Guerlain Terracotta Blondes Sheer Bronzing Powder

A ghost like me quakes with intimidation and fear when the word 'bronzer' is mentioned. Nightmarish images of orange, glittery faces contrasted with white necks come into mind, followed by the entire cast of Jersey Shore. By this point, I push bronzing into the back of my mind and tell myself I am content with blush.

But I wasn't. Part of my heart still yearned for that sexy sunkissed glow that some lucky ducks are born with.

So, after a recent traumatic breakup, I thought 'why not?' to the bronzer question. I justified choosing such a pricey bronzer like this; If I only ever have one bronzer, I want it to be beautiful and luxurious, because at least it will look pretty if it turns out to be a disaster. I saw Guerlain Terracotta Blondes Sheer Bronzing Powder, and not only was it beautiful but the words 'sheer' and 'blondes' appealed to me. It sounded as if the development team had us fair-skinned lasses in mind.

                                                  Top-without flash, Bottom-with flash

This pretty little compact is a real pain to catch on camera. You might only just be able to see the double 'G' embossed into a mirror under a dome of faux-tortoisehell. It's truly beautiful, and I can see myself holding onto this forever, showing it off to my grandkids.

Inside is even better, a gorgeous mosaic of tan, sandy beige, rose and patches of gold-infused bronze. The shimmer made me feel uneasy at first, but as I'll explain in a minute, it is not a problem. It has the distinct floral smell, which I quite like but have seen others describe as "grandmarish"-so you might want to sniff it at your local counter before buying. You get 10 hefty grams, and if you check StrawberryNet, where I got mine, you might find it for around half the cost you'd pay at an Australian Guerlain counter.

                                              Top-natural daylight, Bottom-nighttime with flash

I use a MAC or Cosmetica stippling brush to apply this in a 'C' shape on my face, lightly blending it like a contour under my cheek bones and onto my temples. A tiny bit down the bridge of my nose and a little around the jawline finishes the look. I'm not sure if this is the 'right' way to apply bronzer, but I think it imparts a lovely, sunkissed and most importantly, natural, warmth to the face. It really is sheer, and easy to apply, even for beginners. On my skin, the shimmer is so few and far between that the effect is more matte. I prefer this, however if you're after a shimmery bronzer, this might not be for you.

                                   The product was swatched quite heavily here, but orange tones are still minimal.

Best of all, I've worn this almost every day for over a week and I haven't experience any breakouts. It also doesn't oxidise or suddenly disappear half way through the day. And most importantly, I don't look dirty or orange, even in the most unforgiving lighting. If you have trepidations about bronzing, this is a lovely introduction.

Pros: subtle and natural enough for fairer complexions, beautiful aesthetically and functionally.
Cons: expensive, scent may be an issue for some
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