Word Of Mouth

Online Commenters Say Jump, And Beauty Brands Leap. But, Crystal Martin Asks, Is It All Just For Show?

- Crystal Martin

WHEN GLOSSIER STARTED selling face mist and skin tint in 2014, a devoted fan base was born almost overnight. Loyalists commented on images of Glossier’s highlighters and cream eyeshadows with all the zeal of a real-life bestie: “Dreeeeeamyyy.” “J’adore.” “Stunning.” But earlier this year, Glossier and its BFFs had a bit of a falling-out. The brand launched a bright makeup line called Play, and the negative pile-on was swift. Play’s Glitter Gelée, a gel pot of paillettes designed to make your eyelids sparkle like disco balls, caused outcries due to the non-biodegradable glitter. Eye pencils that arrived individually wrapped in foil and then boxed led to laments about excessive packaging. As one commenter, Elise from Canada, put it, “This kind of thing is not acceptable when there are so many alternative options for product developers!! Stay woke, y’all — we need to keep these companies on their toes!”