Model wearing a Brock collection dress on the runway

If your summer dream scenario happens to involve a weightless slip dress and an unfailingly pretty makeup job, you’re in good company. Designer Laura Vassar’s recent Brock Collection runway delivered both.  “It’s all about real skin,” says Gucci of the naturally radiant complexions she created for the label’s Spring 2019 show, which look that much better as the weather turns hot.  Channeling Vassar’s own fresh-faced aesthetic, Gucci breaks down how to get the look.

Sheet Masks Are Your Answer to the Perfect Makeup Prep

A clean canvas is everything. Before starting makeup, Gucci hydrates with a good mask or face cream. At Brock backstage, that meant using Saturday Skin’s aloe-infused sheet masks to prep, resurface, and get rid of redness. Gucci’s favorite moisturizer before makeup is Augustinus Bader’s Rich Cream—she lets it absorb for a few minutes as a super-nourishing base.

One Foundation Shade May Not Be Enough

The more your foundation mimics your own unique natural skin tone, the more real it will look. Using her Vital Skin stick formula, which is infused with calming plant-based actives and nourishing coconut oil, Gucci blends 2 or 3 shades to get an exact match. “Most women have multiple tones within their skin,” she adds—so if your forehead is slightly deeper in color, for instance, while your chin and under eye area are slightly lighter, aim to match those same subtle variations as you work. The goal is to refine and amplify rather than mask— that’s what makes skin come alive.

Go for "Skin Warmth" Over "Sun Tan"

The French call it ‘bonne mine”—that indefinable, tawny glow that’s the result of living well or a week's vacation at the beach. For Gucci, it comes down to a believable sun-kissed hint of warmth. At Brock and beyond, she blends Super Loaded Tinted Highlighter along the crest of the cheekbone, across the eyelids, and just below the apples for an outdoorsy flush.

Take the Extra Minute for Blush

A subtle pop of color on lips and cheeks gives skin dimension. For the Brock runway, Gucci used her favorite creamy Baby Cheeks blush sticks in shades ranging from a deep rose (Dou Dou) to a mellow coral (Minette), then pressed the same color onto lips. Toss one in a bag, take it to the beach, touch-up when you need to.  The beauty of the whole thing “is that it doesn’t have to be perfect."

 

Gucci applies makeup to a model backstage at a runway show