This morning — after over a week of waiting to find out what, exactly, that mysterious logo would stand for — Glossier finally unveiled Glossier Play. When we learned that the collection would be a colourful one full of neon eyeliner pencils and tiny pots full of glitter, a hard break from the brand's signature flesh-y tints, we knew we had to try it. All of it.
Once we got our hands on the shiny new goodies, which just dropped today on the Glossier site, we thought it best to share our honest take on the collection. The new Playground line includes four products — Colorslide gel-pencil eyeliner, Niteshine highlighter, Glitter Gelée eyeshadow, and Vinylic Lip lacquer — all available in a rainbow of shades. Ahead, see how the makeup looks on real Refinery29 staff members, and read our candid reviews of which Glossier Play products are truly worth the hype.
Megan Decker, Beauty Writer
I Tried: Colorslide in Pretty Penny
The Verdict: "This eyeliner pencil is soft in texture, and impressively pigmented — the harder I pressed it down across my lash line, the darker the colour payoff. Light strokes left a faint burnished copper shade that I could only really see with a magnifying mirror. With a little layering, the light brown tuned dark chestnut with subtle flecks of glitter, which made my (very tired) blue-green eyes pop a little brighter than normal."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Pretty Penny, $13, available at Glossier
I Tried: Niteshine in Molten Umber
The Verdict: "This tiny bottle of pearly bronze pigment is supposed to be a highlighter, but I went rogue and used it as eyeshadow — I thought it would make a pretty metallic complement to the smudged brown liner. I used the doe-foot applicator to dab a little bit of pigment straight onto my lids, using the pad of my ring finger to blend and sheer it out. I can't speak to the wearability as a highlighter, but as a slightly iridescent lid veil, it's on-brand Glossier: pretty glowy."
Glossier Play Niteshine in Molten Umber, $17, available at Glossier
Sam Sasso, Beauty Writer
I Tried: Glitter Gelée in Bijoux Bijoux
The Verdict: "To my glitter-loving friends out there who are wondering whether or not this glitter will pack the same punch as others on the market, I'm here to tell you to tread carefully. While the silicone precision brush that comes in the duo makes the painstaking process of carefully applying glitter a lot easier, the product itself looks sort of dull on the skin. If I want to look like a disco ball, I want to look like a disco ball — glitter, to me, shouldn't be timid, and these tiny pots could benefit from being a bit louder. In conclusion, the best part about this particular launch is that Troye Sivan was hired to model it."
Glossier Play Glitter Gelée in Bijoux Bijoux, $12, available at Glossier
I Tried: Colorslide in Stable Relationship
The Verdict: " Eyeliner should show up in photos, or else why the hell did you even put it on? This formula is creamy and the colour options are impressive, but when I swept the mossy-green Stable Relationship shade onto my waterline and lower lash line, I felt like... nothing was there? I think this liner will take some getting used to — and plenty of time to experiment and play with (get it?) — but I'm really satisfied by its lasting power. To get a swatch off my hand alone took a few aggressive scrubs from a makeup wipe and a residual stain is still there. Not bad, Glossier... not bad."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Stable Relationship, $13, available at Glossier
Aimee Simeon, Beauty Writer
I Tried: Niteshine in Deep Copper
The Verdict: "I am not your quintessential 'Glossier' girl: I have a ton of hyperpigmentation and use thick, full-coverage foundation to cover it, and the word 'dewy' just translates to greasy in my mind. My expectations for this line weren’t high, considering my preferences, but I was pleasantly surprised with the highlighter concentrate in Deep Copper. It blended seamlessly into my skin and created a silky glow, vs. making it shimmer. The pigment is pretty sheer, though, so if you like a highlighter that can blind someone from across the street — this ain’t it. But if you're okay with something more subtle and skin-like, you’ll probably like this."
Glossier Play Niteshine in Deep Copper, $17, available at Glossier
I Tried: Colorslide in Critical Mass and Candyland
The Verdict: "The eyeliner colour selection is amazing, and I was immediately drawn to the shades Candyland (rose gold) and Critical Mass (fuchsia), which I mixed in this selfie. While the packaging is gorgeous, I wasn’t as impressed with the actual formula of this liner. The colour payoff was decent, but the texture wasn’t as rich as other pencils I’ve used. I can’t say I’ll never pull them out when a look calls for it, but I also won't ditch my (far more affordable) favourites for this, either."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Critical Mass, $13, available at Glossier
Jessica Cruel, Deputy Beauty Director
I Tried: Vinylic Lip in Bank
The Verdict: "' Comfortable' is the perfect word to describe the texture of the Glossier Play lipstick. It feels more like a lip balm than a lipstick — but it also wears like a lip balm, meaning I’ve got burgundy smears all over my water bottle. The purple colour isn’t quite opaque, and a few sips of water in, all that remains is a natural-looking stain."
Glossier Play Vinylic Lip in Bank, $14, available at Glossier
Rachel Krause, Senior Beauty Editor
I Tried: Niteshine in Pale Pearl
The Verdict: "I love to gently heckle Glossier’s entire schtick as much as the next skeptic, but in the early hours of the morning, when I am all alone, I smooth on my Perfecting Skin Tint and pat on my Stretch Concealer and revel in my sheer 'no-makeup' makeup. Am I a fraud? Maybe, but I am not a sycophant, so I feel fine saying I didn’t love the highlighter concentrate (in Pale Pearl), which is the priciest product in the new lineup. I had a hard time blending it with my fingers and it ended up looking a little chalky, and it doesn’t really… pop."
Glossier Play Niteshine in Pale Pearl, $17, available at Glossier
I Tried: Vinylic Lip in Baby
The Verdict: "That said, I do really like the lip colour in Baby, a strawberry red — it’s super pigmented, so I just put on a little and sheered it out for a nice, bright stain."
Glossier Play Vinylic Lip in Baby, $14, available at Glossier
Mi-Anne Chan, Beauty Writer & Video Host
I Tried: Colorslide in Early Girl, Adult Swim, and Stable Relationship
The Verdict: "After Cloud Paint, I've been waiting ever so patiently for Glossier to launch more colour cosmetics. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out Glossier Play would include a handful of colourful liners in shades I would describe as very 'me' — especially the bright blue, burnt orange, and pink shades. I jumped right in and wore three different colours on my eyes today and was surprised at how creamy and pigmented they are. They dry down quickly though, so make sure you work fast."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Early Girl, $13, available at Glossier
I Tried: Glitter Gelée in Phantasm
The Verdict: "Glossier Play's glitter pastes are jam-packed with chunky and fine glitter that make them beautiful toppers for eyeshadows and liners. The silicone applicator is pretty good, too, especially if you don't like getting glitter all over your hands. One thing I will say is these tingle a little upon application, but this sensation goes away after the product dries down."
Glossier Play Glitter Gelée in Phantasm, $12, available at Glossier
I Tried: Vinylic Lip in Disco
The Verdict: "I'm not a huge lip lacquer fan, but these I can get on board with. They're non-sticky, pigmented, and leave a nice, even stain on the lips once the glossiness has rubbed away."
Glossier Play Vinylic Lip in Disco, $14, available at Glossier
Rachel Lubitz, Senior Beauty Writer
I Tried: Colorslide in Magic Carpet
The Verdict: " As someone who's long been a Glossier hater, largely because I've never felt their makeup has enough pigment to really do anything, Glossier Play feels like they finally heard my (and many other people's) complaints. I was intrigued immediately upon seeing all the multicoloured eye pencils, and decided to try the Colorslide in Magic Carpet, a deep purple with a little metallic shine. I loved the way the colour looked against my skin, and even how it smoothly rolled on, but after about 15 minutes I felt like I needed to reapply."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Magic Carpet, $13, available at Glossier
I Tried: Niteshine in Platinum Rose
The Verdict: "Meanwhile, the new liquid highlighter managed to stick on my face and stay there much more effectively. I tried the shade Platinum Rose, which is a rose-gold highlight that can easily build from subtle to blinding. This is the one new Glossier product I can actually see myself weaving into my everyday routine, especially since the tiny doe-foot applicator makes application so incredibly easy."
Glossier Play Niteshine in Platinum Rose, $17, available at Glossier
Meghal Janardan, Video Producer
I Tried: Colorslide in Disaster Class
The Verdict: "It's very pigmented and glides on smoothly. This colour has a nice purple undertone, which makes it different from most brown eyeliners. It does dry fast, which is good, but you have to work with it quickly otherwise it will flake up on itself."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Disaster Class, $13, available at Glossier
Leticia Marcela Rios, Facilities Coordinator
I Tried: Vinylic Lip in Casino
The Verdict: " This dark-orange colour is amazing — I love how it looks on me, and the level of moisture is spot-on. But you have to be super careful when pumping out the colour: It flows out really slowly, and it can get everywhere if you're not patient when clicking. I also found that the colour fades pretty quickly, which means I'll be reapplying a few times throughout the day."
Glossier Play Vinylic Lip in Casino, $14, available at Glossier
Diana Cenat, Executive Assistant
I Tried: Colorslide in Cash Salad
The Verdict: "I am not one for an eye pencil or eyeliner: I’m not good at it, too lazy to hone the skill, and very into my swipe-and-go mascara routine. Even with that setup for failure, I love the Colorslide liner. I applied it while looking into my tiny work mirror, fully expecting to make a fool of myself — and... I didn’t. It was such an easy application. The colour is greenish gold, but not too flashy, making it subtle enough to throw on day-to-day. I even put some on my lower lid, which is big for me. Huge."
Glossier Play Colorslide in Cash Salad, $13, available at Glossier
Maria Jiā Líng Pitt, Creative Assistant
I Tried: Glitter Gelée in Glass Bonsai
The Verdict: "I thought the Glitter Gelée was really easy to use — I literally just layered it on top of my preexisting eyeshadow. It’s thick enough to kind of dab on with your fingers. Texturally, it goes on a bit tacky, but dries quickly with no leftover stickiness. I would say give it a shot if you’re looking for a relatively no-mess glitter application."
Glossier Play Glitter Gelée in Glass Bonsai, $12, available at Glossier
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