First things first: I did not receive any free products in exchange for this review. I was also not asked to write this review. I simply saw on Instagram that all the cool girls were buying Glossier, and I, wanting to be cool, too, jumped right onto the bandwagon. However, when I looked through the #glossier feed, read reviews and checked out the company's website, I could not find any old ladies (like me) wearing it. While everyone looked fabulous, they also looked to be about 19. My curiosity was piqued, and here are the results. This post does contain affiliate links which will give me a $10 credit from Glossier if you make a purchase. But in return, YOU get a 20% discount if you decide you want to be cool, too! Got it? Great. (No coupon code is needed for the discount; simply click on any of the links or images in this post.)
Okay. Next, I am going to tell you a little back story.
Six years ago, I was 29 with no kids, lots of sleep and an active lifestyle. Then, I got pregnant with my first child, and things started going downhill (as they do) during my pregnancy. I gained about 50 pounds, lost my sense of style, stopped taking care of my face and got less and less sleep as the months wore by. Fast forward to now, and I have three kids under five, little sleep and constant demands from tiny humans.
I can't tell you how many days out of the week I throw a jacket on over my pajamas (no bra) and call myself "ready" as we head out the door to our daily activities. My beauty routine often consists of sprinkling some dry shampoo in my hair or throwing on a hat...and maybe making sure I don't have some gross black stuff in the inside corner of my eye. I lost a lot of hair after each of my pregnancies, and it is growing back in what my husband not-so-affectionately calls my preggo puffs. It's lovely. I know.
Parenting is hard. It's especially hard when you are vastly outnumbered by lots of very young children that are home with you full-time. It's a full-time job that doesn't offer sick days or lunch breaks (although I am extremely thankful for my husband who does his share of the parenting and more). Oftentimes I feel frumpy and unattractive, and I usually just chalk it up to where I am in life and get on with my day. But after months and months of feeling ugly and invisible, I needed a pick-me-up. My old tinted moisturizer, nude lip gloss and a quick swipe of mascara just weren't cutting it anymore, so I decided to try something different.
So after I saw lots of fashion bloggers and otherwise cool people posting about Glossier on the interwebz, I took the plunge. I decided to purchase both phases 1 and 2 because why the hell not? I mean, I had nothing to lose except a hundred-or-so bucks, right?
I say that jokingly because after placing my order (with quite the adrenaline rush to accompany pressing the "submit order" button), I couldn't sleep that night. I was worried sick that I had chosen the wrong colors or that I'd spent more money than the family budget could handle. I mean, it's makeup. It's not cheap.
But then again, neither is therapy.
So off went my order. And just a few days later, I arrived home after a couple hours of gym daycare/email time to a sopping wet box (#portlandlife) of THIS!
I mean, isn't it pretty? So modern. So minimal. So pink. And black and white. The packaging is truly an experience itself, and I received a basic tote bag that I wasn't expecting. So far, so good.
Then, I rushed the kids through lunch and down for naps so I could finally take a shower and try all my new products. But first, here's how I looked during the day prior to getting my package:
My oily hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and there was no trace left of my lip gloss. I had quickly swiped on some tinted moisturizer and mascara, but that's about it. My eyebrows, as you can see, are pretty nonexistent, and I have a lot of redness.
And here's how I looked after using the milky jelly cleanser and priming moisturizer. I also put some balm dotcom (love that) on my lips since they've been so chapped they sometimes crack and bleed when I laugh or smile.
The milky jelly cleanser has this amazing smell that I can't describe other than to say it reminded me of a European hotel. I have no idea why. But it did. The moisturizer and balm were completely unscented. My skin felt smooth, clean and hydrated. There was no tightness, burning, irritation or oiliness. (I normally have combination-to-oily skin.) You can see, however, that I really struggle with redness. I have extremely fair skin, and the slightest thing really sets it off. You will see in the photos below though that the redness was quickly remedied with time (after the hot shower) and the rest of the products.
Let's go on, shall we?
Now this is getting fun! Here's a breakdown of the above images:
- Fresh out of the shower after using milky jelly cleanser and priming moisturizer. Lips are coated with balm dotcom.
- Applied perfecting skin tint in light. (I should note that the color selection tool on the Glossier website suggested medium, but I wanted none of that. Light it was, and light it is.) This stuff feels different than any other foundation/moisturizer/etc. I have used before. It's very fluid and runny, but it goes on like a dream and really evens everything out. It kind of feels like liquid powder? But with a bit of gloss? It's indescribable...in a very good way.
- Applied boy brow in blonde and stretch concealer in light (under the eyes). Whoa, I look funny with visible eyebrows! Waiting for it though...
- Applied generation g lip color in jam. This was the color selection that kept me up at night. I like a strong lip since my other coloring is so pale, but most of the pics I saw of this online made it look a bit too...pink? fuchsia? magenta? for my taste. But I really love it. I'm glad I didn't go with like or cake which were my first choices. I did not want a nude look.
- Added two other products to the mix - some basic black mascara and eyeliner along the top water line only. Everything else you see here is from Glossier.
- Dabbed a bit of balm dotcom on my cheekbones, at the inner corners of my eyes and above my cupid's bow. Did my hair and BAM! I'm in LOVE!
I feel like everything came together for a totally pulled-together, effortless look. I love that the redness in my cheeks was minimized, but my skin doesn't look like a mask. I'm still getting used to the eyebrows, but I think they frame my face nicely. I should note that if you have light blond, strawberry or red hair, you should definitely go with the blond. As light as it is, it still gives a lot of definition, color and hold to my eyebrow nothingness.
Here are a few closeups so you can see the texture of the makeup on the skin:
I adore the generation g lip color. I don't think I realized that the super-glossy look is kind of out (so 90s soccer mom, right?) until I tried this. Matte is so modern! And flattering! And my hair doesn't get all stuck in it! #winning
You can definitely choose to layer the lip color to get a more solid tint, but I like this transparent, stained look.
Finally, I spent a couple hours doing house chores and playing with the kids, and I took a few more shots to show you how the products held up. I know two hours isn't that long, but I'm still wearing everything now (about 11 hours later), and I feel fantastic. I can still even feel the balm dotcom on my lips. Harper kept giving me compliments today, and that made me feel really great.
Side note: You may be thinking I am totally vain for caring what's "cool" or makes me look good and get compliments. Well, ok. I admit it then. Keeping up with trends and feeling like I look attractive helps me to stay sane and feel like my own person. And if that's wrong, I don't wanna be right!
Closeups after a couple hours of wear (and several dark-chocolate M&Ms)...
The stretch concealer really does stretch...and it doesn't settle into crows feet or other fine lines. You can see this here:
So yes, I am a fan. Glossier is truly a remarkable product that makes me feel fabulous. I will be cleaning out my makeup drawer tonight and pretty much keeping only my mascara and eyeliner (in addition to my new Glossier products). I will say that the way it feels on the skin may not be for everyone. It has a dewy texture that will make the powder-obsessed among us need to sit on their hands to avoid the puff. But honestly, I think that this look is much more flattering - especially to those of us who aren't 20 anymore. :)
So what do you think? Are you keen to try Glossier?
