How Bobbi Brown Went From Vogue Makeup Artist to Building a $160M Brand at 63

Sep 25, 2025

Bobbi Brown, renowned makeup artist and entrepreneur, shares her inspiring journey from a Vogue makeup artist to building a $160M beauty empire. She reveals the secrets behind launching Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, her emotional connection to makeup, and how she successfully navigated a lengthy non-compete. Bobbi candidly discusses her viral TikTok moment, the importance of a supportive partnership with her husband, and her passion for mentoring young women. Plus, her refreshing take on beauty rules that resonate through generations!

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ANECDOTE

From Cold Calls To First Lipstick

Bobbi Brown started her brand after cold-calling agencies and meeting a chemist who made her first lipstick.
She and her husband split $15 and launched what became Bobby Brown Cosmetics.

INSIGHT

Makeup That Enhances, Not Masks

Brown developed a signature philosophy: makeup should enhance natural beauty and look like skin.
She created products (foundation the color of your skin) because existing makeup looked artificial.

ANECDOTE

Naomi Campbell Vogue Break

Bobbi described getting Naomi Campbell's first American Vogue cover by using a single lip color matching Naomi's lips.
That single approach became a signature look and influenced her brand's nude-lip concept.

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Makeup artist, mogul, author, hotelier—Bobbi Brown has built more than one empire (and reinvented herself along the way).

In this episode of The Burnouts, Bobbi sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to talk about what it really takes to build an iconic brand, sell it for millions, and then start all over again. From mixing her first lipstick with a chemist and cold-calling agencies out of the Yellow Pages, to selling Bobbi Brown Cosmetics to Estée Lauder and later launching Jones Road Beauty, Bobbi shares the unfiltered version of how she built—and rebuilt—her career on her own terms.

She opens up about confidence, burnout, and building businesses with her husband and family. Plus: the 25-year non-compete that changed everything, why “retirement” is not in her vocabulary, how she clapped back at viral TikTok criticism (and won), and the simple beauty rules she swears by for every generation.

Also: how she accidentally went from makeup artist to hotel owner, why she still cold-DMs influencers, and her #1 piece of advice for young women chasing their dream career.

🔍 CHAPTERS

00:00 – Starting Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
06:30 – Reinventing beauty around natural looks
09:20 – Vogue covers, Naomi Campbell, and early breaks
12:00 – Building a billion-dollar brand with Estée Lauder
20:00 – Family, partnership, and working with her husband
27:20 – Selling for $74M and the 25-year non-compete
30:00 – Going viral with Jones Road Beauty on TikTok
34:30 – Personal brand, social media, and DMs that changed everything
40:00 – Jones Road’s growth and what’s next
46:00 – Advice for entrepreneurs (luck vs. hard work)
51:00 – Hiring, culture, and leading a scrappy team
57:00 – Self-care, health, and why she’ll never retire

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