GEORGE V MAGAZINE | BOBBI BROWN JONES ROAD
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But then one product changed her mind (the now sell-out Miracle Balm). The driving force for the make-up artist to think up a new brand identity, exploring a growing trend for ‘no make-up make-up’, Jones Road has stormed the beauty industry with so much momentum even Brown hadn’t anticipated its stratospheric success.
Whether it’s the marmite What The Foundation or the much-loved Miracle Balm, getting real about ageing or her approachable beauty lessons, Bobbi Brown is a true tour de force when it comes to make-up.
On building a beauty empire…
‘I think Jones Road has resonated with everyone simply because the formulas are just really good. Without patting myself on the back, I’ve been a formulator for almost 40 years, and at this stage of my life, I don’t have teams of people telling me “yes or no”, I just do it. So far it’s worked. And if there’s something that we launch that we don’t love, then we just get rid of it.’
On embracing real skin
‘I’m always amazed when tabloids or social media show famous faces and call up the texture of their skin, because they have “normal skin”. Guess what, we are all normal. Sometimes I look so good in lighting and think I look great, other times I look so much worse than I think. And I usually have to accept that the reality of my skin is somewhere in the middle.’
On her unwavering approach to make-up…
‘I look at it in two ways. The first is via my artist palette – I don’t paint, or draw, but I have make-up. When I work on fashion shows or shoots, I love make-up as a way of expressing myself and exploring new creative ideas. For myself personally, though, I just love the power of make-up: it helps relieve exhaustion from my face; it accentuates my mood and really makes me feel good.’
On the never-ending TikTok cycle…
‘I don’t even know what the TikTok trends are anymore. The last one I made fun of was the strawberry girl make-up trend, and baking was pretty bad too. The power of social media is real and it’s never going to go away. Even if I’m bored in bed, I’ll scroll on TikTok, or go on Substack. It’s important not to lose sight of reality and what the make-up or trends are there to serve; they’re for inspiration and advice and not to fuel comparison.’
On the return to beauty nostalgia…
‘Brown lipstick and eyebrows (the stronger 90s brow) are definitely having a resurgence right now. Although I hope the 2000s brow where everyone penciled and shaved off their brows will never come back, because mine never grew back as thick as they were. It’s really amazing to me that 80s and 90s covers and trends are being reimagined.’
On what she would tell her younger self…
‘I would definitely tell my younger self, “Bobbi, you’re going to get older; your skin’s going to change. Make sure you don’t feel bad about where you’re going, and don’t look back at pictures and try to replicate yourself then.” Mostly, I would tell myself: “don’t inject stuff in your face”.’
On creating the famed miracle balm…
‘Miracle balm has been that product where people try it and they just love it. What is so special about this product is that it transforms your skin in seconds. It feels good, it smells good; it’s not greasy on the skin and when you’re tired and dehydrated, it lends you an instant lift. It’s a hybrid product. There are bronzy tones (like the new Pinky Bronze shade) and bold blush colours, and highlighter hues too. It just happens to be an incredibly versatile product and when you put it on, you think, “I look better”. Start with the most minimal amount and then blend with your fingers on your cheeks, you can then apply to your collarbone, the cupid’s bow or even as an all-over wash on your face.’
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