Laurence Maestrello, Global Creative Makeup Artist at Guerlain, shared during her visit to Madrid for the opening of the brand's Terracotta Cafe pop-up that what she aims for with the perfect summer makeup, or rather, what she seeks when applying it to other skins, is the effect of the warm sunset light on the face. In a slightly less poetic language, the face that remains after a day at the beach at sunset, where everything seems to shine under a more beautiful light.
Another non-negotiable point for the makeup artist from the French brand - who not only creates looks but also is behind the textures, colors, and formulas of the house's color palette- is simplicity. And what she says is not just talk: during the masterclass attended by Yo Dona, her words turn into actions on the skin of her hand and brushes. Everything she does seems so easy, she gives such simple yet effective tricks, that it's impossible not to feel the urge to try everything she says. Because the effort is almost zero and the result is a perfect 10.
The art of applying bronzing powder
By now, it's no secret that the key to a summer makeup look lies in the correct use of bronzing powder. Guerlain, in particular, excels in this area. Maestrello recalls that it was in 1984 when the brand launched its Terracotta with the aim of "illuminating the skin without transforming it," emphasizes the makeup artist. Quite daring considering that looks in the 80s were much more exaggerated than today, and makeup aimed for notoriety, not a fresh and natural look as contemporary as today. If 40 years are not enough to prove that a product works, Laurence Maestrello adds with a laugh, as an anecdote, how many times in her career she has heard other experts use the name Terracotta to refer to generic bronzing powders... not from Guerlain.
No matter how old bronzing powders are, every summer the question of how to apply them arises, as the key is to replicate the natural effect of the sun on the skin, without overdoing it. The expert advocates for using the classic double V technique, which, she reassures, "you don't have to be a makeup artist to do it well." Maestrello starts by blending the various shades of the 2026 edition of Terracotta Golden Dunes, adorned with colorful replicas of Moroccan mosaics designed by Maison Aït Manos, with a good large brush ad hoc.
Terracotta Golden Dunes, this summer's limited edition from Guerlain.D.R.
With the brush loaded with product, she begins by gently stroking from the forehead towards the temples, the hairline (where the sun hits the most, let's not forget that the idea of bronzing powders is to replicate a bronzed effect with zero health risks). Then it's time for the famous double V, which runs across the face from one eyebrow tail to the other, through the cheekbones, crossing the bridge of the nose. Maestrello introduces some small variations that change the face for the better: she applies the brush under the under-eye area (yes, under the eyes, and it works!) and bronzes the nose in the upper area, almost in line with the eyebrows.
Completing the penultimate letter of the makeup alphabet, she lightly blends towards the cheekbones, and then downwards, slightly reloading the brush, towards the chin and jawline, as well as the neck, especially on the sides and even behind the ears, an area that, she warns, should not be forgotten, as it can easily reveal a bronzed look achieved with a brush and often overlooked.
Guerlain basics that Maestrello uses to achieve the perfect summer makeup.LETICIA DÍAZ DE LA MORENA
Blush, the cherry on top of a bronzed look
For those blush fans, and there are many, who still think that bronzing powders and blush are incompatible, Maestrello dispels all doubts with a trick that uses a touch of pink blush to enhance the most flattering summer look. "I use the pictorial technique of sfumato with blush, for which two shades are needed. The idea is that it doesn't look like makeup, but that the blush seems to come from within the skin."
Thus, the makeup artist puts the theory into practice on the model's face. She starts with an intense, striking fuchsia pink blush, applied with a brush, on the high cheekbone area, blending so lightly that it seems like a caress. She then adds a touch of light pink on the apple of the cheek, the rounded part when smiling. She blends everything together with the brush. As if by magic, the bronzed effect from the bronzing powders gains more volume and light.
A vacation face with just one gesture
The third trick, so simple that it seems unbelievable but it's true, used by the Guerlain makeup artist when preparing the skin, both for summer and fresh looks and for everyday wear, is related to the basic makeup routine. After applying the moisturizing base Joli Teint, it's time for concealer.
And the question is, where would you apply concealer? Because I, for one, would apply it under the lower lash line and the under-eye area. But Maestrello doesn't. "You have to think of it as something that brings light, so I apply it only in the dark area under the tear trough, close to the bone under the eye and next to the nose," she confirms. In other words, a light touch that can be blended into the skin with the fingertips and, ooopssss, erases fatigue in an instant. Because the makeup artist likes to use concealer to illuminate, without overdoing it, "you also have to respect the shadows of the face, sometimes we tend to over-illuminate, and it's the balance between light and shadow that gives volume to the face," she concludes.