Guerlain | Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Palette

From the luxury beauty house whose bronzing & face powders have launched countless imitations, Guerlain has recently introduced Terracotta Bayadère, a 4-in-1 palette for both face & eyes, exclusive to Sephora (online only). Bearing two shades of the brand’s cult fave bronzing powders, the palette also includes a soft gold highlighter and warm coral blush – all in one oversized and quite travel-friendly compact.

‘Bayadère (noun, French, textiles) – a fabric with contrasting horizontal stripes’

Guerlain | Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Palette

Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Palette (CAN $87.00) | The first thing capturing your attention upon opening the Terracotta Bayadère box, is the plush pink-coral hue of the velveteen sleeve. Housed within: an oversized black-lacquered compact, one narrow face brush with coordinating pink-tinged bristles, and one narrow-tipped sponge applicator. The shades include (from left to right):

Terracotta 03 Natural Bronzing Powder – natural camel tone, warm leaning
Gold highlighter/eyeshadow – pale gold with ultra fine gold shimmer
Terracotta 05 Medium Bronzing Powder – ash bronze, slightly cooler leaning
Coral blush/eyeshadow – pink tinted coral, ultra fine sheen

As with all Guerlain powdered products, all four shades of Terracotta Bayadère are scented with the brand’s signature violet fragrance (the bronzing powders bear a tropical monoï scent), and while quite apparent even when first opening the compact, this dissipates quickly after application (at least it does to my nose, but worth mentioning for those with sensitivities). The powders are also all infused with hydrating and moisturizing active ingredients for a finish that is long-lasting and comfortable to wear, fusing with the heat and oils of your skin to provide a natural looking glow. Known for their ultra finely-milled powders, only the highlighter shade deviates slightly from the Guerlain format with its addition of tiny glitter specs – although no fallout is experienced upon application.

There are many ways to use this palette; the two bronzing shades can be used the traditional way, although the 03 shade is best suited for actual bronzer application due to its larger size, while the narrower 05 shade is perfect for contour use. The golden highlighter works beautifully when applied to key facial features (tops of cheekbones, brow bone, cupid’s bow) although this shade can also double as an eyeshadow, providing a bright gleam to lids & inner eye corner. The blush is another hue that can perform double-duty as an eyeshadow – although I feel it would be best used in this capacity only when swept in the crease (to avoid looking red-rimmed, do not apply along the lower lash line). As far as using this last shade as an actual blush, the narrowness of its size might prove challenging (tip: pinch the bristles of your blush brush together before dipping into the product), but its creamy blending factor makes it so worth the extra effort. Staying power for all four is quite excellent, seeming to get even better as the textures meld with your skin throughout the wearing. *Feel free to mix & match all shades and by layering them to create different combos for wearing either along the eyes or on the face.

Guerlain | Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Palette

Guerlain | Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Palette swatches (in sunlight)

Guerlain | Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Palette swatches (alternate light)

If you’ve yet to try one of Guerlain’s cult-fave Terracotta Bronzing Powders, here’s your chance to indulge in two of their most popular shades in one compact — and at a price that makes it very tempting as well (compared to 1 Terracotta shade that retails for CAN $60.00). The perfect palette to take with you on holiday as well (with my tanning days pretty much behind me, I love perfecting a sunkissed look with these bronzers), the only thing you’ll need to add is a few coats of mascara, a swipe of lipgloss and … done. Bonus: this makes the perfect gift to give out, although you may just want one for yourself too. Just saying.

Guerlain Terracotta Bayadère (limited edition) is available now exclusively through www.sephora.com