If you’re like me and follow approximately one thousand beauty and personal style blogs, you’ve already been linked, multiple times, to the piece about Glossier and “cool girl” makeup – but if you haven’t, pause for a moment and take a read. It’s interesting stuff.

Sidebar: the whole Cool Girl thing, yeah, it’s icky. This is not a piece about whether or not we should aspire for Cool Girl status (that would basically be a three-word post: you do you); this is just a review of some products I recently got.

It so happens that one of those thousand beauty blogs I follow is Into the Gloss, which is the parent blog that birthed Glossier. I found them when I went platinum blonde and it was Emily Weiss’s suggestion that helped me find my beloved Christophe Robin color-corrective hair mask (so beloved that I’ve kept up with it, picking up the chestnut version as a brunette). With a discount code, I bought their mask duo set (with individual servings of the two masks they sell – no longer available, but check back around the holidays when such things become a big seller) and loved it, in particular the Mega Greens Galaxy Pack (though I didn’t repurchase when the only option was to do it in a big tub – packaging is important, y’all). And when I read the above-linked piece, I was reminded that I had been wanting to try some of the other raved-about products they sell.

So, when another discount code came available, I jumped at the chance to try out their Phase 1 skincare set and their Phase 2 makeup set, and I’ve played around with each enough to feel ready to report on my take to you lovelies. Today, I’ll share my reviews of the Phase 1 set; next week, my review of Phase 2.

Phase 1 Skincare Set

Photo credit: Glossier.com

I was truly excited to test drive this set, as you all know skincare is my hobby. My reaction, having spent some quality time with all four of these products, I feel confidently thrilled about two of them, and absolutely “meh” about the other two. Worth noting that I don’t *dislike* the other two – I just didn’t get excited about them. Let’s see which got what reaction:

Milky Jelly Cleanser

I was least excited about this cleanser going into the order, but still intrigued thanks to the way they’d handled the marketing for it. Still, I’m typically loathe to spend more than $10 on cleanser – my CeraVe does just fine, thank you, and it’s going to be rinsed down the drain anyway. HOWEVER. This does a better job on its own than makeup remover + my standard face wash at removing mascara – there were zero traces on my towel when I patted my face dry. Add to that the fact that it left my feeling simultaneously squeaky clean and creamy soft, and I’m sold.

I will say that I was less enthused by it in the morning, which is great news for my wallet – I can save this for the evening, when it matters more that my face gets thoroughly washed, and stick with my CeraVe in the morning.

Reaction: thrilled!

Priming Moisturizer

This moisturizer/primer duo completely intrigued me based on the fact that they sell a single moisturizer that claims to work for all skin types. Huh? My face is oily AF and has significant pores, so why in God’s earth would I want to have the same product sinking into my face as someone with parched skin?

And, of course, I can’t speak for how it might work on the latter sort of skin (and since they’re working on a heavier moisturizer I have to imagine it means this one is not sufficient), but it does work beautifully on mine. It’s more liquidy – less creamy – so it sinks right on in, and does leave behind a velvety finish that feels ready for makeup. Honestly, it’s a really lovely feeling product, and I do love the idea of a two-in-one.

Still, the thing that makes it a non-starter for me: no SPF! GAH! Why is this still a thing? A priming moisturizer is clearly intended for daytime, so why not put in a little sun protection? If I have to add SPF over it, the purpose is completely defeated. To that end, it’s quite similar in feel to my beloved Paula’s Choice moisturizer which does come with SPF; though the Paula’s Choice is a tiny bit more expensive per ounce ($32 for two ounces vs. $25 for 1.7 ounces of the Glossier) the SPF is way, way worth it. WEAR SUNSCREEN, PEOPLE.

Reaction: meh, until they add SPF.

Balm Dotcom

This little balm is getting so much attention on the Internet – and quite frankly, I can’t figure out why. Is it the packaging? The name? The flavors?

Don’t get me wrong: it’s a perfectly serviceable lip balm. It’s extremely thick – so much that it’s difficult to get it out of the tube if you’re in extreme air conditioning – and very moisturizing. I put some on before bed and woke up still rubbing my lips together.

However, you know what else has that effect? Aquaphor. And while you pay $12 for 0.5 fl oz of the Glossier product, you can get seven ounces of Aquaphor for less than $10. Even Kiehl’s, ye company of high-end balms and prices to match, only charges $7 for their 0.5 fl oz tube of balm.

Reaction: meh.

Perfecting Skin Tint

I recently switched to powder foundation due to the extreme heat of August and the aforementioned oily AF face, and y’all, it’s amazing. So much better than the last time I tried powder foundation (circa 1996, and I’m certain it was a Revlon Colorstay product). However, as the weather cools back down and my skincare woes temper with it, I’ll not want something quite so dry – but I’ll also not want something incredibly heavy, so as to let my pores continue to breathe.

I was, to be honest, totally unsure what to expect from Glossier’s Perfecting Skin Tint. Lots of the beauty bloggers and vloggers out there kept saying it was too lightweight to even call it a tinted moisturizer. Would I just be paying for tap water for my face? I was very happily surprised to learn that its name is completely apt: it is EXTREMELY lightweight and provides EXTREMELY low coverage, but somehow it just…blurs everything together. And it doesn’t feel like I have anything on my face – truly magical.

I got it in “light,” and since it’s so sheer it worked out just fine, but I probably could’ve swung “medium” as well. The color selection is fairly limited, but again, it’s so sheer. If you get something roughly in your range, it’ll blend out beautifully. Also, I did dust a bit of loose powder over top to absorb some of the greasies, but if you don’t have skin as oily as mine, you might not need it.

Reaction: thrilled!

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Coming next week: similar reviews, but for the Phase 2 makeup set! Stay tuned for my thoughts on their cult brow and lip products, as well as their new concealer.