For Marcelo Gutierrez, applying makeup is a way to see into someone’s soul.
His first book, “Nothing Precious” (Climax Books), which is set to be released on Nov. 21, is an ode to the power of cosmetics. He believes makeup has the ability to reveal, rather than conceal, the softer, unseen side of his starry clients-cum-friends.
“’Nothing Precious’ is a celebration of how beauty and personality are one and the same,” the makeup artist told WWD. “I’m not the kind of artist where I stamp myself on someone. I get an impression of them, and I try to pull out their nuances.”
With a wave of Gutierrez’s makeup brush, the model and TikTok star Gabbriette, known for her Gothic look, is transformed into a bleach blond Hollywood starlet.
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Through a flick of eyeliner, model Paloma Elsesser is transfigured into a witchy woman. Clown makeup — normally an insult for the makeup-mad — looks chic on musician Jazelle, their face painted white, lips rouge, and eyes dusted with indigo.
By contrast, the singer Lourdes Leon sports a stripped-back face in the book.
“I wanted to see them in a certain light because I know them, and so we’ve created these personas that are true to them. Beauty can be really honest, even if it’s developing a character,” he continued.
The book features photographs by Renell Medrano and Aidan Zamiri, while the foreword was written by the actress Lily-Rose Depp.
“Marcelo’s chair is one that leaves you feeling more yourself when you leave it than you did when you sat down, because something in your heart has been delicately tapped into, and brought forth by the magic of his hands,” writes Depp.
Trained as a multidisciplinary artist, Gutierrez moved to New York at age 20 to pursue filmmaking. He fell into makeup by chance, painting the faces of the actors starring in his short films. It wasn’t long before he was discovered by Pat McGrath, who took him under her wing and urged him to pursue makeup.
“Pat is such a visionary and has such foresight. I thought, ‘If this icon is seeing a little seed of something in me, I should really take it seriously, and not miss this moment,’” he said.
For 10 years, he has risen through the ranks, steadily building his portfolio. “Nothing Precious” marks a milestone for Gutierrez, a testament to his growth as an artist and the friends he’s made along the way.
Gutierrez will be doing a signing at Climax Books in New York on Nov. 21 to coincide with the book’s launch. The $75 book will be available for purchase at Climax Books and online at nothingprecious.co.
