By Pippa Shapiro

Today, the beauty world is growing constantly and changing the way that young adults perceive themselves and others. Addressing issues such as the lack of variety in make-up brands’ skin tone shades and plus-sized models in fashion shows, modern beauty companies are changing the standards of glamor “right” and “wrong.”

In particular, Glossier, the status-quo-challenging, pink-loving, soon-to-be-cult-classic beauty brand has taken social media channels by storm. Although it originally started producing makeup and skincare back in 2014, Glossier’s message and movement has become more prominent in recent months. Glossier attributes its popularity to its ability to address the desires of Gen-Z girls and boys, whose societal standards differ from those of their parents.

Glossier started from the beginning as a brand with a clear and important message: beauty should be fun, easy, imperfect, and personal – celebrating real people. This philosophy represents our own growing generation of activists, thinkers, dreamers, and everyday citizens who embrace their so-called flaws.

The company’s recent launch provides just one example of how Glossier is inspiring a new generation of young people. In the Body Hero collection, which advocates body positivity and equality, you can find a variety of models with different skin tones and body sizes. Here, Glossier promotes the idea that you should treat your body well and that everybody (and every body) is beautiful. By opening doors in the beauty industry for people of all backgrounds, the collection represents the Glossier mantra of self-care.

Aside from advocating body positivity, Glossier has also embraced the social media culture that so many teenagers participate in, using such platforms to its commercial advantage. Spreading its message (and lots of pink) has influenced the aesthetic of Gen-Z teens. Through Glossier’s well-designed and thematic social media accounts, the company establishes a relatable brand for their followers and represents the interests of our generation.

So even if you’re not a beauty lover and don’t care for lip gloss or face masks, you may be compelled to agree that Glossier celebrates real people, something many of us wish more beauty companies would do. The antiquated societal expectation of the “perfect” body is vanishing and in its place is an imperfect and empowered individual.

Glossier is changing the beauty industry one post at a time.