Beauty Trailblazer’s Three Rs: Reinvention, Resilience, and Staying Real

Bobbi Brown has always asked herself two questions: “What if?” and “Why not?”

And that’s what has helped her become a New York success story.

In 1980, the Chicago native was a struggling freelance makeup artist. In 2025, she made the list of the Time100 Most Influential People in the World.

Her famous no-makeup makeup look, or as she calls it, “clean, fresh style,” was the foundation of her eponymous $1-billion cosmetics company, which she founded in 1991 and sold to Estée Lauder in 1997 at age 37. In 2020, at age 60, Brown—ever the entrepreneur—launched Jones Road, her second successful makeup brand.

Her journey of hard work and staying true to her creative vision is now shared in her new memoir, Still Bobbi.

When Brown started out, beauty trends were about color and contouring. She blazed her own path by accentuating natural beauty. In the process, she revolutionized the cosmetics industry.

A wife for almost 40 years and a mother of three, Bobbi Brown’s mantra—reinvention, resilience, and staying real—is the basis of both her successful personal and professional lives.

Straus Media had the pleasure of having this beauty expert address our questions about the inspirational life chronicled in her new memoir.

After nine makeup-tutorial books, this one is a memoir. What made you ready to share your personal story now, and what was the most challenging part to write about?

I was never planning to write a memoir. At first, I thought it would just be about entrepreneurship and being a working mom. People had told me I had a story to share, but I didn’t think of it that way. Once I started writing, it became much more. I went back to the very beginning and told my whole story: the good, bad, and all the in-betweens. It was cathartic, and at times difficult, but it made me realize my life has been full of lessons, challenges, innovation, and success. What finally made me ready to share my story was the hope that someone reading it would see it’s never too late to start and you don’t need a perfect path to get to where you’re meant to be.

When it came to your no-makeup makeup look, how did you find the courage to go against established trends, as professionals on the come-up are usually afraid to rock the boat?

It came down to believing in myself and my vision. I spent a lot of time on sets and behind the scenes at photo shoots and fashion shows. I knew my concept wasn’t traditional and that most people would disagree. But I also knew there was a group of people who felt the same way I did, and if I just kept showing up, eventually others would see it too. You can’t be afraid of someone disagreeing with you. It’s bound to happen. If I never took the risk, I wouldn’t be where I am.

You describe yourself as someone who thrived socially but struggled academically . . . yet you built a $1-billion business. What’s the importance of surrounding oneself with uplifting people who know what you don’t?

I was never the best in the classroom, but I was always curious. Throughout my many years, I’ve learned that you honestly don’t need to know everything yourself. You need a good orbit with people to lean on. It’s important to know what you can do, and connect with people who can do what you can’t. I’ve always surrounded myself with a team that excels in different areas, and that’s a big part of why I was able to build a business. I turned to them for honest answers and suggestions on how to do things better. The right team not only fills in the gaps, but also lifts you up so you can focus on how to be your best.

There were times you had to choose between work and family. You chose family. A lot of women are afraid to do that because it could make them look bad at work or stall their career. What would you tell them about your family-first philosophy?

I’ve always brought my family into my world whenever I could. If I was being honored, launching a book, hosting an event, you better believe my husband, my father, my kids, my sister, and my sister-in-law were there. And when my boys were little, I’d bring them to the office when I could. I never saw it as a weakness. It was and still is my motivation. It may seem distorted from someone else’s path, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less. You can still be ambitious and successful and put your family first. At the end of the day, they are my everything.

What do you hope readers–especially young women starting their careers–will take away from Still Bobbi?

That you don’t need a traditional path to build a meaningful career in life. I didn’t have the perfect education or a flawless journey, but I figured it out. I learned how to grow a career, be a working mom, and keep showing up as my best self. It wasn’t always easy or perfect, but that’s the point.

Bobbi Brown will be in conversation with Katie Couric at the 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 8pm. All in-person tickets will include a signed copy of the book. For more information, visit https://www.92ny.org/event/bobbi-brown-with-katie-couric

Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novel The Last Single Woman in New York City.