Since I was about fourteen, I have found great joy in the bright lights of a high street drugstore.
Tumbling off a bus, linked arms with your best friend, on a Saturday afternoon and bundling into Superdrug; we would walk down the aisles illuminated by Miss Sporty, Collection and Natural Collection, jabbing fingers with nails painted with Barry M polish into tester pots. Swatching completely the most obscure, off kilter shades onto our wrists, we would delight in trying the colourful tubes of potions and relish the sultry sounding names of products in exclaim. Years later, we would evolve to Rimmel, Maybelline and L’Oreal, trading gloss for matte and finding the need for concealer rather than blue mascara.
The affinity I have for the high street drugstore is one deep-rooted with happy memories and a comfort. Just “popping in” for a foundation and coming out loaded with low-cost products to “have a play with” was a bi-monthly payday treat.
More recently however, I have become increasingly aware of the ethical and environmental problems associated with high street brands and the beauty industry. Throughout 2020, I took the time to effectively clear out my cosmetics supplies and re-stock with products that are better for my skin, and the environment. This is an ongoing process, for which I welcome any suggestions, recommendations, and advice.
The purchasing...
This month I decided to splurge on some new products from Glossier. As a brand, I have always loved their messages; skin first, make up second and you look good, and really enjoyed their social media messaging.
To my delight, their website is so easy to use. The reason I believe I have never committed to just one set of “go-to essentials” is from the volume of choice presented in stores. Sucked in by tubes of neon colour and promises of "48 hour wear". (Why would you ever need 48 hours of wear?!)
Glossier, however, seem to have taken time to refine their products to offer just one of each type of product which should effectively do its job well. In that, I trusted.
My first purchases featured:
The opening...
I selected limited packaging from Glossier, and most products arrived in cardboard boxes rather than plastic. Each product features a simple line of how to use and I was delighted to read many encourage you to simply “use finger” and “dab”. The liberality is super fun, and I was instantly excited to open the products and try them out.
Never have I truly invested in high quality or particularly reputable make-up application tools. A beauty blender and some eye shadow blenders is about my limit. However, Glossier doesn’t put focus on application and perfection, but rather the experience and how it feels on the skin.
The playing, I mean testing...
I started with milky jelly and generously applied the soft liquid to my natural face. Lightweight and almost scentless, massaging in was easy and it absorbed to my usually quite dry skin quickly. After washing off with warm water, I noticed it had also removed some redness and blotches that I’d been experiencing, and the skin felt clean and fresh. A really quick way to start the day with some TLC.
Next, I used a clean mascara wand to brush up my brows. I never shape mine and rarely pluck at all- less the strays, so they need some direction! Applying boy brow was extremely simple and effective. Despite being quite a strong coloured liquid, it spread evenly across the brush and allowed me to swipe upwards in small strokes to create a full brow look easily with even colour. No clumps of liquid catching the edges. Win!
Skywash came next. I chose ‘palm’ which is a soft, beige cross tan colour. Dabbing it on to my eyelids, I used my finger to distribute across my lids and blend. The colour is subtle and comes across a little chalky, which was my desired look for a natural, day-to-day pop of colour. However, my skin is super fair, so the colour did get lost a little as the day progressed. I’d love to try this in one of the bolder colour choices they have available.
The lash slick is one of Glossier’s holy grail products. With a thin brush, product equally distributes across lashes with no excess waste. I naturally have quite long, but thin eyelashes and found that the mascara felt light when separating the lashes. However, it isn’t something I’d write home about. You know? Excuse the irony of instead writing it in a blog post.
Next up was cloud paint. This is what I was most excited by! I chose ‘dusk’, which is a light peach, as I couldn’t choose between a blush and a bronze and this seemed to be a mixture of the two. I instantly fell in love. A little cloud paint goes a hell of a way. Massaging a small amount into cheeks, you can use to contour or to blush and it’s easy to blend to the desired strength of colour. With any excess, I dab it onto my eyes as shadow. Waste not, want not.
Futuredew is where I have the most fun. The plant-based serum works wonders for skin that looks and feels hydrated. Two pumps onto the fingers and rubbed over the face, whether as a highlighter or a primer or mixed in with foundation, the product instantly adds an energised shine for sun-kissed looking skin.
No Glossier face is complete without balmdotcom and I went with cherry as it promises a light scent and colour – which others do not. The product is actually quite difficult to get out of the tube straight on to the lips and requires warming, so it isn’t best for handbags in cold England. Though, when you do get it on, it’s instantly moisturising with a delicious colour that stays in place and glossy for hours. It's a home office companion now, adding that juice to my face just before video conferencing.
After a week of playing with and trying Glossier products, I can really believe the hype. The products have made me fall back in love with cosmetics and I’ve really enjoyed making the time for myself to experiment and take care of my skin and appearance with new products.
So, what should I pop into my basket next?