So, in the fall of 2014, up on the tippy-top floor of this kinda makeshift office space in an old brick building down in Manhattan where SoHo kinda turns into Chinatown, Emily Weiss got all 12 of her employees together for a little pow-wow. They were working on this brand new beauty thing called Glossier. They stood in front of this wall covered in pics of these super glowy, fresh-faced models with big smiles against this sky-blue backdrop. Emily told her team to stick little dots on the pics they liked best. At that time, Glossier was just this mysterious Instagram account with some behind-the-scenes shots, cute stickers, and that pastel pink color that everyone started calling millennial pink. No one really knew what Emily, who was already a big deal in the beauty world thanks to her Into the Gloss blog, was up to, but people were curious.
“You don’t see any makeup in those pics,” Emily remembers from Glossier’s early days. “You see these amazing women who are just themselves and totally present.” And she’s right; they all look effortlessly beautiful, like they’re not wearing any makeup, just naturally radiant. The whole “dewy” skin thing that Glossier made popular, you know? But let’s be real, those models were actually wearing makeup in those pics, including Glossier’s new skin tint that was supposed to even out skin tone but still look natural. You just couldn’t tell.
Those images played a big part in launching a brand that totally shook up the beauty industry, creating a look that everyone wanted to copy, not just in beauty but also in how brands talk to customers. Glossier wasn’t just about how the products looked or what they were called (Balm Dotcom was basically a fancy version of Vaseline or Aquaphor), it was about a whole lifestyle. Glossier changed the game when it came to how young people thought about beauty and that whole “no-makeup makeup” vibe. It’s been around for ages, this idea of subtly enhancing your natural beauty with makeup, but Glossier really made it cool.
The Glossier look was totally different from what was trendy at the time, with all the heavy contouring, bold eyebrows, and overlined matte lips. It was like an update of what Bobbi Brown had been doing since the late ‘80s. Bobbi Brown was all about making people look naturally beautiful with makeup, starting with lipsticks that were like a step up from your own lips. Then, Laura Mercier brought out tinted moisturizer in the ‘90s, making it a must-have for people who didn’t want to wear foundation.
Fast forward to today, and there are so many brands out there following in Glossier’s footsteps, like Westman Atelier, Saie, Ami Colé, Merit, Brown’s Jones Road, and Rhode. They all have their own take on the less-is-more philosophy but with their own twist. Some have skincare ingredients mixed in with the makeup, some are all about multi-use products, and some are focused on creating makeup specifically for deeper skin tones. It’s like the no-makeup makeup trend has been through it all—recessions, social media, the Kardashians—and it’s still going strong.
No-makeup makeup has been a thing for a minute, starting back in the ‘70s when Clinique started making foundations that matched people’s skin tones. Back then, everyone was all about blue and purple eyeshadow, frosty pink lipstick, and trying to find a foundation that didn’t make your face a different color from your neck. Clinique was ahead of the game by blending makeup and skincare together, making sure their products not only looked good but also took care of your skin.
Then came Bobbi Brown with her foundation sticks that matched a bunch of different skin tones, and Laura Mercier with her tinted moisturizer that made makeup less intimidating. Victoria Jackson even trademarked the term “No Makeup Makeup” in the early 2000s after selling a ton of makeup on QVC. And now, we’ve got Glossier leading the way in this whole natural beauty movement.
It’s crazy to think that not too long ago, everyone was all about the heavy makeup, the contouring, the bold looks. But now, glossier skin, sheer formulas, and barely-there makeup are where it’s at. People want to show off skin that’s been taken care of, and that’s where the no-makeup makeup look comes in. It’s all about looking like yourself, just a little bit better.
So, whether you’re into Glossier’s skin tint, Westman Atelier’s foundation stick, or Clinique’s SPF 45 foundation, there’s something out there for everyone who’s all about that no-makeup makeup life. And hey, if Meghan Markle can rock a natural look on her wedding day, then maybe we can all embrace our natural beauty a little more. It’s all about feeling confident in your own skin, imperfections and all.
