A Look Inside the New Glossier Store in Rittenhouse

Cloud Paint at Glossier / Photograph by Laura Swartz

We reported last summer that the cult-favorite beauty brand Glossier was coming to Rittenhouse, and now the store has opened on Walnut Street. This is just the seventh brick-and-mortar for Glossier, which started in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer brand that reached its customers largely via social media (especially Instagram).

The minimalist “no-makeup makeup” and skincare products like Boy Brow and Cloud Paint are displayed in the airy, millennial-pink space, where you can try everything with the help of pink-jumpsuit-clad “editors.” The space is clean but not sterile; there is a playfulness and warmth to it. The staff’s name tags noticeably have their pronouns next to their names.

Inside Glossier Philadelphia on Walnut Street in Rittenhouse / Photograph courtesy of Glossier

Compared to a store like Ulta where you mostly browse on your own and check out, people at Glossier are there to assist you. In fact, you can’t actually grab a product to buy — you pay for it on a device and someone calls you up to the desk to retrieve your purchase, already wrapped up in a signature pink bag. If you’re like me, this is a huge draw to the store — I was always hesitant to buy Glossier’s color-specific products like foundation based on a tiny colored circle on a screen. In the store, I was color-matched and could try the makeup on first.

Kyle Leahy, CEO of Glossier, tells us “Immersive in-person retail has always been one of our favorite ways to bring the brand to life.” These “offline experiences — where you can meet people, touch and feel product — have been core to how we connect with our customers.”

Testers and hand sanitizer at Glossier / Photograph by Laura Swartz

Visitors are encouraged to play around and try everything, with no shortage of disposable testers, makeup remover, and hand sanitizer. A “wet bar” in the middle of the store even has a sink to let you test out skincare products like cleanser.

You can also get exclusive items like candles that will be available in the Philly location before anywhere else, and a mini Beauty Bag that benefits the Women’s Business Enterprise Center East. For each bag sold at Glossier Philadelphia, $5 will be donated to the nonprofit that advocates for women entrepreneurs in Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey.

Balm Dotcom at Glossier / Photograph by Laura Swartz

While the Glossier aesthetic is instantly recognizable — from its signature pink to its bold black sans-serif typography — each of their seven stores are designed differently. In Los Angeles, the store takes inspiration from Hollywood glamour, while the D.C. location is inspired by the “Jet Age” as a nod to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.

Olivia Rodrigo’s new collab with Glossier, displayed under glass in the Rittenhouse store / Photograph by Laura Swartz

The Philadelphia location takes inspiration from the Art Museum and Rodin Museum, with architectural touches, high ceilings, and products displayed and lit like exhibits under glass.

One thing you’ll find in every Glossier store: The Selfie Room. Walk to the back and enter a well-lit alcove with a mirror that reads “You Look Good.” It’s fitting for a brand that got its start on Instagram.

Selfie room at Glossier / Photograph by Laura Swartz

Glossier Philadelphia is now open at 1716 Walnut Street.