Glossier has laid off almost a third of its staff in a major company shake-up.
Some 54 staff have been impacted as part of the layoffs, the US beauty company confirmed to Cosmetics Business in an email.
The decision was made as Glossier enters a new “leadership chapter”, which is being led by recently appointed CEO Colin Walsh.
“There is no version of this decision that feels easy, because behind every role is a person who has helped build the company,” a Glossier spokesperson told Cosmetics Business.
“This was a leadership decision – not a reflection of individual performance – and it was not made lightly.
“Glossier is deeply grateful for the contributions of the people affected and is committed to treating them with the respect they deserve.
“The company is not shrinking its ambition; it is strengthening its ability to realise it.”
The move to “smaller, more agile teams” aims to allow Glossier to “move with the speed of culture and allow investment where it drives the business most”, the Glossier spokesperson added.
They continued: “Glossier is being reshaped so the best ideas can move faster and the brand can lead again.
“The renewed focus is on reigniting the fearlessness, freedom, and brand magic that transformed the beauty industry a decade ago.”
“The company’s vision remains unchanged from day one: to celebrate the joy of beauty in real life.
“The goal is not just to honour what Glossier has built, but to ensure it thrives in the future.”
Walsh, a former CEO of Procter & Gamble Specialty Beauty division, overseeing brands likeOuai, joined Glossier in September 2025.
He replaced Kyle Leahy, who had helmed the beauty brand for three years and announced her departure on 24 June via a company-wide email to staff.
Leahy took over as CEO after Glossier founder Emily Weiss left her role as CEO in 2022.
Weiss established the digital native brand, millennial-pink brand in 2014 and steered it to become a billion-dollar business.
However, the brand has struggled in recent years with greater competition from newer beauty brands and failing to keep up with changing consumer habits.
Glossier cut 80 staff from its corporate office in 2022, which was around a third of its workforce at the time.
The company then cut 24 jobs following its strategy pivot from direct-to-consumer to omnichannel later that year.
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