Makeup Artist Marcelo Gutierrez’s Book ‘Nothing Precious’ Interrogates What Beauty Means Today

We spend hours scrolling on Instagram—discovering cool new brands and saving images of street style or a chic living room—but nothing holds a candle to tangible inspiration like a physical book or magazine. If you’re looking to add something special to your home library this holiday season, makeup artist Marcelo Gutierrez just released an edit of images that will appeal to the beauty and art communities alike.

Nothing Precious

13.39 x 9.45 inches. 104 pages. 1st Edition of 500. Printed in Italy.

With just 500 copies available, Gutierrez’s debut book Nothing Precious is 95 pages of colorful, artful, and somewhat edgy images, starring big names and Gutierrez’s muses, such as Joan Smalls, Gabbriette, Lourdes Leon, and Paloma Elsesser, and edited by Bazaar’s own Lynette Nylander. “I want people to treat it as if it’s a special item a friend gifted them,” the makeup artist adds. “It has the look of zine but the weight and effort of a book.”

While many makeup artists launch eponymous brands, Gutierrez wanted to prioritize his love of storytelling in Nothing Precious. “Everyone comes out with a makeup brand, and there’s an abundance of them–and, while I love new products, I don’t necessarily feel it appeals to my creative approach,” he explains. “The pages were created out of my joy and love for storytelling. I wanted to celebrate the community I work with while inviting people into my creative process.”

Each page is a beautiful extension of his work, painting faces with loud colors, palatable textures, and strategic lighting. Gutierrez even brought back regular faces (including his face) from his Instagram, like friend and muse Lily-Rose Depp, who wrote the foreword for the book. “It would have been easy to just shoot Lily, but I wanted to give space to see her beauty from a different lens,” he says.

Ahead of the holiday season, coffee table books make a foolproof gift–and Nothing Precious is a perfect option as it doubles as an art piece and a beautiful read.

Nothing Precious is out now and available to shop at nothingprecious.co.

Katie Intner is the associate beauty editor at Harper’s Bazaar across print and digital, where she covers (and tests) everything from the latest aesthetic treatment your dermatologist loves, to science-forward fragrances, to the biggest beauty tech innovations and at-home tools. When Katie is not working on a story or connecting with brands to delve into the latest and greatest formulas, she can be caught scouring a French pharmacy in Paris, or checking out a buzzy new spa or wellness haven. Before joining the Harper’s Bazaar team, Katie held fashion and beauty positions at Nylon, The Zoe Report, and People.