Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint

I finally got around to using the Glossier products I picked up last month, and this one was first out of the trap. I love a light coverage base almost as much as I love my dishwasher, so this came with great promise. Glossier is the off-shoot of the website Into The Gloss, and has triumphed with a range that has become 'must-have', despite the limited distribution meaning you have to buy it to try it. How do you do that?
You make your packaging, message and marketing scream 'We're so trendy and covetable, you need us, or you won't be.' Glossier is the brand equivalent of Mean Girls. And I say that as an observation, not a criticism.

It's a marketing dream. Even yours truly, with a bullshit detector rating of 11/10, ordered the Phase 1 Set, along with an extra Balm DotCom, before I checked the ingredients, ending up with two very expensive lip balms that are essentially Vaseline in better packaging. More of which for another day.

So tint time:

I thought I'd write this in the way I spoke about it after I tested it (a few times), almost like a checklist. In my head. As you do.

• Coverage is not light, it's literally 'barely there', like almost non-existent. Like you're tanned and sweaty.
• You do not want this if you do not have perfect/really good skin, unless it's to give you 'something' if you're going to the gym first thing, for example, then maybe yes.
• If you're on your period and hate your skin, reach for the full coverage, don't waste this. This is only to be dragged out on those 'DAYUM I look goooood' days OR on those school run mornings when you think 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph woman do something you old hag'.
• If you don't shake it before you attempt to get some out, you'll have cappuccino coloured water running through your fingers. Don't do that. I tried it so you don't have to.
• It gives a good glow, but too much of a good thing and...
• If you're oily, it gives too much of a glow and I think you're going to need powder, which for me, misses the point.
• I like this packaging, it's cheap, but oddly much more solid than its heftier, higher price point comrades.
• It comes in five proper shades from light to rich, and the names are appropriate (light, medium, dark, deep, rich), not offensive i.e. the ever-popular foundation name of 'tan', which I've always thought should be renamed 'white people tan'. 
• Chantecaille people: This is less coverage than Just Skin and a smidge more than Real Skin. A smidge. 

• Bloody Hell this isn't much coverage for $26.00
• But it's nice enough if you can afford it
• I'll probably never be without it
• You're paying for the name
• You can't sit with us

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint is $26.00 and available here: glossier.com/perfecting-skin-tint - you probably want it even though you don't need it.

*No affiliate links. See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq
The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

Photo courtesy Glossier.com

Describe the brand in five words.
Into the Gloss. Trendy. Basic (not an insult!).

What type of cleanser is it?
Gel, non-foaming.

Who is it for?
Everyone.

What’s in it?
Water/Aqua/Eau, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Propanediol, Isohexadecane, Poloxamer 184, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Xylitylglucoside, Betaine, Allantoin, Glycerin, Panthenol, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anhydroxylitol, Polysorbate 80, Xylitol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isopropyl Myristate, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide

What's not in it?
parabens, mineral oil, SLS

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
Not really.

Suitable for pregnancy?
Yes.

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
Man made.

Tested on animals in home country/EU/sold in territories that advocate testing?
No/No

How does it smell?
Like old lipsticks, and that's not an insult. It's the naturally-occurring fragrance, none has been added to the formula.

How do you use it?
Apply to either dry or damp skin, your preference, massage in, flannel off.
You can remove it by splashing off if you prefer, as demo'd in their videos, but I prefer a flannel.

First cleanse/second cleanse or AM cleanse?
Second or AM. Although it does remove makeup in the demo, I found I had to scrub a little too hard and the effect afterwards was a tad dry.

Best for winter or summer?
Summer or second cleanse in the winter, but not on really dry skins.

Does it remove waterproof eye makeup?
No.

How long did I test it for?
I've had it for three weeks.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?
$18.00 for 6 fl oz/177ml. It's a good size, should last a good couple of months.

Works well with?
Anything. No special treatment needed when using it.

What’s the website like?
Good. All the basic information, ingredients listed, and demo videos.
For those of you unaware, Glossier is a brand sprung from the hugely successful beauty website Into The Gloss. It's a masterpiece of marketing, and manages to somehow sell Glossier sweatshirts logo'd up like the GAP and three pink plastic jiffy envelopes for $12, alongside the newer skincare and makeup lines. It's only available in the US, so knowing I was headed to NY recently, I asked a girlfriend of mine to order everything in for me, and it was waiting for me on arrival. I also got my hands on Milk amongst other things, so more reviews will be coming.

How’s the distribution? Available freely or limited?
Only available through their website, glossier.com. No plans to bring it to the UK, and they only ship inland to the US and Puerto Rico.

What’s good about it?
This is a nice formula that definitely cleans the skin, but I don't use it for makeup removal. In my personal use, I found I was instinctively avoiding it if my skin felt dry/dehydrated. It's nice for a morning cleanse, and fine as a second cleanse after a good oily balm.
It's nicely ph-balanced, not too alkaline, not too stripping. It feels nice when using it and is very comfortable on the skin.  I love the packaging, it does the job and isn't faffy. If you want the money in your formula and not your packaging, you'll like this entire range. They've managed to make some of the most generic, low-priced packaging available look aspirational. Clever work.

What’s not so good about it?
If your skin is on the dry side, I don't think you'll find this nourishing enough. It's very 'American' in its formulation, i.e. designed as a gel, no whisper of oil content, the preference for splashing off and no mention of a face cloth/flannel.

Would I purchase/repurchase?
Yes, but probably only for Ava, I prefer more oil content.

Do you need it?
If you're under 30 with good skin, you'll like it.
If you have oilier skin, you'll like it.
If you're really dry or eczema-prone, there are better options for you.

Similar products?

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

Yes To Carrots Daily Cream Facial Cleanser

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser

Glossier's Milky Jelly Cleanser is $18.00 and available from Glossier.com


*This post contains some affiliate links. If you are happy to click on them and support the blog, thank you very much. If you would rather not, just google the product. It's all good. See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

Confused skin: what do you treat first? And with what product?

Only a very select few have what would be termed 'normal skin'. Which is why I find it odd it is called 'normal'. It's far from the norm for most people!

For the rest of us, there are multiple issues to contend with. Pigmentation, dry, oily, combination, sensitive, rosacea, dehydrated - you name it, you probably have at least one of them. 

But what if you have more than one? What if you have 3 of them? FOUR of them?

It would not be uncommon to see a dehydrated, hyper-pigmented, sensitive, ageing skin with hormonal breakouts. Dr Leslie Baumann wrote about her 16 skin types years ago - and she was spot on, although I think there's more than that..

What do you do in that situation? 

You treat by the potential your issue has to cause pain and/or long-lasting damage such as scarring or broken capillaries.

For that reason, the first thing you do is take care of the sensitivity/rosacea. Inflammation will exacerbate the rest of your issues. For example, if you had rosacea and acne, and used a foaming traditional acne 'wash', your cheeks would scream at you. That's not good. That's not what you need or want for your face.

Sensitivity is King. Best product choice: moisturiser for sensitivity.

Followed by Dehydration. A dehydrated skin drinks anything you put on it, but you have to do it repeatedly. Your anti-ageing serums end up just filling a gap in your skin rather than actually doing their job. 

If you are dehydrated, which 95% of us are, you need to treat the dehydration. You can leave the house in the morning with a perfectly hydrated, bouncy face and be dehydrated to the point of it showing on facial machinery by mid-morning. No matter what you do, what you use, how old you are, and your lifestyle, you can be dehydrated just by waking up. 

Dehydration is Queen. Best product choice: the toning phase - both acid and spritz and serum. Acid on cotton pads to gently strip it back and spritzes and hyaluronic acid serums to follow. Neither of these two products should irritate any of the other issues....

Then you can start to be more general. 

As long as you are keeping your redness under control and your skin hydrated you can tackle anything. But the best product choices for these skin types/conditions are, for the most part...

Dry - facial oils and oil in products including balm cleansers - no foam, ever. Dryness frequently crosses issues with dehydration - if you're both, treat both simultaneously and if you are unsure which you are read this: Cheat Sheet - Dry or Dehydrated

Ageing - targeted serums - think *retinoids* and peptides

Pigmented - dedicated serums for pigmentation and retinoids and SPF (not suggesting you don't use SPF normally, it's just the priority if you scar easily, get sun spots etc)

Oily - acid toners and essences are great as are the right moisturiser. Don't over-embrace oil-free and foaming. 

Acne - acid toning phase is key, as is your moisturiser. Please, please think carefully about how you will go about replenishing the oils in your skin if you use an oil-free moisturiser. If you want to try and keep your oil under control by mid-afternoon, use an oil-free moisturiser if you want to - but use a facial oil dedicated for acne/combination underneath it. I promise a drop or two can make all the difference. We're ahead of the game now, the market has plenty. The old 'foam wash, strip tone, oil-free moisturiser' routine is dead and buried. Or should be.

And finally, a special mention to the sufferers of melasma - or chloasma as it may be called by your midwife if you're pregnant. Melasma and pigmentation are different things. Pigmentation, for example, can be caused by sun damage, acne scarring, picking spots or inflammation and can normally be treated with topical products - glycolic, kojic and azaleic acids, retinoids, and licorice for example with some success.

Your best product choices would be peels, targeted serums containing those ingredients and SPF.

And if you still get no joy, go to a dermatologist before you spend any more cash and see if it isn't in fact...

Melasma can be triggered by those things but is also linked to hormones (hence the link to pregnancy, the pill and peri-menopausal women), illnesses, such as Addison's Disease, Lupus and Celiac disease among many others. Female sufferers outnumber male 9 to 1.

It's basically your melanocytes throwing their toys out of the pram by doing this:

Instead of behaving politely like this:

Something that Into the Gloss managed to misinform its readers of last week by recommending $300 serums to treat melasma:

Sali*, a melasma sufferer, tried to get them to talk about it/correct the piece, to no avail.

You best product recommendation for melasma is time, a laser and sun block. I had mild melasma with pregnancy, it eventually cleared up on its own. Some people aren't that lucky.

Yes, peels (clinical) can help, but if you want it gone, it's a laser. And the bad news is that even if you stay out of the sun and wear a complete sunblock, it will probably come back, because your melanocytes hate you that's what it does. Please make sure you know what you have before you part with your hard-earned cash. 

*I obviously asked Sali's permission to post these screen-grabs and mention her melasma and I refer to the ITG article purely because it led to questions from readers for both Sali and I.
www.salihughesbeauty.com