Glossier is expanding its complexion offering.
Fresh from its debut at Sephora, the Emily Weiss-founded beauty brand is launching Stretch Fluid Foundation, $34, building off of the popularity of its Stretch Balm Concealer, released in 2016.
“We’ve heard loud and clear that our community were hoping for a foundation product that met and hopefully exceeded the bar of this Stretch concealer program,” said Kyle Leahy, chief executive officer of Glossier.
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“It’s in many regards the most important, most prominent launch for us this year, but also one that we’re really thinking about as a long-term build for us and for our brand and for our community.”
Skin-first with an 89 percent skin care base, Stretch Fluid Foundation is a moisturizing, gel-cream emulsion featuring plant-derived squalane and glycerin to moisturize and nourish the skin’s moisture barrier.
The foundation is available in 32 shades across seven shade categories and five undertone groups. It will launch on its website and in Glossier stores at the end of August and in Sephora in September.
At the same time, Stretch Balm Concealer, $22, has expanded its range to 32 foundation-matching shades.
Marketing around the products includes an unretouched digital campaign showing 64 people wearing the foundation in different weather, which will change to match the current weather where it is displayed.
There will also be images and videos featuring WNBA players Ariel Atkins, Diamond Miller, Nyara Sabally, Izzy Harrison, Stephanie Soares and Brea Beal playing basketball in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, with the tag line “Stretch Beyond Expectation.” Glossier became WNBA’s first beauty partner in 2020.
“What really excites me the most is how we’re bringing it to market in a way that is incredibly true to Glossier values, but also allows us to continue to be disruptive and lead the industry,” said Leahy, who was tapped as CEO in May 2022, taking the reins from Weiss as sales slowed. “So how we’ve thought about everything from the inclusivity of our shade range to the campaign and how we’re being innovative not just in the channels where we’re bringing it to life, but also with the way that the campaign was shot and outside to the partnership with WNBA.”
As for the performance of the business recently, Leahy told Beauty Inc it has been an “exciting year,” with the brand launching in Sephora in February and activating its omnichannel strategy, including opening a store in Williamsburg in Brooklyn.
“With the activation of that strategy, we now have 11 of our own stores and are in more than 600 doors at Sephora,” she said. “We had a record-breaking launch at Sephora, one that significantly exceeded our expectations. So we’re excited about the momentum we’re seeing in the business.”