Beauty Legend Bobbi Brown Reveals the Biggest Makeup Mistake Most People Make

Bobbi Brown has been in my orbit for as long as I can remember. I watched her give women life-changing makeovers on the Oprah Winfrey Show and one year into my beauty editor career in New York City, her Makeup Manual was basically my bible. So when I had the opportunity to chat with Bobbi after her keynote at the inaugural Travel + Leisure World’s Best Summit in July, I put on some Jones Road makeup and recorded every word the makeup artist, brand founder, boutique hotel owner, hip hop dancer, and new grandmother had to say.

What is your favorite thing right now?

BB: "I love being a grandma; it's my favorite thing."

What is the number one makeup mistake people are making?

BB: "I think that really the biggest mistake people are making is they're just not wearing either enough or the right makeup. A lot of people come in and they don't like the overly made up look, but they don't know what to do. So one of my challenges is teaching my makeup artists on how to make it look like they have no makeup on. You know, you need to lighten up under the eyes, you need enough blush, and if their skin is oily, you need a powder, but when you choose the right products—the Jones Road one, it doesn't look like cakey powder. I like choosing the right textures for your skin. Knowing what your skin—and your changing skin—needs is really important. And I think a lot of tradition makeup on the market just makes you look too made up, so you've got to find something that works with your skin so that you don't look overly made up."

What are some tweaks women over 40 should consider making to their beauty routine?

BB: "Believe it or not, don't be afraid of moisturizers. A lot of people aren't using moisturizers. Honestly, and so everything looks dry and cakey. Sometimes when I'm having a bad beauty day, I just take an Oil Stick and I put it allover and I just look so much better. It's giving you the glow and the moisture your skin needs. Usually when you don't look good, you're tired and dehydrated so drinking water and putting oil on your face is a good thing. If you have combination or oily skin, just put the oil on your cheek. I have super dry skin so I put it everywhere."

What makes Jones Road products different?

BB: "One thing that people don't know about the Face Pencils, is that it has a clear base. What that means is that it doesn't look pasty on your face. You can be a guy and cover a blemish on your face and it's not going to look like you have makeup on. The base is usually opaque and you put tint on top of the opaque and it's almost like putting Pepto Bismol on your face—that whiteish cast."

What is the concealer method you swear by?

BB: "Well, I like to choose a concealer one shade lighter than whatever you put on your face because that just lightens up. But most people, one is fine, but if you get another shade that's more of a neutralizer and put it on that deepest recessed area, that kind of brings everything up to the surface and you look brighter under the eyes. I'm a minimalist but two of those pencils work wonders."

What are some beauty trends that drive you crazy?

BB: "I don't understand why people put concealer on the outer corners of your eyes. I only put it where you're dark. Those drive me crazy. A lot of content creators are doing that to lift but they're not putting it where it's dark. Go all the way to the lashes. And I've never been a fan of contouring because A., it tells women what's wrong with them and it looks like dirt on your face. I'd rather use a bronzer and a highlighter and let your face naturally sculpt."

How do you feel when brands copy your products?

BB: "I feel great because that means I've done something fantastic. Honestly, there are a lot of brands coming out with their version [of the Miracle Balm] and I'm like 'you're not even close.'

What are some brands you think are doing a good job?

BB: "In beauty...Vacation; I'm obsessed and I think they're doing a phenomenal job. I met the founder online and I thought it was a 60-year-old woman and he's like a 30-year-old guy who worked in advertising."

Who's your biggest beauty inspiration?

BB: "I'm a big fan of Naomi Watts. I think she's one of the celebrities who hasn't shot up her face. And, I think that to me, it's the most beautiful."

What are your thoughts on injections?

BB: "I'm not a fan."

What are some treatments you are a fan of?

BB: "I do lasers, my favorite one is Sofwave and I really like it; I did my face and my neck. And I also did something called, and I'm going to do it again, Heroic. It gets spots off your arms."

What is your go-to fragrance?

BB: "Well, I have one I made called Shower, which smells like you just got out of the shower and there's one on my dresser called Je Reviens By Worth; it's what my Aunt Alice used to wear and I just love it."

What got you into beauty in the first place?

BB: "Just my mom was always a glamorous woman and very much loved everything beauty and I'm pretty much the opposite of her; and even though I love beauty, she was overly glam."

Spill the tea on some upcoming Jones Road newness.

BB: "I'm working on a sunscreen, otherwise, I haven't found one that I love. Here's my makeup bag. [insert me screaming, crying, and freaking out as she pulls out her Stasher bag full of her personal makeup] Do you want to see what's launching next week? We have a palette of Miracle Balms. There's three different palettes: a tint, a blush color, and a highlight for each."

Note: The palettes are available as of 7/23 for $32 each exclusively at Jones Road stores and JonesRoadBeauty.com.

What is your best business advice?

BB: "Not being an asshole. Being nice. Being normal. Caring about things. I still care about everything. I do the makeup and I style every Jones Road shoot. I kind of art direct it and buy jewelry off Amazon."