A Gen-Z Guide To Beauty Featuring “Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty”
Before YouTube Tutorials and TikTok get-ready-with-mes, there was Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty.
Danielle Cappolla
I became a teenager in the early 2000s. At that time, there were no YouTube tutorials or TikTok influencers to teach me how to apply makeup. Magazines became my point of reference for fashion and beauty, but it was hard to recreate the red carpet looks I saw in teen magazines like YM or Seventeen. I over-tweezed my eyebrows. I applied shades of frosted lip gloss that made me look like I was trying too hard to fit in. I knew what I was aiming to replicate, but how to get those results weren’t clear- that is until I discovered Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty aged thirteen.
Bobbi Brown–entrepreneur, professional makeup artist, and founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics–wrote the book to help teenagers navigate the confusing world of beauty with step-by-step tutorials on how to get the glam looks I’d been fiending to try.
Reading the book and buying my first Bobbi Brown makeup kit allowed me to experiment with makeup in ways that would enhance my natural features without sacrificing any of the fun. Having the tools, tips, and materials at my disposal, along with a detailed how-to guide, my confidence shot through the roof. It was one of the first times as a teenager that I felt empowered by my looks instead of exasperated by them.
The book contains timeless beauty advice and practical tips for applying makeup, interspersed with personal stories about Bobbi’s own beauty journey. The lessons I learned while reading this book still influence my beauty philosophy and the way I approach makeup today. These are a few of the most vital:
Learn How to Take Care of Your Skin at an Early Age
Bobbi’s advice on skincare is still relevant today. She told her teenage audience to protect their skin by wearing sunscreen on their faces, lips, and hands. In the early 2000s, tanning was in, so there wasn’t much emphasis on using SPF to avoid sunburn and prevent melanoma. Bobbi’s advice encouraged me to make sunscreen application part of my routine, even though tanning oils were a more popular choice at the time. She also encouraged teens to hydrate, eat healthy food, drink water, exercise, and avoid smoking for optimal skin health. Her approach to skincare also suggested strategies for different skin types.
As a teenager with oily skin, Bobbi Brown’s advice to invest in an oil-free cleansing gel, toner, and moisturizer helped me manage breakouts. Learning to take care of my skin and to consider its changing needs is a lesson I still adhere to as an adult. Just because a product works for your friends doesn’t mean it will work for you the same way. I hadn’t thought about skincare as self-care until then.
Beauty Looks Different for Everyone
Bobbi acknowledges that, despite trends, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to beauty. Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty had separate chapters that celebrated Black, Asian, Latin American, and global beauty. She recognized that beauty standards in the early 2000s were generalized and encouraged women of color to embrace their beauty. Twenty years later, beauty brands have made some strides with shade inclusivity. Cosmetics brands are still working on integrating more shades into their collections, so customers can see themselves reflected in the products.
Teenage girls face pressure to align their looks with the dominant beauty standards of the time they are growing up in. It was refreshing to have a beauty expert encourage teenage girls to embrace their individuality, even if it differed from others. There were some trendy looks that I tried that didn’t work for me, like chunky highlights and hair that was flat ironed into submission. In following Bobbi’s advice to work with my curly locks instead of against them, I found a look that suited me, even if it wasn’t the popular trend of the time.
Have Fun with Makeup
Bobbi’s advice is not to worry about making your makeup look too perfect. She encourages fingerpainting to layer colors. I still use this technique when I buy a new lipstick or eyeshadow, so I find a shade that works for me. The book also encourages keeping an open mind about makeup and nail polish, and trying looks that are outside of your comfort zone. I think of Bobbi’s advice often when I’m shopping for a new nail color. It's fun to deviate from my tried-and-true favorites and embody a different persona. Sometimes I don’t like the new color, but other times experimenting with color leads to a new favorite I wouldn’t have found otherwise. Having a sense of playfulness with beauty keeps me open-minded to trying new things.
… But Not Too Much Fun
As Bobbi says, “There’s a time and a place for a smudged black eye and it’s not in your Monday-morning American history class.” While I’m a few years removed from my high school history class, Bobbi’s advice helped me understand when and where to experiment with new looks. At work, my makeup is more understated, with warm colors and neutral lip gloss. For a night out, I can rock metallic eyeshadow, a cat eye, and a bold red lip. Sometimes, I’ll even dress up and play with makeup for a night in.
Curate a Makeup Kit Based on Your Needs and Budget
At age thirteen, I didn’t know what I needed in my kit. Bobbi created three lists: should possess, nice to own, and don’t bother buying. It helped to narrow down the items that were necessary for a healthy skincare routine. Bobbi’s “should possess” list covers the basics that I always travel with: cleanser, moisturizer, tweezers, eye shadow, blush, and lip color. At home, I keep a few of the “nice to own” items handy, like bronzer, and a wider range of eye shadow, lip, and nail colors.
Admittedly, it can be challenging not to buy the latest beauty product an influencer or celebrity swears by. Some of these products are as expensive as they are tempting. Commercials can be very persuasive. Taking some communications classes in college helped me understand the psychology of advertising, so I could make more informed decisions about my purchases. With Bobbi’s guidelines, I saved money on unnecessary items.
Love Yourself (With and Without Makeup)
Bobbi dedicated an entire chapter to self-acceptance in the beauty space. As a makeup artist, Bobbi heard every bodily insecurity imaginable. Her advice is timeless. “What you can’t stand is probably the thing I will find most beautiful about you. Distinctive characteristics are what make a woman stand out and look pretty.”
When I was a teenager, I felt insecure about my smile. I wore braces three times and still they weren’t perfect. Those imperfections give my smile character and I grew to love my smile as I got older. Learning to embrace your imperfections is powerful, and Bobbi recognized the importance of that lesson early on. She shared in the book that she didn’t like her strong nose growing up but grew to love it. Bobbi’s vulnerability is a reminder that everyone feels insecure, even the people you’d least expect, like beauty experts and models. Self-love is the most empowering beauty lesson of all, and it's a lifelong one.
Your Beauty Philosophy Should Grow With You
Bobbi sold her eponymous cosmetics company to Estée Lauder in 1995. Instead of enjoying the success of her company, she continued to learn about what the beauty space lacked and how she could address it. In 2020, she launched Jones Road Beauty, a new makeup company that reflects her evolving education in the beauty industry. Bobbi wanted to create clean makeup with a more diverse shade spectrum. Her philosophy is that the world doesn’t need more beauty products, it needs ones with high-quality ingredients.
Bobbi recognized that the beauty space is saturated with products. Customers need items that deliver the results they promise and offer an inclusive range of shades. Bobbi’s pivot in the cosmetics industry is a reminder that your beauty philosophy should change with you.
As a teenager, I wasn’t an aware consumer. I cluttered my room with products that celebrities endorsed. Most of the time, these trendy products didn’t work for me nor were they necessary (although I will admit, I miss my Lip Smacker Dr. Pepper lip gloss every day). Like Bobbi, I’ve seen the beauty industry lean toward cleaner ingredients. Today I read labels on beauty products to see if there are any substances that can irritate my skin. I also look into the sustainability practices of the brands I buy because I want to support companies that are eco-friendly. My shy teenage self would be impressed to see that I ask questions at cosmetics stores when I’m unsure about a product. I query professionals in the hair and makeup industry for their advice and perceptions of the changing world of beauty.
While I don’t follow every recommendation I’m given, I try to be open-minded about changes in the beauty industry. As my values change, my beauty philosophy adjusts to reflect these changes. In another 20 years, I’m sure I’ll see beauty differently than I do right now. No matter how much I change though, the lessons I learned from Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty will remain guideposts for me in the ever-changing world of beauty.
I hope they help you the way they have me.
Danielle Cappolla is a writer, editor, and teacher from New Jersey. She has a B.A. in English from Fordham University and a M.S. in Education and Special Education. Her bylines include Business insider, Well+Good, Better Goods, and Tilt Magazine. You can keep up with Danielle on her website or on Twitter.
