Let's face it, the beauty community is growing at a faster rate compared to other decades. From the infamous James Charles to the youngest of the Kardashians, Kylie Jenner, this community is turning into an empire. Reasons for this sudden change, some may ask? As a member of Generation Z or the "iGeneration," it is evident that technology is to blame, or rather for some, thank. From a business perspective, the ability to communicate easier and produce the coveted items that customers are looking for, all while keeping within a fairly-priced budget is what James Charles would say, "Good and Fresh." However, from a more qualitative view, freedom of expression and acceptance have widely grown specifically within the last decade. I would even add that this change in recognition of others has played a larger role than technology.

Based in New York, Glossier is an online skin and cosmetics brand that originally started as a blog in 2010 and has since then grown to challenge the big dogs of the beauty world such as Cover Girl, L'Oreal, and many other brands that I am sure we all have spent some change on. Not to mention, being named "Top Beauty Brand" by magazines such as Allure, Teen Vogue, Glamour, WWD, and Cosmo have contributed to their 1.9 Million Instagram followers. What makes this brand so popular, especially among millennial's and the generations that follow? Authenticity. If their tagline and motto, "Beauty products inspired by real life" did not pull you in, it must have been the commitment they have towards you, their customer. Not to mention, the performance of their products itself is actually quite accurate in how they are claimed to work with different skin types and styles. If you are one of the ones that are on the fence about giving this brand a try, you simply are not too into the beauty world or even have never heard of this brand, I would fill up that shopping cart as soon as possible because their products sell quickly!

While many of their sales are through e-commerce, they did recently open two flagship stores in both New York and Los Angeles. I just happened to be in New York last week for spring break and had the opportunity to visit their New York store. One would never guess the beauty magic that is created inside simply by looking at the outside, however, you know exactly where you are when you walk in. The walls are pink ceiling-to-floor, which leads you to a sparkling staircase, and once you reach the top, the products are all laid out as testers. From there, if you are interested in purchasing a product, all you have to do is go up to one of the many helpful employees and inform them of what you want. They will order the product right there from their iPads! After ordering, it is then packaged in the bright pink, bubble-wrapped bag, ready for pick up moments after purchasing. If you ever happen to be strolling around New York, take a peek inside!

Blogs, vlogs, (and anything else that ends in "logs") today have become increasingly popular, especially in the beauty community. In 2010, Emily Weiss started a beauty blog known as "Into the Gloss" that was centered around making beauty products individualized; rather, instead of only specifically including fashion as a key to style, there would be a focus on beauty and skin products that would accentuate said style as well. Little did this future CEO know, her blog would branch off to become a brand that would be estimated in 2019 to have a 1.2 BILLION dollar valuation. "Into the Gloss" is still updated with content today and you can find them on basically every social media medium popular today including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Sure, websites and social media accounts help with marketing, but what is the point in promoting a product that your customers do not want? Glossier learned from the mistakes of their competitors and instead use their blog as a form of communication with the people who are committed to the brand. By engaging with their customers early on in the process, Glossier gives their customers more of a say in what they want to be created and what they would spend money on. After all, this is how the Milky Jelly Cleanser was created; customers said that their face washing process took two steps, makeup remover, and cleanser. From the information that they were given, Glossier decided to develop a product that could do both in one step which had never been seen before on the market. Ranging in sizes and prices, this cleanser is still popular on the market today and can be purchased on their website or in store.

As someone who takes pride in how clear my skin is, how well my makeup is applied, and how I smell, I will not hesitate to spend a pretty penny on what works the best for me. With this being said, I do not always have the budget for that statement as a college student. This, my friends, is where Glossier became my go-to buddy. While it can be expensive depending on the product, almost all of the items are extremely reasonable ranging from $4 to $60. By being courteous to their consumers, more Glossier fans can feel confident in the quality of their products without breaking the bank.

Simply put, Glossier cares about their customer's wants and needs, unlike other brands we all know. They find inspiration through us and will not tell us what we should or should not put on our face. Still on the fence about this brand? That's fine, let them know about your questions and concerns, they will listen!