Exclusive: Bobbi Brown Gets Real With 'Pretty Powerful' Campaign

by Grace Gold (Subscribe to Grace Gold's posts)
Posted Jan 6th 2010 at 6:00AM

Bobbi Brown wants you to be pretty powerful.

For Spring 2010, the makeup-artist-turned-cosmetic-giant is revealing fun before and after shots of "real women" – friends who have inspired Brown with their integrity and passions.

"This past year with the economy becoming more challenging, I saw it as an opportunity to press the reset button and figure out what really makes sense to me. And I realized that all these women I know are so beautiful because of their confidence in what they know, and I want to celebrate that," Brown tells us, as she spilled the secrets to a few of her favorite makeovers.

The campaign – called "Pretty Powerful" – will launch next week with a gallery of before and afters that range the full gamut from conservative to indie hip.

"Roseanne is so naturally beautiful that all I could do was help her look even more bright-eyed and well-rested. I used Tinted Eye Brightener to instantly make her look more awake and to conceal any undereye area darkness, before I lightly defined her brows with Brow Pencil. To compliment Roseanne's fantastic gray hair, I chose Pale Pink Pot Rouge and Popsicle Lip Gloss because they added warmth to her skin and helped lift her face." Courtesy photo

Starting the 19th, fans can submit videos beautifying with their favorite Bobbi Brown products, and then 15 finalists will be sent a Must-Haves Makeup Kit and the Color Strips Collection – a springy mosaic of pinks, purples and earth tones that will launch in March - to create a video on how the collection makes them feel Pretty Powerful.

And if you don't wield a makeup brush and flip cam like Michelle Phan, you can check out the entries and vote on the final five finalists while earning cash for a girl power cause at the same time. Brown will donate $1 per vote to Dress for Success – a charity that provides underprivileged women with interview suits and guidance on starting a new career.

Since the term "powerful makeup" has us envisioning the dark contouring and fuchsia pink lipstick of 80s days gone by, we had to ask what the phrase means in today's post-Flashdance world.

"It's makeup that makes a woman feel confident, powerful and beautiful. Power is not shoulder pads, success or fame – it's someone who feels comfortable in their skin," Brown tells us.

"The first thing I noticed about Jolie was her great lips. I really wanted them to stand out, so I used a bright lip color with a little bit of shine. She also has a healthy pink glow to her skin tone that I didn't want to completely cover up, so I just used Foundation Stick where needed to even out her complexion." Courtesy photo

The key to pulling it off? Make sure your basics are correct. Your concealer and foundation or tinted moisturizer needs to be the right shade, so that you're gently brightened under the eyes and evened out all over without looking like you're wearing makeup, says Brown.

And there are some amazing celeb role models to look to for examples of a powerful makeup style.

"Jennifer Aniston always looks put together, flawless – never overdone. Mary J. Blige has more of a rock 'n roll vibe, yet always looks confident and totally comfortable," says Brown. "And Meryl Streep is one of the sweetest people – she's so subtle and understated yet completely polished," Brown says of the Oscar-winning legend who she has personally painted.

Leading ladies and cosmetic mavens who sport natural beauty with class? We love that.

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