How Glossier became a beauty brand born entirely on the web

On a humid June day, we're sitting inside Beyonce.

Well, at least the large conference room inside Glossier HQ, named after the biggest performer in the world. The name is very apropos, given that Glossier is primed to becoming the largest and most influential beauty brand for Millennials. And it's the first to be marketed and sold solely on the Internet.

SEE ALSO: 8 of the biggest beauty trends in 2016 (so far)

The brand is the brainchild of Emily Weiss, 31, who launched her highly addictive and engaged beauty blog, Into the Gloss, in 2010. The site became almost an overnight sensation for its beauty reviews and insights into the closets of influential women ranging from Tory Burch to Selena Gomez.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

But it was after repeatedly hearing fans' stories that she felt there was a disconnect between consumers and brands.

"It wasn’t often that I heard I love what XYZ stands for, I want to wear their sweatshirts, I know what they're about and want to contribute to them," Weiss tells Mashable.

That was the spark for Glossier, she says.

"How can you build a beauty brand that resonates so much that a customer wants to wear the brand on their sweatshirt?"

So she launched Glossier in October of 2014 with only four SKUs.

"Our products and thesis was like a dossier," Weiss says of the name. "It’s like building into the additions of different things and different times of a woman's life, her journey."

The products debuted on Glossier's Instagram account to a highly enthusiastic audience.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The brand is now on its Phase 2 set, its take on makeup. Products include the Stretch Concealer, Generation G and Boy Brow.

As Weiss will explain it, others, like the brand's Generation G lipstick, sold out immediately, but is back in stock.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"We actually had our biggest sales day yesterday," she says. "And we had over 60,000 people on our waitlist and they convert around average 45%, so it's high. There's still a wait list for our Perfecting Skin Tint."

Weiss says the products have also been satisfying. According to her, there's only been a less than 1% return rate.

"We're a socially driven brand, redefining luxury in so many ways," she says.

So what's the secret to the brand's success, especially given it launched on the Web without a brick and mortar wholesale presence?

Community.

"We operate solely through social channels," she says. "You are allowed to get, by leveraging technology, a better brand with immediate results. We know our customer, what she's purchased, and put her on her journey. If she likes Haloscope, maybe she's a makeup girl and will like lipsticks."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Weiss says before she launched the brand, she gathered her biggest fans and asked what they'd want. One suggestion was a rose-flavored lip balm, one that was a comment on an Instagram post.

"We brought as many people as we could in our penthouse and had people smell as many flavors as we could!" she recalls. "The most voted is the one we chose. I don't love crowdsourcing, it's not asking what they want and making it. We don't go that far because we have a point of view, but we will get our girls involved."

One involvement comes in the form of a Slack channel. It's one that is for the top customers based in New York City. Weekly, Weiss says, they exchange 5,000 messages where they'll talk about their favorite beauty products, restaurant suggestions, and also hanging out IRL.

By opening up to her readers, Weiss has been able to approach her beauty brand in a unique and organic way.

"We believe our thesis is that of course we can sell beauty products on the Internet if you provide the right context," she says. "It’s through tutorials, videos, education, how we describe things, how-tos."

Ultimately, Weiss says, she wants to be a "very, very big brand." And with those goals come sacrificing profitability.

"We are not profitable, but profitability is a choice," she says. "You can be profitable if you go wholesale and narrow down to 5 people tomorrow. But we're creating an ecosystem. We are digitizing beauty."

With over $10 million invested into the brand thus far, Weiss says she's ready to become the next major beauty brand.

"We want to build this business to be something we talk about in 20 years," she says. "I think that's exactly what's going to happen."