Review: Bobbi Brow Makeup Manual

Hello dear reader(s)! I apologise for the long absence, March has truly been a mad month for me personally. I started a new job and I was a part of the organizing team of the FantaSTikon convention and there was all sorts of things going on in real life that left me exhausted and tired. In all this craziness I managed to read only one book! Shocking I know, but things are starting to settle a bit, so I hope we’ll get back to our regular scheduled programme soon. 🙂

Today’s Nessa reads books and writes reviews (NRBWR) presents Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro. For those of you who don’t follow the beauty industry Bobbi Brown is a renowned professional makeup artist, and the founder and former CCO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. In the industry Bobbi Brown’s name is synonymous with a natural and moderate makeup style; and that style is the essence of the company she founded. Ms. Brown’s philosophy and makeup style revolve around the “natural look” and looking like your best self. She wrote 8 books about beauty and makeup and worked as a beauty editor for various shows and magazines. After leaving the company she founded at the end of 2016, she recently launched a new company called Beauty Evolution along with the accompanying site justBOBBI.

Bobbi Brown’s Makeup Manual was published 10 years ago, in 2008. A lot has changed in the beauty industry since that time. The industry developed new formulas, perfected old ones, developed new tools and so on… In an age of YouTube tutorials where anyone from a professional makeup artist, beauty lover or a very talented average person with the right equipment and skill can create a how-to tutorial for you to follow along are makeup manuals really relevant and should we read them? I believe they are, and although the beauty industry changes quickly the basics and foundations of makeup stay the same.

Although Ms. Brown’s Makeup Manual is 10 years old, it was written with her makeup style and principles in mind. While I was reading the book I was thinking about the makeup in it, as well as the reasons why I wear makeup and for what occasions I wear it. Most frequently I wear makeup for work, as I believe many women do. Many women, including myself, work in an environment where experiments with bright coloured eyeshadows, strong contouring and other makeup extravaganzas are not received with approval. Our makeup needs to be understated and professional; essentially very soft and natural – the kind of makeup look that Bobbi Brown is known for. Her Makeup Manual revolves around looking like your best self. It showcases soft, professional and somehow still glamorous and very beautiful makeup looks. The kind of looks you need 15 to 20 minutes to create while you sit in front of your vanity, or stand in the bathroom while drinking coffee in the obscene early hours in the morning. I had many of those obscenely hours in the morning this month and I came to appreciate Ms. Brown’s book.

Personally, although a lot of techniques and things Ms. Brown mention in the book were familiar to me, I still managed to learn a lot from it and gain some inspiration for everyday, understated makeup looks. Although the book is called Makeup Manual it also includes a section about artistry and advice for the aspiring makeup artist who want to become professionals. Do bear in mind that the book is 10 years old, so some things stated in here won’t be relevant to this day and age. But, as I stated before, the foundations and basics never change. I loved how Ms. Brown stated that it pays off to be punctual, professional, hardworking and above all kind to others. A little kindness goes a long way, and it’s something that a lot of people forget. Kindness will open more doors than rudeness.

All things considered should you really read this book and do I recommend it? Yes and yes. If you’re new to makeup Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual will make things clear and less intimidating. It explains the basics of makeup application in a clear and concise way, with lots of photos and illustrations. It’s very easy to follow along and Ms. Brown gives good advice from makeup application to makeup organization. And if you’re already an advanced makeup user, or a professional or just a makeup lover it’s always wonderful to read a book written by an industry veteran who is so knowledgeable. Also it’s a great coffee table/vanity table book. 🙂 Until next time dear reader.