Everywhere, I mean everywhere, is Insta-and–selfie worthy.
Pink bubble zip pouch.
Emojis ( 🙂 👋🏻 ) and empowering messages (“You look good.” / “Skin first. Make-up second. Smile always.”)
Cute, relatable names and instructions like your gal pal is telling it.
Millennial pink logo and, really, everything.
Then there’s Emily Weiss — the woman behind what is possibly the coolest cult beauty brand there is RN, whose mission is to democratise beauty in a way that speaks to real girls and women and give them what they really need/want (and, clearly, what they want even when they don’t need).
The hype of Glossier is real.
I went. I saw. And I concur.
In case you somehow managed to not have heard of Glossier, know this: They are not just a beauty brand. They are a game changer, a new way of thinking about — and shopping for — beauty products. Their philosophy is that make-up is not mandatory but a choice — your choice. Everything about Glossier is so chill and effortless (like the founder herself), even the most cynical among us (me included) can’t not be charmed.
As I make my way to the Glossier showroom at 123 Lafayette Street for the first time, anticipation starts building up. I see it — the unmistakable Glossier font on a banner, and another with a trio of emojis, running down the facade of the building. My boyfriend could feel my excitement. He looks at me funny. What? I smile sheepishly. Sometimes, men really don’t get it. OK, allow me to take a breath, CTFO, and break down the hype for you.
Aesthetics + Shopping Experience = Goals
So. This is it. I am right outside the building. The showroom is located at the penthouse (but of course). The only way up is by the elevator. They tell me the stairs are out of bounds, gah. In hindsight, the elevator ride felt like a rabbit hole. But instead of going down, we were going up. The doors open, and we’re transported to a Millennial Pink Wonderland. Everywhere, I mean everywhere, is Insta-and–selfie worthy. Spot. On.
Feel-good mirrors that say “You look good” or “You smell good.”
Picture-perfect lighting.
Samples are laid out neatly, but not too neatly that you’d feel intimidated or shy about picking them up to test or snap pictures.
Despite myself (you need to know that I’m not a beauty-phile, not even close), I’m thinking:
I want everything. I even want the staff uniform — a cool-girl jumpsuit in, yes, Glossier’s signature pink.
Speaking of staff, they are as Glossier as they come: Approachable, friendly, helpful and super chill. They didn’t really seem to care if you bought anything. No pressure, right?
A cosy seating area is a clever and thoughtful idea. Here is where boyfriends and husbands “hang”. It makes a girl feel more comfortable about spending extra time in the store.
I tried a few things here and there, like the Balm Dotcom, Generation G (lipstick in Glossier speak), Cloud Paint (basically, blush) and the Boy Brow (their No 1 bestseller). Unwittingly, I sort of “tried” their new fragrance, Glossier You, too, since it permeates the space. But sorry, not a fan. Glossier You, not for me. I am not sure the products — at least those I tried — are, too. They are good, but I was a little underwhelmed, my initial excitement waned.
In conclusion…
There is no doubt they’ve done a bang-up job on how everything looks and feels, how it makes you feel. I mean, I really enjoyed the whole experience, quite to my surprise. It’s comfortable, everyone’s so relaxed, and the whole vibe, I repeat, is so chill. It is by no means a “get in and get out” kind of shop. To put something I’d learned in school about Services Marketing to good use, Glossier’s “servicescape” — the non-human elements of the environment in which service encounters occur — is on point.
But, in the end, I was just not convinced I’d be getting enough bang for my buck. So, 40 minutes in this wonderland later, I left with no purchase and one rather relieved boyfriend.
Will I be back? Yes. Will I buy something next time? We’ll see.
