Glossier — Design System

Name: Glossier design system
Creator: Mozaika
Keywords: design system, design tokens, Glossier, light, custom

light · modern · medium · custom · confidence 92% · deep decode

Glossier sells skin-first beauty in Apercu Pro at 52px/400, millennial-pink washes, and flat zero-radius buttons ('Shop Boy Brow') in gallery grey. Product photography on white does the persuading while the type stays editorial-lowercase-cool — the DTC beauty playbook it wrote: a magazine that happens to check out.

Open in Mozaika →

This is a static, crawlable rendering for search & AI engines. The interactive version — filters, live decode console, copy & export — is at https://mozaika.design/ds/glossier.

Tokens

Glossier's decoded design system: background #FFFFFF, text #000000, accent #C8102E, link #C8102E, primary #0600FF; type scale h1 16px / h2 20px / body 14px; 4px spacing base; 0px base radius. The single interactive/action color is #FFFFFF — used only on interactive or must-notice elements (buttons, links, key highlights), never on large fills.

Color roles

Role	Value
bg	`#FFFFFF`
surface	`#EFEFEF`
border	`#D8D8D8`
text	`#000000`
text_muted	`#606060`
primary	`#0600FF`
accent	`#C8102E`
link	`#C8102E`
secondary	`#E3785E`
button_bg	`#FFFFFF`
button_text	`#000000`

Using these colors

Action color #FFFFFF — the single interactive color; only on things you click or must notice, never large fills.
accent, link are all #C8102E — one role, not several (the action color).
accent #C8102E — accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page.
primary #0600FF — a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #FFFFFF, not this.
secondary #E3785E — optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two.

Typography

Heading: Gill Sans
Body: Apercu
Mono: Apercu Mono
h1: 16px
h2: 20px
body: 14px

Spacing

base unit: 4px
scale: 4px, 5px, 6px, 7px, 8px, 10px, 12px, 14px, 15px, 16px

Radii

base: 0px
button: 0px

Motion

Micro-interactions run at 400ms (dominant) with ease-in-out.

durations: 400ms · 1500ms · 500ms
easings: ease-in-out · linear
animated properties: font-size, opacity, padding, margin

Native design tokens

Token	Value
`--kl-reviews-color-light-gray`	`#e9e9eb`
`--rc-color`	`#040404`
`--rc-active-bg`	`#efefef`
`--rc-active-color`	`#000000`
`--header-height`	`2.5rem`
`--promo-bar-height`	`31.984375px`

Button states (measured)

primary hover: background #E2E2E2
primary focus: outline 3px auto rgb(0, 0, 0)

Layout (measured)

container max-width: 730px
nav: 40px fixed

Motion choreography (measured)

Load order: label.swatch×80 → button.modal__close×5 → div.promo-bar__carousel-slid×5 → div.promo-bar__carousel-slid×117 → header.header → nav.nav

Scroll reveal: 21 elements rest at opacity 0, animate in over 0.5s ease-in-out.

Overlay recipe (measured)

dialog panel: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6) · radius 0px · enter 350ms linear

Input (measured)

height 46px · radius 0px · focus ring 2px auto rgb(255, 255, 255)

Responsive (measured)

breakpoints: 425px · 550px · 600px · 640px · 700px · 768px
mobile (390px): nav hamburger

Per-section tokens (8)

Hero — dark · bg #616262 · text #FFFFFF · 1 col · left
Gallery / Showcase — light · bg #FFFFFF · text #8C6C5E · 1 col · left
Gallery / Showcase — light · bg #FFFFFF · text #CAC6CB · 2 col · split
Feature — light · bg #D6DBDE · text #212421 · 2 col · left
Testimonial / Social Proof — light · bg #FFFFFF · text #201F21 · 2 col · split
Gallery / Showcase — light · bg #FFFFFF · text #3E2B27 · 1 col · left
CTA / Sign-up — light · bg #FFFFFF · text #AB9D99 · 1 col · left
Footer — light · bg #F9F2F5 · text #8A8788 · 4 col · split

Export: DESIGN.md

# Glossier — Design System

> light, modern, medium, custom — deep decode (measured live)

Glossier sells skin-first beauty in Apercu Pro at 52px/400, millennial-pink washes, and flat zero-radius buttons ('Shop Boy Brow') in gallery grey. Product photography on white does the persuading while the type stays editorial-lowercase-cool — the DTC beauty playbook it wrote: a magazine that happens to check out.

## Colors

| Role | Value |
|------|-------|
| bg | `#FFFFFF` |
| surface | `#EFEFEF` |
| border | `#D8D8D8` |
| text | `#000000` |
| text_muted | `#606060` |
| primary | `#0600FF` |
| accent | `#C8102E` |
| link | `#C8102E` |
| secondary | `#E3785E` |
| button_bg | `#FFFFFF` |
| button_text | `#000000` |

**Using these colors**

- **Action color** `#FFFFFF` — the single interactive color; it appears only on things you click or must notice (buttons, key highlights), never on large fills or backgrounds.
- `accent`, `link` are all `#C8102E` — one role, not several.
- **accent** `#C8102E` — accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page.
- **primary** `#0600FF` — a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #FFFFFF, not this.
- **secondary** `#E3785E` — optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two.
- **Page coverage** (full-page screenshot pixels): `#616365` 39.4% · `#FFFFFF` 17.9% · `#070607` 12.7% · `#16191D` 12.1%

## Typography

- Heading: **Gill Sans** _(free fallback: Newsreader)_
- Body: **Apercu** _(free fallback: Newsreader)_
- Mono: **Apercu Mono** _(measured)_

| Role | Size / weight · line-height · tracking |
|------|------------------------------------------|
| hero | 32px / 400 |
| h2 | 20px / 400 · lh 28px |
| body | 14px / 400 · lh 20px |
| small | 13px / 400 · lh 18px · tracking 0.66px |
| eyebrow | 12px / 400 · tracking 0.48px |

- Weight ladder: 400 · 500 · 700 — use these exact measured weights, not the 400/600 defaults.

> **Fonts —** Gill Sans may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). Apercu may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts).

## Spacing
- base unit: 4px (inferred from the measured scale)
- measured scale: 4px, 5px, 6px, 7px, 8px, 10px, 12px, 14px, 15px, 16px — snap all gaps/padding to these

## Radius
- base: 0px
- button: 0px
- card: 50px
- sharp: 2px

## Buttons

| Button | Fill / text | Border | Radius | Padding | Font | Shadow |
|--------|-------------|--------|--------|---------|------|--------|
| primary | `#F7F7F7` / `#000000` | 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) | 0px | 0px 0px 0px 0px | 400 14px | none |
| secondary | `#FFFFFF` / `#000000` | 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) | 0px | 0px 0px 0px 0px | 400 14px | none |

**States (measured, not guessed)**

- primary hover: background `#E2E2E2`
- primary focus: outline `3px auto rgb(0, 0, 0)`
- secondary hover: background `#E2E2E2`

## Motion
- durations: 400ms (dominant) · 1500ms · 500ms
- easings: `ease-in-out` (dominant) · `linear`
- animated properties: font-size, opacity, padding, margin

Micro-interactions use the dominant duration + easing; nothing on the page animates slower than the longest duration above — don't invent springier motion.

## Their own tokens (verbatim from :root)

| Token | Value |
|-------|-------|
| `--kl-reviews-color-light-gray` | `#e9e9eb` |
| `--rc-color` | `#040404` |
| `--rc-active-bg` | `#efefef` |
| `--rc-active-color` | `#000000` |
| `--header-height` | `2.5rem` |
| `--promo-bar-height` | `31.984375px` |

Prefer these names when extending their system — it's the brand's actual vocabulary.

## Layout (measured)
- container max 730px
- nav: 40px fixed · border-bottom 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) · bg #FFFFFF

| Section (y) | Height | Cols | Gap | Pad y | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 785 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 881 | 429 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 1541 | 741 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 2282 | 570 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 2932 | 516 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 3544 | 684 | — | — | 0/0 | — |

## Motion choreography (measured)
Load order: `label.swatch`×80 @0ms → `button.modal__close`×5 @395ms → `div.promo-bar__carousel-slid`×5 @585ms → `div.promo-bar__carousel-slid`×117 @585ms → `header.header` @585ms → `nav.nav` @585ms
- `div.promo-bar__carousel-slid` — color rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.996)→rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) — 898ms ease-in-out (delay 900ms)
- scroll reveal: 21 elements rest at opacity 0, animate in over 0.5s ease-in-out (2 revealed during the drive).
- overlay dialog (auto-opened): panel rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6) · r 0px
  - enter: opacity from 0 · 350ms linear
  - exit: opacity from 1 · 350ms linear | transform+opacity from translate3d(0px, 10%, 0px),0 · 350ms linear

Rebuild the timeline, not just the durations — order, delays and staggers above are the choreography.

## Components (measured)
- input: h 46px · r 0px · border 1px solid rgb(232, 232, 232) · bg #FFFFFF · placeholder #666666
  - focus ring: `2px auto rgb(255, 255, 255)` — this exact construction, don't invent your own
- link: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) · underline — hover #FFFFFF

## Responsive (measured)
- breakpoints: 425px · 550px · 600px · 640px · 700px · 768px
- mobile (390px): body 16px · nav: hamburger

## How to apply
Paste the Tailwind `@theme` (or CSS variables) as your base, then build each
section to its spec — verify every color, radius, and font against these tokens.
Hover/focus states, shadows and motion timings above are measured from the live page — match them exactly, don't re-guess them.

---

> **Decoded with Mozaika** — measured live, not guessed. Full decoded design system + one-command install: mozaika.design/ds/glossier

Export: Tailwind v4 (@theme)

@theme {
  /* action color #FFFFFF — the one interactive color; buttons/links/emphasis only, never large fills. */
  --color-bg: #FFFFFF;
  --color-surface: #EFEFEF;
  --color-border: #D8D8D8;
  --color-text: #000000;
  --color-text-muted: #606060;
  --color-primary: #0600FF;  /* a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #FFFFFF, not this. */
  --color-accent: #C8102E;  /* accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page. */
  --color-link: #C8102E;  /* inline text links and link-styled controls. */
  --color-secondary: #E3785E;  /* optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two. */
  --color-button-bg: #FFFFFF;  /* primary-button fill — the main call-to-action color. */
  --color-button-text: #000000;
  /* fonts: Gill Sans may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). Apercu may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). */
  --font-heading: "Gill Sans", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Apercu", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-mono: "Apercu Mono", ui-monospace, monospace;
  /* measured weights: 400, 500, 700 — use these, not 400/600 */
  --text-hero: 32px; --font-weight-hero: 400;
  --text-h2: 20px; --font-weight-h2: 400; --leading-h2: 28px;
  --text-body: 14px; --font-weight-body: 400; --leading-body: 20px;
  --text-small: 13px; --font-weight-small: 400; --leading-small: 18px; --tracking-small: 0.66px;
  --text-eyebrow: 12px; --font-weight-eyebrow: 400; --tracking-eyebrow: 0.48px;
  --radius-base: 0px;
  --radius-button: 0px;
  --radius-card: 50px;
  --radius-sharp: 2px;
  --color-btn-hover: #E2E2E2;  /* measured primary hover fill */
  --outline-focus: 3px auto rgb(0, 0, 0);  /* measured focus ring */
  --ease-brand: ease-in-out;
  --duration-fast: 400ms;  /* use: duration-[var(--duration-fast)] */
  --duration-base: 500ms;
  --duration-slow: 1500ms;
  --spacing: 4px;  /* measured base — drives the p-*/gap-* scale. steps seen on the page: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16px */
}

Export: CSS variables

:root {
  /* action color #FFFFFF — the one interactive color; buttons/links/emphasis only, never large fills. */
  --bg: #FFFFFF;
  --surface: #EFEFEF;
  --border: #D8D8D8;
  --text: #000000;
  --text-muted: #606060;
  --primary: #0600FF;  /* a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #FFFFFF, not this. */
  --accent: #C8102E;  /* accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page. */
  --link: #C8102E;  /* inline text links and link-styled controls. */
  --secondary: #E3785E;  /* optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two. */
  --button-bg: #FFFFFF;  /* primary-button fill — the main call-to-action color. */
  --button-text: #000000;
  --font-heading: "Gill Sans", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Apercu", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-mono: "Apercu Mono", ui-monospace, monospace;
  --text-hero: 32px; --weight-hero: 400;
  --text-h2: 20px; --weight-h2: 400; --leading-h2: 28px;
  --text-body: 14px; --weight-body: 400; --leading-body: 20px;
  --text-small: 13px; --weight-small: 400; --leading-small: 18px; --tracking-small: 0.66px;
  --text-eyebrow: 12px; --weight-eyebrow: 400; --tracking-eyebrow: 0.48px;
  --radius: 0px;
  --radius-button: 0px;
  --radius-card: 50px;
  --radius-sharp: 2px;
  --btn-bg-hover: #E2E2E2;
  --focus-ring: 3px auto rgb(0, 0, 0);
  --ease: ease-in-out;
  --duration-fast: 400ms;
  --duration-base: 500ms;
  --duration-slow: 1500ms;
}

/* their own tokens, verbatim from the site's :root */
:root {
  --kl-reviews-color-light-gray: #e9e9eb;
  --rc-color: #040404;
  --rc-active-bg: #efefef;
  --rc-active-color: #000000;
  --header-height: 2.5rem;
  --promo-bar-height: 31.984375px;
}
/* fonts: Gill Sans may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). Apercu may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). */