The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty Blog: Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brown Posted by Dain, Thursday, July 14, 2005 3:11 PM (Eastern) Bobbi Brown is... gosh, who doesn't know who Bobbi Brown is? If I could name any single individual, for sheer influence, in the sense of trend-setting and iconoclastic both, for the whole of the Nineties, it would be Bobbi Brown, bar none. Let us consider, for a moment, the history of make-up, shall we? Cosmetics, until the twentieth century, were considered vulgar, with the exception of such things as "toilet water" (weak cologne) or powder—the domain of actresses, who were considered little better than prostitutes. Victorian attitudes towards cosmetics were not too estranged from attitudes in fashion (as ever, fashion and make-up go hand in hand). Then came an era of aesthetic liberation in the Twenties, at least for females, with looser and more masculine fashions, perfumes in complex composition (modern perfumery as we see it today), and lipstick (either very orange or very purple, a true red dye being as yet unavailable) and kohl-rimmed eyes, and the all-important decades of red lipstick, black mascara, and pancake-makeup of the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties. The Sixties and Seventies (at least the latter half of the former, and the former half of the latter), emphasized further aesthetic liberation, and as far as make-up was concerned, the message was, NOT ANY. A very important period, because it introduced the idea of au naturel, as a conscious style. And then, in the late Seventies and throughout the Eighties, an explosion of cosmetic excess: the proliferation of pigments, the acceptance of "bold" colors, and heavy applications. And then came Bobbi Brown, and the Nineties. It wasn't minimalist makeup, which is more "now", the late Nineties and the early Twenty-First Century (which I believe is moving largely through the direction of the great artist Pat McGrath), but it was... natural. Of course, Bobbi Brown was hardly alone in this, Kevyn Aucoin had a great hand in this as well, but Bobbi Brown marketed it. Indeed, hers was the first of the make-up artist lines, which are de rigueur today, much to the dismay of such giants like Estée Lauder and Lanôme. Second (first being the idea of the "makeup-artist line"), the yellow-based foundation. This was an innovation, though it seems obvious now. Bobbi Brown looked at the color of skin, and thought, "Hmm... it's not really that pink. Yellow tones are more flattering on 90% of skin tones." Now, pink-toned foundations have been banished from the industry, and while many are not as yellow as Bobbi Brown foundations are, they have made good use of the idea. I'll admit this trend has gone a little too far, as there are many who genuinely look better in pink-toned foundations (or own Arabella, for example), and it gets a little more complicated with skin tones other than Caucasion (black skin can be blue-toned, red-toned, yellow-toned, and any variation therein). Indeed, the "Corrector", is pink-toned, for the simple reason that a little pink is better than a lot of yellow for undereye circles (as YSL Touche Eclat so eloquently attests). The first formula was the foundation stick (I think), and it reigns still as its best (pancake-y by modern standards, but it was yellow-based, versatile for foundation and concealer both, and came in a convenient stick). I'm not sure, but the Cream Blush Stick may have been an innovation as well, though there were cream rouges before Bobbi Brown, to be sure. Third, matte neutral colors. Shades of rose, plum, coral, and mauve for lips, muted into neutrality with plenty of brown, in creamy, full-pigment lipsticks (among the ten original shades, Brown and Raisin are still best-sellers). Was there ever a lipstick like Brown, until in 1991 when she debuted the line (consisting of those same ten lipsticks) at Bergdorf's? Furthermore, with shades like these, one didn't have to be blonde-and-blue-eyed to wear makeup, but it could look good on anyone. And it was makeup with a particular woman's beauty in mind, and it was makeup about the woman and not the makeup—a peculiar idea from the red-lipstick-black-mascara-face-powder uniform (one size fits all) from the Fifties, from the no-makeup look of the Sixties, and the color excess of the late Seventies and Eighties. Of course, this eventually extended to eyeshadows (originally, all matte... and largely brown-based) and blushes and non-shimmery lipglosses. Like all trends, the matte brown-based neutrals of Bobbi Brown's classic line (there's even a face that's based on "Classic Bobbi Brown" on the site) began to look dated. Women were demanded fresh color, with the all-important twist (something I attribute to Pat McGrath) of sheerness, often in conjunction with finely-milled shimmer (unlike the coarse frost of the Eighties). And in recognition of demand, Bobbi Brown introduced shimmer and color and sheer elements (Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow, Shimmer Lipgloss, Shimmer Lipstick, Lip Shine, Oil Free Even Finish Compact Foundation, Lip Tint, and the Color Options Line), at varying times with varying degrees of success. These are not bad products, but they are not... stellar or innovative, so not worthy of mention in this line of inquiry. Fourth, great makeup brushes. This is an idea I must also attribute to Bobbi Brown. Now, even drugstore lines have "professional make-up brushes". The "professional" brushes were developed further by Trish McEvoy (better than Bobbi Brown's). It's not really a novel idea; Shu Uemura offered "professional" brushes long before Bobbi Brown ever did, and they are of consummate and exquisite quality (much better than Bobbi Brown's), but Shu Uemura brushes were really truly professional grade, being far too expensive or too precise for the average American woman. Bobbi Brown made "professional" brushes marketable, and approachable. Fifth, writing a book. Books about makeup how-to have been written before, but I will stand by the opinion that Bobbi Brown had sparked a trend, as such. The whole idea of "marketing expertise", from the brushes to the books to the "makeup-artist line" is really her innovation. Sixth, gel eyeliners. Now, every line in the Estée Lauder syndicate (and many outside of it) has a gel eyeliner. It combined the best qualities of all three other eyelining methods: the smooth, easy blendability of pencil, the precision of liquid, the natural look of cake/powder/shadow with a brush. All without the drawbacks—gel eyeliner is easy to use and long-lasting. The best now is MAC's Fluidline, but Bobbi Brown offered it first. Overall, the Bobbi Brown cosmetics line has a great deal to offer, with high-quality products (and the attendant high-quality price) in no-brainer shades and "expert advice". Perhaps no one has done as much to dictate the fashion and tastes of makeup during the Nineties as Bobbi Brown has done, and to that, I can only raise my glass. lines like Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Trish McEvoy: "Pretty" colors, less bullheadedly neutral than Bobbi Brown's colors, and overall, more pigment. Top of the line brushes. I believe the full-face "palette" idea is McEvoy's, fully customizable, travel-worthy, ergonomic. Laura Mercier: Even "prettier" colors (especially the eyeshadows—a clear Stila influence), and more interest in sheers. Famous concealers. Pretty lipsticks (colors of note: Courtisane, Pink Grape, Just Lips, Amethyst). Paula Dorf: Exquisite brushes. The best cream blushes on the market. Sue Devitt: Great, creamy lipsticks in basic colors to work on anyone. Fantastic foundations. LORAC: Celebrity lipsticks. Great, lightweight foundations. Pretty, well-chosen lip palette. Vincent Longo: The celebrated gel foundation (the first!). Fun and basic eye trios. Lovely lipsticks. References: www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com (just to get some dates right; picture also from site) 0 Comment(s)    Email this post Rants, raves, and musings on all things cosmetic. 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