Bobbi Brown is many things: a mother, a wife, a brilliant business mind and successful entrepreneur. Bobbi Brown also happens to be one of the people I admire most: kind and down to earth despite her fame, fortune and incredibly busy lifestyle.
After three years on Brandeis campus, I have seen my fair share of make overs, make unders and then some sights that just plain make me cringe. The fact is, even as adult college women, we are still learning how best to utilize the wide array of cosmetics available to us. Many of us use too much, some don’t use enough, some use just the right amount but gravitate towards colors or styles not appropriate for our age or setting (or any age or setting at all).
So I did what made the most sense: I asked Bobbi, makeup guru and advice expert, for suggestions on how best to flatter our facial features and compliment each occasion we encounter during our college careers without sending the wrong message. She graciously took time out while promoting her newest book, Beauty Rules, to answer my questions:
Her Campus Brandeis: What is the most common mistake teens and college women make when applying makeup?
Bobbi Brown: More is not necessarily better. Enjoy trendy or edgy makeup, but balance is key. If you are wearing a strong lip, wear less on the eye and vice versa. You don’t want it to look like the makeup is wearing you.
HCB: What is your favorite technique/look for a night out?
BB: Black Eyeliner and two coasts of mascara! They are the best way to make your eyes really pop. Remember when applying eyeliner to always put it on from the inner to outer most corners of the eye, otherwise your eyes will look smaller.
HCB: What makeup do you suggest is appropriate to class?
BB: Anything you do not have to fuss over and makes you feel put together. Hydrated skin always makes you look healthier and will require you to wear less makeup. Cover any blemishes and / or under eye darkness with a bit of concealer- it’s the easier way to look well rested and refreshed. A flushed pop of color on the cheek gives your face an instant lit ( A trick: your natural shade of blush should look like the color of your cheeks after you have exercised). Add a swipe of lip gloss to enhance natural color of the lip and finish with a couple coats of mascara to make the eyes pop.
HCB: We all want to make the best impression in an interview/business setting. What would you recommend is best, from the brows all the way down to the finishing gloss?
BB: A classic look is always fresh, clean, and modern. Use a concealer to brighten the under eye area , then even out the rest of skin with foundation or tinted moisturizer. Wear basic colors like bone, taupe or sand on the eyes and pair with a thin line of dark brown or navy liner along the top lash line. Apply one to two coasts of black mascara and then softly fill in brows with a powder formula ( the most natural looking) for definition. Apply a natural blush and finally, finish with subtle lip gloss.
HCB: Is there really such a thing as a day-to-night look?
BB: Yes, of course. Adding a thicker eye liner or sparkle eye shadow on the lid will pump up your look taking it from day to night as well as adding a high lighter high on the cheekbones.
HCB: How do you suggest girls care for their makeup and how often is it healthy to freshen up the supply?
BB: Be careful when sharing eyeliner, mascara, and lip products as eyes can be very sensitive. Mascara should be replaced every 6 months while lip products can be every 12-18 months. Cream based products should be replenished every 4 to 8 months.
HCB: How often do you see colors and styles of application go from fad to faux pas? Can you give an example?
BB: Trying new trends can be fun but avoid wearing too many of them all at once. Bright colors on multiple parts of the face can be too much. Vibrant colors are the perfect accent when paired with neutrals.
HCB: What is your biggest pet peeve most often committed by college women?
BB: Trying too hard to ‘fit in’. Embrace and be confident in your own unique, natural beauty. Focus on enhancing that beauty not trying to look like everyone else.
So there it is ladies, our rules to live by! Make sure to stay true to yourself, with your makeup and every other aspect of your life!
Be sure to check out Bobbi’s new book here for more tips and true-life stories from women, not models, who got in touch with their natural beauty with Bobbi’s help!
- Take a look inside the pages of Beauty Rules here and follow Bobbi on twitter: AskBobbiBrown.