Guerlain Terracotta Gold Light Bronzer (Holiday 2017)

Sunday, February 11, 2018

An alternate title to this post could be: "In the Defense of a Poorly Reviewed 'Bronzer'".

I've had the Guerlain Terracotta Gold Bronzer from the 2017 Holiday collection for over ten weeks. It was in my Sephora sale order in November. I didn't get a chance to review it before the festivities but I felt like I should even if it's rather late because there aren't many positive reviews out there. Quite the opposite. People HATE this bronzer. Is that click baity enough for you?

Reviewers hate that it's called a bronzer. For most skintones, it will produce not a sunkissed bronze but a yellow gold sheen.

Many are also not a fan of the packaging. Maybe because it's in a tin? A lot of Guerlain products com in elegant tins though, so not sure how anyone can accuse this specific one of looking cheap. I guess I'm the black sheep on this one because I adore it. The black and gold scalloped design is exquisite, definitely a looker in my collection. Prying the mirror cap off can be awkward, instead try a slight twisting motion as it will easily reveal the powder inside.

Swatched over face primer.

I wasn't very put off by this improper bronzer designation, but I had already been on the lookout for a soft gold highlight. I had considered Fenty Trophy Wife, but when I tested it in store, it had much larger particles than I had hoped for and looked unflattering for my skin texture (pores. Big ones). My search continued for a soft really yellow gold sheen. That's what I wanted and what I got, so in my eyes, Gold Light delivers.

The powder is on the softer side, not dusty or dry feeling. I've used it maybe 25 times but the scalloped imprint still remains (I've mainly been using quadrant iv, like in a unit circle). It's not well pigmented, if you like a very metallic glint, this product is not suited for that. More for a faint golden glow.

This compact is highly fragranced, for a base cosmetic. According to Christine of Temptalia, the scent of the powder is tiarre. I don't mind it, but scent preference is highly subjective and all (example: I find the Burberry fragrance in the blush to be abhorrent, even though it's not as strong as this highlighter), so if you don't like scented makeup at all, I'd pass on this.

This highlight met my expectations. When previewing this item, I saw a very yellow gold soft subtle highlight and hoped that it would look flattering on my large pores. That's what I received, packaged in a beautiful black case, accented with thin gold scalloping. No regret, far from it! I really quite like this item and have been using it all winter long for gold glow.

Guerlain Terracotta Gold Light Bronzer from the 2017 Holiday collection is a limited edition item. It's $60 and still available from Nordstrom as well as Sephora.

Can you think of any products that you have really loved but weren't well received by others?

Product featured was purchased by me. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.