Glossier deliberately sent the beauty world into a tailspin last week via a cryptic Instagram post starring a sequin dress, a disco ball emoji, and the caption: “The anticipation of the party.”
As Puck reports, rampant online speculation followed, coalescing around the theory that Glossier was prophesying the return of Glossier Play, the ill-conceived, poorly timed makeup sub-brand that debuted in 2019 and shuttered a year later. Some were optimistic about a revival, others distinctly less so. Play’s highly pigmented lip lacquer and multi-use glitter gel pots had been the antithesis of Glossier’s wildly popular “no makeup makeup.”
This was all just misdirection, of course. Glossier is not bringing Play back anytime soon, but instead releasing the long-awaited followup to Glossier “You,” the brand’s extremely successful fragrance that debuted seven years ago. You remains one of the line’s most popular products and was Sephora’s bestselling scent last year, despite competition from heavyweights like Sol de Janeiro, Dior, and Chanel. The brand has said it sells a bottle of You every 18 seconds, and C.E.O. Kyle Leahy talks about You becoming “the next Chanel No. 5.”
Of course, beauty is flooded with product launches, most of them nonsense, but this one really is a big deal. In fact, Glossier is launching not one, but two new perfumes in early October, and is throwing an extravagant party this week in celebration of the dual debut. The launch is reportedly the biggest to date in the brand’s nearly 10 years, with details being kept under lock and key. Literally: The product shipping to influencers and media comes in a locked mailer that can only be opened with a code that is being distributed this Wednesday, timed to the event.
Could this new product become the catalyst for a conglomerate to finally make an offer for Glossier, which was last valued at nearly $2 billion? Earlier this year, Puck reports that someone close to founder Emily Weiss said that she was finally ready to sell the company. In March, a person involved with the company stated that although no formal process had kicked off, the brand was in a place where it could “benefit from a transition in ownership.” Presumably Forerunner, Thrive, Index, Sequoia, and other investors would really like to see a return on their collective $266 million investment, too.
According to Puck, the two new scents will most likely be well-received by Glossier’s “community,” but this latest launch seems out of step with the way the brand has traditionally handled new releases. The brand likely opted for a dual-fragrance strategy for a short-term boost in sales and profitability. Besides fragrance having one of the highest margins in all of beauty, perfume is Glossier’s most expensive item. A 50ml bottle of You costs $78––cheaper than competitors, but more than three times the price of Boy Brow or Cloud Paint.
Yes, it’s a great time to be launching fragrance, and yes, Glossier already has a hero product. But Weiss & Co. have set such a high-water mark for what success here looks like, anything short of a cult hit will look like a miss.
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