The Rise And Fall Of Glossier

In 2014, Glossier burst onto the beauty scene with its sleek yet playful packaging and whimsically-named products like Cloud Paint and Balm Dot Com, quickly gaining a cult following. Everyone wanted to add a little bit of Glossier magic to their beauty routines and bathroom "shelfies." 

But as the years went on, Glossier failed to keep up with the times. The lack of product innovation, followed by allegations of poor treatment of employees, toxic workplace culture, and inability to diversify its customer base, led to a severe decline in the brand's reputation.

With founder and CEO Emily Weiss stepping down and a somewhat controversial attempt to “fix” the brand, Glossier faces an uphill battle to reclaim its place in the beauty industry, and it remains to be seen if everyone's once favorite beauty powerhouse can truly make a comeback in an ever-changing market.

But, while we are waiting, let's take a look back at the rise of Glossier and what led to the brand's downfall.

Pioneering a Beauty Revolution

Nearly a decade ago, makeup was far away from the “clean girl aesthetic” we gravitate toward now, and the years 2014-2017 were the prime time of the "Instagram brow," cut-crease, heavy contour, high-coverage foundations, the Tarte Shape Tape craze, chalky highlighters, and many more trends we've since buried, never to mention again.

Which is exactly why Glossier, launching at a time when makeup trends were the complete opposite of what it had to offer, was so special and an instant hit.

With a philosophy centered around embracing natural beauty and the "skin first, makeup second approach," the beauty brand targeted young millennial women who, unlike beauty influencers, didn't have hours to spend on their makeup but still wanted to look and feel put-together.

Glossier seemed like a breath of fresh air, with its promise that beauty routines don't have to involve tons of products or layers of coverage to make you look and feel pretty. This was exactly what young women wanted, and the brand quickly became a social media sensation.

On the brand's aesthetically-pleasing Instagram feed, you could see a famous influencer getting ready for the day next to an everyday girl who used the same products, and they were both given the same level of appreciation. This made Glossier one of the first beauty brands to be successful at user-generated content, a then bold marketing move that paid off incredibly well, gaining the brand a loyal fanbase and helping it grow exponentially.

A start of something that's standard practice with almost every beauty brand nowadays but was unheard of back then, Glossier disrupted the unattainable beauty standards and created a community of passionate fans who felt validated and appreciated and couldn't get enough of the pastel-hued products.

A Closer Look at the Products That Led to Glossier's Rise

When it comes to products, Glossier is all about keeping things simple and fuss-free. The brand launched with just four items – a facial mist, a moisturizer, a balm, and a sheer skin tint – which made up their signature look that featured clear, dewy skin with a pop of flush.

This early popularity helped Glossier land new rounds of capital every couple of years as it burned through cash in an effort to scale quickly and become a dominant player in the beauty sector.

Emily Weiss, founder, and former CEO of Glossier, took a strategic approach to launching new products. She believed that the beauty industry was already saturated with options and that Glossier should only introduce truly innovative and unique items.

The strategy paid off with the addition of the Milky Jelly Cleanser and the tremendous success of the Boy Brow eyebrow groomer that quickly became a cult favorite and shot Glossier into stardom, with those who hadn't heard of the brand by that point suddenly taking an interest.

Boy Brow was revolutionary in allowing people to easily achieve a groomed brow look without having to use multiple products and quickly replaced the most popular brow product of that time, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade.

Now owning the “busy girl brow,” Glossier's buzz was very much alive, and they continued to add more desirable products to their lineup, such as the Solution, an exfoliating toner containing an acid combo that helps smooth out the skin and refine uneven tone and texture, as well as a few serums to target various skin concerns.

Its user-generated content continued to show up on our feeds, quickly acquiring customers online, which led to Glossier opening beautiful, Insta-worthy stores in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.

The Challenges Faced by Glossier: Lack of Diversity, Poor Employee Treatment, and Unhappy Customers

In 2019, Glossier strayed from its usual clean and minimalist aesthetic and tried to give customers what they asked for in the form of Play, a colorful makeup line full of sparkly eyeshadows and bold lipstick shades.

According to Weiss, the goal with the line was to spin off new brands every few years; however, it quickly became clear that the strategy wasn't working, which led to the brand shutting down the line Play a little under a year after launching it due to disappointing sales.

But this wasn't the end of Glossier's troubles, as the wake of the BLM movement in 2020 threw light on the brand's lack of racial diversity, poor employee treatment, and particular mistreatment of workers of color.

An Instagram account called Outta The Gloss, a direct reference to Glossier's blog, Into The Gloss, run by former employees, publicly called out the brand's issues by documenting incidents, like workers who expressed concerns over facing racism being told to "feel empowered to walk away" and getting ignored after repeatedly bringing up the issue.

The former employees also demanded that Glossier's management work with them to make positive changes in the community and improve existing policies to ensure a better and safer experience for all employees in a public letter addressed to the brand.

Despite their efforts, Outta The Gloss has given multiple updates on the brand's lack of interest in creating a safe space for their workers and their unwillingness to respond to their demands for change, with their final post regarding the issue being made public nearly three years ago. The account has been silent since then.

In 2022, after raising $80 million in an effort to scale its online and offline presence and fuel international markets along with funding dozens of new U.S stores, and with the brand valued at a staggering $1.8 billion, Glossier made the bombshell decision to lay off 80 employees, a full third of its staff.

Weiss took responsibility for the layoff, saying that the company got ahead of itself on hiring by prioritizing brand expansion rather than focusing on acquiring new customers. 

It was clear that the brand had taken a major hit, and while many wondered if Glossier would ever be able to get back on track, others had already moved on and were looking for a replacement. Consumers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Glossier and provide alternatives that have since replaced the formerly beloved brand in their beauty routine.

"People want things that will work for the money they spend," said Alicia Lartey, a UK-based esthetician and influencer who focuses her content on effective and affordable beauty products.

Makeup communities on Reddit also seem filled with similar comments, with some people saying, "Glossier is super boring and lackluster."

Others have called out the rather high prices for what the brand offers, saying, "The minimal packaging and advert style works for brands like The Ordinary Skincare, who emphasize simple ingredients and have a low price point to match. Glossier though? They're like... we're overpriced and boring, and our products have no pigment anyway. Seriously, what's the appeal?"

It also didn't help Glossier's case that the clean, minimalist aesthetic that made its products so popular in the past has become a trend and is now being heavily replicated by many other brands, making it hard for Glossier to stand out and remain relevant.

Therefore, with their most loyal fans feeling betrayed and new customers now having doubts about their products being worth the price point, Glossier desperately needed a course correction if it wanted to remain relevant.

Glossier’s Comeback Strategy

Following the backlash, Weiss made a statement saying, "Over the past two years, we prioritized certain strategic projects that distracted us from the laser focus we needed to have on our core business: scaling our beauty brand. We also got ahead of ourselves on hiring. These missteps are on me."

Soon after, she decided to step down as CEO and was replaced by Kyle Leahy, a former chief commercial executive officer for the brand.

The brand was quick to take action following Leahy's takeover. Within the first few months of her role, Glossier struck a Sephora partnership, which was one of the things that had bothered many consumers who preferred the convenience of shopping at chain stores rather than being limited to Glossier's direct-to-consumer website and brick-and-mortar stores.

While the brand did apologize for the allegations of racism and mistreatment of former employees, they failed to address the demand for better representation in their products and ad campaigns, which left many customers feeling unfulfilled.

As of right now, Glossier is still struggling to regain the favor of their loyal fans, but they have started gaining traction with the Gen Z audience by collaborating with artist Olivia Rodrigo which resulted in swapping their signature millennial pink aesthetic with an updated purple hue for their limited-edition bundle that includes lipstick and an eyeshadow palette.

Glossier has also failed to respond to or take any meaningful actions in working with former employees behind the Outta The Gloss account, which has left many with a mixed impression of the brand.

Beauty Brands That Have Picked Up Where Glossier Left Off

Glossier's rise and fall is a cautionary tale for all beauty brands and a reminder of the importance of understanding your customer base and staying ahead of changing trends, as well as how far transparency and accountability will go in terms of customer loyalty.

In the wake of Glossier's fall, many other brands have quickly stepped in to meet customer needs, and here are just a few beauty brands that are famous for their minimalist, clean beauty aesthetics and, unlike Glossier, pride themselves in providing their customers with exceptional customer service and an inclusive, diverse portfolio.

Milk Makeup

A beauty brand that started small and steadily grew over the past few years, Milk Makeup is a firm favorite among anyone trying to achieve a cool, clean aesthetic. From their vegan, paraben-free makeup to their cruelty-free skincare offerings, the brand takes pride in offering high quality products without compromising its ethics.

Tower 28 Beauty

A vegan, cruelty-free beauty brand that hails from California, Tower 28 Beauty consists of makeup products specifically formulated to cater to those with ultra-sensitive and reactive skin. A result of founder Amy Liu's own skincare struggles with severe eczema, the brand is dedicated to increasing the representation of people with sensitive skin in beauty campaigns and ads, which has led to a loyal fanbase who appreciate their positive message.

Kosas

Launched from founder Sheena Yaitanes's kitchen table, Kosas is a brand that puts natural ingredients first. The brand is also cruelty-free and vegan and prides itself on its clean beauty message, which has made it one of the most sought-after brands for those looking for minimalistic makeup and a wide range of products for all skin types.

ILIA

With a focus on nourishing dry, sensitive skin, ILIA has been one of the mainstays in the industry since its launch in 2011. The certified cruelty-free brand founded by makeup and skincare enthusiast Sasha Plavsic is a go-to for anyone looking for clean, natural makeup consisting of liquid lipsticks, multi-use pigments, and skincare-infused complexion products.

Rare Beauty

Launched in August 2020 and focusing their message on the beauty of imperfections, Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty has achieved significant global success in just under three years. The line features foundations, blushes, eyeshadows, and more. It has also pledged to donate part of its profits to mental health services for those in need, as the founder has always been vocal about her own struggles with mental health.

RMS Beauty

Founded by celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift, RMS Beauty is a clean beauty brand whose philosophy centers around using high quality, natural, and organic ingredients that are kind to the skin while also providing effective results. The brand's offerings are humble yet high quality, ranging from primers, complexion products, and skincare-infused mascaras that nourish delicate lashes.

Saie

Saie is a clean makeup brand founded by Laney Crowell, a former beauty editor who wanted to create a line of sustainable products aimed at making beauty better. The award-winning brand boasts a full range of minimal-coverage complexion products, along with makeup tools, eye products, and even SPF-infused moisturizer that ensures maximum UV protection for the skin.

Rose INC.

Founded by the gorgeous Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as a response to her own beauty needs, Rose INC. is a luxury brand that focuses on clean beauty and skincare products made with natural ingredients and devoid of any harsh chemicals or toxins. The sleek and well-rounded line includes everything from foundation, concealer, and creamy blushes to makeup tools and skincare products aimed at refining, plumping, and clearing skin imperfections.

Closing Thoughts

The rise and fall of Glossier is a cautionary tale for beauty brands, showing that customer loyalty must be earned through transparency, trustworthiness, and accountability instead of being relied on due to a lack of options, as competition in the beauty industry is as fierce as ever.

This is why many brands with a similar aesthetic have stepped up to the challenge and are succeeding in the cut-throat industry due to their commitment to offering unique products that fill in the gaps while also prioritizing transparency and customer loyalty.

Time will tell if Glossier will be able to rise to its former glory, or if the brand's lack of innovative products, allegations of a toxic work environment, and lack of accountability will be enough to strike them from the beauty history books forever.

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