FROM THE BASE UP

Her revolutionary concealer was inspired by India and now her cosmetics are coming to town. On the eve of her store launch, Bobbi Brown reveals her best-kept tricks.

Makeup mogul. Artist. Mother. It’s difficult to balance one of these roles, but Bobbi Brown has juggled all three and managed to create a cosmetics empire spanning the world. In her early role as a makeup artist, she broke the ’80s look of chalky-white skin and red lips by blending base to match skin tones, thus earning herself a cult following in Hollywood. That led to the creation of her yellow-toned concealer, a boon to many. And it was all inspired by an Indian woman. “I was helping her select the right foundation when I realised that none of the colours matched her skin. That helped me design the yellow-toned base.” Her range became hugely popular in 1994, after Brown appeared on Oprah and The Today Show— it led to the takeover by Estée Lauder, making the brand a global tour de force. So what’s her big beauty secret?

“It all begins with a good base,” she says, “Indian women will thank me for the peach corrector; it counteracts the grey in severe dark circles.” She also suggests testing the colour of the foundation on your forehead, and warmer tones in makeup to look luminous. But what about the pop colours sweeping the runways? “I’m not a big fan of bright eye shadows,” she says. “I think it looks old-fashioned. I prefer a bright lip, but wear a bit of blush and definition under the eyes, especially if you’re older.” Her trick to the perfect bright lip—“Line lips after putting on lipstick. It’s tough to figure out the contours without colour.”

Brown celebrates women of all ages. For women in their 20s, she suggests experimenting with colours. “The 30s can be a decade of feeling overwhelmed. Take a makeup palette and fill it with a few essentials—stick foundation, cream blush, lip balm, and two lip colours; that way you can have all you really need in the palm of your hand.” For those in their 40s, she suggests being classic, but not boring. “For example, if the trend is fuchsia lips, then try a bright berry lip.” To look fabulous in your 50s, add a bit of colour. “But don’t go overboard. Light colours lift, so use an ivory eye shadow all over the lid and under your brows. A bright blush will take the attention away from fine lines, and give your whole face a lift.” And that really is Brown’s niche, to create makeup that’s classically enhancing, at every age.