Bobbi Brown opens Beijing cosmetics store
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-09-10 09:11

Bobbi Brown, the US cosmetics brand of the world-known Estee Lauder company opened its first China boutique at Beijing's Parkson Department Store late last month.

Four Bobbi Brown stylists including Cynde Watson, the brand's director of global makeup artistry from New York, demonstrated the products in a show featuring popular Chinese actresses Hu Ke, Liang Jing, Guo Jin and other models on the launch day.

Over the next two weeks a beauty team composed of stylists from Taiwan and Shanghai trained by Bobbi Brown's stylists will serve local consumers by demonstrating the make-up at the department store.

"Bobbi Brown's mission is to help women appreciate their own unique features," Maureen Case, general manager of the brand told China Daily after the show at the Parkson Department Store.

"We are in the fashion industry but we are not just something trendy. Many cosmetics brands like to tell consumers that pink is the trend for this season and next year it is red. We don't do that. We teach them to be themselves and find balance and cultivate a positive outlook," she said.

"I believe in Bobbi's philosophy of makeup and have a passion for beauty. Styling and making up are not to cover your age but an attitude, a lifestyle," said Watson who was a former supermodel and 1992 Miss Jersey before she joined Bobbi Brown's beauty team in 1994.

When asked for some makeup tips by the consumers at the debut ceremony, Watson emphasized that Bobbi Brown never teaches women to cover up the flaws on their faces but rather to use cosmetics to highlight their best features.

"For example, if you worry about eye wrinkles, you should use eye pencil and eye shadows to bring out the brightness of the eyes so as to distract people's attention from your wrinkles," she added.

Bobbi Brown, the founder of the brand, learned theatrical makeup in Emerson College in Boston. After graduating, she headed for New York City to fulfil her dream of becoming a professional makeup artist. It was the 80s and the look of the moment was loud, garish, and overdone. Brown soon became frustrated by the lack of flattering makeup on the market.

A chance meeting with a chemist at a magazine photo shoot changed everything. She had the idea to develop a flattering lipstick and it became reality with the creation of Brown Lip Colour. Nine other brown-based lipstick shades followed soon after.

With this set of 10 lipsticks, a woman could create an infinite number of wearable shades, just by mixing and blending them.

In 1991, Bobbi launched her line of lipsticks at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

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