BEHIND THE BRUSH: MARIE BRUCE ON BRINGING OUR SPRING CAMPAIGN TO LIFE
Welcome to your season of artistry, where colour is your language and every brushstroke tells a story. This spring, we invited Marie Bruce — the makeup artist renowned for her expressive, painterly approach — to bring our Artist’s Palette vision to life. Behind the scenes, she reveals how she sculpts light, mood, and texture into wearable looks rooted in self-expression. Here, she shares her perspective on beauty as an art form, the thought behind her ever-evolving approach, and her top tips for recreating the hero looks from the campaign. Read more and shop the shoot below.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MARIE BRUCE
“For me, beauty has always felt like visual storytelling. Makeup isn’t just about enhancement — it’s a language of colour, texture, and mood. When I approach a face, I think about it the way a painter approaches a canvas: where the light sits, where the drama should live, where softness should balance intensity.
"For this shoot, the idea was to treat colour as the hero. Instead of simply placing shades where they’re expected, we allowed them to move — diffused edges, layered pigments, almost like brushstrokes. It was about celebrating the artistry of makeup while still keeping it wearable and emotional.”
“Earlier in my career, beauty felt more about perfection — the symmetry, the technique, the polished finish. Over time, I’ve become much more interested in individuality. The moments that feel most beautiful are often the slightly undone ones — a blurred edge, a surprising colour pairing, a look that reveals personality rather than hiding it.
"When someone opens one of my palettes, I hope they feel a sense of permission. Permission to experiment, to play, to express something about themselves that day. Colour can shift how you feel — it can be confidence, nostalgia, rebellion, joy. If a palette invites someone into that creative space, then it’s done its job.”
“My references are rarely just from beauty. I’m constantly looking at art, cinema, textiles, photography — anywhere colour is used emotionally. A painting might inspire a shadow placement, or a vintage magazine might spark a particular combination of tones.
"I’m also deeply inspired by people — friends, artists, performers, the way someone naturally wears colour or carries themselves. Sometimes the most interesting palettes come from real life: the tones in a sunset against city architecture, the clash of fabrics in a vintage market, or the glow of neon on skin at night. Inspiration tends to appear in unexpected places if you’re looking for it.”
“The 80s were fearless with colour, and that spirit is incredibly inspiring. But instead of recreating it literally, I wanted to reinterpret the attitude. The original era was very graphic and structured — strong shapes, bold blocks of pigment.
"For this campaign, we softened that approach. The colours are still vibrant, but the application is more fluid, more diffused. It feels modern because it’s less about perfection and more about expression — letting colour melt into the skin rather than sitting rigidly on top of it.”
“I like to start with a deeply rich hydrating cream — such as Augustinus Bader The Ultimate Soothing Creme. Let it sit for five minutes and tissue off any excess and then go in with a lightweight foundation — I’m really loving Hourglass Illusion Luminous Glow Foundation lately.”
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Recommended Retail Price: 280.00€Current price: 238.00€
20
66.70€
27.60€
11
29.90€
“More, more, more. '80s colour was quite matte — try adding some sparkle to the eyes and gloss to elevate that '80s blush and bring it into 2026.”
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Recommended Retail Price: 51.75€Current price: 43.99€
“For a wearable version, try skipping the top powder coat — perhaps focus on using just two to three shades, keeping the darker shade at the lip line and the lightest shade in the middle.”
“Keep to the same colour family — pinks, lilac, peach — for a harmonious glow. Matte textures work better here.”
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85.10€
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34.50€
