For women of a certain age, I tend to think of makeup before Bobbi Brown and after Bobbi Brown. In BBB times, women wore bright, garish colors on their lips and eyes, heavy allover foundation, and everything was just a little overdone, not to mention mismatched in tone. Bobbi Brown was a makeup artist who favored a more natural look, and she launched her line at Bergdorf Goodman in 1990 with 10 revolutionary, neutral lipsticks that sold out immediately. Estée Lauder bought the line in 1995, and Bobbi herself ran it until 2016, when she stepped down (and later started the excellent Jones Road). There have been many makeup lines launched ABB, but you can't ignore how influential it's been. We have Bobbi Brown to thank for the no-makeup makeup look, neutral- and yellow-toned foundations, and the undeniable power of blending. And while it's been nearly 10 years since the founder herself left her namesake line, Bobbi Brown continues to make some of my favorite makeup on the market. While I haven't personally tested the entire line, I counted 14(!!!) products in my medicine cabinet that I use on the regular, many of which are holy-grail status for me. While I received all of these items for free from Bobbi Brown, this is not a sponsored post, and the following are my honest and unfiltered thoughts. These are the best Bobbi Brown products.
My 7 favorite Bobbi Brown products
Highlighting Powder $57 (this is a special-edition mini size)
As someone who runs dry, I'm normally not a fan of powder anything as it tends to sit on my skin and not blend in very well. This highlighting powder, however, has a gorgeous incandescent glow that really looks nice on the brow bone and top of your cheekbones. This is the Pink Glow shade, which I'm told is the bestseller.
Long-Wear Cream Liner Stick $34
I don't wear eyeliner every day, but whenever I do, this one gets so many compliments from my girlfriends. It is idiot-proof and thankfully does not require a pencil sharpener. The line it creates is on the thicker side, but the consistency is creamy, so it kind of blends itself into this soft yet defining line. Especially if you hit it with setting spray, this stuff will last all day and night.
Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick $34
I used to hate eyeshadow until I tried this. It miraculously does not crease! I also love any makeup in stick form—you just smudge it on, then blend with your finger if necessary. This is the Smokey Topaz color, but I also have Moonstone and Golden Bronze, all of which are perfect shimmery neutrals.
Skin Color Corrector Stick $35
I wrote about this in my best beauty buys of 2024, but this product blew me away in terms of how well it covered my dark circles. It's a color corrector, so it neutralizes any discoloration, but it also has a light, buildable coverage that acts as a concealer as well. Most importantly, it doesn't get cakey or settle into the fine lines under my eyes. Definitely a holy-grail product for me.
For some reason, no one seems to talk about this mascara, and I have no idea why. (Okay, maybe I do—the price is a little steep.) It. Is. Amazing. It delivers volume lash by lash, instead of clumping your lashes together like most volumizing formulas. It does not flake at all, and in fact I have to work a little to get it off at the end of the day. I will glady spend my own money on this; I won't leave the house without it!
Daytime eye creams are tricky to get right; not enough moisture causes your undereye makeup to cake or crease, and too much makes it slide off your face. This is not the most hydrating product around (save those for nighttime) but in terms of its priming abilities, the consistency is just right. That also goes for the Face Base.
Pot Rouge Blush for Lips & Cheeks $36
As I mentioned earlier, I tend not to like powders, especially on my cheeks. This multi-use cream has the perfect consistency for blush, if you ask me. It goes on sheer with a wash of buildable color, and it blends like a dream. Truly, this product walked so Miracle Balm could run.
7 really good Bobbi Brown products
This lipstick is super creamy and hydrating, and the color is very pigmented. It doesn't last as long as you'd expect—I usually have to reapply after lunch—and the shade I have (Sandwash Pink) is a little too light, although that's a me problem. This is a very good lipstick, but it's an expensive one, and honestly, you can do better for the price.
I don't use this product very often because I find the texture a bit on the oily side (and as someone with super-dry skin, that's saying a lot). That said, it's amazing at removing very heavy makeup—think Halloween or a special event—so that's when I use it, followed by a micellar water to clean up the excess oil.
Weightless Skin Foundation $57
This is a Bobbi Brown classic. It comes in 42 shades, and mine (Sand) is a perfect match for my skin. In full transparency, I am not a foundation person; I wear it only on special occasions when I know I'm going to be photographed a lot, like a professional event or a wedding. But as far as foundations go, I find that this one has a more natural finish, and it sinks into your skin nicely.
Extra Plump Hydrating Lip Oil $39
Lip oils were having a big moment when I worked for Sephora a few years ago; I have never been a lip gloss person (too sticky!), but I do find lip oils to be slightly more tolerable. Don't be intimidated by the tube—the color itself is actually quite sheer (this is Bare Plum), and if I could make one improvement here, it would be to add even more pigment.
I don't use this very often; I tend to prefer a solid stick concealer, especially for under my eyes. However, when I have a pimple, this stuff is fantastic. It is very creamy and requires a lot of blending, but it comes with a lot of coverage and lasts all day.
I was really excited to try this stuff—I love makeup in stick form!—but Bobbi Brown ran out of my color and sent me one that's several shades too dark to work as foundation. Turns out, it's fantastic as contour, so I use it under my cheekbones and along the sides of my nose. It does require a fair amount of blending (I like to use a foundation brush), but the consistency is lighter than you'd expect. Go sticks!
In case you haven't figured it out by now, I prefer more pigment versus less in my lip products. In spite of the rich red color of the bullet, this one goes on very sheer. It's super-moisturizing, which is great, but if you ask me, this is way too much to pay for a slightly tinted lip balm.
Do you have any Bobbi Brown favorites? Share them in the comments below!
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