As a former beauty journalist (albeit mostly before Glossier entered the scene) this was a fascinating read. I think anyone interested in the business of beauty or female found culture in general would find this interesting. I did, however, find the first person narrative and the tone of the writing a bit odd at times. There is clearly conjecture and personal feelings that went into the writing and I’ve heard criticisms of some of the facts. It’s also a strange “rise and fall” narrative considering …. glossier hasn’t fallen. I’m sure it’s doing bank being carried in Sephora. I think the skincare trend among tweens and teens could be something they really benefit from. I felt perhaps this journalist was too close to the subject.

I enjoyed this one more than I expected. I usually don't go for non-fiction but I have been so intrigued by this brand since it came on the scene. It was intriguing learning about Weiss and how the concept of Glossier came about. She is so mesmerizing to me.

Thank You to NetGalley for the free e-ARC.

An interesting about the founder of Glossier. It is not only about Emily Weiss' personal life and how to started Glossier. The ups and downs of the company, merchandise expansion, marketing, and the staff.

Work
makeup
fashion
science
hard work
fashion idols

I remember hearing about Glossier and all of the buzz it had started online as almost a lifestyle/cult makeup brand, but it slipped out of my mind. When this book was released, it popped into my memory again. I lover business histories, especially rise and fall type stuff, but this book charts something more common a rise and plateau. Glossier didn't change the world, and it didn't flame out. It's still around, just like any other makeup company. Still, I would recommend this book for an interesting and not too heavy (the NYT called it "dishy", which I think is apt) nonfiction title, even if you don't wear makeup.

The beginning of this book was engaging but much like Glossier, lost focus and momentum halfway through. Emily Weiss, founder and former CEO, is an enigmatic figure, but remains elusive and clearly wasn't cooperating with the author. Probably should have been pared down a bit.

I love a good female CEO story, and I also am a huge fan of Glossier. I thought this started really strong and then just sort of puttered out. There aren’t any big reveals or anything salacious (which is probably good in reality) but it made the end result for this reader feel sort of blah. I think this could have been a long scale New Yorker article and had the same impact.

I enjoyed this book about the founding and growth of Glossier. While this book isn’t super dish-y, it presents an inspiring story about the rise of beloved cult brand. This is a great book for makeup lovers, teens and anyone that wants to be inspired to start something new.

GLOSSY is a masterful journalistic narrative nonfiction about the makeup company Glossier. I enjoy Glossier products. I applied them while listening to this audiobook at least twice. no big scandal or plot in this book, just a genuinely riveting social & cultural analysis of the Glossier moment: girlbosses, millennials & gen z, millennial pink, & “generation g.” unlike faces that can use exclusively Glossier products — concealer for people w/ nothing to conceal — the company is not free from blemishes. author & journalist Marisa Meltzer offers criticism ranging from subtle to sharp. a relatively short, informative & engaging read.

This was such an interesting read. I feel like the author did a good job researching all aspects of the founder and the company. The book was quick and I felt myself coming back to find out more. Definitely recommend for anyone interested in the company or CEOs.

One of my favorite subgenres is books about failed businesses, ideally ones that go down in flames (e.g. Bad Blood). While this book didn’t quite fit, I had high expectations and they weren’t quite met. There was a lot of work done for this book but ultimately I just don’t think the story was there.

Interesting take on creation of Glossier and the intersections of tech and girl-boss culture. I'm having a bit of a hard time placing this book genre-wise: Is it a biography of Weiss or Glossier or commentary on girl-boss culture or all of the above? I found myself wanting more "corporate dirt" but I guess we can't have an entire book on that. I think the author did a great job capturing the complexity that is Emily Weiss.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me and was a DNF but I am sure other readers will feel differently! Thank you for the ARC!

Marisa Meltzer's Glossy is an enthralling deep dive into the beauty behemoth that is Glossier and the meteoric rise of its founder, Emily Weiss. It's a compelling read that offers a peek behind the curtain of one of the most "disruptive brands in beauty," delivering a narrative that is as sleek and sophisticated as the branding it discusses. With a 5 out of 5 stars rating, Glossy is a glossy page-turner for anyone intrigued by the intersections of beauty, business, and the cultural zeitgeist.

Meltzer's book is more than a corporate biography or a business success playbook; it's a timely reflection on the entrepreneurial zeitgeist of the 21st century, deftly set against the backdrop of the influencer marketing boom and the complex dynamics of Millennial and Gen Z consumerism. At the heart of the story is Emily Weiss, the archetype of modern ambition and innovation. Her journey from a “superintern” to the pinnacle of entrepreneurial stardom is nothing short of cinematic, and Meltzer paints her with a balanced palette of awe and critical inquiry.

The narrative is meticulously researched, fortified by interviews with insiders, and gives the reader the vicarious thrill of being in the glossy epicenter of a brand that both defined and defied a generation. It's particularly interesting to ponder the author's thoughtful inquiry into the phenomenon of "girlbossification" in tech and venture settings. While the text occasionally veers towards the didactic, it ultimately serves to ground Weiss's accomplishments in a broader social and economic context, giving the book a resonance that lingers beyond the last page.

One cannot help but feel a twinge of curiosity about what Weiss will do next after stepping down at the height of Glossier's success. Glossy leaves us pondering the paradoxes of a personal brand so closely tied to a corporate one and the implications of that union for the future of consumerism.

Despite moments that feel slightly "preachy," Meltzer's treatment of this subject matter is necessary and mostly well-executed, offering a critical perspective that never fully eclipses the admiration due to Weiss and her empire. The result is a book that is not just about a company or a person but about a cultural shift, encapsulated in the story of a brand that managed to be simultaneously ubiquitous and elusive.

Overall, Glossy is a must-read for those interested in the beauty industry, entrepreneurship, and the cultural forces that shape our world. It's a cautionary tale, a success story, and a think piece all rolled into one, with a narrative as compelling as the products that Weiss's company has so expertly marketed. Marisa Meltzer has managed to bottle the essence of Glossier's allure and the ambition of its founder, presenting readers with a narrative as engaging and thought-provoking as the brand itself.

Thank you to Atria/One Signal Publishers for providing an e-Arc of Glossy by Marisa Meltzer for my review.

I'm a fan of Glossier, and was once part of the wider beauty community of Instagram (plus, I love mess) so I was really excited to dive into this one. GLOSSY was a very fun read, very easy to get sucked into, and was for the most part well-reported. It was a shame that Emily Weiss is, in general, not very forthcoming in her interviews and even more so for this book which she did not seem happy about. It was cool to get some more insight into the brand's founding, but I do feel like the entire premise of this book-- the rise and fall of Glossier-- is wildly overblown. If the long lines still clustered outside the Glossier locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn every weekend are any indication, the brand is still very relevent to current shoppers. Do I think they've fallen off the innovation a bit? Sure. Do I think the culture of being a "Glossier girlie" has died down a lot? Yes. But in general, the brand has for the most part steared clear of lots of the controversies other brands have fallen victim to (even the Behind the Gloss movement, which was by far the biggest PR hurdle the company dealt with, felt very tame compared to most beauty industry drama) and Weiss, while a tad out of touch, really doesn't quite fit with the Girl Boss downfalls we've witnessed over the past few years. I think this book wanted to be a big expose, but there just wasn't anything that supremely juicy to reveal. It was really more just a Glossier from inception to today rundown, which was quite interesting, but probably only to people who truly care about the brand.

I really really really wanted to like this book because A) Glossier used to be my favorite brand, I was obsessed with it, B) I’m a marketer so getting to know the secrets about what actually went down BtS at Glossier was very appealing, and C) I was very excited to read a book about a female founder “startup”.

However, I sadly didn’t love the book, I actually DNF.
There were some great points about the book:
- Loved the author’s voice, the stories & fun tidbits sprinkled in there too.
- Enjoyed the quotes and paragraphs from industry insiders.
- It painted a great picture about Emily & the brand for newcomers and old fans alike.

But, I have to agree with what others have said: it could’ve been an article. The way it was written alas great journalism style and thorough research, was reminiscent of a university essay or profile on BoF. If Emily would’ve actually been a part of the book it would’ve been amazing but it felt more like an outsider telling a story from afar, kind of like Dan being Gossip Girl and talking about the UES folks from afar.

Overall I give it an A for effort, research and style, but a 3 in terms of the actual book. But again, nothing to do with the author, more so the situation and Emily’s lack of participation in the book.

I was so excited for this one, and felt a bit...deflated when I finished it. I appreciate the story of a female business leader and how she came to own a billion dollar business, but to read a whole book about it when essentially nothing happens is a bit of a stretch for me, in terms of interest. I kept waiting for the bomb to go off, or for someone to try and ruin what she had built or ruin HER in some way, but that never happened. I mean, I'm thrilled for her. She seems to have done most of it right. Honestly, it just made me want to buy Glossier products again.

Marissa Meltzer knows how to tell a story. Even though I've never been particularly interested in Glossier or its founder Emily Weiss, I could not quit reading GLOSSY. Yes, the backstory and founding of Glossier is somewhat interesting, but what makes this book so fascinating and gripping is Meltzer's ability to situate the company and Weiss in a larger socioeconomic context. Meltzer's tracking of the sexist label "girl boss," giving us an understanding of how the label came to be, followed by how it seemed to become a target on women, adds needed context for people who were or would have been peers to Weiss.

Meltzer weaves everything together to create a thoughtful, direct story about an ambitious person who founded a company that was a huge success, then faltered, and now seems to be finding its way back. It reads (almost) like a novel but never dips into hyperbole or serves up "dish" intended to become clickbait.

The author was fairly up front about her ambivalence about her subject, and in the end that did not serve the book well. I was hoping for something a little more dishy and/or something with a stronger point of view, frankly, but Emily Weiss is a very guarded person, clearly. She's clearly ambitious but I don't think I ultimately understood what she's really about in the same way I did after reading about founders of other startups like Theranos and WeWork. It was interesting to learn how Glossier positioned itself as a tech startup but has moved away from that. I also think the author did not take Glossier to task enough for the lack of shade range in their initial products, as if being hypocritical about making makeup for everybody is defensible in the name of scaling up at tech startup speeds.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I have never used Glossy makeup or watched the Hills and It doesn't matter. I love all things makeup and loved the inside look of the business side of thing. I have nothing negative to say, it's a good mix of business and gossip.

I knew about Glossier in passing but I have to say this was the ultimate millennial girl boss healing. This book brought me back to the 2010s where we aspired to quit our corporate jobs to live the dream. Yes super intern lived the dream but at what cost. I really enjoyed my reading experience off this book.