Bobbi Brown - Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful

I live in a house of men. Between my husband, three sons, two nephews, and (as I write this) two foreign exchange students (who we fondly call the Euroboys), I am definitely in the minority at home. Luckily for me, my two female dogs, Biggie and Pup Pup, are there for cuddling. Thats my home life. But in my work life, I am surrounded by women: young ones, old ones, tall ones, short ones, pregnant ones, menopausal ones, and many who dont always feel pretty.

While looking at the before photos for my last book, Beauty Rules, I had an epiphany. Even though Im in the business of selling makeup, I loved how the teens and their moms looked without any makeup. But I also loved how everyone lit up after the makeup was applied and the sparkly jewels were put on. The after shots were stunning and authentic. The message behind Pretty Powerful is simple: All women are pretty without makeup and can be pretty powerful with even just a touch of makeup.

As a makeup artist, beauty expert, and woman, I understand what it takes to feel and look good. It takes an incredible amount of hard work (as does everything thats worth doing)you have to eat right, exercise regularly, learn how to apply your makeup, and get dressed even on days youre not feeling your best. But first and foremost, feeling good requires an upbeat attitude, confidence, and a wicked sense of humor. And thats what Pretty Powerful is all about.

This book is more than gorgeous photos. Its a book about incredible women and their inspiring words. It includes application techniques you can use at home and personal stories that will inspire you to be your best, most authentic self. Creating Pretty Powerful was an unforgettable experience; I had the honor of working with an amazing collection of women, each celebrating life and full of energy and confidence. My hope is to help women everywhere understand that being who you are is the secret to lasting beautyand that all of us can be both pretty and pretty powerful.

There are many different foundation formulas to choose from. Whether you prefer the sheer, lightweight texture of a tinted moisturizer, the buildable medium-to-full coverage of a foundation stick, or the breakout-preventing benefits of an oil-free foundation, you can find a formula that is right for you. To choose the correct color, start by trying three shades of a yellow-toned foundation on the side of your face as well as your forehead. (All women have yellow undertones in their skin; a yellow-based version will look the most natural.) The right foundation should look like you arent wearing makeup at allso the shade that disappears into both your forehead and your cheek is the right one for you. Make sure you look at the options in natural light.

Not only does powder give skin a smooth and polished appearance, but it also holds foundation and concealer in place. To apply, use a powder brush, or puff, to cover the skin with a light dusting of loose or pressed powder. Always blow or tap excess powder off your brush so that the makeup doesnt flake on your face as you apply. Choose pale yellow or white powder to apply over undereye concealer, depending on your skin color (choose white if you have alabaster or ivory skin; pale yellow for all other skin tones). For oily skin, concentrate on eliminating shine from your T-zone, across the brow and down your nose and chin. Loose and pressed powder work exactly the same, but I find that loose is better to use at home, while pressed powder is great for on-the-go touch-ups. Stay away from translucent powder because it makes skin look chalky and ashy. Most women look great with a yellow-based powder that matches their skin tone.

To add a healthy warm tint to the skin, dust a bronzing powder over cheeks, forehead, nose, chin, and neck using a bronzer brush. Bronzer is great for countering redness in skin and blending the look of foundation on the face with the neck. Bronzer is best applied with a full, flat brush.

To apply and blend blush, choose a smaller, slightly rounded brush. Smile and dust a neutral shade of blush on the apples of the cheeks. Blend up toward the hairline, then back downward to soften color. For a brighter look, apply a pop of bright blush just to the apples of cheeks. If you are using a pot rouge, take two fingers and dip them into the color, apply to the apple of the cheek, and in a circular motion blend up toward the hairline and back down, rubbing it in for beautiful natural-looking color.