Since Bobbi Brown entered the beauty space over four decades ago, the legendary makeup artist and entrepreneur has founded two trailblazing cosmetics companies, authored nine bestselling books, become a licensed health coach and carved out her niche as a social media sensation. At the age of 66, the North Shore native launched Jones Road, her clean-formula, high-performance makeup and skincare company designed for all ages, skin types and skin tones, which hit the local scene last spring with the opening of a brick-and-mortar Bucktown storefront.
Now, Brown is celebrating Jones Road’s fourth anniversary with the launch of the Bobbi Kit 4.0, a curated collection of minimal-effort daily essentials, and hosting a celebratory Beauty Block Party on Oct. 30 from 12:30 to 2 p.m., featuring complimentary mini tins of the award-winning Miracle Balm, 90’s tunes and chocolate bars at the Jones Road semi-truck parked next to the Chicago store. Additionally, the brand has just launched its highly-awaited holiday collection, now available at the Bucktown shop and online at jonesroadbeauty.com.
While she was in town, we chatted with Brown about Jones Road’s fourth anniversary, her beauty must-haves and her heartfelt advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
As a Chicago native, how does it feel to return to the area for the Jones Road Chicago Beauty Block Party?
It’s amazing. I love Chicago. I haven’t lived here in decades, but I’m very proud to say that I’m from Chicago. I think it’s very important for people to realize that you are from where you came from, and I’m proud of where I’m from.
You launched Jones Road in 2020. What challenges did you overcome when launching a new beauty brand during a pandemic?
There were challenges, but then, looking back, there were also great things about it. The good thing is that everything was different, and there were new ways of reaching people. There were new ways of talking to the customer, which was very different from when I did it the first time. The challenge was, I launched with a very small team, and I was so used to having big, giant layers, but it works just as well, and even in some ways, it works better having a small team.
How does Jones Road reflect your evolution as a makeup artist and entrepreneur?
For me, it’s definitely effortless. I’ve been doing what I’m doing for so long and have a short attention span. When I do someone’s makeup, I want to be able to, in two seconds, put it on and say, “Wow, look how good you look, and by the way, you can do this at home.”
Jones Road just released the Bobbi Kit 4.0 to celebrate its fourth anniversary. What are some of your favorite products from the kit, and how do they reflect the brand’s mission?
Whenever I conceptualize a kit, I always think about what makeup could give women a step up to get organized. I’m not someone who likes or believes in trends, but I like to have products that support getting ready in the morning. I also like to do something special for people and bring them something they haven’t tried before. So, in this kit, we’ve got my favorite Just A Sec eyeshadow in cool brown. You can literally take your finger and put it on your lid, and in just a second, you’ve done your eye makeup. I also have my favorite Lippie Stick, which is really a nude, no-brainer that works on most people—you really don’t even have to look in a mirror. Everyone has to have Miracle Balm, so we have two colors depending on your skin tone. I pulled something from the launch, and it’s the Gel Liner. It’s a product I invented more than a decade ago, and I’ve reinvented it for Jones Road to stay with the clean mission and improve the formula.
Jones Road offers beauty products for all ages, skin types and skin tones. How do you ensure the balance between performance and clean formulations?
They have to be efficacious. I’m not going to put something on that doesn’t work. Most of the products are very light on the skin and don’t feel heavy, even our foundations. The lipsticks are not too drying, they’re just formulated for a more modern finish.
How do you balance your personal and professional life while prioritizing your health and wellness?
Some days, weeks and months, I do better than others. I think the great thing about being experienced and being someone who’s gone through it before is knowing that when I don’t feel balanced, I can do something about it. I’m not afraid of hard work. I think I have a strong stamina for things, but then I need to pause. And a little pause for me is a day. Your body tells you, and your mind tells you. And the thing is, you always come back stronger if you do that. The better you care for yourself, the more energy you have to care for the people around you. I raised three kids, from babies to adults, and never stopped working.
As a pioneer in the beauty industry, what advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs need people around them who are not entrepreneurs, so there’s a role for everybody. My advice is: whatever journey you want to go on, just realize you’ve got to figure out that there’s no magic dust, and there’s no fast-speeding train that you’re going to hop on. You’re just going to work on it every day going forward. If you are building a career, you have to figure out how you can be the best version of yourself. Talk to people, ask questions, put your head down and do your work. It’s not getting there that matters; it’s what you get that matters. When you are building something, you are on this exciting journey. Don’t be in a rush.
What’s next for Jones Road?
We are launching our holiday line, which is really exciting. The Bobbi Kit 4.0 is selling like crazy, and now we’re launching more good stuff. And I’m really excited about the store in Chicago and our truck event. We did it once in New York, and we didn’t know that anyone would show up and there were lines around the block.
See also: Checking In With Chicago Entrepreneur John Cerasani
Photography by: Photos courtesy of Jones Road
