If there’s one beauty brand every millennial knows it’s Glossier. The brand has achieved cult status through its social media community, labeling itself as the premier destination for barely-there makeup and simple skincare. While on any normal day the Glossier girl is content with her natural look, what happens when she wants to kick it up a notch on a Friday night? In walks Glossier’s new sister, Glossier Play—welcome to the playground.
A week of anticipation surrounding the launch of Glossier Play led to quite comical guesses about its purpose, including a music streaming service, a beauty app and a collection of sex toys. In actuality, Glossier Play launched on Monday as a color-packed, glitter-filled counterpart to Glossier. Straying away from the traditional neutral Glossier aesthetic, Play has been branded as a set of “dialed-up beauty extras” inspired by 1970s nostalgia and the childhood dream 96 pack of Crayola crayons.
The inspiration is evident throughout the initial collection, which launched with four products exactly like the Glossier launch back in 2014. The Colorslide technogel eye pencil (sharpener available), is offered in 14 high-pigment, zero-smudge shades. The Vinylic Lip, high shine lacquer, is a step up from the original Generation G my lips but better look. Instead, it opts for six bold colors to match every night out. Niteshine, a highlighter concentrate, offers buildable glow through refined pearl powder and Glitter Gelée, multigrade paillettes (detailer available), are glitter gel pots to add instant sparkle and reflect light as you move.
This movement developed into a strong motif throughout the campaign imagery. The Glossier Play homepage features a multimedia video of product application and dancing in the dark, the darkness contrasting well with the bright hues on the face. The still images also convey motion through the use of blur techniques and depth of field. The campaign was also enhanced by recognizable models such as Troye Sivan.
Despite the two years spent shaping the new brand, Glossier Play can’t seem to please everyone. A scroll through the comment section reveals some customer dissatisfaction with the “underwhelming” launch as they expected something more revolutionary. Others accused Glitter Gelée of being “another Lemonhead LA copycat.” Their comments are valid but every beauty launch isn’t meant to reinvent the wheel. “They wanted color,” founder and CEO Emily Weiss stated. “But they didn’t just want any color. They wanted color from Glossier.” Glossier Play is Glossier Inc. attempting to take a bigger piece of the pie and compete with brands that offer more lively makeup options. It is a direct result of Glossier listening to their customers.
However, Play is only the first step in the Glossier expansion. “This is our second brand. But we will also have others.” Weiss confirmed. Business of Fashion proposes an interesting scenario, imagining Glossier Inc. reaching the point of modern-day Estee Lauder Companies. Glossier would act as the namesake brand and Glossier Play, would mirror Estée Lauder’s acquisition of M.A.C. and so on and so forth.
The future looks bright for Glossier and Glossier Play. Personally, I’m hoping to discover and experiment with the new Glossier Play collection at the soon to open pop-up in Miami. Stay tuned.
Written by Hannah Harris
Visual by Kat Sours
Image courtesy of Glossier