As part of my most recent NY trip I made sure to warn my friends ahead of time that much shopping would be done, possibly very little would be purchased, and that this was completely normal/what I expected. I also apologized in advance for any boredom they experienced. There was possibly no better example of this than at the Glossier showroom, where in the middle of the late afternoon, in full blazing summer sun, there was a freaking LINE. A line. To get in to the building and up the elevator.

I sh*t you not, waiting in line with a bunch of chatty women at least two decades younger than me (some with THEIR MOMS) has never been less appealing than when I had to do it in over 100 degree weather.

And then, when I did make it inside (and full disclosure, the line moved faster than I thought it would) the showroom wasn't even much cooler D:. I understand that everyone's AC was doing the most trying to combat the intense afternoon sun, but I cannot browse - let alone try on - makeup and skincare while actively sweating. It's just impossible. I compensated by doing the fastest round robin in history, viciously denying my dollars and time to products I didn't think would perform well (i.e. 99% of the skincare and all the lip products. My friend Jessy bought the raspberry scented lipgloss and the only thing she said to me afterward was "make sure to tell everybody that lipgloss is sh*".).

Now, the way you actually shop the showroom is also unique, because instead of pulling products and collecting them as you go, when you walk in they hand you a paper with a checklist, and after walking around the (much too) small space, trying/swatching/smelling/etc, you grab an associate in a pink jumpsuit, who then takes your order. Finally, after all that, you wait and they call your name to hand you your pick padded envelope (that's in another plastic bag. So much plastic is wasted here.).


First up for review is Boy Brow and the Stretch Concealer, both of which I actually feel pretty positive about. Boy Brow is a brow gel in a teeny tiny tube with a teeny tiny brush, and I went with the tinted version because while I have a little sparsity in the front of my brows, I'm generally too lazy to apply product to correct it. Now I didn't realize until after I'd completed my purchase that there is actually a darker color available, but I don't think it's noticeably too light. Instead I would say it does a good job of grooming all my hairs and keeping them in place for the day, while adding a bit of color just where I want it.