If you love Glossier's "skin first, makeup second" look, these are the brands worth knowing. Milk Makeup, Kosas, Merit, ILIA, and Rare Beauty all share the same idea: minimalist, multi-use, clean formulas you buy direct. Below, each pick is matched to the shopper it fits best, with the exact product dupes for the Skin Tint, Cloud Paint, and Balm Dotcom.
Glossier made dewy, low-effort makeup feel like a category of its own. The problem is that the aesthetic is now everywhere, and most "brands like Glossier" lists pad the count with mass-retail names that miss the point. This one keeps it to 12 real, independent brands that actually live in the same world, then tells you which one is for you.
How we picked these brands
- Skin-first philosophy. Makeup that enhances your skin instead of masking it, and skincare that does the heavy lifting underneath. This is the core Glossier idea, so it was the first filter.
- Minimalist, multi-use products. Small, edited ranges and formulas that pull double duty, a cream that works as blush and lip, a tint that replaces foundation.
- Clean, comfortable formulas. Skin-friendly ingredients, with several picks that are fragrance-free or built specifically for sensitive skin.
- Independent brands you buy direct. Real DTC brands with their own storefronts, not drugstore fillers dropped in to hit a number.
- Actually loved, not just listed. Every brand here gets named by real shoppers in reviews and threads, not only in affiliate roundups.
At a glance
| Brand | Best for | Price | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk Makeup | One-swipe multitaskers | Mid | Multi-use clean cream products |
| Kosas | Dewy no-makeup-makeup | Mid | Skincare-makeup hybrids (BB Burst) |
| Saie | Fresh, sustainable glow | Mid | Slip Tint and the Dew line |
| Merit | Elevated minimalists | Mid-premium | Edited five-minute-face essentials |
| ILIA | Clean color plus SPF | Mid-premium | Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 |
| Tower 28 | Sensitive, reactive skin | Budget-mid | Fragrance-free, eczema-safe |
| Rose Inc | Science-led clean makeup | Mid-premium | Softlight foundation |
| Rare Beauty | Natural buildable flush | Mid | Soft Pinch Liquid Blush |
| Refy | Brow-first grooming | Mid | Brow Sculpt wax-gel |
| Rhode | Glazed, dewy skin | Mid | Peptide Lip Treatment |
| Versed | Budget clean skincare | Budget | $8 to $20 derm-tested skincare |
| Youth To The People | Skincare-first glow | Mid | Superfood Cleanser |
1. Milk Makeup
Milk Makeup grew out of Milk Studios in downtown New York, and it kept that fast, editorial energy. The line is clean, vegan, and cruelty-free, built around multi-use cream products that swipe on with your fingers, a stick that works on cheeks and lips, a cream blush that doubles as a tint.
Best for the one-swipe multitasker who wants a five-item kit that covers a whole face. If your idea of makeup is grabbing two or three creams before you run out the door, this is the closest match to how Glossier taught people to get ready.
2. Kosas
Kosas is built on a simple promise: "100% makeup, 100% skincare." The formulas blur the line between the two, and its BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream is the product shoppers name most often as a swap for Glossier's Perfecting Skin Tint. The Revealer Concealer is the other cult pick, brightening rather than caking.
Best for the dewy, no-makeup-makeup shopper who wants skincare ingredients baked into the coverage. If you like a tint that leaves skin looking like skin, start here.
3. Saie
Saie launched in 2019 with a fresh, glowy point of view. The Slip Tint tinted moisturizer with SPF 35 and the Dew Balm and Dew Blush are the hero products, all aimed at a lit-from-within finish rather than full coverage. It also runs one of the more serious sustainability programs in the space, with a published roadmap to carbon net zero.
Best for the shopper chasing that healthy dewy glow who also wants to know the brand is doing the environmental work. A natural fit if Glossier's Futuredew was your favorite.
4. Merit
Merit is Glossier grown up. Founded by Katherine Power, who also co-founded Who What Wear, it sells a tightly edited range of essentials designed for a five-minute face, plus a signature reusable makeup bag that ships free with a first order. Everything is meant to layer into one polished, low-effort look.
Best for the elevated minimalist who wants a small, considered kit instead of a drawer of options. Think quiet-luxury packaging and formulas that do more with less.
5. ILIA
ILIA helped pioneer clean color, and its tagline says it plainly: makeup that makes your skin better. The Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 combines coverage, skincare, and mineral sun protection in one bottle, and the Color Haze cream blush is the pick shoppers reach for as a Glossier Cloud Paint alternative, with a little skincare benefit built in.
Best for the shopper who wants clean color that pulls its weight, real SPF, and a skin-loving formula under it all.
6. Tower 28
Tower 28 was founded by Amy Liu for her own sensitive skin, and it is one of the few makeup brands to follow the National Eczema Association ingredient guidelines. Everything is fragrance-free, and the SOS line, including the viral SOS Rescue Spray and the SOS LipSoftie, is built to soothe rather than irritate.
Best for sensitive, reactive, or eczema-prone skin. If most brands sting or flare you up, this is the safe place to land while still getting the clean, glowy look.
7. Rose Inc
Rose Inc, founded by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, describes itself as clean beauty powered by science. The formulas lean non-comedogenic and skin-loving, with the Softlight Skin-Smoothing Liquid Foundation as the standout, aimed at a soft-focus finish that still looks like skin.
Best for the shopper who wants clean makeup with a more considered, science-led formula behind it. A good step up if you want minimalist without feeling basic.
8. Rare Beauty
Rare Beauty, founded by Selena Gomez, is best known for the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, an award-winning bestseller the brand says sells every four seconds. A tiny dot builds into a lightweight, layerable flush, which is exactly the natural, lit-up cheek Glossier fans tend to want. The brand also directs 1% of annual sales to its Rare Impact Fund for mental-health services.
Best for the shopper who wants an easy, buildable natural flush, plus a mission they can feel good about.
9. Refy
Refy, founded by Jess Hunt, took the minimalist idea and pointed it at grooming. The flagship Brow Sculpt is a wax-gel hybrid that shapes and sets brows for a 12-hour hold, and the rest of the range follows the same less-is-more logic across lips and cream face products.
Best for the brow-and-features-first minimalist. If your version of the Glossier look is fluffy brows and a bit of gloss, this is the brand built around exactly that.
10. Rhode
Rhode, founded by Hailey Bieber, is the brand behind the glazed, dewy skin trend. It launched with the Peptide Glazing Fluid, the Barrier Restore Cream, and the Peptide Lip Treatment, and that lip treatment alone is closing in on a million units sold. The whole range is skincare-first and deliberately short.
Best for the skincare-first shopper chasing a glazed glow. If you cared more about Glossier's Balm Dotcom and Futuredew than the makeup, Rhode is the natural next stop.
11. Versed
Versed proves clean and effective does not have to be expensive. Most products sit between $8 and $20, everything is dermatologist-tested, and the promise is skin that looks like your own, just glowier and healthier. It is the budget entry point for the whole skin-first idea.
Best for the budget shopper who wants clean, effective skincare as the base for the glow, without the premium price. A smart place to build your routine before you spend on the makeup.
12. Youth To The People
Youth To The People makes superfood skincare, and its Kale plus Green Tea Superfood Cleanser is the cult hero, a gel wash powered by kale, spinach, and green tea that cleans without stripping. The brand is vegan, cruelty-free, and packs everything in recyclable glass with refills.
Best for the skincare-first shopper who wants a clean, antioxidant-rich base under minimal makeup. Great glow starts at the cleanser, and this is a strong one.
How to choose a brand like Glossier
Start with the look you actually want, then pick the brand that owns it.
For the classic no-makeup-makeup skin-tint finish, go with Kosas, Saie, or ILIA, since all three sell a tint that reads like real skin. If you have sensitive or reactive skin, Tower 28 is the safest bet, built fragrance-free for exactly that. If you want one product that does several jobs, Milk Makeup, Merit, and Rare Beauty are the strongest multitaskers.
If you are after the elevated, grown-up version of minimalist, Merit and Rose Inc feel the most considered. If the glow you love is really about skincare, Rhode and Youth To The People put the routine first. And if you are on a budget, Versed and Tower 28 get you there for the least.
On the exact-dupe front: Kosas BB Burst stands in for the Perfecting Skin Tint, ILIA Color Haze for Cloud Paint, and Tower 28 SOS LipSoftie or Rhode's Peptide Lip Treatment for Balm Dotcom.
Frequently asked questions
What brand is most like Glossier?
Kosas and Milk Makeup are the closest overall, since both center clean, multi-use products with a skin-first finish. Kosas leans more into the skincare-makeup hybrid, while Milk leans into fast, cream-based multitaskers.
What is a cheaper alternative to Glossier?
Versed is the most affordable pick here, with most products between $8 and $20. Tower 28 is also reasonably priced, and both give you the clean, glowy base without a premium markup.
What is the best dupe for Glossier's Perfecting Skin Tint?
Shoppers most often name the Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream, which gives similar light, dewy coverage with added skincare ingredients. ILIA's Super Serum Skin Tint is another close match if you want SPF built in.
What is the best dupe for Glossier Cloud Paint?
ILIA's Color Haze cream blush is the one people reach for, with a comparable sheer, buildable wash of color and a bit of skincare benefit. Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is another strong, natural-looking option.
Are brands like Glossier good for sensitive skin?
Some are excellent for it. Tower 28 is fragrance-free and follows National Eczema Association ingredient guidelines, which makes it a standout for reactive skin. Many of the others are clean and comfortable, but always check the ingredient list if you flare easily.
Which brand is best for a natural, no-makeup-makeup look?
Kosas, Saie, and ILIA are the top three, since each sells a skin tint or tinted product designed to look like skin, only better. Add a cream blush and a lip balm and the whole look comes together fast.
Is Glossier still worth it?
Glossier is still a solid brand, especially for its original hero products. But the aesthetic is no longer unique to it, so if you want better value, a specific formula, or a sensitive-skin-safe option, the brands above often do a given job better for the money.

