By 
In 2018, Glossier opened its second brick-and-mortar store in the US. That year, I was just starting to get into makeup and, of course, Glossier was my favorite brand. I would watch their videos of girls getting ready for the day to see what products they were using in order to incorporate them into my skincare routine. I attended the opening of the former Melrose location and stood in line for 45 minutes to get in. Through social media, Glossier was able to gain a very loyal international fan base, but they didn’t ship internationally. People from all over the world repeatedly commented on the brand’s Instagram posts: “Please ship to (insert any country)”. In other words, Glossier was booming.
In 2020, the pandemic caused a handful of business closures, including Glossier’s physical retail stores in NY and LA. During that year, a group of former employees created the Instagram account @outtathegloss. On this IG account, ex employees shared how incredibly unprofessional and toxic the work environment allegedly was. Shocking allegations included racial microaggressions, poor working conditions at the NYC store and bad management.
I’ve talked about my love of Glossier on this website many times and I have to say, I was livid when this information came out. If you’ve never had the chance to walk into a Glossier store, I can tell you that it’s like stepping into a pink cotton-candy world where everyone embraces each other and is united by their love of beauty. It’s all smiles and friendly greetings. No one would ever think that horror stories would take place behind the scenes. I even toyed with the idea of working there, as I’m sure many Glossier lovers did.
Many loyal fans stopped buying from the brand altogether. How could Glossier, the brand that was your friend, do this? It was like Glossier, the millennial cult-favorite brand, had betrayed us. Their direct-to-consumer approach was different from all the traditional makeup brands. Some people say that this is the harsh reality of retail, but would people have taken the same harsh approach if Estée Lauder or a retail giant like Sephora had faced similar accusations? Following this incident, Glossier experienced a drop on its following count. Before everything happened, the brand’s following was at 2.8 million followers before dropping to 2.6 million
After Glossier’s retail closures in 2020, the brand returned to physical retail in 2021 with brand new spaces in NYC, LA, Seattle, London and Miami.
I went to their new flagship store in LA, which opened in late 2021 on the same street, only two blocks away from their former location.
I arrived 10 minutes before closing and quickly checked out the store. It was empty and the staff were preparing to close. Then, I drove by the following week on a Sunday and a long line of people, mostly young women wearing bucket hats and mom jeans, eagerly waited outside. This was very reminiscent of the old store. Since I live nearby, I decided to go back later in the day and, to my surprise, there were no lines. It all depends on what time of day you go.
My hat is off to the design team. The pink hues, the marble amphitheater-style seating area, and the oversized product displays offer a truly immersive experience. All of Glossier’s new stores have their own distinctive theme based on the city. For the LA location, the team was inspired by Old Hollywood studios, hence the giant globe statue with Glossier’s smiley face logo. The plants and flowers added a beautiful touch to the space.
The new store offers much more room to move around freely. At the old store, once you placed your order you had to stand awkwardly and wait for the employee to shout out your name, whereas here, you can relax on the gorgeous marble seating.
The products are neatly laid out and people are encouraged to try the testers using disposable wands.
I tried Glossier’s After Baume cream, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. If you have dry skin, this will be a “puffer jacket” for your skin, as the brand describes on the website. It reminded me of the Weleda moisturizer, but the consistency was less thick. I applied it to the backs of my hands and it felt so incredibly rich and hydrating. I’ll probably buy this after my night cream runs out!
Glossier merchandise is also available at the store.
I really liked the futuristic display they had with all their products neatly laid out.
The Glossier experience in LA goes beyond the physical store. The brand has also created a separate space in the adjacent alley, called Glossier Alley. Here, customers can enjoy coffee from Alfred, surrounded by topiaries and a marble fountain designed by the Haas Brothers, all designed to immerse visitors in a whimsical pink wonderland.
The address is 8523 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Glossier’s Instagram
Thoughts
I loved checking out the store, but I feel like my excitement about the brand has dissipated. Many beauty brands have entered the market since 2018, like Tower 28 with their best-selling Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer. In my opinion, Glossier waited way too long to expand their makeup line. They released Glossier Play in 2019, which was kind of a flop. Only recently did the brand release cream bronzers and makeup palettes. For me, another huge mistake was to stop uploading Get Ready With Me videos, in which everyday women would share their morning routines. These videos had a calming energy that resonated with many viewers. Before Vogue‘s beauty videos became popular, Glossier was the OG of Get Ready With Me videos! Even though Glossier uploads from time to time, they definitely missed their opportunity to strike while the iron was hot.
Although Glossier has come a long way since they first released their Milky Jelly cleanser, the brand focuses too much on skincare. I remember in early 2018, I asked them to release a palette. My wish was granted three years later. The same thing goes for the bronzers.
When I went to the store and looked at the products, many of them transported me to late 2017, which was when I first discovered the brand. As of February 2022, the brand has not released new blushes. Maybe a powder formula? New packaging? A compact duo? Cloud Paint is one of the brand’s signature products and I feel they could have done so much more with it.
Their Perfecting Skin Tint has looked exactly the same since they first released it. What about a light-to-medium coverage foundation that goes beyond the 4 Skin Tint shades they’ve had since 2017? The same thing goes for their Stretch Concealer and Invisible Shield Sunscreen.
This article is from May 2017 ⬇️
Invisible Shield in 2022 ⬇️
Their new monochrome palettes don’t pique my interest. During the last few years, colorful makeup has been all the rage, especially with the release of Euphoria and the boom of people recreating the makeup looks. Their Lidstar cream eyeshadow should have come in more shades and a more striking formula. The shades were too subtle and I can count on one hand how many times I used it. They acted as a nice eyeshadow topper, but not as an eyeshadow base. That’s why I think Halsey’s brand, About Face, is killing it with their ultra-pigmented and colorful eyeshadows.
Here’s my bottom line about Glossier: It’s a great brand, but it has been stuck creatively for quite a while.
If you want to read my full review of the old store, click here.
