Every year there is a new rendition of the iconic Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder, and this year’s sunkissed chapter is a little different. The Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzing Powder is a more versatile way to bronze, made up of four complementary segments for a customisable, year-round glow. The best thing about the bronzer is that it’s available in a variety of shades to suit every skintone, from the perky pink tones of 00 Nude, to the deep bronzed hue of 08 Ebony.

I was kindly given the shade 02 Sheer Blondes to try out for myself. Here’s what I thought of the peachy-tan fusion of colour and texture…

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzing Powder in 02 Sheer Blondes

It’s silly, but you know you’ve got something a little bit special on your hands when it comes nestled in a plush little pouch. To me, that says whatever’s tucked within is too nice to simply rattle around in a make-up bag. As much as I love them, I’m forever forgetting to put nice palettes back in their pouch – how about you guys?

The compact of the 4 Seasons Bronzing Powder is so luxurious with a nice weightiness to it. Within the brown metallic frame sits a beautiful round dome printed with the Guerlain insignia. Inside the compact you’ll find a large mirror, which is the ideal size for touch-ups.

When you look at it face-on, the detailing is more apparent, as though the Guerlain double G is trapped inside the dome. It’s little packaging details like this that, for me, really sets Guerlain apart in the style stakes (a trait also demonstrated by the genius Rouge G L’Extrait).

When Guerlain say that this bronzer is suitable to be used segment by segment, they truly mean it. Brands can sometimes be guilty of suggesting that you can do this with palettes when in reality your brush is bigger than an individual segment. With the 4 Seasons compact, you can comfortably grab the colour from one quarter without straying too far into the next colour, something that I really (read, sadly) appreciated.

Each quarter has a slightly different tone and texture to the last. The top left is a lively peachy-tan matte; the top right is a shade darker, with pinker undertones; the bottom left is a darker tan matte; and the bottom right is a peachy tan with golden shimmer running throughout.

The peachy tones of 02 Sheer Blondes are so flattering for paler skin like mine – and are especially good for those who are normally intimidated by bronzers. You don’t separate the shades season by season. Instead, you can use the colours separately to contour and shape different parts of the face: the darker shade for the cheekbones and jaw line, the lighter top shades for all-over colour, and the bottom right shade as a highlighter. Alternatively, you can always just swirl them together for a lovely bronze glow with really subtle shimmer. That’s the beauty of this palette. Complete year-round versatility.

The entire Terracotta range for summer 2013 is now available to buy at Escentual. Have you tried the iconic Terracotta Bronzing Powder before? What did you think?