can see for yourself in the comparison pictures below) I may play with layering it over a color corrector, but I like this for low makeup days. It lasted through well through my work day too which is a plus. I’ve got creases under my eye and the concealer sits in them a little bit, but every concealer does that on me so I’m not too concerned, I just press the product in and keep going.
For the Wowder, I usually want that golden undertone in my makeup but I don’t mind the neutral powder since it’s a finishing powder and not a foundation with more coverage that would make me look red. It’s a loose powder that comes with a little mesh over the top, but that gets kind of messy when I only need a little bit. Wearing the powder alone actually covers my undereye darkness too which I totally wasn’t expecting. I like using powders like this when I just want to take some shine down from my skin and I’m not focused on adding coverage. I do like this powder, but I’ve got others that work just as well and cost less, and have more of the golden undertone I want (plus I don’t have to pay shipping on them).
Would repurchase the concealer with a sale, would not repurchase the powder
💰 Shop here: Stretch Concealer ($18)
Shop here: Wowder ($22)
Comparison photos
I wanted to compare the Glossier makeup products with some I’ve already been using. I compared the Glossier Stretch Concealer in G4 with the Maybelline Age Eraser concealer in Tan and the Cover FX Power Play concealer in N Deep 2. Glossier is definitely more neutral in tone, while the Maybelline and Cover FX are more golden (which is what I prefer for my skin). Maybelline is the lightest of the 3 in terms of shade, with Glossier & Cover FX being pretty close in depth but with those different undertones. All 3 of these work as undereye concealers for me, with Maybelline matching and highlighting that part of my face the best. I think the Glossier is very close to my skin tone, so it doesn’t brighten but just conceals on me. Maybe if I went down a shade it would brighten more, but then I’m not sure if it would cover my dark circles as well.
I compared the Glossier Wowder in G4 with the Sephora Collection Microsmooth foundation in #56 Deep, and the Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless powders in both #334 and #360. Again, Glossier comes out the most neutral, and almost pulls a little pink against my skintone but it’s not too bad. The Sephora Collection powder is the one I’ve been using the longest, and I think the best matching powder when I just want one shade over my whole face. If I want to match the different tones of my face more accurately, I’ll use the Maybelline in #334 in the middle of my face and #360 lightly around the outside of my face. Personally, I think I’ll stick with the Sephora Collection powder instead of repurchasing the Wowder. It’s closer to my undertones and it’s less expensive (only by $2 but I can buy it in store and there’s usually a Sephora sale), plus I like that it’s pressed instead of a loose powder that gets messy.
(Excuse the puffy allergy eyes and different natural lighting- cloudy day vs sunny day) First picture is comparing the Stretch Concealer to bare skin, second picture is comparing the Wowder to bare skin. I honestly didn’t realize how much they covered my dark circles until I took these pictures. The concealer matches my skin almost perfectly which surprised me because when I looked in the jar, I thought it’d be a tiny bit too dark but it’s not! I still see some darkness through it, but it’s still a big difference compared to no makeup so it’s not a huge deal. The Wowder also covered my dark circles with very little product used, which I honestly was not expecting. Because it’s a neutral tone, I feel like it makes my face look slightly more pink, but it’s not too noticeable. It took away my shine while still making my skin look like skin, which was nice.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad I purchased these products, and I’m even more glad that Glossier is a brand that seems to actually care about Black lives. The cleanser and Wowder weren’t my favorites and I wouldn’t repurchase them, but I would repurchase the Stretch Concealer (with a sale preferably). I’m looking forward to buying more Glossier products: I’ve got my eye on the cloud paint, skin tint, niacinamide serum, mascara, and a few other products, so you’ll probably see a part 2 to this review soon! ♡
