jamiesque

Hello everyone! I’ve been taking a lot of photos but I keep forgetting to actually post them. This is the most recent batch! I’ll be posting some photos from my trip to Sweden within the next few weeks… probably while procrastinating studying for finals.  In fact, I was inspired by a couple of final paper deadlines to actually edit and post these!

A lot of noise has been made since Glossier released their Phase 2 makeup line. The full line includes a concealer, a lipstick, and an eyebrow gel. When they promised creaseless concealer without setting powder, I was intrigued. It had to be too good to be true. So what do I do once something captures my attention? I began obsessively researching the product, trying to find reviews and videos.  What did I find? Surprisingly, for a brand so hyped there wasn’t much. All the reviews were by people who were given the product for free.

While I trust that they reviewed all the product with good intentions at heart, there definitely is a difference when you’re paying for a product with your own money. So I decided to buy the concealer myself (and the Generation G lipstick for some free shipping) and review it for you guys!


I received this package within a week of ordering and honestly, from the start I was not impressed. The only thing holding the box closed was a short strip of tape that could be easily removed. Anything inside could have fallen out or been taken out in the process of being shipped. I honestly wish they had put more tape or at least a stronger tape on the box.

The inside of the box was a lot better.

The top of the box has a cute quote, and once you remove the contents there is a happy face and a hand (waving?) on the bottom. The packaging holding all the make up is also really cute. It’s a pink bubble wrap ziplock bag filled with cosmetic goodies and stickers. Also in the box is a large promotional poster of a model.

The packaging for the individual products is also really aesthetically pleasing. They’re all light pink with a white “G” on them. Inside of the boxes are more happy faces. This time the faces are three eyed aliens. Glossier is really trying to channel a youthful Tumblr vibe.

I’ll review the concealer first because it was the product that I was really looking forward to trying. I don’t have any photos of me wearing the concealer besides the swatches, but I definitely will add some later this weekend.

Shade: Medium 20
Content: 0.17oz/4.8g
Price: $18

Overall:
This concealer does not deliver at all. The hype is definitely misplaced. It goes on very sheer, is not very build-able, and creases within an hour of wear. I wouldn’t buy this concealer for $5 let alone $18.


Packaging:
The packaging is very high quality. The base is made of a nice glass that gives the product a good weight, and the top is metal with their iconic “G” logo in white. It’s very durable and I wouldn’t be afraid to keep it in my backpack to retouch through out the day, and boy do you need to retouch…

Pigment:
First of all, I’d like to apologize for my hand in the next photo. I took the swatch after volunteering at the Ithaca Youth Bureau. I ended up helping kids make clay mugs and I didn’t get all the dried clay off my hands after I got back.
As for the review, honestly, if the color wasn’t so nice it would have zero stars. I decided to get a medium shade to get a closer to my skin tone. Normally I would go for a brightening effect, but with a sheerer concealer going a shade darker actually covers up dark circles better. Needless to say, I did think this would be a more sheer concealer, but I didn’t realize how sheer it would be. One layer barely makes a difference and after applying a second layer and third layer there wasn’t much of a change either. I’m a college student. I have papers to write and prelims to study for! This just does not cut it.

Application and Wear:
Application wise, it emulsifies the second your finger touches the pot. While this might be ideal for someone with drier skin, my eye area is very oily and adding more oil felt very uncomfortable. Glossier advertises an easy application with fingers being the only thing needed, but because of how oily it is I definitely recommend using a beauty blender to ensure that you don’t have too much product on your face. As for the wear? The whole “no setting powder” promise is bullshit. Within 20 minutes I saw it creasing, at an hour it looked ridiculous. I had to keep patting my eyes all day to make sure that it didn’t make me look even more tired.

Guys, I really recommend that you do not buy this product unless you have very minimal blemishes, little to no eye bags, and dry skin.

The lipstick is actually something I didn’t have high hopes for. I knew from the images that it would be very sheer (a trend at Glossier), but I really wanted that free shipping, and how could I resist a product with the same name as me!

Color: Jam
Content: 1.13g/0.04oz
Price: $18

Overall:
While this lipstick is not the best in the world, Glossier’s “popsicle” effect is really pleasing. It’s very over priced for what it is, but the actual product is pretty alright.

Packaging:
This is honestly the worst packaging. The concealer’s packaging is fantastic, while the lipstick feels and looks cheap. I honestly get scared carrying this in my makeup back. I’m afraid that my mirror might break the container while I’m walking or that the bus will hit a bump and the lipstick inside will break off.

Pigment:
I’m actually pleasantly surprised at how well this lipstick layers. It creates the perfect gradient effect and you can really vary the color based on how many times you apply. However, if your lips are more pigmented it might not go on so well. Just going on the website you can see a clear correlation between paleness (skin tone wise) and effectiveness of the product.

Application and Wear:
Application takes a little bit longer than usual, as you have to really pack on the layers to get some good pigment, but it really does pack a punch once you put a lot on! It also goes on very smoothly and has a nice soft yet firm texture. Wear time is pretty average and the lipstick not kiss proof.

Final Thoughts:
I can only describe Glossier’s brand as lazy girl chic. Glossier is selling you a lifestyle, not a product. Everyone wants to be that girl (or guy or any gender!) who needs minimal skincare and but still looks flawless. But the reality is, only those born lucky will get to live that kind of life. Masked in faux Korean packaging and names are products that are not as effective as they should be for the price. With items called “Generation G” and “Milk Jelly Cleanser” and pastel pink packaging, it’s very easy to see that Glossier is trying to profit on the Korean skincare trend. But they just do not deliver. Real Korean skincare involves multiple steps: toner, serum, emulsion, cleanser, exfoliator, eye cream, mask… The only reason my skin has improved so much is because I followed these steps almost religiously over the past year. If you want a transformative skin care regime and transformative makeup, do not shop Glossier. You can get the same aesthetic and better results if you shopped any Korean skin care brand (Etude House, The Face Shop, etc.) and high quality Sephora matte lipsticks cost less than the Generation G.