Beauty Products: You've heard the hype about cult beauty brand Glossier, but do the products actually work?

If you're interested in beauty and follow the latest trends, it's likely that over the past couple of weeks Glossier, or its pink and white packaging, has appeared on your social media feed. The US brand has a cult-like following and was effectively started on Instagram - the founder and former beauty editor, Emily Weiss set up the Instagram account before the website. 

Having reviewed products and interviewed beauty experts on her website Intothegloss.com, which also has a huge following, Weiss decided to create products herself. Using feedback from Intothegloss.com, Weiss designed a small selection of simple but effective beauty products to work for those who prefer a more natural look.

After two successful years of sales in the States, this week the brand is finally available to buy on UK shores. But is the straightforward skincare and make-up range worth the hype? I tried swapped my usual products for Glossier for one week and here's what I learnt... 

The skincare is very basic

If you're lucky enough to have relatively good skin naturally and don't want to spend a fortune on products, then this is the ideal brand for you. The Milky Jelly Cleanser, £15, removes dirt and light make-up without leaving your skin feeling dry or tight. If you wear a fair amount of make-up or full-coverage foundation, you will need to use a remover beforehand. 

Those who prefer more targeted, results-driven skincare might find the serums a little underwhelming. While the Super Bounce, £24, is good, there are definitely cheaper and more concentrated hyaluronic acid serums out there - most notably The Ordinary. However, if you do have sensitive skin and want to try vitamin C, the Super Glow, £24, could be worth exploring because it's more gentle than other formulas.  

But the masks are more than just a gimmick

 

With names like Moisturizing Moon Mask, £18, and Mega Greens Galaxy Mask, £18, it would be easy to rule these out as a bit gimmicky, but the latter is actually pretty good. I'm someone that likes to feel a slight tingle with any kind of mask that promises to detoxify (even if most experts have told me it doesn't mean the formula is any more effective) and a couple of seconds after applying a thick layer of this clay mask you do feel something. The best thing though, is that like the cleanser, it doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped. 

And make-up fiends will love this...

The Priming Moisturizer, £18, is another great product and perfect for those with drier skin, who find their skin quite literally drinks their foundation. While it can be used as a moisturiser in its own right, I'd recommend using it in conjunction with your normal face cream to provide your foundation with that perfectly smooth base (wait until the summer months to use it on its own). I've also pressed some onto my cheeks after foundation too for that dewy finish.  

There are two essential make-up buys 

In keeping with the skincare, the make-up is for those who generally have quite good skin. The Perfecting Skin Tint, £18, is possibly one of the sheerest formulas I've ever come across and needs to be combined with a concealer for any chance of disguising redness. It's likely that you'd need two of the five shades to achieve your skin tone too. I feel the same about the Stretch Concealer, £15, however this could be because I tend to wear a high coverage concealer and skip foundation. 

There are two extraordinary good make-up products though, Cloud Paint, £15, and Haloscope, £18. The former is a highly pigmented, creamy blusher, which can be used on cheeks, lips and eyes. Dusk is a particularly good shade if you want to add some warmth to your cheeks, but there are three other pinky, coral hues. Be warned though, a little goes a long way and you only need the smallest amount.

The Haloscope highlighter, which comes in three shades, gives you that dewy, healthy glow without any of the silver, Tin Man-esque stripes that other formulas leave. It can be applied directly from the stick, works on any skin tone and it injects life back into tired, lacklustre skin. It's one of those products that once you've discovered you never want to use anything else.   

Credit: The Telegraph