Ten Make-Up Tips From Bobbi Brown

I’m wearing less make-up today than I ever did and so are the models who I’m making up in my chair. The truth is that if you’re eating well and taking care of yourself, you really don’t need a lot of make-up. That transparent, naturally beautiful look just feels more modern right now than a full face of heavier makeup. 

If you have more mature skin, you might want to think twice about using ‘traditional’ make-up. As we age, our skin changes. It becomes drier, duller and it loses collagen. Traditional make-up can be very powdery and cakey, sinking into lines and making them look unnecessarily worse. I find that the old school flat make-up can actually make a lot of women look older and that’s not the goal. 

 As we get older, it’s important to use products to keep our skin moisturised. Powder foundations, which are either loose or pressed, are great for oily skin; however, it’s different for skin that’s dryer or more mature. I recommend a liquid foundation for dryer skin, and definitely a nice moisturiser to go underneath it. Or you can swap the traditional, full coverage make-up for something lighter and moisturising such as a tinted moisturiser. Our Just Enough Tinted Moisturiser has the nicest formula because it's proven to hydrate and protect the skin from dryness. I have really dry skin and, when I use it, I love the way my skin looks. If I do need a little bit more moisture that day, I layer over the tinted moisturiser with Miracle Balm.

Always pay attention to the texture and tone of your make-up. As we get older, the most important thing to remember when choosing products is to pay close attention to their texture and tone. Always choose textures that are hydrating vs drying, whether that’s eye make-up or blusher. Your make-up should go on smoothly and feel good on your skin. And when it comes to colour choice, wear those you like, but just make sure the shade complements your skin tone. Choose colours that enhance your natural beauty and don’t make you look washed out or garish. 

I don’t believe in putting ten things on your face. I like to apply an eye cream to hydrate the eye area and then I start my make-up routine and see what I really need.  Try to get rid of any redness on your face by using a light concealer such as the Face Pencil to even out the skin.  Be sure to concentrate on the area around your nose, mouth and cheeks where there’s often some hyper-pigmentation. Under the eyes, use a lighter shade than the one you used on your face and use it to cover up any dark circles. You don’t always need all-over coverage or lots of different products to achieve it.

My top-tip for stopping eye make-up from creasing is to make sure the eye area is prepped and hydrated. Using eye cream first will help add moisture and, if you're of a certain age, this is really important. If you have oilier skin, you can use a little bit of powder underneath the eyes to ensure your mascara doesn’t budge.

To fill out thinning brows in the most natural way, keep your arches well groomed. Pluck or trim any scraggly hairs and fill in holes or sparse spots with a brow pencil or powder shadow. I always thicken my brows with a few strokes of the Jones Road Brow Pencil. 

My favourite product for skin prep is Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream – it just works!

I prefer make-up that doesn’t have glitter or sparkle and lean towards a blusher shade that has a natural, dewy and healthy glow. With creamy formulas, you can dial up or down the intensity of colour and, most importantly, they are super easy to apply. If you want some shimmer, a wash of something on the eyes is a nice way to add a bit of sparkle for the festive season.

One product I swear by is the Jones Road Miracle Balm. First, use your fingers to dig into the balm and break the seal on top so all the emollients mix into the formula. Then put some on your fingers, rub your fingers together and then pat it onto your cheeks for a subtle glow and to add luminosity. I guarantee you’ll look instantly better. Plus, if you have extra product on your fingers, dab some on your eyelids and lips for a little extra moisturising glow.

Bobbi Brown’s memoir ‘Still Bobbi’ is out now and available to buy here