Born in Chicago, Bobbi Brown, 68, studied theatrical makeup and photography at Emerson College, Boston. In 1980, she moved to New York to work as a makeup artist. She launched Bobbi Brown Essentials in 1991, sold it to Estée Lauder four years later, and built it into a global brand. Having left the business in 2016, she launched a new one, Jones Road Beauty, in 2020. This year, she was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people. She has published nine makeup tutorial books and a memoir, Still Bobbi. She is married with three sons and lives in New Jersey.
What is your earliest memory?
Watching my mother put on makeup. I was in awe of her beauty and glamour. She was only 21 when I was born and quite stunning.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Feeling and being unfocused.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Being untruthful.
What is your most treasured possession?
Besides my kids and grandkids, my Louis Vuitton trunk.
Describe yourself in three words
Nice, direct, loyal.
What makes you unhappy?
When one of my family is mad at me.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My midsection.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Blockbuster Video or S&H Green Stamps [a shoppers’ rewards scheme].
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Natalie Portman.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Jennifer Aniston.
What was the last lie that you told?
“No, this isn’t new!”
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Caviar.
What does love feel like?
Pure happiness.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Cool and yikes.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
I had to clean up the sump pump [toilet system] in my house because my sister and I flushed things we shouldn’t have.
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If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I would do more weightlifting than aerobics. Strong is better than skinny.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
My granddaughter, who is three. She has an incredible sense of self.
When did you last cry, and why?
I teared up when I did a voiceover for my memoir while talking about my mother-in-law, whom I adored and miss so much.
What would you like to leave your children?
Good values and a lot of money.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
When I got hit by a car in my home town.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
A Human Touch massage chair in every house.
What keeps you awake at night?
My very long to-do list.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
You’re more capable than you think.
What happens when we die?
I think our kids take our stuff!