Basic Makeup Products: Build a Makeup Kit With Bobbi Brown

Professional makeup artist Bobbi Brown made her mark with a style that embraces your natural look. It’s an aesthetic that disrupted the market nearly thirty years ago and continues to outlast all of the beauty trends that have come and gone since.

“Makeup should not be a mask. Makeup should not change the way you look. Makeup should enhance who you are.” — Bobbi Brown

“First of all, you have to take your makeup kit and you have to spill it out,” Bobbi says. “Look at it. Anything that’s broken, anything that smells bad, has to go first. Then you make sure that the colors are still good for you.” Once you’ve eliminated what doesn’t belong, here are the beauty products Bobbi always brings:

1. 1. Moisturizer: A good moisturizer or serum hydrates your skin, and you can use one as part of your skin care routine or as a face primer before makeup application. “Lately, I’ve been using one with a little bit of shimmer in it,” Bobbi says. “It just gives a nice sheen.” Choose a moisturizer that works for your skin type and plays well with the other products in your makeup routine.
2. 2. Foundation or tinted balm: The best foundations even skin tone and create a base for your makeup without looking unnatural. “I have not been wearing foundation, so I’ve been wearing a little bit of tinted balm,” Bobbi says. If full-coverage foundation isn’t your thing, consider a tinted moisturizer with SPF.
3. 3. Color palette: Bobbi makes a custom compact filled with her favorite shades rather than bringing multiple eyeshadow palettes. “I basically [take] shadows out of [existing] compacts,” she says. Bobbi’s go-to compact holds three eyeshadows (a light, a medium, and two darks) and a blush. Make sure to include the right brushes for your products.
4. 4. Complexion pencils or concealer: Concealers cover under-eye circles and blemishes. “As far as my skin,” Bobbi says, “I’m really a minimalist.” Instead of foundation or liquid concealer, Bobbi opts for complexion pencils in two shades. “I do a pencil on my eyes and one on spots, and that’s pretty much it,” she adds. “If I’m on camera, I will take the one that I use on spots and do my whole face.”
5. 5. Eye makeup: “I absolutely use black mascara,” Bobbi says. With the help of an eyelash curler, mascara helps gives your eyes the attention they deserve. “I also have a brown and a black pencil,” she says. A pencil is great for a smudged look, while liquid eyeliner will help you achieve the perfect cat-eye. You may also want to throw in an eyebrow pencil.
6. 6. Lipstick or gloss: Add a little color or shine to your lips with lipstick or lip gloss. Bobbi says, “I wear a gloss, and usually, my gloss is light or lip color.”

“Instead of having a big bag for the night, it’s just good to make it mini,” she says. “In the evening, I’ve [already] done my makeup, and this is just for me touching up.” Bobbi brings a small purse with just enough room for her phone and the following nighttime beauty essentials:

1. 1. Compact: “I always make sure I have a compact with a mirror,” Bobbi says. She likes to pack a shimmery compact. “I could use it with a brush on my cheek, I could use it with a brush on my eyes, but it’s [also] my mirror,” she adds. It doesn’t matter which product goes in the compact, so long as it has a mirror. “If you are someone that has oily skin,” Bobbi says, “perhaps the compact should be your powder.”
2. 2. Highlighter: Highlighters attract light, giving you a glowy look and accentuating underlying bone structure. Bobbi likes to use the same highlighter for her cheeks and eyes.
3. 3. Lipstick or gloss: Bobbi loves to bring something “light, glossy, and sparkly” for her lips. “But not everyone likes light. So grab yourself something red,” she says, if that’s more your speed. Just make sure it’s long-lasting.
4. 4. Breath fresheners: “I don’t go anywhere without my peppermints,” Bobbi says. She also recommends individually packaged mini toothbrushes with toothpaste to get “all the little things out of your teeth.”
5. 5. Complexion pencil: Bobbi’s complexion pencil serves double duty as lip liner and concealer for dark circles or discoloration.
6. 6. Perfume: “I always bring a fragrance,” Bobbi says. Instead of a full-size bottle of perfume, she brings perfume samples from the beauty counter. “Those little minis they give away, grab them,” she adds.
7. 7. Eyebrow spoolie: Add drama to your brows by using a dry spoolie or brow gel to brush them straight up.

“Decide what you actually need and what you don’t need. Those few minutes are gonna make a big difference. When you travel, when you go anywhere, just take the time and just simplify,” Bobbi says. Here’s how she puts together a TSA-friendly makeup bag.

1. 1. Transfer your products to smaller containers. “When I travel, I like to depot my own things,” she says. She likes plastic containers for items like shampoo, conditioner, and mouthwash. “Just make sure there’s nothing breakable,” Bobbi adds.
2. 2. Label everything. Bobbi loves to label everything, especially her travel bottles. “Label it so you know exactly what it is,” she says. When you get home from your trip, you can pour any leftover products back into their original containers.
3. 3. Only bring what you need. “You don’t really have to bring cotton [rounds] because most hotels have them,” she says. If you stay at someone’s house, they likely have the essentials.
4. 4. Consider multipurpose products. Instead of liquid makeup remover, consider face wipes. Bobbi says, “They’re great for taking your makeup off [and] cleaning your face.”

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