Last week, I was invited over at the Bobbi Brown Belgium headquarters for a masterclass with makeup artist Madilon Bos. Not only was it the occasion to master a few new techniques & discover the new releases from the brand, it was also the perfect reminder of why Bobbi Brown is such an inspiring lady.
Her philosophy is simple. Beauty is universal and the key is to highlight the positive instead of trying to hide your imperfections. Through her impressive makeup lessons dispensed by makeup artists in stores, she wants to help every woman to become their own makeup up artist. This individual approach to beauty can help anyone to improve their skills on any particular topic, like mastering the perfect smokey eye or finding the right brow product.
‘I believe that beauty comes in all ages, colors, shapes and sizes. It’s not about looking like someone else or trying to be someone you’re not. It’s about figuring out what works for you. Being Pretty Powerful is much bigger than beauty. It’s about confidence and the path you take to achieve it.’
Bobby Brown
And I totally agree with her vision. Nowadays, beauty is mainly defined by all the latest trends and to be honest, these don’t always focus on the positive and look flattering on everyone. And while I love a bit of contouring here and there, I would much rather see a girl embracing herself and highlighting her beautiful features rather than trying to shape her face to match with the current trend.
Bobbi Brown is a brand that I’ve loved ever since I turned 18. At the time, I was living in Paris and got introduced to the brand through my best friend who recommended her gel eyeliner. I remember going to the counter in Sephora and trying out this black eyeliner which was something totally new to me. The makeup artist showed me how to apply it properly and I left with both the liner and the super fine eyeliner brush. To this day, these are two products that I simply can’t live without.
Now let’s talk a little bit about the new releases, shall we? The holiday collection sterling nights was inspired by the jewel-tones hues & star-studded skies that Bobbi saw during a recent trip to South Africa. All the shades are very rich and bright, all while being super luxurious thanks to the new gorgeous black embossed packaging. My personal favorite is obviously the sterling nights eye palette, which has 9 eyeshadows ranging from matte neutrals to sparkly shades. Not only will this be perfect to create beautiful smokey eyes for the holidays, but it would also be the perfect eyeshadow palette to travel with since it has so many different options in it. Another product from the collection that captured my heart is the new, limited edition face highlighter. Available in three shades, a pink one, a neutral one and a bronze one, this liquid highlighter is the secret to have a beautiful radiant glow this winter. Housed in a gorgeous glass bottle, this product is both luxurious and practical to use since it has a pump dispenser.
Of course, I also had to try the new luxe lip colors, a beautiful range of 30 insanely pigmented but very nourishing lipsticks. This new formulation is housed in the prettiest gold packaging that got me totally hooked at first glance. The shade that I went for is called brocade and it’s a beautiful bright purple plum color that turns out to be pretty easy to wear. Paired with a smokey eye it’s a little bit out of my comfort zone but it’s fun every once in a while to play a little bit more, right?!
The skincare range from Bobbi also catched my eye. I’ve never really tried it before but my mum already uses a couple of products that she loves! The intensive skin supplement sounds lovely and so does the hydrating face cream… Has any of you ever tried anything for the skincare range? I would love to know what you have to say about it!
I also added a few things onto my wish list. The full coverage face & touch up brush, the perfectly defined long-wear brow pencil & a shimmer brick are all on there. I guess I know what I want for Christmas after all 😉
With lovely blogging ladies Kim, Eline, Rani, Nanja & Katia
I totally agree – I’m tired of seeing identical faces and makeup trends on every girl who feels like they need to do look like the next Kardashian sister (not that there’s anything wrong with that, I object more to girls feeling pressured to conform). And makeup should be about enhancing your individual beauty, which of course varies from person to person. That said, I’ve always loved the ‘typical’ Bobbi Brown look: healthy, fresh and pretty – I think it suits everyone. Her approach to makeup sounds wonderfully empowering. Thanks for sharing, Axelle!
I am glad to see that you also feel that way! I am seeing more & more girls that look identical and while they are beautiful, I feel like they’re a bit less themselves…
And I think that you captured the Bobbi Brown spirit perfectly. Healthy, fresh & pretty suits everyone indeed 🙂
xx
It was a lovely afternoon, darling Axelle! I loved meeting you again and of course, it was very inspiring. I got even more into Bobbi now, if that’s possible at all..
I know, I feel the same! It was such a lovely afternoon and it felt like a total treat!
Hope to see you again very soon over coffee 🙂
I really feel like girls should just do their makeup how they want, not how other girls are doing it. I see a lot of contouring where I’m from and a dramatic Smokey eye, that look doesn’t go well with everyone, I love simple make-up, I love looking like myself and that makes me feel so comfortable, although I do like a neutral Smokey eye. I really enjoyed this post. I fell in love with Bobbi brown cosmetics in 2009 when I saw it in a Nordstrom catalog.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
I feel exactly the same way as you do! Honestly, I am so glad that I grew up without being influenced by the makeup trends. That lead to some epic makeup looks -think pale blue eyeshadow & glitter liner- but if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
To me, makeup is all about looking like yourself but with a little extra something that makes you happy 🙂