“Oh my god, it’s another one of these Glossier girls.” The receptionist looked at me pointedly as I exited the lift. “Sorry?” “Glossier is upstairs, darling. This is a doctor’s office.”

'A lot of what you buy into is the desire, pushed in marketing, to be that "Glossier girl"'

Before UK shipping, the only way to get Glossier products was to do a pilgrimage to their New York showroom, and last April, I (eventually) made it. I had seen the hype online for months and wanted to be a ‘Glossier girl’. Glossier’s brand is effortlessness: they’re your BFF, but they’re not, like, trying too hard about it.

A response to dramatic Instaglam looks, this is I-woke-up-like-this beauty, with an emphasis on glowing skin and makeup to complement, not cover. Despite the cool-girl image, though, they're not too cool to care: everything is cruelty-free, customer service is outstanding, and there are cute stickers in every millennial-pink package.

But to answer the important question: will it blend? Well, I’m on friendship-bracelet terms with the Balm Dot Com (£10), which keeps lips super-soft with a healthy sheen; my favourite is the holiday-in-a-tube coconut flavour. I’m also in love with the Boy Brow (£14), which tames brows without being sticky or crispy, and the Cloud Paints (£15) are fantastic: highly pigmented, buildable, and lightweight (albeit easy to squeeze too much out of the tube).

I’ve tested the concealer and foundation, but while both were lovely and dewy, I just couldn’t find the right shade (there are only five, which doesn’t cut it in the Year of Our Fenty 2018.) I’m also not bothered by their lip products: £11 for clear Lip Gloss is excessive, and you can achieve the effect of the Generation G lipsticks (£14) simply by sheering out your lipstick with your finger.

Another perhaps controversial opinion is that I’m unconvinced by the Haloscope (£18), which was stiff and frankly not as glowy as the Makeup Revolution highlighters (£3). Mostly, though, I’m a fan of the makeup and am hoping for a mascara release. Glossier recently filed a trademark application for “Boy Lash”, so this might be coming soon.

With the skincare, however, I don’t buy into the buzz. The Milky Jelly Cleanser (£15) is a cult favourite, providing a pH-balanced, rose-scented cleanse. It doesn’t get makeup off as efficiently as trusted comrade micellar water, but it definitely leaves you soft and refreshed and I enjoy using it in the shower. Unfortunately, I haven’t got on quite as well with their other offerings.

I have spot-prone skin and the Priming Moisturizer (£18) broke me out almost immediately, but dry-skinned gals may fare better, and there’s the Priming Moisturizer Rich (£29) if you want to take the hydration to eleven. Sampling the face masks (Moisturizing Moon Mask & Mega Greens Galaxy Pack, £18 each) left me blotchy - but for friends they’re a holy grail, so try before you buy.

The Invisible Shield sunscreen (£20) also gets a no. While it does offer non-greasy coverage sans white cast, you get very little for your money, it’s not water-resistant, and I’m puzzled that orange peel oil is an ingredient, given the high potential for irritation. The body products are pretty but expensive, and I also can’t justify the cost of the Supers serums (£24 each!), especially when The Ordinary have dupes providing double the product for five times less (with active percentages actually disclosed).

Try their Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (£5) instead of Super Pure, or their Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (£5.90) if you like Super Bounce. I am however intrigued by the new “exfoliating skin perfector” Solution (£19), mixing AHAs (lactic/glycolic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid) with gentler PHA cousin gluconolactone.

Glossier’s rise to a must-have brand in just a few years is remarkable. You have to admire Emily Weiss’ savvy: from using the Into the Gloss fanbase to crowdsource product design, to the social media ‘rep program’, no opportunity has been missed. (Undoubtedly, a lot of what you buy into is the desire, pushed in marketing, to be that ‘Glossier girl’ – the hot young creative who only uses mascara and chapstick because they're “super low-maintenance”).

While there are some great products in the range, however, it’s important to sift through the hype and consider whether they’ll work for you - not everything will, and there are often cheaper, glossier options available elsewhere