Cosmetics Maven Bobbi Brown ’79  Delivers Master Class on Building a Dream

Iconic makeup artist and entrepreneur Bobbi Brown ’79, LHD ’12 returned to her alma mater on October 27 to deliver a Master Class about the creative process, professional resilience, and the central role Emerson played in her finding herself.

“I don’t think there would be a Bobbi Brown Cosmetics if I didn’t go to Emerson,” said Brown.

Brown highlights her Emerson experience in her newly-released memoir, Still Bobbi, and talked about her life and career with Master Class moderator Brenna McCormick ’06, Business of Creative Enterprises Program Director and Marketing Communication Senior Executive In-Residence. The two spoke in a packed Bright Family Screening Room.

Later in the evening, Brown spoke about her memoir in the eponymous Bobbi Brown & Steven Plofker Gymnasium in a special stop on her current book tour.

The Master Class series offers opportunities for accomplished Emerson alums, partners, parents, and friends to share their expertise and experience with the community in Boston and Los Angeles. Previous Master Classes this semester have included novelist, screenwriter, and producer Seth Grahame-Smith ’98; Dawn Steinberg ’83, executive vice president of Worldwide Talent and Casting at Sony Pictures Television; filmmaker and creative director Bunny Kinney ’07; and global brand executive Michael Mendenhall ’84.

Brown emphasized the importance of embracing constructive criticism, and extracting positive knowledge from otherwise negative experiences. 

“When you are learning something new, don’t be reactive. Listen. Try to understand. Take criticism as an opportunity to learn,” she said.

Brown said that even in the highest echelons of the business world, mistakes happen. She emphasized that when these inevitable setbacks appear, it’s important to be creative in figuring out how to address them. 

“It’s good to have a posse to bounce ideas off of. I have so many ideas; when something inspires me, I write it down on notebooks or on my phone,” said Brown. “When I’m in a slump, I look up a few hip-hop artists I follow on Instagram. I isolate myself in my room and I dance. That’s what gets my creative juices flowing.”

McCormick asked about Jones Road Beauty, the company Brown launched in 2020 —25 years after she sold Bobbi Brown Cosmetics to Estee Lauder. Brown said Jones Road is a “clean beauty” brand that focuses on products that highlight the wearer’s natural beauty, in keeping with her philosophical approach to makeup.

“Beauty is ageless. When I started Jones Road it wasn’t about me. I love when daughters bring their mothers to the store. Or when grandmothers come in, or when men come. Beauty is for everyone,” said Brown.

She said that she’s really appreciating the feedback she’s receiving from Still Bobbi.

“I’m proud people come to me and say stuff like, ‘I’m so glad I read this. I needed to hear this,’” said Brown.

A student asked about Brown’s transition from film major to makeup artist. Brown said as a student, she would often find herself writing scripts based on what type of makeup she wanted to apply to actors.

“My creative process always started with makeup. That’s when I knew that was my dream,” said Brown.

Another student asked Brown how creators with an abundance of ideas can avoid feeling overwhelmed when trying to bring them to life.

“The most important thing is paying rent,” said Brown. “You figure out how you’re gonna work. Figure out your dream and figure out how to make it happen. I didn’t try to get known, I just got known.”

And even after decades of being a star in the cosmetics industry, Brown has stayed true to the same principles and passions that first set her on her path.

“Everything changes, all the time. It’s OK. What has not changed for me is how I see faces, how I see beauty, I see skin color, I see age…I see individuality. Inclusivity [is] our reality.”