The book Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro is perhaps one of the most read instructional materials to emerge from the beauty industry. Many makeup artists and enthusiasts either own the book or have read it cover to cover. I have two copies, one for reading and the other for my bookshelf, as it was autographed by Bobbi Brown herself.
What women love about Bobbi Brown’s books and makeup line is they were not created with only models in mind. The book offers instructions and tips that really work. The makeup line has colors and textures that work for all of us, whether we are working moms who commute to work or young women who just graduated from college. The foundations (there is a good selection from the iconic Skin Foundation SPF 15 to the new Skin Weightless Powder Foundation) have a wide range of colors, usually from Alabaster to Espresso.
If there is such a thing as comfort food, then Bobbi Brown is comfort makeup. You know exactly what you’re going to get, and you know they will make you look good. The look is always natural, with a finish as close to one’s skin as possible. This flawless base is usually enhanced with color on the lips and cheeks, or maybe some shimmer on the upper part of one’s cheeks. The signature Bobbi Brown makeup look is, in fact, a glowing skin with neutral eyes and lips.
Felix Nguyen, Apac manager for artistry at Bobbi Brown, was in Manila recently to demonstrate how easy it is to do summer and career makeup using Bobbi Brown products.
For summer, Nguyen told guests at the event held in SM Megamall to lay easy on the foundation and only in areas that badly need coverage, like the sides of nose or where there are marks and blemishes. He also advised against overdrawing one’s brows, a crime many girls are guilty of these days.
Instead, Nguyen’s advice is for women to look for a signature bright color (Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Sunset Orange is a good one), and apply it with fingers for a more diffused look.
Career makeup means that a more polished look is required, and Nguyen said that the perfect foundation-and-concealer matches are required. Swatch foundation shades on the side of your face. The shade that disappears is the right one.
Here is the secret to perfect skin, the Bobbi Brown way.
- Always prep skin with eye cream and face cream so that concealer and foundation go on smoothly.
- The second step is to correct and conceal. A pink- or peach-toned corrector is good for dark undereyes, while yellow-toned concealer evens out the skin.
- Apply foundation beginning around the nose and mouth. Blend out to the rest of the face.
- Set with sheer face powder (Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder is good for setting makeup and for touchups).
- If you want a warmer color, apply bronzer where the sun normally hits your face, like the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin.
For a one-time purchase of P5,000 at any Bobbi Brown counter in the Philippines, you can get free makeup lessons from Bobbi Brown-trained artists. You may choose from different looks, including Bobbi’s Ultimate Makeup Lesson and Everything Brows.
- E-mail the author at luckydinna@gmail.com.