We tried Guerlain’s bestselling bronzer on 4 different skin types
Founded in Paris in 1828, Guerlain has perfected it's range of fragrance, skincare and makeup to offer some of the finest French beauty products worldwide. Putting nature at the core of its inspiration, the brand creates timeless formulas, designed to enhance and display your natural beauty.
One of Guerlain's bestselling and most well known products, the Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer leaves the skin with a natural, sun-kissed glow, boosting radiance using a blend of luminescent, shimmering pigments. Infused with natural-origin Moroccan flower honey, the bronzer helps to moisturise the skin for a more supported and healthier complexion.
Olivia Devey, Guerlain national beauty expert, answers our questions on the iconic Bronzer, explaining everything you need to know about the glow-giving formula.
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"Each Terracotta contains a key natural ingredient to boost the performance" explains Olivia. "In Terracotta original, it's Moroccan argan oil to hydrate the skin and give a smooth creamy effect to the formula. In Terracotta light it's Moroccan flower honey, again to bring hydration and smoothness to the formula. Terracotta matte contains natural Kaolin clay to absorb excess oil without drying the skin. Terracotta Nude contains Gemnude light, a unique combination of natural colour and radiance pigments to even out the complexion and give a luminous veil to all skin colours" she adds.
"Absolutely, there are different finishes for your preferred look but all the formulas are perfect for all skin types, containing natural hydrators to ensure a smooth finish on any skin" assures Olivia.
"We have 4 formulas of Terracotta Bronzing Powder, so no matter how you like to bronze your skin we have something for you" says Olivia. "Terracotta Light, the UK's bestseller, is a blushing and radiant finish (imagine an afternoon in the sun). Terracotta Original is a satin and golden glow (think a week in the south of France). Terracotta Matte is the perfect cool toned contour powder and Terracotta Nude is a sheer and luminous glow, to add highlight to your makeup or a really gentle warm glow (think your 8hours sleep and 3 litres of water in a powder)" she explains.
"The colours of the Terracotta powders mimic the way your skin naturally tans in the sun. Firstly you pick the depth of colour; are you a light, medium or deep skin tone? Then you pick your tone, so if you tan a warmer, more golden colour, pick a warm terracotta. If when you tan the skin goes more pink or terracotta red tones, then pick a cool terracotta colour. The variety of colours in Terracotta is what makes it so natural on everyone" says Olivia.
"I prefer an angled brush so you can adjust between a more contoured look and a more sun kissed look super easily" advises Olivia. "I personally prefer a larger brush to get a more diffused effect. I recommend the Terracotta powder brush by Guerlain" she adds.
"With the Terracotta Bronzer, it is best applied after foundation" says Olivia. "But because of the natural oils and moisturising ingredients, it behaves a lot like a cream, so if you want to wear it on a bare skin with no foundation it will go on as smooth as it would over foundation, quite unusual for a powder texture".
For a more subtle, sun-kissed finish, Olivia says to think about where the sun would naturally tan the skin. "I recommend the ‘sun strip’ technique, imagine you are drawing a line across the top of the cheekbones and across the bridge of the nose – like a line straight across the face. Then dust a line horizontally across the top of the forehead" she instructs.
If you're looking to contour and enhance the natural bone structure, Olivia explains that you should accentuate the natural hollows of the face, whilst warming the complexion. "I would always select a formula without shimmer, either Terracotta original or Terracotta matte" she recommends. "Start on the temples and come down under the cheekbones, in the natural hollow of the cheek. With what is left on the brush come up on the forehead and then along the jaw, as if you are drawing a 3 shape on the face. Also, don’t forget the neck, follow the line of the muscle from just under the ear to the middle of the collar bone, this will make the neck look more narrow and elongated" she adds.
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"To improve the performance of any bronzer ensure your skin is well hydrated for the smoothest finish, for this I recommend Abeille Royale youth watery oil by Guerlain" says Olivia. Her go-to look, pair the Bronzer with a red lip: "I also love that effortless Parisian look, pairing a simple tanned and glowing skin with a bold red lip, so I would pair my Terracotta with a Rouge G Luxourius Velvet in no214".
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To celebrate the launch of Guerlain on LOOKFANTASTIC, we tried the iconic Terracotta Bronzer on 4 different skin types and these were the results...
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Skin type: normal
Skin tone: fair/pale with cool undertones
"This bronzer feels so natural on my skin tone! I am very fair with cool undertones so typically can find it difficult to find a bronzer that doesn’t look too dark or orange on my skin. This bronzer applies nice and lightly, giving a natural bronze tint to the skin with a hint of shimmer. No orange tones at all!".
"I personally love to get my glow on, but sometimes I am weary of the shine that comes with cream formulas. This shimmery powder is ideal because it gives my skin a lit-from-within iridescence, without becoming to oily or shiny throughout the day thanks to the powder formula".
"Super lightweight and soft, this is definitely a buildable formula (preventing any heavy handed mistakes!). It has a ‘barely there’ feel that I just love – especially on holidays".
"Soft focus, glowy with a subtle shine. This is a super natural, warm tone that looks like a natural tan".
"Generally this bronzer stayed in place really well (even on one of the hottest days of the year). Thanks to the powder formula, there was no separation or oiliness!".
Skin type: combination
Skin tone: medium with cool undertones
"The bronzer was a good match to my skin tone and warmed up my appearance more as I built up the colour. I’d like to see how it works on darker skin tones too!".
"The bronzer worked well with my skin type, mattifying the oily shine of my forehead to balance it with the rest of my face. The powder felt very soft and wasn’t dehydrating at all".
"Although it’s a powder compact, this bronzer felt almost buttery to apply. It’s very buildable, making it great for either day or night".
"The finish was smooth and matte, which I prefer, but has a shimmer to it that gives a sheer, sun-kissed glow. It looks like you’ve caught the sun in the best way possible".
"I wore the bronzer all day and it was still perfectly in place when I removed my makeup that night, around 16 hours later. Quite impressed!".
Skin type: oily and blemish-prone
Skin tone: light with neutral undertones
"The bronzer added the perfect sun-kissed look to my skin, enhancing the tan I had from my summer holiday. I usually shy away from bronzers as I find they look quite orange and heavy on my skin, however this one looked natural and blended seamlessly into my natural skin".
"I am very cautious when using new products as I have acne-prone and oily skin which usually doesn't react well to new formulas, especially bronzers previously. However, I had absolutely no problems with this one, it sat on my skin perfectly and I didn't experience any unwanted breakouts after wearing".
"The bronzer felt extremely lightweight. Once applied, I couldn't feel that I had it on".
"The finish from the bronzer was extremely smooth with a very subtle shimmer that enhanced my natural bone structure. It really does look like a natural tan".
"I wore this out for a meal so applied my makeup quite early on in the evening and it stayed put all night until I took it off."
Skin type: sensitive and dry
Skin tone: medium with warm undertones
"I have yellow undertones so what I really liked was the fact it didn’t appear too orange on my face like I have found previously".
"I often find bronzer can cake around drier areas of my skin, whereas, this glided on and blended really well all over my face. I also have to be so careful with my sensitive skin, this bronzer caused no irritation and wasn’t heavily fragranced".
"Very soft and smooth. It was a very fine powder so was easy to blend into blush but was enough pigment to contour my cheeks and forehead".
"It was a matte finish but appeared to have a glow once layers on top of my foundation. The finish was glittery and was a nice even tone".
"The image is of me after wearing the bronzer for nearly 11 hours whilst at work so I feel this is evidence that the product doesn’t budge once applied! It doesn’t appear cakey after time either, the finish is still as flawless as when I applied it in the morning!".
Working with brands at LOOKFANTASTIC for over two years I have developed my knowledge of all things beauty from key skincare concerns to niche makeup tricks and haircare hacks. I have a major passion for finding effective solutions that are easily accessible to everyone so that we can all achieve our best, glowing complexion.
