BEAUTY
A makeup masterclass with Westman Atelier’s founder, Gucci Westman
An internationally renowned celebrity makeup artist, Gucci Westman is a woman worth listening to when it comes to the art of makeup. Known for her skin-first approach and softly defined looks, her expert insights are like gold dust to anyone looking to elevate their glow and effortlessly master makeup application. Whether you’re looking to create the perfect lip or flawlessly sculpt your features, the founder of Westman Atelier shares the makeup tips she swears by…
Contouring is an especially powerful makeup technique for enhancing more mature skin. Gucci observes that “as we lose volume with age, the face becomes flatter in some areas, and more hollow in other ones.” In response to this, “contour is a way to refine what's happening with a rich, beautiful tone that brings back definition and gives everything an intentional quality.”
What contouring product best suits your needs?
Powder perfection: “Sometimes I want more intensity and longer wear,” Gucci explains. “That’s when a powder contour really comes in handy.” One of her beloved powder products? The Baby Cheeks + Face Trace Sculpting Powder Duo – a blush and bronzer duo with shades carefully selected to illuminate the complexion.
How to apply it: “start with the bronzer to add dimension, then apply the lightest shade for a fresh, luminous touch of colour.” For best results, use the Westman Atelier Powder II brush to pick up the Face Trace Sculpting Powder, tap to remove excess, then apply under the cheekbones, blending upward and outward.
How to create the perfect lip
From a barely-there nude to a high-impact lip, the perfect pout has the power to speak volumes, without uttering a word. Since the challenge lies in bringing your chosen look to life, Gucci breaks down the steps to get there.
For an effortless, everyday lip look
According to Gucci, for a low maintenance day-to-day look, lip balm is an “everyday essential.” For an effortless shimmer, simply opt for transparent formulas and then “layer over with a swipe of Lit Up Highlight for a subtle boost.” She also recommends reaching for “tinted formulas that feel comfortable on bare lips,” or advocates for building your own bespoke, lip-loving look. Her advice? Find a balm you “can layer over pigmented lipsticks to amp up the sheen.”
Gucci’s pro lip balm tip: “exfoliating your lips gently with a warm textured cloth before applying balm is essential to helping it penetrate. So is being consistent about reapplying so that things stay healthy and soft.”
For a bold lip
Ideal for a dinner date, special occasion, or for conveying unshakeable confidence, everyone loves a statement lip. And Gucci’s insider tip is your ticket to achieving one: “I create the shape that I want with a fleshy lip tone shade, then fill it in with a vibrant matte colour.” Her logic for this? “A bold lipstick may fade at the centre of the lip while you’re talking or having a drink – this way, if you don’t have time for a touch-up, you won’t be left with a harsh red line around the perimetre of your mouth.”
For striking colour, Westman Atelier’s Lip Suede Matte Lipstick or HydroBalm Tinted Lipstick are two top-tier picks. If using the former, Gucci explains “you can also apply a light touch to the cheeks for a coordinated look.”
While creating a bold-coloured lip might seem like a challenging endeavour, ultimately there’s no rule book. Simpler than it seems, Gucci’s guidance is to “just play and trust your instincts.” And a final, freeing piece of advice from Westman Atelier’s founder that you can safely fall back on: “use Spot Check Brush and a bit of Vital Stick Foundation to clean up any mistakes.”
Frame your eyes
When it comes to eyeliner, if you’re wanting to switch things up but still keep things monochrome, instead of a traditional black liner, a chocolatey tone (like that of the brown Eye Love You Eye Pencil) “creates a striking contrast with blue and green eyes, and adds beautiful depth to brown eyes.” To smudge-proof your look, Gucci’s pro tip is to “lightly dust the eyelids and brow bone with a translucent pressed powder to set everything in place.”
Perfect your eyebrows
“Tame, blend, and soften” your eyebrows with a spoolie, or the dry end of the Bonne Brow Defining Pencil. “For longer-lasting hold,” Gucci says “spray a little hairspray onto the brush before brushing the eyebrows to shape them and keep them in place.”
How to choose your blush shade?
According to Gucci, “most women know intuitively if they look better in rosy blushes or peachy ones.” She says the trick is to “think about the natural undertones in your skin – it can look really nice to offset them” – and adds, “if your skin is more ruddy or pinkish, I’d treat those areas with foundation first to neutralise any redness, then add back some healthy colour.”
In her opinion, “if you like a flush that's a bit more understated,” then a delicate, deep mauve like Garçonne “looks beautiful on fair to tan skin tones, especially olive complexions and those with neutral undertones!" Alternatively, a nude-toned blush “picks up the bronze in the skin” while pinky-peach shades, such as Coquette, act as “a true complexion-opener for fair to tan skin tones with a neutral/warm undertone.” For Gucci, a tawny-beige “works best on fair through tan complexions” while a brighter pink like “Poppet is gorgeous on everyone, from the fairest to the deepest complexions. It is also great if you have a lot of olive in your skin.”
