People started recognizing my work, so by then if they wanted a certain kind of look, they would call me. At the time, Kevyn Aucoin was a very famous makeup artist as well; if they wanted the Kevin look, he would get the call. If they wanted the Bobbi look, I would get the call.
It took a long time for us to each find our paths. There have been many times in my career where I felt, Oh, I'm not talented enough to do these jobs, because some people did want the other style of makeup and it took me a while to realize that this is my passion and what I believe in, and I'm not going to feel bad because I'm not a makeup artist who paints the face.
It's exhausting trying to pretend you're something that you're not. It's exhausting trying to glue on false eyelashes, it's exhausting straightening your curly hair, it's exhausting wearing high heels when you're five foot tall.
Decades later, there's been a shift in people embracing their beauty. It's been a long time coming: It's exhausting trying to pretend you're something that you're not. It's exhausting trying to glue on false eyelashes, it's exhausting straightening your curly hair, it's exhausting wearing high heels when you're five foot tall. When you're comfortable with who you are, to me, it's confidence.
Creating the OG Indie Brand: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
I wish I could say I was brilliant, but in my life, I've had these amazing moments where opportunities present themselves and I've thought, Why not? This could be really cool. So one day I was doing a shoot for a magazine and I was talking to the chemist that made a lot of products at this store. I told him, "I've always wanted to create a lipstick," and he said, "I'll make it for you."
I then explained exactly what I wanted: something that's not greasy, not dry, not smelly. I wanted it to look like the color of my lips, and he made it for me. Then I had the next "a-ha" moment, where everyone does not have the same color lips as I do; the color that works on me might make someone else's lips dark or orange, so I made different lip colors and started selling these very basic lipsticks of my house. I called them Bobbi Brown because I didn't know what else to call them.
