- Barneys New York recently launched a beauty line, Barneys New York Beauty [1].
- The collection consists of skin-care, body-care, and lip-care [2] products.
- We reviewed every Barneys New York Beauty skin-care product to find out which ones are worth trying.
Even if you've never lived in New York City, you've probably heard of Barneys New York. The iconic department store was known for carrying both luxury and up-and-coming designers, promoting avant-garde fashion, and, of course, being a favorite destination for "Sex and the City [3]"'s Carrie Bradshaw [4]. However, after filing for bankruptcy in 2019, all the Barneys stores were closed and the brand sold off all its remaining inventory. There was relatively no news about Barneys for nearly two years, until Authentic Brands Group, the company that had acquired Barneys intellectual property, announced in September of 2022 [5] that it had partnered with South Korea-based Gloent Group to reinvent the brand within the beauty category.
The Barneys New York Beauty collection currently consists of 10 skin-care products [6], four body-care products, two lip-care products, and, rather randomly, a premium Norwegian drinking water lineup. Here, we're going to focus on the skin care products, nearly all of which revolve around an ingredient developed by Barneys called Glocela. The antioxidant-rich [7] Glocela combines eight active ingredients (cloudberry seed, cranberry, bilberry, edelweiss, Iceland moss, rock samphire, red algae, and alteromonas) whose main functions are to strengthen the skin's barrier [8] and protect against free radicals.
The Glocela ingredient was what made me the most excited to try the Barneys skin-care products; my skin is chronically dry [9], and I'm always on the lookout for ways to build up my moisture barrier. This is especially true since I was recently diagnosed with rosacea [10], meaning I need to steer clear of all things irritating and gravitate more toward products that moisturize. So I decided to try all 10 of the skin-care products — keep reading for my honest review of each, as well as all the insider info you need to know about the brand.
Barneys New York Beauty Skincare Details
Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Hybrid Cleanser Review
The Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Hybrid Cleanser [11] ($48) checks a lot of boxes for things I look for in a gel cleanser. It has a nice light foam that makes me feel clean without stripping my skin of moisture, it has cellulose beads that dissolve for gentle physical exfoliation, and it's powerful enough to use at the end of the day to remove things like SPF and environmental pollution. The brand says that it's strong enough to remove dark makeup; however, that wasn't the case for me. I pretty much always use an oil or balm cleanser for this purpose rather than a gel, so this didn't surprise me. I have been using it the morning after slugging my skin overnight or in the evening on a day when I didn't wear makeup.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Water Essence Review
Water essences have never been at the top of my must-use list — I've always thought they are kind of an extraneous step that don't provide much payoff. The Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Water Essence [12] ($108) has completely changed my mind. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but IMO, if you have chronically dry skin like me, it's a worthwhile investment, and the bottle is big. Plus, a little product goes a long way. After cleansing, I pat the essence into my skin straight from my hands, even though the brand recommends using a cotton pad; it's a bit thicker and more viscous than your typical essence so you actually feel like a lot of product makes its way onto your face. My skin truly looks more plump and bright every time I use it — and stays that way.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Serum Review
The Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Serum [13] ($168) is the most expensive product in the line (most active serums are), but it's become quite a staple in my routine. While you can use it morning and night, I like to use it in the morning only because it contains vitamin C, which I usually always use in conjunction with SPF. I've also found that the serum keeps my skin feeling moisturized all day – which can be difficult with high-concentration vitamin C products — which is something I definitely prioritize.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Light Gel Cream Review
The two creams in the Barneys lineup are the true standouts for me. The first is the Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Light Gel Cream [14] ($138), which I'd say is the perfect daytime moisturizer. Gel moisturizers can be tricky: they can be sticky and pill under SPF or makeup, and oftentimes never quite sink into the skin. Not so for this gel cream. The consistency is like a lightweight jelly and glides onto the skin like a dream — it doesn't leave a residue or pill under whatever your next layer is. The cream also absorbs residual sebum, controlling oil production so that you look hydrated and plump without being slick.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Rich Cream Review
When your nighttime routine is calling, look no further than the Barneys New York Beauty Glocela Rich Cream [15] ($148). I am a sucker for an extra-thick moisturizer (I'm already on my third jar of this stuff), and this one delivers on the promise of overnight hydration. I've seen a significant improvement personally in my skin's elasticity and texture every time I use this cream, which is pretty much every night.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Travel Lover Review
The Barneys lineup includes five variations of the Hydrogel sheet mask, but before I get into the nitty gritty of each mask, here are the overall details for each. First things first: they're sold in bundles of five, plus one bundle of five that includes one of each mask. While I love a sheet mask in general, I do wish that these masks (and masks in general) would lean into a more sustainable model and be reusable. In that same vein, there is quite a bit of packaging that comes with the masks, and it's not clear if it's all recyclable.
That being said, there are a lot of great things about these masks. One of my favorite things about them that really sets them apart from other sheet mask offerings is the two-step nature. Each mask comes with its own Facial Toner Pad to gently exfoliate and hydrate the skin, which preps for the mask itself. Genius! I also love that these masks aren't huge — as someone with (I think) a normal-size face, sheet masks are often way oversize and end up layering over my hairline, ears, and way down the neck. The two pieces of these masks (top and bottom of the face) give a little wiggle room without swallowing up your entire face and everything around it. Plus, they're not so saturated in serum that they slide down while you're wearing it.
Now let's talk about the Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Travel Lover [16] ($75 for five). This mask is meant to be used during or post-flight to help replenish moisture; it uses ceramides and oatmeal extract to keep your skin moisturized. I am one of those people who loves an in-flight mask, so I used this mask on a five-hour flight from Los Angeles to New York. I loved that this one is a white-ish clear sheet (each mask is a different color) so it didn't make me stand out too much. I also was happy that the serum didn't drip off the mask or take 20 minutes to absorb into my skin after taking the mask off. It was a pretty low-key production from prep to finish, which I appreciated.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Ready to Party Review
The Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Ready To Party [17] ($75 for 5) is a brightening mask that is meant to be used before an event for a little extra boost of radiance. This mask in particular swaps purified water as the base for ultrahydrating Damask Rose Water, which is combined with sodium hyaluronate, niacinamide, and camellia Japonica seed oil for a skin-nourishing kick. While I definitely liked this mask, it wasn't my favorite of the bunch — it was nice, but didn't pack as much of a punch as the other four.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Trouble Down Review
It was a tie between the Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Trouble Down [18] ($75 for five) and the Give Me Cool mask (more on that next) for my favorite of these five sheet masks. The Trouble Down mask is made to help sooth irritation and redness, something I'm definitely dealing with right now with these rosacea flare-ups. The base of this mask is the tried-and-true redness reducer centella asiatica extract — which came through for me each time I used Trouble Down.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Give Me Cool Review
On to my other fave, the Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Give Me Cool [19] ($75 for five). In the same vein as the Trouble Down mask, Give Me Cool is also intended to reduce redness, but with a blast of cool rather than via centella asiatica. This mask has a base of Norwegian glacial water — while I'm not totally sure what the difference between this type of water and every other type of purified water is, it definitely helped cool down my skin after a hot-yoga class and while sitting in a hot bath. Hey, if it works, it works.
Rating:
Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Sunday Routine Review
The final mask in the lineup is the Barneys New York Beauty Double Action Hydrogel Mask Sunday Routine [20] ($75 for five), which is the only one to use the brand's signature Glocela formula. It's meant to be a refresh after a long weekend to prepare you for the week ahead. It leans on the antiaging benefits of Glocela along with hydrating hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, and citric and ascorbic acids to gently exfoliate. I saw this mask sort of as an extension of the Glocela serum — I use it as a supercharged burst of serum first thing in the morning.
Rating: