When Glossier made its debut in the beauty industry in 2014, it felt like a breath of fresh air—specifically, a fresh air of pink, slightly rainbow colors for millennials. From there, the digitally-native beauty brand has built a distinctive fanatic following. I am one of the many fans who collect the pink pouches of the brand, as if they were sketches of Hilma af Klint. In 2017, when Glossier opened a pop-up store in London, I would definitely skip uni to experience its three serums and Cloud Paint blush cream. I even took a few photos of the now iconic "You Look Good" label. Mirror. How basic, I know.
My point is that Emily Weiss's "Beauty Baby" and its self-evident motto are endless: it extols the natural beauty of customers, not the artificial, painted beauty. After all, "beauty products inspired by real life" is Glossier's tagline for a reason. However, now in 2021 (although I still buy some of the brand’s products), I can’t help but wonder if it will manage to stay relevant because of its groundbreaking marketing strategy at the time — to be fair, it’s groundbreaking — -Has become the standard of other beauty brands.
Because I knew my personal opinion should not be taken as a gospel, I turned to Dulma Altan and Camay Abraham for some answers. Altan is the founder and CEO of Makelane, a start-up company that provides digital communities for female e-commerce companies. He previously worked as an advertising strategist at Google. This business-savvy lady first caught my attention on TikTok, where I saw a video of her on Glossier, which listed everything from the company’s experiential retail to how to build a cult brand. Needless to say, I vaguely knew that Altan knew what she was talking about.
Now, I firmly believe that good things are divided into three points, so I also contacted Abraham. He is a journalist, fashion psychologist, researcher and trend forecaster. He works for The Future Laboratory, Adolescent and other companies. Would you take a look? ? -Take a screenshot. First, we try to accurately describe Glossier's current foothold.
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Let me first clarify one thing: so far, the shape or form of Glossier is by no means a failure-Altan also emphasized this in our conversation. “Glossier may still perform well (a few years ago [2019] revenue exceeded US$160 million and just raised a new round of funding), but its path to the beauty industry is subject to personnel issues, increased competition, and brand relevance,” Altan explained that this got me to my first argument.
Yes, skin care and cosmetics companies are doing well. Having said that, its popularity paved the way for its own competition. Abraham held the same view, saying: "Its popularity is waning, and I now associate this brand more with millennial/millennial consumers than with Gen Z. I never listen to it anymore. Before Gen Z really talks about Glossier, it is certainly not on the fanatical level of beauty. Before, many young people'over' natural makeup, if they like natural makeup, they are not interested in the higher price Glossier offers."
The company originated from Into the Gloss, the beauty blog of the millennial founders. Weiss started her career as an intern in Teen Vogue and then walked around in other coveted positions at Condé Nast. Weiss left in 2010 and opened a blog where she and her online community Shared beauty secrets and techniques.
Weiss's early contacts with other beauty enthusiasts revealed the gaps where traditional beauty brands disappointed her and her followers. Her solution? Launched Glossier's original four product lines, including cleansers, moisturizers, lip balm and sprays. Starting with an impressive and loyal audience was the first critical step that Weiss determined. In fact, this community in turn proved the demand behind her four products-and many others that imitated them-this is the second step. Before launching any product, she received feedback directly from customers who are about to become customers. genius.
Going back to 2021, although Altan believes that Glossier is still on track for an initial public offering (IPO)-which refers to the process of issuing shares of private companies to the public in new stock offerings-she added how such a move will be If no company “recovers its expected image of success first by proving that the success of its omni-channel model is primarily based on the success of experiential retail expansion and potential investment in technology infrastructure that promotes new types of community/conversation-driven commerce, then this may will not occur."
In order to completely decompose what Altan is referring to here, we need to carefully study some of the elements in what she calls "Glossier script".
In less than four years, Weiss has developed a niche Internet blog into a global giant worth 400 million US dollars by simply asking women what they want instead of telling them what they want. In each of these four years, the brand's growth has more than doubled. In the first five years, more than 70% of Glossier's sales came from peer-to-peer recommendations, just as the CEO told Entrepreneur in 2017. Alas, by the summer of 2017, Glossier's Instagram ambassador program alone accounted for 8% of them.
In other words, a community that has cultivated such incredible participation and loyalty, and knows how to put consumers first, provides the initial impetus for the development of beauty brands-this is Weiss Always planned. Then there is Glossier's famous in-store retail experience.
Glossier initially only provided digital services, and has been testing the waters in the retail sector, trying pop-up stores and showrooms until it finally opened its first permanent store in New York City in November 2018. Unlike other skincare brands that regard physical stores as revenue, Glossier has opened physical stores to add dimension to the brand, further marketing, and continue to build connections with the community—this time in real life.
In an instant, the company’s stores are known for their immersive elements, from the store in Los Angeles, which has a fake but exciting indoor canyon, to one of its newest stores, also located in Los Angeles, which is A heaven of marble decorating Instagram and TikTok content. In this way, the store becomes a marketing channel.
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Tomorrow I will make a video to deconstruct in-store design choices and overall experiential retail strategy! #glossier #LOS#Retail
“Glossier’s experiential retail is part of the larger vision of reshaping business in the Amazon era, and it does a great job in this area. In fact, even in the well-funded direct-to-consumer (DTC) field, it’s better than many similar Competitors do better. In other words, competitive skin care/beauty brands have not caught up with them in this regard, and I don’t think they have any plans (this is very capital intensive and risky, and most brands ultimately choose Expand to Sephora, Ulta, Target, and more and more Wal-Mart, etc.),” Altan shared when talking about the company’s current in-store retail experience.
But this is where things can get complicated at Glossier. Although there are still doubts about whether other major beauty and skin care brands will try to adopt physical marketing methods, Glossier has already witnessed fierce competition from young brands in another iconic strategy: its "reliable participation feedback loop> UGC> sales" Method, as Altan said.
Because Glossier decided to keep the DTC brand, it allowed itself to strictly control its image and how potential customers think about it. This type of work is not only done through a store that is highly accessible via Instagram.
Part 6 ✨ Everything is satisfied! #marketing #branding #glossier #beauty #cosmetics #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #femaleempowerment #girlboss
"Glossier calls itself a'content company'[...] and it views every part of the customer experience as an opportunity to create content, and even its products as content fragments," Altan said in one of her TikTok videos. For the company, everything it does can be transformed into content, including feedback and interaction from a loyal fan base. Before Glossier, user-generated content (UGC) would never appear on the social media of beauty and skin care brands. Now, this content and community-driven approach is standardized as a mature script.
Because of the acceptance of this novel approach, the company is slowly losing some of its relevance. The following is Altan’s view on how this global shift may damage the brand, “In my opinion, Glossier will not propose a new strategy, but a way to improve its vision. It always has to create a seamless, Emotional and public shopping experience based on beauty products.” Of course, as the world reopens, it will continue to double its retail business and will “invest in technology infrastructure to make it more data-driven and efficient” . According to experts, it may even focus on becoming "cleaner" and begin to release "products with more Gen Z aesthetics, upgrading its increasingly outdated millennial pink appearance."
Both Altan and Abraham emphasized the need for Glossier to further align with more diverse and inclusive brands and personalities in order to attract their own audience. An example of this evolution can be found in the collaboration between 2020 Body Hero and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and its eight game-changing players.
In many respects, Topicals is a fairly new skincare brand that treats chronic skin diseases with the help of scientifically supported and clinically tested products. It has proven itself to be the Gen Z version of Glossier for millennials when it was launched-just more diverse Facilitate and honest.
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However, when it comes to Glossier, Altan added that the brand's next move may be difficult to interpret in advance, "It is unlikely that it will deviate too far from its original brand DNA because it is fundamentally good at focusing on its core vision and integrity. Sex. To be honest, anyone is guessing that its effects are beyond the strategies we have seen."
In Abraham's view, in order to cater to the needs of Gen Z, the brand will have to find ways to reduce its price range. "They [gen Z] will look for cheaper products that do the same thing," she told Screen Shot. In fact, it is well known that similar products-from packaging to ingredients-to products provided by Glossier, sell for lower prices in the beauty and skin care market. Korean brands come to mind, such as Innisfree and Glow Recipe.
At launch, Glossier was innovative and pioneering. It fostered a previously neglected approach to entrepreneurship and promoted a groundbreaking creative transformation. But over time, just like any other company, Glossier can't fall into an irrelevant situation. If you don't keep up with the times, you won't exist-it's that simple.
Assuming the brand’s potential in maintaining a leading position, Altan shared that she thinks Glossier will struggle, “This is a difficult place, the product feels less and less differentiated (and for some people the quality is substandard) and The aesthetic has lost its novelty and luster."
So, what is the correct approach? "Any dramatic upgrade to these will make people feel dishonest and forced, but not making major adjustments will put them at risk of losing their relevance, which is the currency it used to become popular in the first place. Survive, but I don’t know if it can flourish in the way it was originally set,” she continued. In other words, Glossier is sandwiched between a rock and a hard place.
Of course, although the three people I gathered here can easily point out what went wrong with the brand, we will not pretend that we have answers to all Glossier's questions. Believe me, if we did this, we would have started paying attention to Weiss' business. But as the Zer generation himself — and a customer of Glossier, I should remind you — I know what I think about this company and what it offers me are the factors that will affect whether it stays up-to-date for a long time or not.
Following the same line of thought, I still remember Altan’s interesting point about the future of the company in her other TikTok video, “Weiss is a privileged white woman who grew up in a wealthy family in Connecticut. Although this is actually possible Helping Glossier become famous in one fell swoop, her role as the spokesperson of the brand made it feel ambitious in 2014, but I actually think that social expectations and the dialogue around diversity and inclusiveness have changed enough, and it is now A hindrance. This will damage the brand and make it less relevant."
This argument can only be reinforced by looking at the rumors that began to spread after the 2020 "Black People's Fate" protests. At the time, former Glossier employees (18 of whom agreed to be interviewed by Fortune) revealed that the company failed to support black workers-prioritizing the needs of customers, including those who misbehaved, rather than the needs of its "editors."
In my mind, ending this research in such a pessimistic way would surely destroy years of diligent skincare routines, and I asked Abraham that she thought Glossier did a good job and not a mistake when looking for a way to enter the younger generation' good book. Although the specific example of her answer to my question is not entirely from the brand itself, it does serve as a fan page for a niche section of Glossier's demographics: Glossibae.
"I like Glossier's boyfriend on Instagram. The company has to become more authentic and less serious, which is why I can see the attraction in a "parody/fan page" account like this-it's fun and Unfiltered," she said. This account provides users and customers with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the brand's perfect fashion image. Surprisingly, even the "real" Glossier experience is very appealing.
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"Men don't manicure, they bite their nails with their teeth," read a semi-popular joke in the early 2000s. Paired with memes featuring belt sanders and nail file sharpeners, men who made nails at the time were condemned as "feminine" because they were too concerned about their appearance. If it were not for the former, they would be regarded as "rebellious" and associated with subcultures such as punk and emo to justify their masculine adaptation.
Then there is the entire "high maintenance" narrative of the decorative paws in the dating pool. "It's totally in my taste," Allure wrote in 2012. She explained that women are usually attracted to people who take care of themselves, but beauty products such as nail polish have brought men into an extremely sensitive and demanding field. The publication added: “If I had to wait for his nail polish to dry before going to dinner, then I would not go.” Entering an era rooted in gender reflection and mobility, nail art is now used as a self-expression Morse code. Whether it's dipping or cutting, pasting or printing, people who show masculinity are flirting with shame around the world to push 2021 to the forefront and become the official year of men's icure.
In 2016, Harry Styles jumped into the nail polish pool-at about the same time as his dazzling exit from One Direction-and willingly signed, rewriting the rules of masculinity on his terms. From the eye-catching sports smiley to the unveiling of the official album cover with his figures, the singer was quickly followed by Lil Nas X and Machine Gun Kelly (MGK). Although the former has proven many times that diamonds are men’s best friends, the latter has ventured into the so-called “no man’s land” with stiletto shoes. Oops, MGK even has a fan page dedicated to his hands, and ultimately his nails.
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The trio is not alone. In the past few years, celebrities including Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Jared Leto, Troy Sewan, A$AP Rocky and Bad Bunny have successfully demonstrated The society’s shift in gender stereotypes of beauty. In fact, these celebrities not only used nail art to beautify their day, but also launched their own brands and series—starting with the unisex nail polish series named UN/DN that MGK cooperated with Unlisted Brand Lab.
Lil Yachty's Crete is another brand on the list. According to its official website, Crete was established in May 2021 to “redefine the perception of gender norms and strive to get rid of social boundaries”. Since its launch, the rapper has released two more series, namely Heatwave 002 and Glow 003. The iconic nail pen is included, which is more convenient to use, including red, orange, purple, blue and green polishes and stickers with patterns such as butterflies, smiley faces and lightning. With the launch of Chanel’s men’s nail polish series and the American blogger and host Jonathan Van Ness (Jonathan Van Ness) making history and becoming the first male ambassador of Essie nail polish, nail art seems to have come off the stage, apparently recently. Penetrate into everyone's nail bed.
For Duke, 64, the lockdown has just begun a year after his wife's death. "I have a new girlfriend and she lives with me," he recalled, admitting that he always wanted a manicure or pedicure and wear a transparent coat. "She surprised me and showed her color for the feet, so I chose fire engine red." Duke continued to describe this feeling as love at first sight. "Every time I take off my socks, I laugh," he added.
When asked about his initial reaction to his manicure, Duke emphasized that most of his public experiences have been positive-except for his brother. "Most people don't say anything, but those who say it are usually compliments," he said, adding that the general feedback ranged from "I like your polish" to "pretty colors." "Some people ask'why'. Of course, I'm very worried, but it's all in my mind."
On the other hand, in my chat with Louis, the nail polish lover admitted that he tried nail art to establish a self-care routine. "About 6 months ago, I asked my wife to paint them for me," he said. Although Louis has been successful in his beauty practice ever since, he admits that it will get better and better over time.
"The reaction to my nails was mixed," he continued. "My wife and children are very cute, and my mother just goes with the crowd. She is always non-judgmental and supportive. My sister smiled, but smiled unexpectedly. The reaction was really stinging at first, but She’s really good—just taken aback.” Although Louis’ father decided to make a joke and caused some harm to him in the process, the enthusiast admitted that whenever the staff in the store saw Men are praised when they have nails. According to Louis, this has translated into wonderful conversations with people (mainly women).
"Some people are also great at work. I often talk about nails with some women, and I like them very much." However, the new aesthetic choices also gave some men in Louis's office some strange opinions. "I got some'what on earth do you wear?' comments and some'why?'," he said before introducing me to an often inaccurate hypothesis that is common in the masculine adaptation of nail art: men are just them Product tester for his partner and child. "One day, three different people asked my children if they would paint me nails, which was embarrassing. I was also asked if I wanted to make up and whether I planned to open a nail salon," Luis said. Although the feedback was not always positive, he emphasized that no one has responded maliciously so far. "Most people are either satisfied with it or don't comment," he added, agreeing with Duke in this regard.
It is nothing new for masculine people to apply nail polish. In fact, a quick glance at the history of beauty practices will make you question whether history is repeating itself. After excavation of the royal tomb, the first manicure set was unearthed in ancient Babylon in 3200 BC. At that time, Babylonian men of all classes painted nail polish, but they did not use henna, as it is speculated that Indians used kohl before. Presumably, the Warriors of Babylon spent several hours sorting and painting their nails before entering the battle.
In 3000 BC, the Chinese and ancient Egyptians began to dye their nails to distinguish classes and dynasties. The Chinese mix egg whites, beeswax, gum arabic, and petals to make a paint. They can soak their nails for several hours to achieve the desired effect, while the Egyptians prefer henna regardless of gender. Then came the United Kingdom in the 1800s, when women mainly used their nails to express purity and hygiene. By the 1930s, brands like Revlon sold red and pink polishes directly to female customers, and there was little evidence of how beauty practices became a feminine expression.
However, counterculture brought nail art back to the arena of American punk rock and grunge rock sports. Here, idols like Iggy Pop, Kurt Cobain, Lou Reed, and David Bowie alienated their ancestors’ once fanatical super-male images, and polishing gradually penetrated the skateboarding community where it was considered basic self-care . With the rise of urban males and the blurring of gender stereotypes, today's masculine people will undoubtedly take things to a higher level.
"I think in the past year or two, we have seen more men's nail art, and it will definitely become normalized," said Alix, owner of At The Studio in Edinburgh. Alix founded the nail studio with the goal of having her own identity in the industry, and she is currently seeking to help others find their identity-while providing opportunities for new artists. "This is only possible after I have my own studio," she explained. "I want it to be a space that is friendly to both men and women, because I know that salons can be intimidating at times."
Alix first started by helping her friend with a nail. "He has been passionate about crazy nail design from the beginning, and since then I think he really influenced more men to come to my salon for manicure," she said, adding how much she liked her studio Currently witnessing the influx of male hipsters manicure regularly. When it comes to the general reactions of these clients, Alix outlines how they are as excited about the beauty practice as she is. "I think that many people think that men who have manicured nails are part of the LGBTQ+ community. But in reality, male nails are no different from female nails-it's just another way of expressing yourself."
When Screen Shot got in touch with TJ, the mastermind behind Bicolor, a private nail studio in Beverly Hills, California, the artist responded to his commitment to a similar mission. "One of my goals is to create a safe environment where anyone can express themselves," he said when asked about his motivation for supporting his studio. Looking back at the time TJ himself worked in the nail salon, he mentioned that some manicurists were surprised when men came in as customers—especially if they wanted to paint their nails a lot. "Sometimes people say they will not accept my service because I am a male manicurist. I am very upset when these things happen, which is why I always say'nail care is gender-neutral'. I really hope My customers come to enjoy the service they want without worrying about anyone."
In order to analyze the TJ studio's demand for men's nail art, I asked the artist whether this practice has witnessed the recent boom, or has always been a thing-until now it has been marginalized. "I am a technical beginner and have only worked in this industry for two years," TJ said. "Even compared to when I started doing manicures, I see that the demand for men's manicures is growing." He attributed the surge to social media and fashion and beauty publications, adding that more masculine people How to express their confidence when painting nails. "Since I opened my studio, the number of male clients who come to me has increased," the artist confirmed.
Let's face it: even if masculine people can use polishes, inclusive salons, or acquaintances who want to do nails, this process can cause anxiety. Conversely, a quick search on Google to find and trust the community will take you to the beautiful venue of r/malepolish-a special place for men (including cis, straddle, and masculine people) to "share stories, Post photos of their polished nails and discuss anything related to nail polish or its relationship with gender expression."
Those whose nail polish may pose challenges to them are also welcome — such as gender-queer, gender-fluid, androgynous people, etc. — a regular post on subreddit effectively summarizes all the red flags and suggestions that people need to One step ahead in beauty practice. "The first time? New but not confident? How can I be safe? Start here," it wrote, listing all the age groups interested in nail art. One suggestion is "start small". "A transparent coat, a nail, and a'traditional masculine' color more like black and gray are good choices," the post continued, which made me wonder if there is anything significant in the masculine adaptation of nail art variable.
"When men first come to my studio, they usually want a clear background color (or natural color) and maybe some design," TJ admitted under my urging. When the artist first started to manicure himself, he simply sculpted his nails and applied a transparent primer and top coat on them. However, after perfecting his hands and manicure, he started experimenting with small designs to perfect the transparent base. "Now, most of my male clients want to paint their nails with different colors and do all kinds of interesting things on them," he said. Most of TJ's male clients also admit that when they first nailed them, they felt that they were different, and the designs and colors of the nails were different.
On the other hand, Alix emphasized how preferences usually depend on the particular theme and the time of year to complete the nail art. “They tend to have a rough idea, but it allows me to be creative, which is very interesting,” she explained. "Recently, I asked one of my clients to wear a scarf he wore when he was attending a fashion event in London, and he asked me to make a design inspired by it. It was really cool!" According to experts, her clients are big Part of the time they are devoted to nail art-there are no restrictions to prevent them from having fun in the process. "I did find that many of my male customers also have their favorite colors, and they always get the colors they like. It's almost like a safety blanket, knowing that they will like what they get, which is related to their atmosphere. Complement each other."
However, interviewing all four enthusiasts who actively participated in the 2021 "Men's Nail Movement" made me question a controversial concept: First, explain to masculine people that nail polish is a gender concept?
"I think it's a gender concept now based on the response they received," Louis responded to his thoughts. "But I believe they should be? I think it depends on your concept of what "feminine" or "masculine" means. In fact, my nails are considered to be'feminine', and I have no idea about it. Opinion.” Similarly, Louis admitted that it was comfortable to blend his masculinity and femininity together. "This is part of my personality, and it's fun to express this through some nail art," he continued. However, fans believe that nail polish itself is not necessarily a feminine expression medium. "We are just used to seeing it in women, so it stands out in men. For me, the only way to change is to become commonplace for men over time-although these social norms may It will take several generations to change."
When asked how we cross the threshold of "genderless beauty" and reach an ideal situation where aesthetic choices are not questioned, Duke believes that everything starts with how we raise the next generation. "My children are more open and understanding diversity than when I was at their age, and I doubt that the next generation will be better," he said, emphasizing the importance of role models in this process. "Some celebrities have been polished up, which is good-but I would like to see a politician or executive do this."
"Everyone is happier after the new nail manicure"
Although the attractiveness of male nail art has been gathering, Duke still looks forward to meeting other people organically with people with nails. "Of course, it seems to be more popular, but I haven't encountered anyone on the street with polished fingers," he said, outlining his hypothesis that many men may just have pedicures at the moment. "Although I like progress, I think we need more," he concluded. As for Louis, the enthusiast mentioned how he doesn't follow trends or celebrities and therefore knows nothing about the recent nail craze. "I haven't seen many people apply nail polish, so I want to say that this situation is still quite rare. But if it really becomes more popular, I totally approve of it, and I will get less strange appearance."
While we wait for all these insights to dry out before applying the next layer of inside information, let's take a look at some suggestions from all four enthusiasts for those who are still hesitant about dipping their nails in the polishing bath . "Start when you are ready and comfortable," TJ said. "A few times when I felt that it was not safe to enter certain places, I hid my hands in my pockets. For some reason, I felt that I had to hide at that particular time-probably because I was in a place that was not allowed. Men grew up in a society where men painted nails."
Duke admitted that there are certain spaces where it is not safe for men who appear to try nail polish, which exacerbates this dilemma. "Think about very conservative countries or hateful families," he explained. However, at the same time, he thinks that some anxiety is in our minds. "Our friends and family will accept our identity. This is just paint."
When asked how clients can cope with their anxiety and social pressures while expressing themselves, Alix first stated that the first manicure is usually daunting because you don't know what will happen or what is required. "I think choosing a nail salon that gives you a friendly atmosphere-or even better, if recommended to you-is a good start. Remember, no one judges you. Keep your comfort zone first. Cimani is a good way.” The artist also mentioned a case of a male client who came for the first time and just wanted to apply gel polish on a few of his nails to relieve Own beauty practice. "As soon as we started, he felt a little brave and decided to fix all ten nails," she exclaimed.
Alix also appreciates the fact that her clients can confidently tell her how they felt during the entire service process. “I can’t represent other salons, but for me, I treat all my clients like friends. I have established so many wonderful connections with people through nails. Although this is a profession, I don’t understand why it is Nor can it be an interesting personal thing."
As for Louis, this enthusiast emphasized the importance of communities, which can help you express your confidence in a variety of expression media. "It's really helpful to get advice from people who do nail art," he said, provided that you know people who are willing to ask for help. "Be prepared because you will get reviews. If you ask why, I always say it's because I like to do it." Louis also suggests starting small and trying to wear them in your mini shopping spree. "You may be surprised by the positive response you get. Just give people time to adjust to it, and after a while, people you care about will see it as your'normal' characteristic."
Speaking of Duke, the 64-year-old still remembers a specific interaction with another fan on r/malepolish. "Someone asked me where to do the manicure. He was thinking, so I introduced him to my manicurist Tracy. He went and got a transparent coat, then black, and now he turned purple. So he was taking baby steps when he turned directly pink on my fingers!" A few weeks later, on his way to 65, Duke hoped that he would start his love for nail polish sooner. "I have a lot of fun and I hope this helps people feel comfortable about being themselves," he concluded. After all, nail polish is really suitable for everyone with nails, if you ask me, now everyone can use some colors in their lives.