Glossy

Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier

By: Marisa Meltzer

Narrated by: Cassandra Medcalf

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Financial TimesBest Book of the Year

The “compulsively readable narrative of beauty, business, privilege, and mogul-dom” (The New York Times) that reveals—for the first time—exactly wat happened at Glossier, one of America’s hottest and most consequential startups, and dives deep into the enigmatic, visionary woman responsible for it all.

Called “one of the most disruptive brands in beauty” by Forbes, Glossier revolutionized the beauty industry with its sophisticated branding and unique approach to influencer marketing, almost instantly making the company a juggernaut with rabid fans. It also taught a generation of business leaders how to talk to Millennial and Gen Z customers and build a cult following online.

At the center of the story lies Emily Weiss, the elusive former Teen Vogue “superintern” on the reality show The Hills turned Into the Gloss beauty blogger who had the vision, guts, and searing ambition needed to launch Glossier. She cannily turned every experience, every meeting into an opportunity to fuel her own personal success. Together with her expensive, signature style and singular vision for the future of consumerism, she could not be stopped. Just how did a girl from suburban Connecticut with no real job experience work her way into the bathrooms and boudoirs of the most influential names in the world and build that access into a 1.9-billion-dollar business? Is she solely responsible for its success? And why, eight years later, at the height of Glossier mania, did she step down?

In Glossy, journalist and author Marisa Meltzer combines in-depth interviews with former Glossier employees, investors, and Weiss herself to bring you inside the walls of this fascinating and secretive company. From fundraising to product launches and unconventional hiring practices, Meltzer exposes the inner workings of Glossier’s culture, culminating in the story of Weiss herself. The Devil Wears Prada for the Bad Blood generation, Glossy is not just a gripping portrait of one of the most important business leaders of her generation, but also a chronicle of an era.

Critic reviews

"[A] delicious character portrait of Glossier visionary Emily Weiss... The book bursts with expansive interviews, from ex-Glossier employees, fashion visionaries, and Weiss herself."
—Bustle, 35 Best New Books of Fall 2023

"A piquant, deeply reported history of the brand."
—Vanity Fair

"A bombshell exposé and study of corporate feminism that reveals for the first time what exactly has gone down at Glossier under the leadership of Emily Weiss."
—The Millions, Most Anticipated 2023

"Meltzer's reporting is fantastic... I devoured this."
—Grace Atwood, The Stripe

“A striking attempt to capture the founder as a human in all her complexity, operating within a system that leaves little room for failure and is quick to criticize.”
—Emily Singer, Chips + Dips Substack

"Multi-tasks as highly readable brand memoir, founder manual and 21st century history of the business of beauty."
—Navaz Batliwalla, Disneyrollergirl

“Delivering behind-the-scenes intel… a beauty and fashion tell-all.”
—Booklist

"Lean-in–style feminists and fashionistas alike will revel in the rise of this woman-led business."
—Publishers Weekly

"Meltzer's book is replete with the refreshing sparkle you'd expect to find in one of Glossier's moisturizers. This is the portrait of a female CEO we've been sorely lacking."
—Tina Brown, New York Times bestselling author of The Palace Papers

"Marisa Meltzer knows the Glossier story better than any other journalist. This lively corporate tale illuminates the rise of a beauty business juggernaut and helps us understand an entire era—when a bit of hype and chutzpah could turn a simple idea into a billion-dollar business."
—Reeves Wiedeman, author of Billion Dollar Loser

"Marisa Meltzer crafts the delicious story of Glossier's extraordinary rise with the same rapid pace as its explosive growth—both as a company and a cultural force. Once you start this book, you will not be able to stop."
—Amy Odell, New York Times bestselling author of Anna

“A deeply reported, cinematic tale about an ambitious woman who navigated a treacherous business world to build a billion-dollar beauty empire. Marisa Meltzer has written this generation’s Devil Wears Prada—only it’s all true.”
—Jessica Pressler, journalist and author of the adapted features "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People" and "The Hustlers at Scores" (New York Magazine)

It was just okay

I was hoping this would have me on the edge of my seat like other books about CEOs and companies that I’ve read (one of my favorites is Bad Blood). But it just didn’t land. Additionally, I didn’t love the narration.

Expected More

Found this book to be a drawn out article with no real detail about building the empire of Glossier, insights to Emily, or fundamentals relevant to readers looking to see inside the brand. While there was a storyline at times, it felt juxtaposed in unnecessary points of view trying to grasp at tension and at other times it just felt snarky. All in all, it felt a bit…boring.

Interesting listen

A good, casual listen into the rise/cool down of ITG, Glossier, and the Glossier Girl™️. Narrator left a lot to be desired with her reading of the text. Hearing legacy brands being mispronounced and the bad, fake accents she did for international or masculine figures referenced in the text gave me the ick as I listened.

Where was the inside story?

This book turns out to be underwhelming. The reporter didn’t get to the core of the story.

Feels more like the author’s opinion piece

Feels like a cheap shot at women in leadership positions. Was a nice trip down the early 2010’s Memory lane regardless, if you can get past the bias and misogyny.