Welcome to E!'s Tales From the Top, our series on women who are leaders in their fields and masters of their craft. Spanning industries and experiences, these powerhouse women answer all the questions you've ever had about how they got to where they are today—and what they overcame to get there. Read along as they bring their resumés to life.
When it comes to being a trendsetter, Bobbi Brown has left her beauty mark.
Because long before TikTok popularized the "no-makeup makeup" trend, the world-famous makeup artist led that particular revolution in the early '90s. At the time, thick layers of foundation, overdrawn lips and frosted shadows were all the rage. However, Bobbi set out to make women look and feel like themselves, using makeup to enhance their features instead of masking them.
And while the 65-year-old's concept was simple, she created a new movement.
"I'm not necessarily a rebel and a rule-breaker," she told E! News, "but I'm someone that makes up my own rules."
True to her style, Bobbi marched to the beat of her own drum after unexpectedly announcing her departure from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in 2016—a company she created in 1991 and sold to Estée Lauder in 1995 while still remaining an integral part of the brand.
But Bobbi's position as a beauty pioneer was far from over.
Instead, she went full force and launched Jones Road—a line of cosmetics that brands itself as "clean no-makeup makeup."
"I didn't anticipate coming out with a makeup brand in the middle of the pandemic," she said about its release on Oct. 24, 2020. "I started ideating before, but the pandemic made you stay at home and do things differently. No one wore makeup in the beginning, no one colored their hair."
And while reintroducing herself as a makeup mogul in the midst of COVID-19 may have seemed like a disaster waiting to happen, it ended up creating the perfect storm. Jones Road's release coincided with a powerful moment in time, as Bobbi realized she ended up going back to her roots.
"I realized it wasn't about putting makeup on," she added, "but wanting to feel better."
Luckily, Bobbi isn't keeping all of her beauty secrets to herself, sharing with E! News her rise to fame in the industry, her knack for creating innovative products and, most importantly, why she'll always play by her own rules.
E! News: When did you know you wanted to become a makeup artist?
Bobbi Brown: I loved makeup ever since I was a kid. I used to play with my mom's makeup. I studied theatrical makeup at Emerson College in Boston and decided to make a career out of makeup. I just love that it transforms people and helps people be confident, comfortable and feel better. It's a great tool to have.
E! News: When was the moment you know you made it in the beauty industry, not only as a makeup artist but as a brand founder?
BB: How I really knew I made it was when I had a Vogue cover—that was a big deal. It was also a big deal when I sold Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and it was a big deal when I launched it. There's been some nice accolades and awards, and it all leads up to hard work, being in the right place at the right time and feeling good.
E! News: You're credited with revolutionizing makeup in the '90s with the less is more approach. What led you to go against the grain?
BB: When I started as a makeup artist in the '90s, it was very overdrawn and contoured. Foundations didn't match the skin and technicolor eyes, I never liked it. I didn't intend to do what I did, but I did what came naturally—which was to make people look beautiful, but look like themselves. I probably led the way in the natural makeup movement, the nude makeup movement. With Jones Road, I believe I'm doing it again, teaching women how to wear makeup that makes them look better, but not changing who they are.
E! News: You shook up the industry after leaving Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in 2016. When did you know it was time to close that chapter?
BB: I didn't really realize it was time to close the chapter until I closed it. Looking back, I probably should have left a couple of years earlier. But I was part of a big corporation for 22 years. Twenty of the years were amazing and I just realized that it was time for me to be a boss again.
E! News: What were some emotions you felt after making that decision and how do you feel about it now?
BB: It wasn't an easy decision when it was finally made and happened. I had to go through a period of adjustment. My whole life was different and, basically, the cosmetic company was my first baby—I started it before I had kids. I had to reinvent myself and figure out not only who I was or who I wanted to be, but what I'd be doing with my time. Like any entrepreneur, I dove into a couple of things, and two and a half years after I left the brand, I launched Jones Road.
E! News: Even after knowing it was time to step away, did you envision becoming a brand founder again?
BB: When I left the brand, I had no intention of going into beauty. It was a billion-dollar brand and it was an epic, momentous part of my life. And I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I know I missed being part of a team creating amazing things and I remembered how much I loved being a makeup artist. I was invited to India to keynote the first-ever Indian Makeup Show, and then Masterclass asked me if I would create a makeup master class. That's when I knew this is what I love and it's truly who I am. And I just started experimenting with new formulas, new labs, new ingredients—and Jones Road was born.
E! News: Why was it important for you to create Jones Road?
BB: As I was experimenting, I created the Miracle Balm. I started giving it to my girlfriends, who were also at home, and they were like, 'Oh my god, this is the greatest thing I've ever seen.' And no one had ever seen anything like it, so I knew I was onto something. And the reason I have this brand now, besides that I'm so passionate about what I'm doing, is I wasn't done teaching. I wanted to teach women there's another alternative to putting head-to-toe makeup to look "natural."
E! News: How do you find a balance between creating everyday products but also staying up-to-date with trends?
BB: I've never believed in trends. I used to have to write about trends every season when I was doing collections years ago. But I realized I'm not someone that lives on trends—my style of clothes is very classic and simple. If red lips are a trend one season, that's great, but I don't like red lipstick. It doesn't look good on me. So, I'm not worried about what trends are happening.
E! News: In what ways do you think the beauty industry still needs to grow and how to do you hope to be part of that improvement?
BB: I'm really proud of the beauty industry. I'm delighted because when I was a young founder, it was not normal to have new brands come up. It was odd for people to see that there was another brand started by a makeup artist. Now, you can have a brand. I think it's oversaturated, but that's never worried me because if you find your own path, you go where you have to go. But the beauty industry has come a long way for inclusivity and showing models from different walks of life.