It's no secret I'm a HUGE Glossier fan (along with the rest of the world), but, having an approximate tonne of beauty products at my disposal - don't hate me, it's a perk of the job - it's currently restricted to the make-up side of the range.
And the You Perfume... love that.
Oh, and the Jelly Cleanser... but I digress.
It is rare that I deviate from my trusted and reliable skincare. I can experiment with make-up until the cows come home, and generally my face will remain happy. Skincare on the other hand, my face knows what it likes and makes a visible protest if I stray from the faves (for me, a cocktail of Skinceuticals serums, a Sisley moisturiser by day, and a Revive resurfacing cream by night).
So, it was purely hype, curiosity and the cult status of the brand that convinced me to break my skincare code and trial a brand new Glossier skincare product for two weeks before launch.
That, and Emily Weiss' fastidious attitude to ONLY launching products that are game-changing, properly effective and worth the wait. And her amazing skin. So yeah, sign me up.
The product, called Solution, launches today (you're already opening a new tab as you read this, right?) and is an exfoliating lotion; otherwise known as an acid. Big news. Huge!
There is a veritablly deafening buzz around acids at the moment, it's the skincare product du jour, and this one ticks a lot of boxes.
It promises to gently remove dead skin cells and dirt, without irritating, by combining BHA, AHA and PHA's (all acid actives) to act as a skin perfecter. So does it do the job? This is how it looked...
Day 1
I reluctantly consign my Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defence (also acid) serum to a drawer, and instead sweep Glossier Solution over my skin with a cotton pad after cleansing. I am assured this is NOT a toner, but this feels like a toning action so I imagine my skin drying out in protest. But nope. Feels actually kind of nice. Not tight, but more supremely clean. Am sure I'll wake up with 'issues' though.
Day 2
My skin has been annoyed at me since Christmas. There are little bumps under the skin and new pimples keep appearing every time an old one goes. This is what an Excessive Xmas looks like on my skin. Except this morning, no new ones, and the old ones seem to be further along the healing path than I'd expected. Solution? Can't be, too soon.
Day 7
OK, it's been a week. Suspiciously spot-free. I don't generally suffer spots, but that's because my skincare is considered and reliable. I never change it because that is when I suffer breakouts. Miraculously, I haven't yet. My skin is definitely brighter in the mornings. I feel like I want to drink some more wine just to test how tolerant my irritation-free face seems to be these days. Must. Abstain (semi-dry Jan).
Day 10
I definitely prefer my nightly routine now, it's less of a faff, feels more refreshing and now my skin doesn't feel tight without moisturiser, (it did when I first started using Solution).
Day 12
Argh spot! Felt like it was gonna be a big one, but has appeared as its very small, somewhat self-conscious cousin. Interesting, but still annoying. Managed to evade the pile of topical treatments I'd normally revert to. Go to sleep.
Day 13
Wake up, spot pretty much faded to an insignificant, flat, slightly dry area, the kind that will be gone in a few hours. It's a flipping miracle.
Day 14
Skin has subtly become more 'clean' looking, definitely feels smoother and is less reactive to any irritants. It's not a hugely tangible difference, I just feel more confident in my skin, which is the biggest win I could hope for. Genuinely going to stick with this, which is not something I've said about any previous change to my trusted routine, and precisely the reason I'm happy to publish this honest opinion. Sold.
