While I was on my hospital bed last Tuesday evening, I’ve managed to come across an online article written by Kristen Bateman for Allure. The title of the article was “Why You’ll Never See A Bobbi Brown Contour Palette”. This article is based from “Bobbi Brown on Why She Really Left Her Brand and Resisted Making a Contour Palette, and Her Next Moves”, an interview by Linda Wells (former editor at Allure Magazine) for New York Magazine‘s The Cut.
Both articles certainly got me thinking.
For the past Ten years that I have been doing makeup and checking out Bobbi Brown counters, I have not seen a contour palette from her. NEVER. Then again, this realization did not surprise me because I know the brand philosophy of Bobbi Brown. That is why she is one of my idols.
As stated on her book Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, “All women really want the same thing: to look like themselves, only prettier and more confident.”
This is one philosophy I believe in.
I myself do not contour heavily. Mainly because eighty percent of my work is for Television Commercials. As a rule, makeup should be:
- Natural
- Clean
- Fragrant
Shoots are excruciatingly long and before it commences, I am given a very limited time to do hair + makeup. Skipping contouring actually gives me more than enough time to perfect the skin and bring emphasis to the eyes. Most of the time applying blush correctly is all you need to make a face “bloom”.
Contouring has already reached it’s zenith and I hope it would die down already. I have seen many men and women who overdo it. It is not a very pretty sight. Spotlights tend to wash out the natural contours of the face, thus the need for contouring. One would only need to contour heavily if you have a spotlight following you around 24/7. Youtube makeup video tutorials are not helping in anyway. These makeup tutorial videos are in a “well lit” controlled environment.
Just remember my friends that daylight is kind when it is not directly over head and office lights are your worst enemy, so less is more.
Honestly, how many more contour palettes has to be made? I do applaud Bobbi for not bowing down to the pressure of creating a contour palette. In truth, selling a contour palette is a lucrative venture for any cosmetic company. With a name sake like Bobbi’s, I’m sure it would sell like hotcakes. Bobbi not creating a contour palette just comes to show that it’s not about the money. It is about empowering women with a little knowledge and the right tools. As stated on the about page her website, www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com, “The secret to beauty is simple: be who you are”.
And I always work around those parameters.
~
To read the article from Allure, click on the link below.
http://www.allure.com/story/bobbi-brown-no-contour-palette
To read the article from The Cut, click on the link below.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/03/bobbi-browns-next-moves-and-beauty-secrets-interview.html
TOR TORRE Beauty 