Glossier Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector

Ten To Try (February) #1:
Glossier Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector

Described as
"a daily face exfoliator [which] gently sloughs dead cells away with chemical exfoliation - expect a reduction in the appearance of redness, blemishes and pore size"

At the start of the month, Meg says...
If there's a #1 hyped brand, it's Glossier and if there's a #1 hyped launch, it's Solution. Hype isn't always groundless however, I personally love Glossier and view many of their products as having holy grail status - so when they brought out Solution and everyone and their mum was talking about it, I bought two (one for me, one to give away to a viewer on Instagram) straightaway. They claim it "transforms skin in four weeks" which is a claim I was more than willing to put to the test! There seemed to be a lot of negative press surrounding Solution after its release, but I tried to look past those reviews (as well as Glossier's bold declarations) so I could test it fairly.

Packaging
Let's not beat around the bush here. The packaging is very, very cute. Glossier pink with the prettiest iridescent sparkles all over? They know us millennials so well. It's also extremely practical too, I love the travel-friendly plastic and I'm a huge fan of the built-in pump - I actually have a big love for products that have this design, and the fact that you don't have to unscrew a separate lid is another win. Make sure you press down gently on the pump with your cotton round however, the first time I used it I was a bit forceful (the excitement to try it must've gotten the better of me!) and instead of the Solution soaking nicely into the pad it just spurted out the side onto my new week-old MacBook, so easy does it!

Solution is packaged in a foil ziplock bag which is pretty redundant in my opinion - it has the instructions etc on which I guess you need to include, but you can find all of the product info on the website anyway and considering the foil wrap also comes in a classic Glossier pink pouch, it seems a little wasteful/extra.

Texture/consistency
As you might imagine this is your regular liquid exfoliant consistency, with 'liquid' being the operative word - it could be water if it didn't have all the, y'know... skincare stuff in it.

Application
I got totally suckered in by the fact that Glossier now make their own cotton rounds (which fit perfectly in a used Diptyque candle by the way, if that isn't the biggest beauty blogger cliché you've ever heard then I don't know what is) and bought three packs, naturally. These are pretty basic but nice (chemical and fragrance free, 100% cotton etc) and I won't lie - I love using them with Solution as it makes me feel all matchy-matchy and cute.

I've found that three pumps is the perfect amount, then I sweep the cotton round all over my face and leave Solution to absorb for a minute or so. The first time I used it I was slightly surprised by 'the sting' - I regular use the likes of Alpha H Liquid Gold when it comes to liquid exfoliants so I'm no stranger to 'the sting', but I think Glossier's insistence that this is "extra gentle" and use of words like "soothing" and "ultra-calming" made me expect something less tingly. It's part and parcel of using acids, but just bear 'the sting' in mind if you're a newbie.

Scent/fragrance
This contains fragrance but in all honesty it doesn't smell of much except strong, clean alcohol/soap - you can tell it's an acid and that's about it! It's neither a pleasant or an unpleasant smell, really.

Results
The proof is in the pudding and the first time I tried Solution the pudding was a melt-in-the-middle chocolate one from M&S, aka fabulous. I wasn't expecting practically instant results but my skin did look considerably better (brighter, smoother and clearer) than the night before. My immediate reaction was akin to the claims on the website - "3 out of 4 people said this was the solution they were looking for!" - but as I continued using the product I was less certain that it was making a difference. Blackheads and pore size appear reduced, however the formula feels quite drying on my skin and it gives me that 'cannot wait to slap some seriously intense moisturiser on' feeling, which other acids don't (like the Trish McEvoy Beta Hydroxy Pads, for example). In terms of clarity, I haven't noticed a huge change and it hasn't meant that I no longer want to wear concealer as some reviews have suggested, so whilst I like it as a product I haven't been blown away.

Price
£19

The bottom line
I'd put Solution firmly in the 'worth a try' category whether you're a liquid exfoliant user or not. If you are, then it's always nice to branch out to see if it's better than your usual, and if you're not then it might be a gamechanger and a step that you keep in your routine. For me, I think it's great for travelling and I'll happily finish the bottle or try it again in summer to see whether it's the cold weather causing the extra dryness that I've been experiencing, but it's not a product that's at the top of my 'must repurchase before I've even run out as life would be unbearable without it' list. I genuinely feel like I haven't quite made my mind up about it, which in a roundabout way means I have as its been a month of daily use and I'm feeling decidedly 'meh' - I could take it or leave it!