Bobbi Brown is coming to Belgium!

Beauty lovers across the country probably hear the bells ringing. Their prayers (and mine) are finally heard: Bobbi Brown cosmetics is finally coming to our beloved little country!

Who’s Bobbi Brown?

Bobbi Brown is an American makeup artist who has been working for various leading international magazines like Glamour and Vogue since the ’80s. In 1991 Bobbi debuts with her own line Bobbi Brown essentials, consisting of 10 brown-based lipsticks, at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. She expected to sell 100 lipsticks by the end of the month and ended up selling 100 the first day. Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder bought the rapidly expanding beauty brand and helped it grow into the international successful brand it is today. The brand now has 988 points of sale in 56 countries and 17 BB studios.

Bobbi’s Philosophy

The moment I learned about Bobbi I was completely flabbergasted by her unique philosophy on makeup. To her, it all comes down to women looking like themselves, only more beautiful and with more confidence, by choosing the right makeup. It’s about giving them a makeup lesson, not a makeover. Training is therefore an essential element in this philosophy. Her professional makup artists are teaching women how to apply makeup that fits them and their lifestyle. I haven’t experienced this yet, but what I can say is that her books are a definite must-read when you’re trying to learn more about makeup and how to apply it. I bought ‘Bobbi Brown’s MakeUp Manual’ last year and I can honestly say it has taught me more about products and application techniques than any other book, beauty store personnel or makeup lesson (MAC technique lessons aside) than I ever had. Truly worth every penny (or cent)! 😉

Bobbi hits Belgium

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics already had its fifteen minutes of fame on Belgian soil at the Cristophe Coppens pop-up store in Knokke this summer, but it will soon return and take it’s place in the Belgian beauty market. Cosmeticary is opening a Bobbi Brown Studio nextdoor to their shop in Brussels (Auguste Ortsstreet 11/B) in November.

I know it’s still a while before November, but in the meantime I’d like to share some tips with you that I’ve learned at the Bobbi Brown Press Day. I was kind of hoping to meet Bobbi in person, but since she doesn’t like to travel, she sent one of her best makeup artists; Eduardo Ferreira, who is the Director of Artristry of Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. Quite the cheerful character who knows how to give an interesting makeup lesson I say! Below are his tips in a nutshell.

• To avoid lines around your eyes after applying concealer, make sure the area is well hydrated before you start. It has to be smooth, not wet. BB’s Hydrating Eye Cream is perfect for the job!
• The secret of the universe is concealer. First use a corrector (pink) to hide the dark circles, then the concealer (yellow). Apply the concealer with a brush and blend with your fingertips. Finish with a yellow-based powder to secure the concealer. For touch-ups, use the Tinted Eye Brightener.
• Don’t waste your time on shaping and contouring. This is only effective for photoshoots where the photo’s are edited with Photoshop afterwards. “If you have a round face, learn to love your round face.”
• Foundation should ALWAYS be yellow-based to look natural. Yellow helps neutralize the redness of the skin. The darker your skin, the more yellow should be in your foundation. The perfect foundation is the one that you can’t see.
• Never use a powder foundation when you have dry skin.

• After applying the foundation, it needs to be secured with a finishing powder in the same color as the foundation. Only apply on places where your skin tends to get shiny (mostly T-zone)
• Blush has to have a pink/red shade to make you shine. It makes you look young and fresh. Pinch your cheeks to see what color you need and apply it on your thickest part of your cheeks (smile while applying it). If you’re using a bronzer: first apply the bronzer, then the blush.
• The color of your eyeliner needs to be darker than the color of your eyes.
• The older you are, the more eyeliner you need and the darker your eyeliner needs to be
• Your mascara should ALWAYS be black because brown ones make your eyes look red. Redheads are an exception, they can use brown mascara.

To give you an idea of the price category:

Lips: Lipstick €23,39 ; Gloss €21,35 – €23,39 ; Liner €17,29 ; Balm €19,32
Eyes: Shadow €23,39 – €24,40 ; Mascara €22,37 ; Liner €21,35 ; Brow shaper €19,32 ; Pencil €20,34 ; Corrector & Concealer €26,44 – €31,52
Face: Foundation €37,62 – €40,67 ; Blush €25,42 – €43,72 ; Powder €25,42 – €43,72
Fragrances: €22,37 – €56,94
Brushes: €23,39 – €61,01
Accessories: €5,08 – €61,01

In my opinion and from what I’ve seen, Bobbi Brown’s strength definitely lies with the basics. To get a perfect natural look, I’d go for a BB concealer kit, foundation, blush and powders. Sure, it’s a bit more expensive, but I believe that products you use everyday are definitely worth the investment. The rest is completely up to you if you want to keep it natural or more festive. Can’t wait ’til the store opens to stock up some basics!

To finish; here’s a 10-step how-to video to get you started:

Video and promotional images courtesy of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com