It is often difficult for me to feel as if I am treating my skin well when putting on makeup. The new social media fads of contouring and highlighting facial features involves a large quantity of makeup and makeup products, meaning profits for makeup brands (most notably KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics), coupled with an overwhelming clogging of pores and unnatural feel. In other words, trends leaning towards larger and larger quantities of makeup make it difficult to view makeup as something clean. Rather, it seems a disturbance to the skin’s natural look and feel. However, Glossier is a skincare and makeup company that I think does makeup in a clean way, wholly due to its design and marketing. Upon visiting Glossier’s website, one is greeted with close-ups of models sporting natural looks, smiling, splashing water on their face, and celebrating how clean their skin looks and feels. Here, instead of trying to sell you their products, Glossier is trying to sell you an idea; that makeup and skincare is something healthy; something you should be doing to your skin. Glossier is also famous and widely successful (in my opinion) due to its simple, minimalistic design of its products, which make you feel like makeup and skincare is just that; simple and minimalistic. For example, their mascara is sold in plain white tubes with solely “Glossier.” written in black, sans-serif lettering. You really can’t get more simple than this. While this design not only lets Glossier’s products stand out from others and look aesthetically pleasing, it also is selling to customers the idea that using mascara is something simple and clear, unable to damage eyelashes and a rather organic process. Another example of stellar Glossier design is their “cloud paint” or liquid blush, which actually comes in what seem like mini paint tubes. The tubes are white, again, except for the cap showcasing the color of the blush, with small, sans-serif lettering reading the product’s details. This design makes customers feel as if blush is an artistic thing almost; as if makeup is about gently painting one’s face instead of harming it with harsh products and chemicals. I proudly own Glossier’s cloud paint and I can definitely attest to the product making you feel like you’re doing good for your skin, solely by the way it looks and is packaged. In conclusion, Glossier is a makeup and skincare company which has quickly risen above many others and seen enormous success. It is difficult to differentiate makeup and skincare products save for the way in which they are packaged, designed, and marketed, and I believe that is why Glossier has built such an empire. Glossier is making skincare and makeup something clean; something you want to be doing; something you almost believe you should be doing.
