Glossier is everywhere. Since it launched in 2014, its pared-back approach to beauty and millennial pink packaging has helped it earn its stripes as one of the world’s most-hyped brands. Its overwhelming popularity has racked up a cult following that spreads across age, gender, country and race – but word of mouth and Instagram #bathroomshelfies aren’t always enough. 

If your skin is deeper than ‘porcelain’ or ‘medium beige’, there’s the worry that Glossier’s beloved Cloud Paint, £15, or Perfecting Skin Tint, £20, won’t suit you – and the risk of ordering the wrong shade is one we’re pretty tired of taking.

Women of colour have been hard-pressed to find proper representation in the beauty industry, and although every week brings another extended foundation shade range, there are still a fair amount of boxes to tick before everything is fully inclusive. 

And so Devin McGhee, an art and design post-grad student, decided to bring Glossier’s fans of colour into the spotlight by launching @glossierbrown, a pocket of melanin magic on Instagram that gives product guides, killer beauty inspo, and tips on how to blend the skin tint shades to get the best possible matches. 

Through posting about the brand McGhee eventually got recruited to be one of Glossier’s many reps, selling products and giving discounts through her personal Instagram, and soon enough she was completely inundated with questions about shade range. 

McGhee quickly realised the need for a space for brown Glossier addicts to come together and be celebrated. @glossierbrown was born, and although it’s not even a year old, it’s already racked up nearly 2k followers, including Glossier and the company’s CEO and founder Emily Weiss.

“Glossier does a great job remaining inclusive with their campaigns and advertisements, but regardless of which brand and products, I always conduct my own research prior to making my first purchase,” McGhee told Teen Vogue. 

“At the time, I only found a handful of black and brown YouTubers showcasing how they use Glossier products, but I knew there were more women of colour out there using them, and it was important that the world got to see that.”

And women of colour are definitely grateful. “When I found [this account], I thought it was amazing because I thought Glossier didn’t work for brown gals,” wrote one follower. “I buy because of you, BOOM!!”

“I never bought any makeup products from Glossier until I found your account and saw so many of us rocking it,” commented another follower. “I spent so long looking at the models on the website to determine my colour!”

“Women are just happy that space simply exists and they have another woman of colour to ask for suggestions,” McGhee said, in response to all the positive feedback. “It truly makes me proud to have created that space for other women like myself. 

“We should always be rooting for each other that way. It costs absolutely nothing to pay another woman a compliment.”

If you’ve been drawn into the Glossier hype but feel sceptical about any of the products working for your skin tone, head over to @glossierbrown to see everything in action on a range of skin tones – allowing you to pick up some exciting new ways to update your pre-existing stash. 

Shop the best Glossier products for medium to deep skin tones below…

Perfecting Skin Tint in Dark, Deep or Rich

These three shades can be blended together to match your skin tone exactly - plus the coverage is very sheer, so you can go a shade lighter or darker without it looking obvious.

£15, glossier.com 

Stretch Concealer in Dark, Deep or Rich

Glossier’s concealer melts into the skin thanks to its blend of nourishing oils, and feels super lightweight. A word of warning to those with oilier skin - you’ll definitely need some powder afterwards.

£15, glossier.com

Wowder

This loose powder mattifies skin without making it look flat or cakey, and the three shades work for a broad range of skin tones.

£18, glossier.com 

Cloud Paint

All four of these gorgeous shades work wonderfully on darker skin tones. Try Puff for a playful pop of pink, Haze for a deep berry that mimics a natural flush, Dusk for a tawny blush/bronze combo, and Beam for a peachy glow. 

£15, glossier.com 

Haloscope in Topaz and Quartz

This stick has a nourishing circle of solid moisturiser to help it glide over skin and give a delicious sheen. Opt for Topaz for a golden glow on darker skin tones or Quartz, a universally flattering pearly pink.

£18, glossier.com

Images: Courtesy of Glossier