Bobbi Brown Pretty Clever

More than a ‘beauty’ or ‘make-up’ book, US cosmetic legend – and brand – Bobbi Brown’s ‘Pretty Powerful’ is a book designed to inspire confidence in women with a healthy dose of her stories alongside make-up techniques…

Bobbi Brown’s ‘Pretty Powerful’
Bookreps October 2012 $49.99

More than a ‘beauty’ or ‘make-up’ book, US cosmetic legend – and indeed, brand – Bobbi Brown’s ‘Pretty Powerful’ is a book designed to inspire confidence in women with a healthy dose of her stories alongside make-up techniques.

Bobbi Brown seems to have her feet planted firmly on the ground. She isn’t swept away by the seeming glamour of the environs she inhabits. Rather, she issues common sense advice and shows a refreshing humility – in addition to a confidence in herself, and in the women around her.

Brown begins the 286-page, hard-cover coffee table tome of a book with the make-up basics and 10-step beauty guides. I particularly liked her tips on ‘Taking your makeup from day to night’ including switching from brown eyeliner to black for evening, shimmer on cheeks and inner eye corners, three coats of mascara over curled lashes for night.

Brown then divides the manual into six categories of how women relate to their make-up looks, all prefixed by ‘pretty’. Makeup is helpfully and democratically described generically, rather than pushing her own line of cosmetics by only using those product names.

There’s Pretty Natural, Pretty Radiant, Pretty Strong, Pretty Classic, Pretty Authentic, and Pretty Bold. I loved the macro photography on each title page:

The before and after pages – many of celebrities – are a real highlight.

On a personal note, I first encountered Bobbi Brown cosmetics when I was working in Knightsbridge and wandered into Harrods and had a make-over promotion at the Bobbi Brown counter and got this brush, below – which is still going strong at least nine years later. That’s good quality for you.

On a local note, Bobbi Brown is opening their first Australasian store right here in Auckland this summer 2012 as part of the new Britomart retail development, with retailer Rowena Roberts from the New Zealand M.A.C and Jo Malone stores.

Words and photos Megan Robinson 22 October 2012