Beauty's biggest tell-all is coming. Marisa Meltzer, writer and frequent New York Times contributor, is set to publish a book chronicling the evolution of Glossier, from scrappy start-up to billion-dollar brand.
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’s Glossier charts the company's course, beginning with Weiss' blog, Into The Gloss, which served as a launching pad for what would become the most influential beauty brand of the 2010s. The book will include insight from employees, company watch dogs, investors, and Weiss herself, who stepped down as Glossier's CEO in May.
As Glossy delves into the company's stunning success, it's almost certain that Meltzer will also broach the criticism Glossier garnered in recent years: for allegedly mistreating retail workers, for failing to expand distribution, and for shifting focus from its core offerings — makeup and skincare — to merchandise such as hoodies and bags.
According to a recent interview, Meltzer will draw parallels between Glossier and WeWork, the co-working giant founded by corporate conman Adam Neumann. While Weiss is no Neumann, comparisons can certainly be made between the rapid rise and subsequent unraveling of both entrepreneurs' empires.
"She’s always really known who she is and who she wants to be in a way that I and probably most people do not know,” Meltzer said of Weiss. "I am fascinated by Emily and that kind of person that is so compelled, and where that ambition comes from and what it means to them, and how the rest of us interact with it."
Meltzer previously authored This Is Big: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World — And Me, Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music, and How Sassy Changed My Life, the inside story of Jane Pratt's feminist teen magazine.
Glossy is slated to release in summer 2023.
