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Emily Weiss, "the Gloss Girl": From Beauty Blogger to Glossier Mogul

  • Sep 12, 2024
  • 2 min read

The Rise of a Beauty Innovator



Glossier You Campaign

By Courtney Coleman

April 17, 2022


Emily Weiss has transformed from a fashion assistant to a beauty industry mogul, making her brand Glossier a household name. Her journey in the beauty and fashion world began soon after her graduation from NYU in 2007.


Early Career Steps

  • January 2008: Fashion assistant at W magazine (Condé Nast)

  • September 2008 - October 2011: Freelance styling assistant at Vogue


The Birth of Into The Gloss

During her time at Vogue, Weiss founded Into The Gloss, a website dedicated to covering beauty in the fashion world. This platform continues to be an active part of her professional portfolio, as indicated on her LinkedIn profile.

Glossier: A Beauty Revolution

In 2014, Weiss launched Glossier, a beauty brand embodying the philosophy of "skin first, makeup second." Glossier offers a range of skincare, makeup, body care, and fragrance products, available in multiple countries through their e-commerce platform (Glossier.com). The brand's success was evident by 2018, with reported earnings of $100 million.


Industry Recognition

Weiss's innovative approach to beauty and business has earned her numerous accolades:

  • January 2015: Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 list

  • December 2015: WWD Beauty's Digital Innovator of the Year

  • July 2016: Adweek Creative's Top 20 Content Creators

  • 2017: Recognized in Time's Next Generation Leaders, Recode's Top 100 Companies, and Inc. magazine's Company of the Year


Glossier You Campaign

Evolving Towards Sustainability

In 2022, Weiss and Glossier began transitioning towards more eco-conscious and sustainable products. While the brand remains cruelty-free, not all products are vegan.


Vegan Product Journey

  • March 2019: Formula changes in Super Glow and Super Bounce serums (each $28 on Glossier.com) from vegan to non-vegan, incorporating xanthan gum processed with egg enzymes

  • Introduction of Glossier Play: A new range of vegan-friendly lip colors, glitters, nail polishes, and brow pens


Current Product Range

Glossier now offers a wide array of vegan options, from body oil wash to cleansers and makeup items. However, some products remain non-vegan due to ingredients such as beeswax, honey, lanolin, carmine, or ambrettolide (a musk).


Glossier explains their use of ambrettolide: "To create Ambrettolide, the lab uses sap from tree bark. The reason we can't call this ingredient (or Glossier You) vegan is that this sap may contain saliva from bugs that live in the trees."


Conclusion

Emily Weiss's journey from beauty blogger to beauty mogul exemplifies the power of digital innovation in the cosmetics industry. Through Glossier, she has not only created a successful brand but has also influenced the way consumers approach beauty, emphasizing a more natural, user-friendly approach. As the brand continues to evolve, its focus on sustainability and transparency in ingredient sourcing demonstrates Weiss's commitment to adapting to changing consumer values and market demands.







Works Cited

Emily Weiss - Founder, CEO - Glossier | LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-weiss-49014571

Sandler, Emma. "Will Glossier IPO in 2020?" Glossy, 28 Dec. 2019, https://www.glossy.co/beauty/will-glossier-ipo-in-2020/

"Skincare & Beauty Products Inspired by Real Life." Glossier, https://www.glossier.com/

Romero, Blair. "Glossier." Ethical Elephant, 5 Jan. 2022, https://ethicalelephant.com/glossier-cruelty-free-vegan/

Stutzer, Abbie. "22 Cruelty-Free and Vegan Beauty Buys from Glossier." LIVEKINDLY, 15 Dec. 2020, https://www.livekindly.co/must-buy-vegan-beauty-products-from-glossier/



 
 
 

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