Smart is Always Beautiful

I am less likely to buy from a brand whose products aren't available for me to touch or see in a brick and mortar store. That's probably why it's taken me a while to try anything from Glossier, but I finally did and I couldn't be more excited! The reason I took the plunge is that lately, I'm trying something new. I'm going for a really natural and easy to apply look. That means base products that are undetectable on the face; eye looks that don't distract from everything else I have going on; and natural, nude lips. Nude lips aren't new for me whatsoever, but the other stuff, yeah that's kind of a stretch for me. I love trying every foundation possible; the fuller coverage the better. I always intend for my eye looks to appear nice and simple and the next thing I know it's a deep smokey eye. Glossier as a whole is right up this 'good for you products that support a natural face' alley. Even the inside of the box the ship your order in says, "Skin first. Makeup second. Smile always." "Skincare as Makeup" - That pretty much sums up the philosophy behind all of their products.

Let's just start with Glossier's website. It's cute and creative. It kind of reminds me of all the doodles and stickers that I put everywhere when I was in school and bored out of my mind, without being too kiddy. I love that the cursor changes to cute little icons. It kind of makes me want to embrace that part of my past. Who doesn't need more cutesy in their life? So here's what I ordered: Flavored Balm Dotcom in Cherry, Generation G in Like, Boy Brow in Brown, Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium, and the Moisturizing Moon Mask. Everything came in the cute box, sealed in a bubble-wrap ziplock bag and it all arrived in pristine condition. I also love that it came with the stickers to decorate your products, and a poster accompanied it. I doubt that I will use the stickers and I'm pretty much sure that I won't be hanging the poster anywhere, but I like that added touch. And, the stickers look like the icons on the website - I love that carry-over!

I have heard great things about the Balm Dotcom, but I have a lot of really great lip balms. I wanted to try the Flavored Balm Dotcom in Cherry, because cherry, but I was also a little torn. The red tint to the balm would basically make this product only usable on the lips because I don't really want to tint my cuticles red, or any other dry patch of skin for that matter. I finally decided to bite the bullet and order the cherry one because I do have other products that already fill that all-over-balm niche and it's not like I will be replacing my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask anytime soon. I'm pretty happy that I ordered this. The cherry scent takes me back to my childhood where I wanted cherry flavored everything. It also gives a really pretty stained look to the lips. They look super healthy and moisturized and just because it's a red balm doesn't mean that it makes my lips look bright and flashy. It doesn't even give you red popsicle stained lips. It's really just a nice red juicy tint to the lips kind of like Benefit's Benetint, but a little bit more muted. I see this being a really great product to fill the natural lips category. 

Generation G lipstick was pretty intriguing to me. It claims to apply like a tinted lip balm but look and feel like a matte lip stain. Crazy right? The four shades they sell are natural, but not the overly brown or pinky nudes that are typically on the market as a nude lip. I picked up the shade Like and it's very mauve-y swatched. On the lips, it's very natural in that pinky mauve-y way. It's also super buildable, so you can wear it very natural or build it up to a brighter color. It feels really nice and smooth on. The only not super positive thing that I have noticed so far is that it hasn't been overly hydrating. For a matte lip hydrating is a tall order, so I'm not really complaining, but on days that my lips are feeling drier and more chapped I would probably reach for something else. Which if my lips are cracking anyway, a matte color is the last thing I want to throw on them. The other shades are Cake which looks beigey and then two shades which are more pops of color, but still in a rather natural way. Crush looks like it would be a more matte version of the Cherry Balm Dotcom and Jam looks like it's a pretty berry stain. If I continue to like Like, I might place an order for at least Jam.

I really like the Benefit Gimme Brow, but the two shades that they originally launched never really fit me right. The Light/Medium was a little too light. The Medium/Deep was a little too dark. Then I heard a lot of great things about the Boy Brow in Brown from people who claim to have the same problem with the Gimme Brow. (Benefit re-launched this product and now they have six shades to choose from, and No. 3 seems to be a pretty dead on match for reference.) Boy Brow is the ultimate in groom and go and brows are kind of a mandatory step in my routine. I don't have overly bushy, unruly brows; I just notice on the days that I groom them versus the days that I don't that grooming really changes how polished my appearance is. It's the fine line between put together and slovenly - for my face. Boy Brow has the perfect brow sized spoolie applicator that thickens, fills in, and locks the hairs into place. The way I use it is, I actually brush my brows forward from the tail into the arch towards the nose. This builds volume up and then you can take it back the other direction, brushing it neatly into place. It feels a little wet for a bit, but it's a quick and easy process and then dries and holds your brows in place all day without smudging. I feel that the spoolie is a little more ideal in shape and size than Benefit's spoolie and the shade is perfect. Definite win with this product. 

Before I decided to go down the path of the natural easy look, the Perfecting Skin Tint was the opposite of everything that I embraced. Now, it's everything I'm looking for. On the Glossier website you actually find under skincare, not makeup, if that gives you a hint about the type of product it is made to be. This skin tint is super, super sheer. It's really just a wash of color to even out discoloration and make your face look nice and smooth. I have not been able to over-apply it or cake it up yet. The Medium shade is a dead on match for me. Because it's adaptable and so sheer I don't feel like I'll have to change shades when I get lighter after summer is over. It's super easy to apply. You can use the dropper to draw it on your face or you can apply it with your fingers, which I prefer. The biggest thing with this is it looks like your face but it's better. With this on, I just have that added something. You can't tell what, it's sure not makeup, but it's something. I just look a little bit more toned and dewy. If I go throughout the day with no makeup on, I look slick and shiny by days end. This keeps that oil slick at bay. I'm not going to lie: This no full-coverage foundation thing is a little tough on me, but this skin tint has made my adjustment a little easier. I also love the dropper bottle. The packaging looks simple, but I feel like it makes me look like a professional. Like it's something you'd expect to see in a makeup artist's kit.

I was dying to try the Moisturizing Moon Mask. I don't have dry skin, so I worried that I wouldn't see much of a difference. It's actually been really nice to have around. I applied it immediately after I got home the day the I received my order and then again after my Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask on Sunday. It feels exactly like a thick face cream. You could almost start rubbing this in like a moisturizer if you're not thinking about it. By the end of the 20 minutes, it actually seems to have soaked in, but then you rinse it off and then apply the rest of your skincare like usual. It actually makes a difference. After the harsh origins mask, it's like a super comforting drink of water to soothe your face. On its own, I notice the added hydration, elasticity, and plumping. What I didn't expect, though, was to feel a little tingle on my skin on the drier areas of my face. It's not uncomfortable, it's just odd. And after the mask is rinsed off those areas are nicely hydrated and smooth. It's a little too early to tell if it helps with skin brightening but so far I'm a fan of this mask.