Inspiring Women: Bobbi Brown On Empowering Girls And Living A Healthy Lifestyle
The makeup mogul is expanding her brand, beginning with designing "The World's Most Beautiful Bar."
Bobbi Brown has made a name for herself ever since her makeup artist days in the '80s. The makeup mogul launched her eponymous brand, known for its barely-there makeup aesthetic, in 1991, and sold it to Estée Lauder four years later. In 2016, Brown announced she was leaving her natural beauty brand after 25 years. But things didn't stop there for the iconic founder and author: Brown has since launched a wellness site, justBOBBI, is renovating a hotel with her husband, and just designed "The World's Most Beautiful Bar" in collaboration with superfood snack company Health Warrior and non-profit Girls Inc.
We spoke with the entrepreneur on how she became involved with designing the packaging for the limited-edition bars, the importance of empowering young women, and her passion for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Livingly: What inspired you to get involved with Health Warrior to collaborate on designing "The World's Most Beautiful Bar"?
Bobbi Brown: I have been a customer for years, and what I loved about the bar was the taste and the size. And I also really loved the whole concept of getting chia in your body, which has so many benefits. So when they reached out about this collaboration I jumped on it, because I love the company and their collaboration with Girls Inc.
What was the inspiration behind the design for the bar's packaging?
When you think about beauty, and a color that makes you feel good, for me it's pink. Whether it's in your makeup, clothes, or just in general, it's a happy color. That was the perfect inspiration for this bar because it really represents beauty.
The mission behind the snack company, Health Warrior, is to inspire better health. What does living a healthy lifestyle mean to you?
My new world is all about beauty from the inside, which is health and wellness, and I've always believed that the better you take care of yourself, the better you look and the better you feel. And you can do things to help people and take care of them, but that starts with yourself. Living a healthy lifestyle is being someone who is smart enough to know which things not to do, whether that's smoking, not wearing sunscreen, not sleeping, exercising, or drinking water. The positive things are moving your body every single day, having an open mind to live a better life, and to have love and laughter and happiness. They all meld together to make you a more positive, happy person.
We love that 100% of the profits of the bars goes towards Girls Inc., an organization that encourage young girls to grow up "strong, smart, and bold." What advice do you have for young women who aspire to accomplish these goals?
First of all, that anything is possible in life and it's about focusing on what you love and finding your strength. It's just realizing that it's not about what other people are doing, it's about becoming the best version of yourself. You realize that what's unique about you is also the thing that can give you strength and happiness.
You just launched your new editorial site, justBOBBI.com, where you featured a short piece on confidence and being comfortable in your own skin. Is there one thing about yourself that you've owned and are proud of?
It's important for me to know that I am my best when I am comfortable. My style is "schleppy chic," and I own it. I own wearing sneakers even though I'm 5' tall. I realized I don't need to dress like everyone else.
If you had to choose, which three beauty products would you want if you were stranded on a desert island?
The first thing is always a sunscreen. Honestly, you can't go anywhere without a sunscreen. My second would be a really great oil that works on your face and your body. And I would say a blush, a cream blush that you can throw on your cheeks and your lips.
At Livingly, our motto is "Live life beautifully." What does living beautifully mean to you?
Certainly it is being able to spend as much time as possible with people I really love, whether it's my team at work or my family. It's where I get to work with people I love and I get to hang with people I love. And spend a little time by myself, which is something I've realized is very important to me.
