I wake up every morning and put on makeup.
I didn’t used to. The most I used during my teens and 20s was some tinted lip balm.
But there came a point in my 30s when I didn’t look like me anymore.
My eyebrows were so sparse they were practically invisible. My lips had faded to an odd two-tone color. And let’s not even talk about under my eyes.
I needed makeup just to look like me.
Not to look glamorous or made up, but simply NORMAL.
And here’s the crazy thing…
I wouldn’t have even HAD that option if it hadn’t been for Bobbi Brown.
The Invention of Natural Beauty
Not all that long ago, the point of makeup was to make women look different.
Makeup changed a woman’s skin tone. You wore it so that your skin looked more porcelain, your lips vibrantly red, your cheeks unnaturally rosy.
You also wore it to mask features you didn’t like, like your freckles or wide nose or smallish eyes.
When Bobbi Brown began working as a makeup artist in the 1980s, she was amazed at how beautiful models looked without their war paint on.
These natural, fresh-faced beauties didn’t need loads of makeup.
But the makeup artists of the time troweled it on anyway. That’s what the photographers expected. It was the look that sold fashion.
By a stroke of serendipity, Bobbi Brown met a photographer who shared her aesthetic. Bruce Weber appreciated natural beauty.
Together, the pair introduced the “no-makeup makeup” look we take for granted today.
How Bobbi Brown Invented the Classic Nude Lip
It seems like such a no-brainer.
There will always be women who don’t want to look made up but still wish they could get rid of dark circles or brighten their eyes.
Surely there should be products that disappear into the skin, bringing out a woman’s natural beauty without being obvious about it.
Just 30 years ago, those products didn’t exist.
The makeup of the time made women look “made up.” Bobbi Brown couldn’t find foundation that looked like natural skin. She couldn’t find lipstick that looked like natural lips.
So she ended up buying theatrical makeup and mixing her own custom shades to create a more natural look.
Then destiny (or good fortune) struck…
She bumped into a chemist who offered to make her a custom lipstick.
And that’s how the legend of Bobbi Brown began.
You Do You
Anyone who’s visited a Bobbie Brown makeup counter knows the Bobbi Brown difference.
You won’t find heavy foundations or contouring kits. (She’s famously against contouring of any kind.)
Instead, the makeup artist will match your natural skin tone and lip tone to find you products that look like YOU, only better.
“The end result has to look like you’re not wearing a lot of makeup, but just that you’re vibrantly healthy,” Bobbi explains. [1]
Today, it’s a piece of cake to find a nude lipstick that evens out your lip tone. Foundations come in dozens of shades to suit every skin tone. You can find natural makeup that’s so foolproof you can apply it in the car without a mirror.
Would we have all that if it weren’t for Bobbi Brown?
For all those reasons and more, we’ve selected Bobbi Brown as our newest #BrilliantBabe.
It’s great to know we look beautiful just as we are.
“My philosophy is always, ‘Be who you are.’ When you finally figure out who you are, God, it feels good.” [2]
5 Bobbi Brown Quotes We Love
I look at a woman and I don’t see what’s wrong with her. I see what’s right.”
Beauty is the result of realizing what is special about you and not focusing on the things you don’t like.”
Makeup is a way for a woman to look and feel like herself, only prettier and more confident.”
Beauty isn’t about looking perfect. It’s about celebrating your individuality.”
How I feel about myself is more important than how I look. Feeling confident, being comfortable in your skin—that’s what really makes you beautiful.”
Stay Tuned for More #BrilliantBabe Profiles
Here at Your Brilliance, we believe the best way to figure out how bright you’re able to shine is to look up to other woman who are doing what you’ve always wanted to do.
The women you see featured in glossy magazines, climbing sheer rock cliffs and heading Fortune 500 businesses and crafting unique Etsy art from the comfort of their own homes, got there on guts and faith.
They didn’t know if they’d be able to succeed at their dream. But each and every one made the decision to take the first step. And the second. And the third.
We hope these profiles of brilliant women inspire you to reach for your dreams.
[1] https://www.allure.com/story/bobbi-brown-interview-on-youtube-beauty-and-no-makeup-makeup
[2] https://www.thecut.com/2017/03/bobbi-browns-next-moves-and-beauty-secrets-interview.html
Let us know what you think!