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“I’ve always been particular about my brows—even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own.”
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On bringing runway-worthy
make-up to the modern woman
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“Of course, I’m very grateful for the successes we have achieved, and yes, we can celebrate these milestones. But I’m always cautious – I never believe I have ‘arrived’. To me, one day you’re in and the next you could be out. You can’t rest on your laurels.”
“I say ‘work in progress’ a lot or ‘this too shall pass’. Also: ‘don’t forget to have fun’.”
What is your mantra?
“In the beginning, the biggest challenge was
doing everything with a small team, but I truly believe it’s important to be hands-on to understand what your business really needs”
“A very old Hermès trench, which I got when I worked at the [brand’s] sample sale in the ’90s, plus a McQueen embroidered cape.”
What is your most treasured fashion item?
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My make-up philosophy is… Buildable, breathable, blurry, lived-in make-up. I think this gives the flexibility to build your look; it can be as soft or intense as you like. To me, make-up that looks hand-applied always reads cooler.
My definition of success is… Accomplishing many goals, but still feeling like your ceiling is so much higher. Everyone I know who is an expert in their field continues to maintain a sense of curiosity and a feeling that there is still more to say and learn… I think possessing this quality is what gets you where you want to be.
A book that changed my perspective is… The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. I’m drawn to the way he weaves universal themes of love, jealousy and sex into a meditation on meaninglessness, and the idea that life can feel both weightless and deeply burdened at once. There’s this tension between nothing really mattering and, at the same time,
an inherent weight on humans because of our self-importance
and attachments. It gave me the idea that perspective can vary
completely just by how you choose to look at something.
“I was working three different jobs, filming and editing in the evenings, and spending hours replying to messages and comments. And yet, not one second felt like work.”
Smudge Contour Lip Pencil
Essential Lip Compact
brand to Estée Lauder in 1995, and stepped down from the company in 2016. A mere four years later, in the middle of the pandemic, Brown surprised everyone—except, perhaps, herself—with the launch of Jones Road Beauty—a new venture that signalled a return to her makeup artistry roots by championed the concept of looking like yourself, only better. Current estimates place Jones Road at approximately $1billion, with this year’s revenue predicted to be over $150million.
But Brown is so much more than her multi-million dollar cosmetics brands. She’s a wellness advocate, teacher, mentor and creative. But at the centre of everything she does lies the same sentiment: that beauty should be simple, real and empowering. Here, in our Women Who Win series, she speaks to Lottie Winter about her reinvention, bravery and lessons learned from building not one, but two of the most influential beauty empires of modern times.
ew women have shaped modern beauty quite like Bobbi Brown. The legendary makeup artist and serial entrepreneur first appeared on the beauty scene with her namesake brand and its refreshing new stance on makeup that focused on accentuating natural beauty rather than covering it. She sold her
F
Image credits: courtesy of FARA HOMIDI
GETTY IMAGES
“Make-up that looks hand-applied always reads cooler.”
The best advice I’ve received was… to play the long game. Build slowly, build intentionally, and don’t rush decisions for short-term wins. It’s always stuck with me and I try and live by it.
I celebrate my wins quite quietly… I’m not someone who needs fireworks. Sometimes it’s a moment of reflection, a dinner with my family, or just acknowledging how far we’ve come. I’ve learned that celebrating doesn’t always need to be loud to be meaningful. I do like to mark a milestone with a little token that reminds me of the wins.
I will never compromise on…the integrity of my work. Every product, piece of content, or decision has to feel aligned with who I am and what I believe in. If it doesn’t feel honest, it’s a no.
I wish I could change…the narrative around women’s ambition and timing. Women shouldn’t have to justify their choices, whether that’s building a business, starting a family, or doing both. We need more trust, flexibility, empathy, and representation at every level.
Homidi
Fara
Fara Homidi is one of the buzziest names to hit beauty in years. Afghanistan-born and California-raised, she cut her teeth on the catwalk, becoming known for her hand-applied approach to “perfectly imperfect” beauty. Success ensued; she went on to work with some of the world’s leading fashion houses, including Miu Miu, Celine and Hermès, while painting the faces of the world’s most recognisable celebrities.
Homidi knows just how saturated the beauty market is, which is exactly why she wanted her own to feel different. She launched her eponymous label in 2023 with a tightly curated edit of products designed to function as a refillable system.
The standout was the now-cult Essential Lip Compact, which has since been joined by plush lip glosses and cream-to-powder bronzers and eyeshadows. Quality control is key: the weighty, colourful compacts are unmistakable, engineered to slip seamlessly into, and stand out within, busy, modern life.
But it’s the product inside that perfectly embodies the artist’s philosophy—it’s sexy, smudgy, blurry, lived-in, and most importantly, moves with the wearer. Here in our Women Who Win Series, Fara Homidi speaks to Nessa Humayun about her career, approach to branding and the things that inspire her outside of beauty.
The most practical thing in my bag is… Floss sticks. It’s not glamorous, but I always have a lip on and mouth hygiene is a must.
The best advice I have received is… To keep my eyes open and to recognise the opportunities that are presenting themselves. I think of it like this: if you’re told to count the number of red cars that pass by, you suddenly start seeing them everywhere, whereas before you may not have noticed them at all. Taking the time to explore the unlikely is how you learn to move to the beat of your own drum.
My secret London spot is…The bar at the Twenty Two Hotel. It’s a dark, private little bar, with plenty of candlelight and yummy snacks. It never feels too crowded, so you can have a beautiful, intimate conversation with friends, and the cocktails are so good—they make my favourite Paloma on the planet.
My desert island meal is… A burger at Raoul's in New York. I can’t have it every day because it’s so rich, but it’s a delicious take on a Steak Au Poivre with peppercorn sauce. It just melts in your mouth.
My dream mentor is… Irving Penn. I would have loved to have seen his process when it came to creating those iconic beauty images we still obsess over today.
I can’t leave the house without…I can’t leave the house without my Smudge & Contour Lip Pencil in Faun, the Essential Lip Compact in Nude 2, and my Soft Glass Lip Plumping Oil in Tawny. That’s my go-to lip kit right there.
My most treasured objects are… My engagement and wedding rings—I think they carry the energy of the moments they symbolise. Being married for over 11 years is my personal biggest accomplishment.
“Taking time to explore the unlikely is how you learn to move to the beat of your own drum.”
The book that changed my perspective....
The Twenty Two Hotel
Raoul's
in NYC
Irving Penn
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