I love a founder who arrives at beauty from the side door, and Terry de Gunzburg did. She studied medicine first, then trained at Carita in Paris and became a sought-after studio makeup artist for photographers like Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. Her signature was a nearly invisible complexion, precise lips and separated lashes, which is still the most flattering makeup idea I know.

She then spent fifteen years at Yves Saint Laurent Beauté developing products, Touché Éclat among them, before opening the first By Terry boutique in Galerie Véro-Dodat in 1998. The idea was couture beauty, cosmetics made to measure. You can read her version on By Terry's own history page.

Then comes my favorite detail: a lab error doubled the rose butter in a lip balm, and Baume de Rose became the line's best-known product. In my fashion dreams, a woman steps out of that Paris arcade with soft color on her lips, the rose balm in her bag and a face that still looks entirely like hers.

The idea running through By Terry is a glow that still looks like skin, and that turns a mixed makeup drawer into a handful of small finishing moves. The Baume De Rose Jar is the tactile first step, the one I would reach for on bare lips before anything else. The Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder and the Travel Hyaluronic Pressed Hydra-Powder are two ways to soften shine without flattening the face.

For color, the Tea To Tan Golden Glow Liquid Bronzer brings warmth, and the Tea To Tan Lip And Cheek Stain can echo it on lips and cheeks so everything looks related. The Hyaluronic Hydra Primer and Hyaluronic Glow Setting Mist are a simple prep and finish pair. What I would skip: spraying the Tea To Tan Face & Body Mist close to a freshly made up face. Save it for shoulders and arms.

My practical test is to press powder on lightly and keep it away from dry patches. The travel size is an easy way to find out whether you like the texture. In my head she leaves the house with a softly bronzed cheek and the rose balm tucked in a pocket.

The most persuasive thing about By Terry is its belief that makeup can be precise without turning into a mask. Not every step belongs in every routine, especially if you like full coverage or have about four minutes each morning. I would begin with the one product that answers a real need instead of buying a whole sequence. Keep a rose balm close, use powder only where you see shine, and let the rest of your face stay your own. Although I suspect the balm will end up in every bag you own.