Glossier (finally) launched in the UK and I felt inclined to try a few of their most raved about products. I was wooed by their clean aesthetic, skincare philosophy (skin first, makeup second… always) and pink pouches, however, having tried some of their products I now have a more balanced view.

Milk Jelly Cleanser

Glossier’s Milk Jelly Cleanser is a non-foaming, oil-free, low-pH cleanser which can be used on dry & wet skin as a cleanser or as a balm to take light make up off, it is described as being a jelly like micellar water. (Do not try and use this to remove heavy make up, the cleanser will fail you).

It smells like chemical roses, not great, but the smell doesn’t linger and the cleanser is on and off within a few minutes, if it was a face mask…I’d be worried. It has a gentle velvety glide to it when applied to the skin and when rinsed leaves the skin feeling soft and clean, but not squeaky clean. Natural oils are not stripped.

It contains moisturising, anti-inflammatory and emollient type ingredients. Glossier replaced a quarter of the water content with rosewater to soothe and calm the skin. I’m a huge fan of rose water so this gets a thumbs up from me. The heavyweight cleansing agent is called poloxamer and is used in contact solution, which is why the cleanser is safe to use around your eyes and won’t irritate them. Vitamin B5 promotes cell repair and reduces inflammation, while comfrey root extract heals and comforts dry, stressed skin. It is extremely gentle to the skin which is why I agree that it can be used on all skin types.

Overall, I found it a little under whelming with all the hype which surrounded it (it’s definitely not a game changer). I will continue with my current bottle which is part of my morning skincare routine but can’t promise I’ll be purchasing it again.

Balm dotcom

Balm dotcom comes in 6 flavours; as enticing as ‘Birthday Cake’ and ‘Coconut’ might sound, I opted for their original, fragrance free, untinted formula. It is a multipurpose salve with intended use on lips, hands, elbows and cuticles.

As one of Glossier’s first products to be launched when ‘Into the Gloss’ branched into skincare products I had high hopes for this. I expected the ‘Balm Dotcom’ to be the bomb dotcom, but I what I got was Vaseline dotcom. Yes Vaseline! it was the first thing I thought of when applying the balm. I then looked at the ingredients and petroleum jelly was the first I saw. Other ingredients include lanolin (soothes sensitive skin), castor seed oil (locks in moisture), cupuacu fruit extract (moisturising Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids) and beeswax as an emollient and protective barrier.

To be fair the balm is moisturising and has a heavier, thicker consistency than Vaseline but it’s pretty hard not to compare the two. It is definitely untinted and leaves more of a shine to the lips than a gloss, however it’s claim to be fragrance free is something I can’t agree with. It smells like plastic (there’s no good type of plastic, all plastic smells bad).

Next time I’m purchasing the birthday cake scent. Heard it smells like strawberry cheesecake.

Boy Brow

A 10,000 people waiting list 5 months after launching and I can see why. I absolutely love the Boy Brow. It thickens, fills in and grooms eyebrows into place without making them look overly sculpted and fake. It comes in blonde, brown, black and clear;  I opted for black (a perfect match). The product is extremely simple. Imagine a mini mascara sample but with a tiny brush head and creamy pomade as product. The applicator is a perfect size for precise application. Pigmentation is buildable allowing you to control how strong or soft of a look you want. It has a decent hold without hair feeling stiff or crusty; it doesn’t smudge or flake and product doesn’t clump on the brush.

Ingredients include beeswax and carnauba wax (helps keep hairs in place without stiffness), atelocollagen (derivative of collagen, helps strengthen hair), oleic acid (derived from olive oil, keeps brows moisturized) and lecithin A (natural fatty substance, adds silky, smooth texture and a subtle sheen).

If you have low maintenance eyebrows and want fuss free daily application, this is for you.