Bobbi Brown’s Beauty: As Natural as the Mountains of Telluride

Bobbi Brown

I first heard about Bobbi Brown back in the early nineties when I stopped into Bergdorf Goodman’s in New York.  There was a big counter devoted to her line of natural looking lipsticks and the array of super-wearable shades such as yummy Raisin, Blackberry and Burnt Red was refreshing.  I was living in Paris at the time where I operated a shopping service, so I couldn’t help taking notice of this American woman that had garnered so much attention—actually buzz—at the cosmetics counter, territory predominantly overrun by the French.

Fast forward to just over ten years after that when I found myself living in Telluride, an equally beautiful place as Paris, and surprisingly enough, working at the Telluride Children’s Ski and Snowboard School.  There I learned that a friend of mine was teaching Bobbi Brown’s kids to snowboard.  The Bobbi Brown? I inquired.  Bobbi Brown of make up and beauty fame?  I quickly learned that Bobbi Brown was in many ways as much of a fixture in the Telluride community as alpenglow sunsets—or almost at least.  She and her family have been coming here for over fifteen years.  And like many other children of T-ride families, her kids practically grew up on the Magic Carpet.  As Bobbi’s fame grew so did her willing participation in so many of Telluride’s events and charities.

I finally met this make up diva extraordinaire when I interviewed her for my Travel Fun radio show.  It was easy enough for me to decide what to wear for that meeting and how to do my hair, but in terms of make up, I almost folded.  Did I go for the quintessential Telluride look and just put on a bit of make up or should I enhance myself a tad more?  Just as it’s often better to be overdressed than under dressed, I figured I should do my eyes some in addition to the cursory sweep of powder, blush, concealer and gloss.  Not surprisingly I realized when I met Bobbi that she wasn’t wearing a smack of make up at all.  Indeed she appeared more like a Tellurider than I.

“I never wear make up when I ski, when I’m at the beach or when I exercise,” she readily told me.  I tried not to feel self conscious about my somewhat made up look and proceeded to ask her about her take on beauty and her life in Telluride.  I quickly learned that Telluride has been a source of inspiration for Bobbi on many levels.  Many of her products, in fact, have been entirely Telluride inspired.  “Extra,” her ultra-rich skin care products, for example, were created in response to the harsh, dry climate of the mountains.  “All the years of coming here, I couldn’t believe how my skin looked,” Bobbi said.  “I looked like an old woman.”  She knew that drinking water was essential but she realized even more the importance of developing a product that would hydrate and protect your skin at the same time.  “Extra’s” super-hydrating tinted moisture balm has an SPF of 25.  “It’s like three products in one,” Bobbi says.

Upon seeing her boys come home wind-burned and chapped from a day on the mountain, Bobbi set out to replicate that intense rosy color earned from a day in the outdoors.  Slopes, a particularly color-saturated line of cosmetics directly resulted from her wintertime observations.  One summer produced  Stonewashed Nudes, a collection that came about from hikes picking stones in Telluride.  “The nude face is more about putting on colors that look like your coloring but don’t make you look washed out,” Bobbi says.

This natural approach lies at the very foundation of Bobbi Brown’s beauty philosophy.  That is how she entered the cosmetics business in the first place.  While working as a professional make up artist, she would constantly mix up different cosmetics in order to achieve the colors and looks that she found to be more natural.  After a chance encounter with a chemist, she was able to create a lipstick that seemed to be missing from the market, a very down-to-earth color just one shade darker than her own lips.  That lipstick is now called Brownie and it’s the number two selling lip color of her collection.

Today Bobbi is as much of a fixture on high-profile programs such as the Today Show as on the slopes of Telluride.  And as I learned while chatting with her, all of us are so much better off because of her and her approach to beauty.  “Make up is a way for a woman to look and feel like herself, only prettier and more confident,” Bobbi says.  Indeed she is a huge proponent of women—young and old—feeling good about themselves.  She’s not into artifice; there’s no putting on a mask with the Bobbi Brown look.  “Confidence is the key to beauty,” Bobbi says.  “Self esteem and confidence are the foundation to feeling and looking pretty.”

Bobbi in Her Telluride Home

Bobbi particularly emphasizes these traits for teens and underlines the importance of the need for young women today to have positive role models.  For women approaching their forties or over forty, she wrote “Bobbi Brown Living Beauty,” her fourth book that is actually a lifestyle book about how to look fresh, pretty, and healthy as you head into your fifties.  “I wrote this as a gift to the women I know,” Bobbi said.  “It also helped me to come to terms with the fact of turning fifty.”

To look at this vibrant lady with incredibly dewy and radiant skin, you would never guess that she’s fifty plus.  Her products seem to be working for her but I can tell that it’s mostly about attitude and lifestyle.  She’s also a big believer in massage and regular exercise.  “Both help to release toxins and oxygenate your blood which will help your skin immensely,” Bobbi says.  She concluded her interview with me with a chunk of her biggest advice which she clearly adheres to tenfold.  “Stop beating yourself up and feel good now, because in ten years you’ll look back at pictures from now and say how good you looked back then.”  Well, I don’t think many of us can disagree with that!

Bobbi points out that that’s true for men as well but she also acknowledges that men have it a little easier.  “Men are lucky because they can look good a little grungy and with lines around their eyes,” she says.  Although women have the added benefit of beauty enhancers such as the much-necessary concealer and lipstick.  “Men should be sure to take care of their skin and moisturize,” Bobbi continues.  “But the only other products they can use are perhaps self tanners, bronzing gels and tinted moisturizers.”  Sorry guys, all the rest of the good stuff is for us.

In 1994, Bobbi Brown essentials went international, debuting in Harrod’s in the U.K.  In 2003, her Brightening Collection was launched in Asia.  Move over Paris, there’s plenty of room for this enterprising américaine.

Bobbi’s Beauty Tips

Concealer is the secret of the universe.

A pop of blush is the quickest way to add a healthy glow to the face.

Strive to be comfortable and relaxed.

Find a make up that suits you.  A very natural look might work better for some women whereas others might want to introduce more color.

Be open to change.  It’s probably best not to do your make up the same exact way you did it a decade or more ago.  “Don’t get caught in a rut,” Bobbi says.

It’s good to focus on one thing; if you’re going to have smoky eyes, make sure you have pretty, soft cheeks and lips.

The same goes for your clothes:  If you’re wearing a glitzy sequined dress, keep the accessories subtle.

Be sure to have a good skin care regime that will keep your skin looking fresh.

Always moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

Consider wearing jewelry as make up.  Don earrings or necklaces that will enhance your complexion and put on a big beautiful pair of earrings if you’re not feeling so pretty.

Use lip liner sparingly as it can dry out your lips.  Plus Bobbi doesn’t like to see a dark line around the mouth.

Every woman should have a shade of lipstick that she can swipe on without looking in the mirror.

Pair down what you bring when you travel—maximize your use of mini items as much as you can.

Always do something to your face to make you look more attractive.  “It’s a big mistake not to do anything to look brighter or fresher,” Bobbi says.  “Those are the women I like to help the most.”

Travel with good face moisturizers such as face oils.  “I put a ton of face oil on before and after I board the plane,” Bobbi says.

Bring something special with you on your trip such as black eyeliner or some shimmer.

Always be nice.  A smile is the best way to engage someone.

When you feel good, you look good—so make smart food choices, exercise and drink water.

Love more.  “When you feel love, you look more beautiful,” Bobbi says.