Gucci Westman’s fabulous makeup line – Westman Atelier – has fast become a solid favourite in my makeup drawer. I started with her blushes and loved them so much that I had to basically try everything else. Would I call myself a bit of a WA collector? Probably, and part of the reason for that is the seamless intersection of form and substance in every product in the Westman Atelier line. The high-quality form – reflected in the way the cylindrical makeup tubes feel in my hand, the ergonomically satisfying flattened spheres of highlighter, the brassy gold gleam of a dome holding cream bronzer, the matte smoothness of a suede-like pale grey exterior housing blush, and the shiny, vinyl-like red of a heavy metallic compact full of creamy lip colors – is perfectly aligned with the high quality of the substance inside - the makeup itself. Each element of this makeup line deserves a dedicated ode – the blushes are soft and spreadable; the foundations are butterlike; eye shadows are infinitely blendable, and of course, the highlighters – these are the central focus of this post.

The Westman Atelier highlighters come in two formulas – the Super Loaded Tinted Highlight - a thick, creamy, pigmented, and more metallic base that is housed in heavy, round, domed compacts; and the Lit Up Highlight Stick - a lighter, sheerer, more emollient formula that comes in perfect little cylindrical tubes.  Peau de Soleil, one of the two Super Loaded Tinted Highlights, is a true bronze-gold which would be too dark as a highlighter on pale complexions but works well on darker skin tones. The compact that Peau de Soleil comes in was the real draw for me – it has a unique brass-like gold finish and feels like a heavy amd satisfyingly solid pendant in my hand. You could place it on your coffee table and it would easily pass for a tiny sculptural addition to your home. Peau de Rose is a pale, cool-toned pink, spun through with miniscule gold sparkles that add a hint of warmth. This is possibly one of my favourite shades of pink in a highlight ever. The compact it comes in is a decidedly more subdued matte black with a gold accent – very James Bond.

Lit is the original shade (and used to be the only shade) in the highlighter stick formula. This is a cool-toned, white-based balm with just the hint of a bluish-purple through it. Lit feels mostly like a clear emollient balm on the skin – very similar to the new Chanel highlighter balms. It’s sheer, so you won’t see the bluishness unless you go into highlighter overdrive and pack on a few layers. Lit comes in a matte black tube which is the cylindrical counterpart to the Peau de Rose compact. Recently, Westman Atelier added two more shades to their Lit Up Stick format – Nectar and Brulee. Nectar is a pale peach balm, warmed through with bits of gold; and Brulee is a more bronze-y, bruise-y brownish-plum – but equally sheer so one layer will add only the lightest touch of warmth to the complexion. Brulee comes in a gold tube that is the cylindrical twin to the beautiful brass-gold compact of Peau de Soleil – shiny, golden, and looks like you made an investment in a piece of art.

Both of these highlighter formulas slide seamlessly over foundation, blend easily, and make skin – there’s no other way to put it – look expensive. Westman Atelier makeup pieces are a collector’s dream. The fact that the product inside demonstrates such careful consideration of color, tone, and texture is a reflection of the line as a whole – I cannot wait to see what they bring into the world next.

Top-Left: Peau de Rose, Bottom-Right: Peau de Soleil

Top-Left: Nectar, Bottom-Right: Brulee

Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlighting Stick in Lit

Swatches