This Cult Classic Bronzer Is The Best I've Ever Used
Out of everything in my make-up bag, nothing transforms my skin quite like it. As someone with a perpetually grey-toned complexion (the joys of being Irish), I take real joy in its transformative powers. Just a light sweep across the apples of my cheeks, the bridge of my nose and into the hairline is enough to pep up my skin beautifully. Find a good one and I look like I've spent the morning basking in the Med as opposed to fighting for my life on the Victoria line.
As a beauty editor, I've tried more than my fair share of bronzers. Westman Atelier's Glow Drops promised 'instant summer skin' and they really delivered. And of course, like every other beauty journalist, I'm loyal to Chanel's iconic cream bronzer- the one every make-up artist under the sun swears by.
In recent years, liquid and cream bronzers have definitely reigned supreme with powders seemingly taking a bit of a back seat. But when I spotted a rise in Google searches for a certain classic this morning- Guerlain's- I was reminded there's still a rightful place for a bronzing powder. Especially one as revered as Guerlain's. This is, after all, the brand that put tanning powders on the map when it launched Terracotta in 1984. It became an instant best-seller.
So naturally, I decided this was the perfect time to become reacquainted with an old classic. But in a world of new launches all claiming to be the best - does it still live up to the hype?
It delivers 'a true-to-skin bronzed glow.' Designed to make light work of dialling up the bronze, it's infused with luminescent shimmer pigments to provide that elusive lit-from-within radiance. There are skincare benefits too- like nourishing Moroccan argan oil, which adds moisture and keeps skin hydrated over time. 1.
Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder
Rachael Martin, beauty editor says: 'The texture is beautiful. It's soft and silky with a velvety quality. It blends with ease and makes building up the product feel effortless. For me, the finish hits that rare sweet spot between matte and luminous. And let me be clear- I loathe glitter in face products. Nothing is more unflattering, and why brands insist in putting chunks of it in formulas is beyond me. Thankfully, this has just a whisper of of the stuff- the subtlest gleam that catches the light beautifully. Sunlit in the morning, candlelit by evening. Stunning.' Pros Buildable colour
Made with hydrating ingredients
Long-lasting Cons The biggest risk with powdered products is dropping them - don't!
An investment buy
In my experience, Guerlain's Terracotta Bronzing Powder works best when paired with a large, fluffy brush. I dip in lightly, tap off any excess, and sweep it over the high points of the face where the sun would naturally hit. It's richly pigmented, so a light hand is key. If I want to tie the look together and go full bronze goddess (what can I say, I'm my own hype woman), I take a smaller fluffy brush and sweep it across my eyelids too. This creates the most beautiful, cohesive warmth.
Rachael Martin, Beauty Director, says:
'Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! First off, the practicality. After years of battling with bronzers without mirrors, the joy of having one built into this compact cannot be overstated. It makes on-the-go application a dream. The compact itself is a thing of beauty, too. It's a rich, transparent brown subtly embossed with the Guerlain logo - it's all incredibly chic, and I'm already excited about nonchalantly taking it out of my bag. My first impression of the formula? It's pigmented. Very pigmented. Just the lightest touch gives a deep, warm glow, so take your time and build it slowly. That's when I see the best results.
The texture is beautiful too. It's soft and silky with a velvety quality. It blends with ease and makes building up the product feel effortless. For me, the finish hits that rare sweet spot between matte and luminous. And let me be clear- I loathe glitter in face products. Nothing is more unflattering, and why brands insist in putting chunks of it in formulas is beyond me. Thankfully, this has just a whisper of of the stuff- the subtlest gleam that catches the light beautifully. Sunlit in the morning, candlelit by evening. Stunning.
This is a cult classic for good reason - and not just because it looks chic in my handbag. Crucially, the finish looks like a natural tan - a my skin but better radiance. Guerlain has proven why it remains golden (quite literally) all these years later.
Rachael Martin is Grazia's Beauty Director. Originally from Northern Ireland, she studied English Literature at Queen's University Belfast, before moving to London to pursue a career in magazine journalism
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Reporter
4 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fringe 2025 – Alright Sunshine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nicky is here to talk about her life as an Edinburgh police officer. She's actually waiting for a meeting with her seniors, but in the meantime she'll fill us in on her daily schedule. She's wanted to join the police since she was a little girl. Her Dad was in the force, you see. He kept the city safe, and now that's what she's doing. She's proud of her job. Nicky's beat is on Edinburgh's Meadows. They, like everywhere else in the city, have a daily routine – and a nightly one. You can't mess with a routine – if you do, the result is chaos. Nicky keeps everything under control. Including herself. We can tell right from the beginning of Isla Cowen's Alright Sunshine that Nicky is a powder keg of barely supressed emotion. Molly Geddes' razor sharp, drumfire delivery barrages us with information. Nicky knows everything about her patch; the joggers, the dogwalkers, the old ladies carrying their shopping. The teenage drinkers. The Morningside Mummies – 'An existential scream behind their Chanel lipstick'. At first it's (intentionally) hard to tell whether Nicky's energy comes from enthusiasm for her work or exasperation with the people she has to police. Her descriptions of daytime Meadows' frequenters are very funny indeed; if you live in Edinburgh you'll recognise every one, in fact you may well be one. The summer, she says, makes everyone worse, including all those middle-class types with their barbecues, beer and Frisbees. As Nicky's story continues, it's clear her Dad's been the major influence in her life. She idolised him. She didn't even mind when he missed her birthdays; he was out there keeping everyone safe. Including her. Or was he? When she speaks of her Mum, it's with disgust and pity. Mum isn't strong like Nicky and Dad; she cries like a girl. Mum wanted her to wear a dress to the meeting, to get the sympathy vote. Nicky's having none of that; why should she? Gradually little hints are fed into the narrative. When Mum's out Dad indulges Nicky with tomato sauce sandwiches, 'our little secret'…. But all the time he's hammering home a message, 'Dinna be emotional, dinna let them think you're weak, DINNA BE A GIRL' Of course Dad was 'impatient' with Mum; with all the pressures of his job, what did she expect? Cowen and Geddes bring these unseen characters alive. I came away with a very clear picture of bully boy Dad and cowed, fearful Mum. So now Nicky devotes her entire life to the police. Overtime, paperwork, patrols with male officers (because it's thought a man is less likely to hit an officer if he's accompanied by a woman.) Her long-suffering boyfriend's left her, but was that really because she worked long hours? As Nicky becomes increasingly agitated, the reason for her distancing from Rob surfaces, despite her attempts to 'push it all down.' Geddes moves from funny to deadly serious with great skill. A slight pause here, a look there; she never fails to take the audience with her. As the truth starts to emerge from all the bluster, we realise why control is so important to Nicky, why she has suppressed her emotions for so long. She's tried so hard to act like a man, to please her Dad, satisfy the police force's needs, turn a blind eye to the appalling behaviour of male officers ('It's all just a laugh.') Even confronted by a scene of appalling domestic violence, she didn't cry, she kept it all in. The records of the perpetrator's earlier assaults were lost, the incidents never followed up. And now Nicky's been forced to acknowledge that all of this has got her nowhere, or at least nowhere she wants to be. The patriarchy has wronged her, and so many other women, in every imaginable way. She's not worried, she says, about the forthcoming disciplinary hearing. Men ('including Dad') only ever get a rap over the knuckles so why should she be any different? But Cowen's script and Geddes' actions make it clear that Nicky is very worried, she knows all too well that this isn't how things go for women, ''Don't be a girl'….I AM A F—ING GIRL!' There are very few props in this show; Geddes is well able to carry the monologue without them. Her police uniform is, however, used to powerful effect. It's Nicky's protection, psychologically as much as physically. It makes her feel safe when she's patrolling the Meadows at night. Without it she's as vulnerable as the next woman, walking home alone at night. Nicky tells women to take a cab, carry your keys in your fist, avoid dark places. Cowen paints a vivid and very real picture of the Meadows after dark; insufficient lighting, lonely paths, noises behind you. (Saoirse Ronan: 'That's what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?') Music is used to excellent effect. As Nicky begins to implode, the rushing sound in her head grows unbearably, overwhelmingly, loud. The show's lighting is also well done, particularly the threatening darkness of the nighttime walk across the Meadows. There is no sunshine any more, 'alright' or not. As Nicky is called in to face the music, she puts on her police jacket and slowly, very slowly, places her hat on her head. It's a silent moment of realisation. The audience is hushed. This is what institutionalised misogyny does to women; female police officers, victims of domestic violence, wives of 'strong' men, women simply walking home at night. Alright Sunshine is a Wonder Fools production. See it at Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome), 1 Bristo Square (Venue 23) at 4.20pm every day until 24 August. Please note there is no performance on Mondays 4, 11 and 18 August. Please also don't be like me and go to the wrong Pleasance site! This one is in the Edinburgh University Students' Association building in Bristo Square. Like this: Like Related
Cambrian News
7 hours ago
- Cambrian News
Live music Fridays at the Magic Lantern in Tywyn
Expect Irish jigs and reels, through bluegrass and country to 70s Southern rock, comprising of four part vocal harmonies, fiddle, guitars, bass and drums - ensuring a depth of soundscape that makes you dance and sing your heart out with them!
The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
The rise of ‘SugarTok' where women ‘date' wealthy, older men and make up to £40k a year in a bid to pay off debts
SCROLL through TikTok and you can't miss the increasing number of young women flaunting luxury 'sugar baby' lifestyles funded by wealthy, older men. But is it a bit of fun, or something darker – and at what cost? Fabulous investigates… 5 5 Looking at the mounting pile of bills on the hall table of her student flat, Roxy* felt a rising sense of anxiety. Studying geography at university by day, her four-night-a-week bar job simply wasn't enough to keep up with the rising cost of living. It was a TikTok video that would open Roxy's eyes to the possibility of a controversial way out of her financial struggles. As she scrolled through the app one evening three years ago, the algorithm shared a video made by a 'sugar baby' – a young woman involved in a relationship with an older, wealthy partner. Showing off a £5,000 Chanel handbag, the petite blonde explained her flash lifestyle was all down to her 'sugar daddy', who paid for her company and lavished her with gifts. Searching #sugarbaby, Roxy was stunned and intrigued to see thousands of similar videos, with young women on luxury holidays, showing off designer clothes and revealing their bank statements – all paid for by their sugar daddies. 'I'd heard of sugar daddies, but had no idea this lifestyle had become so prolific among girls my age,' she says. 'There was this whole world out there of women leading amazing lifestyles, and although some did mention they were having sex, many seemed like they were just being paid and rewarded for their company.' With 314k videos on TikTok using the hashtag #sugarbaby and thousands more using #sugarbabyproblems, it's now a thriving social media trend. 'I saw these girls my age living lives of luxury, and I wondered where I'd gone wrong' Roxy was 21 when she first spotted the posts. 'Life was so hard at that time,' she recalls. 'I was living off pasta and beans, struggling to pay bills and working until 3am, then getting up to go to lectures. My mum helped when she could, but money was already tight for her. I wasn't able to buy new clothes or go on nights out. I was feeling increasingly isolated. 'I saw these girls the same age as me living a life of luxury, and wondered where I'd gone wrong,' she says. In 2022, at the start of her second year of university, Roxy signed up to a site where men are invited to bid for dates, after finding herself unable to afford the deposit for a new flat. 'That was the tipping point when I thought: 'Enough is enough.' I wanted more than life was giving me. 'The site popped up when I googled 'sugar daddies'. If a man makes an offer, you can accept, decline or counter. The money is exchanged on the date itself. There was no mention of sex and it seemed legitimate. It was just going on dates. 'I went on a few dates and, initially, men were buying me dinner and paying me around £200,' Roxy says. 'Most of them were in their 50s or 60s, but they weren't terrible company. We'd talk about their jobs and their hobbies and sometimes they'd kiss me on the cheek at the end of the night. It seemed like an easy way to make money.' One or two were 'creepy', she admits. 'I had one guy who kept saying: 'I'm going to stroke you now', and he would touch my back and arms. He hadn't even given me the money at that stage. I always met the men somewhere public, where I felt safe.' In three months, Roxy went on eight dates and made around £2,000. Then, in December 2022, she met Mike, a 58-year-old investment banker who said he'd struggled to hold down a 'proper' relationship as he travelled so much for work. After paying for four dates, he asked to make their relationship more permanent. 'I was worried,' Roxy admits. 5 'Did he want me to sleep with him? I wasn't sure how much 'sugar' I wanted to give. He'd already paid me over £1,000 in a month in cash. 'But I liked spending time with him, and he was clear that he only wanted one 'baby'. I didn't want to lose him. I agreed to go to Dubai with him and spent five days shopping and lazing by the pool. It was amazing and I couldn't believe I was being paid £2,000 to go on holiday. We didn't have sex. He was gentlemanly and considerate, and I had my own room.' Roxy isn't unique in having experienced the financial challenges of being a student nowadays. A recent survey by UCL revealed 68% of students can't afford course material. A separate poll found 67% sometimes skip meals to save cash.* Added to that, a recent study by and the Campaign Against Living Miserably found that half of young people feel pressure from social media to buy things or to look a certain way, and 43% spend more than they can afford to keep up with what they see on their feeds. Against this backdrop, it's perhaps little wonder that women like Roxy are being tempted into finding a 'sugar relationship'. Chartered psychologist Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley says: 'Social media doesn't just reflect culture, it creates it. When you're constantly exposed to images of designer clothes, luxury holidays and filtered lifestyles, it's easy to feel like you're falling behind.' She adds: 'If you're financially stretched and still working out who you are, the idea of being wanted and looked after can feel incredibly appealing. But what is never shown is the emotional cost, the power dynamics, the pressure to perform and the impact on your self-worth. 'Even if sex is technically consensual, if it's tied to financial support or a sense of obligation, it can leave people feeling out of step with their own desires. I've heard people say: 'I didn't really want to, but I felt I should.'' 'He said he'd up my allowance to £4,000 a month if I slept with him' It was following their Dubai trip that Mike first asked Roxy for sex, after giving her a £10,000 Chanel handbag. By this stage, they'd been 'dating' for three months. He was paying her £3,000 cash every month, as well as buying her fancy gifts, but said he'd up his allowance to £4,000 if she slept with him. 'He was much older than me and I hadn't slept with many men in the past, so I was nervous. But in many ways, I was happier than I'd been in years. I was doing well at uni without money worries on my mind, I got to go out and spend time with my friends, and he wasn't jealous or possessive, so I said yes.' Roxy describes the first time as nerve-wracking and says she just wanted to get it over with. 'Afterwards, I asked myself: 'Am I now the same as a prostitute?' But I decided this was different. We were in a relationship of sorts, and there are plenty of marriages where the men support the wives who stay home. I didn't enjoy the sex – I liked Mike but I wasn't attracted to him in that way, but I pretended to be having fun for his sake.' Roxy and Mike were in a sugar relationship for two years, sleeping with one another several times a month. 'I didn't tell my family, as I knew mum would be ashamed. I told her I had a boyfriend who came from a wealthy family. Even then she warned me to be careful. I confided in some close friends, who thought it was great – they didn't judge me at all.' Their relationship ended in 2023 when Mike moved overseas, but since then she's had two more regular sugar daddies. She is currently in a relationship with Paul*, 55, who she's been seeing for six months. 'Paul likes me to attend events with him and go for dinner after work. I haven't slept with him,' Roxy says. 'He buys me gifts, takes me away for weekends, and he pays my rent.' But dating coach Eimear Draper warns such relationships are fundamentally unhealthy. 'In a healthy relationship, there should be equality. That doesn't mean you have to earn the same, but there should be respect for what you contribute to a life you are building together. In a sugar-baby relationship, there is no equality. It's transactional.' 'One girl's sugar daddy paid for her New York apartment, but he wanted sex every night' 5 Former sugar baby Nova Jewels dated four sugar daddies in five years, earning herself around £40,000 a year. Despite making so much money, she hates seeing this kind of lifestyle promoted on social media. 'People don't realise how dangerous it can be,' says Nova, 29, from Dundee. 'Each time you get a new daddy, you have to do security checks, find out if they are legitimate and if the name they give is their real name. I have my wits about me. If I got the slightest inclination that something was off, I'd cut them off.' Nova understands why sugar babies would brag online. 'They can earn a mad amount of money, and I don't think people believe it's real until they experience it themselves,' she says. 'But it's not always as luxurious or straightforward as some influencers would have you believe. 'I often see naive women commenting on posts and saying they are going to do it to pay off debt or feed their children. But this is an adult industry. I knew one girl whose daddy paid for her to live in a multimillion-dollar apartment in New York, but he wanted sex every night. I don't think many people understand where the line is now.' Nova quit working as a sugar baby in April and now has a regular nine-to-five job in events. 'I've had a total turnaround,' she says. 'The money was amazing, though I never slept with my sugar daddies. It provided me with a life and money that a nine-to-five job would never have done, but it needed to stop. 'I definitely don't earn the same now, but I love the independence of having my own job and earning my own money. It's time to stand on my own two feet,' she says. Sugar relationships are not just attracting young women like Roxy and Nova. Sarah* is 50 and has earned over £4,000 since signing up to be a sugar baby in December last year. She was newly divorced and struggling to pay off £10,000 of debt she'd been saddled with in the wake of her marriage breakdown. 'I was sinking under the weight of the debt, which we'd had as a couple. We had to split it when we broke up, and we had two children to look after,' she says. 'My children are teenagers, so I am able to work nights in a supermarket, but it isn't enough. 'I signed up to a site and, within days, I had men offering me money to go on dates with them. I did worry I was too old and no one would be interested, but I had a lot of interest despite my age.' Sarah's first sugar daddy was married and, after several dates, she had sex with him, earning around £1,500. But he constantly pestered her, and said he wanted her to fall in love with him. 'In the end, I had to cut him off,' Sarah says. 'I kept on dating, but after that I did make my boundaries clear. I won't have sex with a sugar daddy again. 'Now, I mainly just have lunch dates and coffee with lonely older men. They just want some company and a woman on their arm. It's harmless,' she says. 'For me, it's just a way of paying off my debt. When it's done, I'll stop. There is no emotional connection. It's a way of getting my life back. 'No one knows that I've been dating sugar daddies. I'd be devastated if my children found out. It's not an example I want to set for them.' 'I have to look good for my daddies – I'm in the gym every day and I have my hair and nails done' 5 Now on her third sugar daddy, Roxy says although she felt financially pressured into the lifestyle initially, now she wouldn't change it for the world. She has come out of university debt-free and hasn't found the need to find a proper job, thanks to her 'income' of £3,000 a month from her relationships. 'My family think I do a bit of fashion work to earn money. I'm not flashy with it. Most of my stuff is understated and I never brag on socials.' 'I don't need to work,' she says. 'I do have to spend time taking care of myself, as I want to look good for my daddies, so I'm in the gym every day and I get my hair and nails done regularly. 'Of course, not everyone will approve of this lifestyle, but it's my life – you only get one, and I'll live it how I choose. 'I'd love to meet someone for a 'real' relationship one day, but right now that's not a priority and I'm certainly not looking. If it happens, maybe I'd have to give this up, but they'd have to be really special – or rich.'
