I remember the first time I discovered Glossier. A friend had raved about their skincare and makeup so I decided to give it a try.
I was instantly hooked by their clean, minimalist aesthetic and formulas that actually worked for my sensitive skin.
But as much as I loved Glossier, that price tag started adding up each time I reordered my favorites.
That’s when I decided to start searching for alternative brands with a similar vibe at a lower cost.
After trying several options, here are some of my top recommendations if you want to save money without compromising on quality.
Did you know that the cosmetics industry is worth over $500 billion globally?
With so many brands fighting for our attention and dollars, it makes sense that dupes and competitors to popular lines would emerge.
Glossier’s simple yet effective approach really captured people’s hearts – and wallets.
The good news is, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
The Ordinary
The Ordinary is similar to Glossier in its effective yet simple and minimalist approach to skincare.
Both brands believe in formulating products with just a few core functional ingredients rather than long lists of extras. This makes it easy to understand what you’re putting on your skin.
Rather than general moisturizers or cleansers, their products target specific skin concerns like hydration, redness, acne, etc. This makes it easy to shop by your individual needs.
While The Ordinary is markedly cheaper than Glossier, they both aim to make effective skincare accessible. You won’t pay a high premium for gorgeous packaging.
From the clean white packaging to the simple labeling, both brands aim for a no-fuss look that isn’t distracting. It’s all about the product performance.
Word of mouth from satisfied customers is a big reason these brands achieved such popularity. Their formulas really seem to work for most skin types.
Pacifica Beauty
Pacifica Beauty is quite similar to Glossier in several ways.
Both brands create products free of harmful chemicals, using ingredients derived from nature whenever possible. This appeals to customers interested in healthier beauty options.
Pacifica draws inspiration from the coast, with everything from their scent to packaging design feeling summery and carefree. This gives their products a likable sensory experience like Glossier.
Many Pacifica items are 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 products, like tinted lip balms or highlighting lotions. This versatility is key to Glossier’s DNA as well.
While Pacifica isn’t as budget-friendly as The Ordinary, their prices are still reasonable compared to many mainstream brands. Glossier also works to make quality cosmetics affordable.
Similar to Glossier’s emphasis on simple, targeted products, Pacifica keeps things basic with functional ingredients listed in plain English.
Strong social media presence and word-of-mouth have elevated both brands among younger, natural beauty enthusiasts.
If you appreciate Glossier’s clean, natural aesthetic and multifunctional products that pamper without breaking the bank, Pacifica’s selection would appeal to the same sensibilities.
Both aim to simplify your routine without skimping on performance.
Flower Beauty
Like Glossier aims to do, Flower strives to offer high-performing products you’d find at Ulta or Sephora for much less. Both make prestige-level formulas affordable.
From tinted moisturizers to soft blushes and mascaras, their focus is on naturally enhancing your features rather than dramatic transformations. This lines up with Glossier’s aesthetic.
The slim tubes and compacts feel light and uncluttered like Glossier’s signature pink and white cartons. It’s all about the product.
Both Flower and Glossier realize “one size fits all” doesn’t work for complexions, and offer expansive color selections for many ethnicities.
While Glossier is online-only, Flower meets customers where they’re shopping with brick and mortar shelf space next to makeup many people already know and trust.
Created by celeb MUA Drew Barrymore, Flower captures that playful, fresh-faced style just like Glossier became renowned for in their early days.
So if you love Glossier’s simplistic approach and inclusive philosophy but want drugstore affordability, Flower is a very suitable substitute.
e.l.f. Cosmetics
Both brands make high-quality makeup accessible with most products under $20. e.l.f’s dollar lineup is especially budget-friendly.
The focus is on enhancing features rather than dramatic transformations. Products provide sheer washes of color like putty blush and tinted balms.
Rather than offering every product type under the sun, they concentrate on essential items formulated to work well together.
Formulas like putty primers and camo concealers can be used on face, eyes and lips for versatility.
Both e.l.f and Glossier provide ingredient lists to keep formulas natural and harmless for sensitive skin.
Products emphasize simplicity through lightweight textures, balm-like finishes and fuss-free packaging in muted shades.
Great reviews and word-of-mouth have made these brands major players despite limited traditional marketing budgets.
So if you appreciate Glossier’s focus on multipurpose, affordable items to complement natural beauty, e.l.f.’s drugstore prices make their version even more accessible.
Ilia Beauty
Both brands specialize in creating effective, targeted products using only clean, high-quality ingredients you can feel good about putting on your skin.
From tinted moisturizers to cream blushes and lip + cheek balms, their products have multiple applications for simplified routines.
Packaging is simple, with an earthy color palette. The lightweight textures feel effortless instead of heavy or mask-like.
Hydrating, brightening actives and sheer coverage options allow your natural complexion to shine through rather than mask it.
Whenever possible, Glossier and Ilia choose biodegradable components and support regenerative farming for packaging products.
Selling direct-to-consumer allows controlling costs, standards and messaging instead of relying on retail markups.
Ilia’s Srikant Chellappa co-founded Glossier, so both brands share a commitment to natural beauty essentials.
Overall, if you appreciate Glossier’s simple yet effective approach to skincare and no-makeup makeup looks, Ilia’s natural formulations deliver a very similar minimalist routine.
Milk Makeup
Both brands focus on creating beauty essentials with multiple purposes. Milk is known for their lip + cheek sticks, liquid blush sticks, and matte bronzers that blend easily all over.
The focus is on hydrating, brightening base formulas that even out skin instead of heavy full coverage. Milk’s Watermelon Serum and Lip + Cheek formulas give a lit-from-within glow.
Products are made to enhance natural beauty rather than dramatically transform. Shades are blendable for personalized, customizable looks.
The brands prioritize formulas free of potential harsh chemicals. Milk strives for cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable practices when possible.
Many popular items like Milk’s matte creams and Glossier’s Cloud Paints feel lightweight and blend seamlessly into skin.
Inclusive of diverse complexions and embraced by people of all gender identities for everyday self-expression.
Products feature understated, attractive branding in a calm color palette focused on the items inside.
So if you love Glossier’s simple, multifunctional solutions for bringing out your best features naturally, Milk’s formulas deliver a very similar vibe.
Rare Beauty
Both brands offer a wide range of shades across their makeup lines to be inclusive for all skin tones.
Products focus on enhancing natural beauty rather than dramatic transformation. Formulas have sheer, bendable coverage.
Rare Beauty sells tinted moisturizers, blushes, highlighters, and lip balms meant to be mixed and matched for different makeup looks.
Formulas avoid harsh chemicals and potentially irritating ingredients.
Tubes, pots, and compacts come in simple designs without a lot of extra decorations.
Products like the blushes and tinted moisturizers are meant to give a no-makeup makeup effect with light, buildable coverage.
Formulas hydrate and brighten complexions instead of fully masking the skin from view.
-Both brands primarily sell directly through their websites rather than conventional retail stores.
Lady Gaga and Glossier’s Emily Weiss are recognized for the unique identity and community they’ve created through their brands.
So in many ways, Rare Beauty captures Glossier’s spirit of diversity, natural beauty, and multipurpose minimalism.
Fenty Beauty
Both brands are praised for their diverse shade ranges that represent the full spectrum of skin tones. This level of inclusivity was groundbreaking when Fenty launched.
Products are designed to enhance natural beauty rather than dramatically transform. Formulas are lightweight, blendable and buildable.
From tinted moisturizers to sheer coverage foundations, the emphasis is on an even, glowing complexion over full concealing coverage.
Items like Glossier Balms and Fenty Gloss Bombs hydrate lips while adding a wash of subtle color.
Cheek colors and highlighters can be worn on both cheeks and lids for easy makeup routines.
Clean tubes, pots and compacts dominate without unnecessary frills. Branding focuses on the product quality.
Both brands appeal to a new generation looking for effective, easy makeup without fuss or rules.
Glossier and Fenty challenged industry norms when launched regarding shade ranges and what defines beauty.
So at their core, both brands focus on maximizing diversity and simplifying makeup application for a natural-looking pop of radiance.
Tarte
Tarte is a professional cosmetics brand known for its natural, cruelty-free makeup and skincare products.
Both brands formulate without potentially harmful chemicals like phthalates, parabens, etc. Tarte is also cruelty-free.
Products focus on enhancing natural beauty rather than dramatic transformations. Formulas have lightweight, blendable coverage.
Items like Tarte’s BB tinted moisturizer and hydrating foundation prioritize an even, glowing complexion over full coverage.
Tarte’s Creamy Powder Foundation and Maracuja Creaseless Concealer provide blended sheer coverage similar to Glossier’s skin products.
Clean tubes, pots and compacts without unnecessary embellishments let the products be the focus.
Tarte routinely launches new items catering to the wellness and natural beauty movements, much like Glossier.
Though Glossier is online-only, Tarte’s professional prestige quality is accessible in stores and online.
So while Tarte is a more established brand, its emphasis on healthy, lightweight makeup aligns it philosophically with Glossier’s minimalist, skin-focused approach.
W3ll People
W3ll People is a clean beauty brand founded in 2008 that uses natural, non-toxic ingredients in their makeup and skincare products.
Both brands prioritize ingredients that are natural, vegan and cruelty-free without harsh chemicals.
Products have simple, understated packaging to let the clean formulas be the focus.
W3ll People makes tinted moisturizers, blushes and lip+cheek colors that can be mixed and matched for an easy routine.
Formulas are designed to nourish skin with nutrients rather than just cover imperfections superficially.
Products enhance natural beauty with lightweight coverage and buildable pigments rather than dramatic transformations.
Sustainability, efficacy and empowering confidence through natural beauty are core brand missions for W3ll People and Glossier.
While Glossier is online-only, W3ll People also relies on e-commerce for direct consumer access.
Both appeal to younger customers seeking no-makeup makeup and clean products they can feel good about using.
So the brands share a philosophy around highlighting natural skin with clean formulas in a minimally packaged, digitally-native way.
100% Pure
Both brands formulate products without potentially harmful chemicals, toxins, or artificial fragrances and dyes.
Products are meant to enhance natural features rather than conceal them. Formulas have lightweight coverage.
Ingredients are selected not just for coverage but also nourishment, hydration, antioxidants, etc.
100% Pure makes tinted moisturizers, mascaras, blushes etc. that pull double duty on face and eyes.
Tubes, pots, compacts keep it simple without frills so ingredients shine through.
Sustainability, efficacy, and consumer transparency are deeply engrained in these brands’ ethics.
While Glossier only sells direct-to-consumer online, 100% Pure also relies heavily on e-commerce.
Products cater to wellness-focused shoppers seeking non-toxic beauty essentials without breaking the bank.
So both brands emphasize a similar clean, natural, results-driven ethos through thoughtfully formulated yet effortlessly applied beauty essentials.
VDL
VDL is a Korean beauty brand with some similarities to Glossier.
Both have lightly pigmented products that blend into skin for a glowing complexion over full coverage.
VDL makes cream blush sticks, tinted moisturizers, and lip/cheek colors that serve dual face and lip purposes.
Clean tubes and compacts let the high-performance formulas shine through without frills.
Shades are blendable for personalized, everyday-natural looks rather than done makeup.
VDL and Glossier offer divers shade ranges more universal than some East Asian or Western-focused brands.
They draw from dermatological research for antioxidant, hydrating active ingredients benefiting all skin types.
While Glossier is online-only, VDL relies heavily on e-commerce to introduce K-beauty direct worldwide.
Formulas glide on sheer yet buildable coverage for a lit-from-within effect with minimal products/steps.
So both brands emphasize highlighting natural complexions through multifunctional, research-backed essentials made widely accessible.
Ciate London
Formulas are designed to enhance natural beauty rather than heavily cover skin. Products provide lightweight coverage and luminosity.
Ciate is known for products like their liquid illuminators and Champagne showers that can be used on both cheeks and eyelids.
Ingredients nourish in addition to beautifying through antioxidants, hydrators, and vitamins rather than just coverage.
Clean packaging lets the formula shine through without clutter. Products line is streamlined for quick routines.
Shades are meant to blend seamlessly for a lit-from-within natural makeup look rather than dramatic transformations.
While Glossier is online-only, Ciate relies heavily on e-commerce sales to complement limited retail distribution.
Both brands cultivate engaged followers through blogs, tutorials and brand message centered on self-expression.
Formulas like magnetic liquid eyeshadow try novel formats for enhancing natural features simply.
Merit
Both brands create modern cosmetics using high-performance, natural ingredients without harsh chemicals.
Products like the Flush Balm and Complexion Sticks are designed to hydrate, even tone and lightly enhance natural features.
Merit empowers users to customize their routine with multifunctional essentials suitable for cheeks, lips and eyes.
Formulas are buildable yet blend seamlessly for a lit-from-within glow rather than dramatic coverage.
Thoughtful selections and streamlined packaging prioritize quality ingredients over excess.
Brand values extend to reducing plastic waste and supporting ethical practices.
Wide shade ranges allow self expression through various skin tones and textures.
Transparent founder vision and cultivating connections online mirrors Glossier’s culture.
Both sell primarily direct-to-consumer online reaching customers through engaging brand experiences.
Saie
Products enhance natural beauty rather than drastically transform. Formulas have sheer, buildable coverage.
Ingredients nourish the complexion as much as they beautify it for a lit-from-within effect.
Cheek tints and balms can be used on lips, cheeks and eyes for an easy routine.
Clean tubes and compacts feature the products front and center without clutter.
Both prioritize ingredients that are nontoxic, vegan and sustainable.
The brands appeal to a new generation embracing natural looks and wellness.
Interactive online platforms cultivate engaged followers through inspiration and education.
Wide shade ranges allow self-expression through various skin tones.
Mainly sell direct-to-consumer online with approachable prices.
Overall, Saie emphasizes maximizing natural beauty through purposeful, nourishing formulas in a minimally packaged aesthetic aligned with Glossier’s vision.
As the natural beauty movement has skyrocketed in popularity, many brands have followed in Glossier’s footsteps by focusing on enhancing natural features with lightweight, multi-functional formulas and streamlined aesthetics.
While Glossier was one of the pioneers of this approach, it’s exciting to see other companies innovating and challenging industry standards around inclusivity, transparency, and wellness-driven formulations.
Whether embracing a digital-first model like Glossier, Fenty and Saie, or establishing prestige lines available in stores like Tarte and Rare Beauty, each of these brands emphasizes simplifying routines while nurturing confidence through Products designed to work in harmony with skin’s natural state.
As consumer values continue prioritizing clean ingredients, self-expression and community, it’s clear Glossier started an ongoing industry shift catering to those desires through consciously created essentials.
While new brands will assuredly reimagine the category, Glossier’s influence endures through its ongoing development of solutions centered around feeling your best without compromising health or individuality.
As the natural beauty space grows increasingly diverse, it’s rewarding to see such variety of options embracing the philosophy of enhancing what’s already there which Glossier helped bring to the forefront.
Overall, a focus on hygienic formulations, radiant skin and inclusive communities aligns these brands that are redefining how products can empower everyday self-care routines.
