Bobbi Brown Says What Everyone Needs to Hear: "I Like Wrinkles"
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A startling fact: 65 million girls around the world do not attend school, yet it's proven that if you give a woman an extra year of education, she'll earn 20-percent more as an adult. So how do we, as women, work to help these women achieve their full potential? By spreading the word. And Bobbi Brown is doing her part.
Bobbi Brown is a beauty icon. More than likely, you are hoarding three or four of her products in your makeup bag, or at the very least, you grew up admiring her collection. While owning your own makeup empire, authoring several New York Times bestsellers, and working with everyone from Vogue to Naomi Campbell is quite the accomplishment, that's not even the most impressive aspect of Bobbi's life: she's a mom, she's a women's rights activist, and part of her work gives females around the world opportunities they might not otherwise have. Her Pretty Powerful campaign is currently working with Girl Rising, a global social-action campaign that helps women get into the classroom.
I had a chance to interview Bobbi at the Violet Grey boutique on Melrose Place in Los Angeles this week about her mission to empower women across the globe and, of course, to get her take on a few beauty questions.
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"I Like Wrinkles."
POPSUGAR: What, in 10 years, do you think will be the next iteration of beauty mistakes? There was overplucking in the '90s . . .
Bobbi Brown: Overfilling in your face. I happen to like wrinkles. It looks more natural.
PS: I have lines around my eyes that I'm starting to notice . . .
BB: I don't notice them at all! The thing that most people don't understand is, whatever lines around your eyes that you have now, you'll look back in 10 years and think, 'I had nothing.'
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Her Greatest Work
PS: What product are you most proud of?
BB: My children? [Laughs.] As far as makeup, it would be a toss-up between my Corrector Concealer ($25). You know, I think I kind of deserve a Nobel Prize, because I can actually make women look not tired, and then feel better. But my Corrector Concealer and my Extra Repair Moisture Balm ($95). I call it youth in a jar.
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Starting From the Inside
PS: What is the most empowering thing a woman can do for herself?
BB: The most empowering thing is, honestly, taking care of yourself. If you take care of yourself, you'll have the power to take care of others around you, or start new businesses, or do two jobs — whatever you have to do. But if you don't manage your health — that means eating [right], exercising, and managing your stress — then you won't have the energy to take care of other people.
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Beauty Stereotypes
PS: What's the biggest misconception people have about beauty and the beauty industry?
BB: I think a lot of people really think that if you don't look like a celebrity on the runway, that you're not beautiful. Beauty comes in different sizes, ages, and shapes.