This Memorial Day weekend may offer a first official dip into summer—and if you're feeling inspired to up your beauty game, look no further than Kerry Washington's iconic Vanity Fair cover.

“The inspiration was a powerful woman,” Gucci says of the dewy skin, bold red lips, and slick damp hair—a wink to Washington's Golden Globe-nominated performance as Olivia Pope in Scandal. Shot by Norman Jean Roy in Bridgehampton, New York, the actress slipped into a swimming pool for the final image as the sun began to go down.

“I wanted this really radiant finish to her skin,” Gucci explains of the fresh counterbalance to her matte crimson mouth and lived-in liner. Here’s how she got the look, from eyes edged in black kohl pencil along "the tear line and into the lashes” to a 1-minute lip.  Watch the full video now! 

Want to recreate Kerry's cover look? Here are Gucci's product picks: