How do you go from being a Director in Finance to becoming one of the most sought after international make-up artists for Bobbi Brown? I sat down with Eduardo Ferreira in Madrid and found out that sometimes you just have to love what you do! And now he does! As favoured International Artistic Director for Bobbi Brown, Eduardo is in his element perfecting looks for every woman to give us all a natural and truly glowing appearance.
Upon entering a large open plan studio the impact of pink flooring in preparation for next seasons big colour 'pink raspberry' clashed slightly with this seasons 'magenta pink' coat I was wearing. To think I was worried about a pink skin reflection from my coat, suddenly became insignificant compared to the intensity of what now seemed to be miles of pink carpet. Eduardo welcomed me with open arms clearly impressed by our almost matching colour schemes as he directed me towards the studio displays ready for the onslaught of make-up artists.
With every new trend and collection in colour cosmetics, all company make-up artists are brought into head office and trained to use the colours to achieve the seasons look. For Bobbi Brown it's an important part of the entire process of perfecting women's make up application the Bobbi way, unlike many of the cosmetic companies that encourage more diverse experimentation in colour and application, Bobbi Brown is all about the natural beauty of a woman. Each technique is carefully considered to bring the best features of a particular skin tone or face shape to the forefront and each make-up artist is prepped on how to create the desired look.
This is where Eduardo excels, in his direction of application and communicating the look to others in attendance. "Everyone told me I was crazy at the time!" Eduardo leans back in his chair, arms loosely crossed in a crisp slate grey shirt and removes his very it, very chic retro glasses and says, "but, I simply had to do it, I love what I do, I love Bobbi and it was the best thing I could ever have done!"
At 36 Eduardo made a huge career change and as with most of us, unfortunately it takes a life changing experience to make that happen, for Eduardo it was a an almost fatal car crash, "Life is too short, so I made a change and took a course in makeup artistry in Portugal and had my first job in make- up six months later" he said. For Eduardo his first job came by a chance meeting with a Clinique Executive that helped him move swiftly into the beauty industry, within only a few months Eduardo's passion for make- up compelled him to work in a more adventurous environment and so continuing with the same company (Estée Lauder) Eduardo moved to M.A.C. "It was fabulous!" he said, "I wore make up all the time and I was looking like a drag queen, but back then it was all about the show".
Eduardo built a reputation of make-up artistry, his talent was noticed by magazine Editors and alike who often called for advice and quotes, while designers were booking him for fashion shows and photo shoots. "But!" Says Eduardo, arms now stretched out in front of him with hands firmly on the table, "Then, it was like I really found myself!" With a seriousness behind his smile, it was obvious he had a real passion for working with Bobbi Brown, "This is not like just putting on make-up, anyone can put on makeup, the trick is to make someone look naturally beautiful and this is what Bobbi Brown does so well" As he leans in to emphasize the true nature of his work and of the company that he is clearly dedicated to, he says, "I immediately loved the concept of Bobbi Brown, it is much more difficult to do natural, you have to train your eye and work with the right textures and pigments. I read all of Bobbi's books and I loved her honesty and the positive image of beauty she had for all women".
So what's so special about Bobbi Brown? For one, it would seem the people that work for her love her. Maybe it's her warm energy level inspiring others around her to be just as enthusiastic about the product line, sometimes that's exactly what's needed for others to take notice. Clearly, Bobbi has developed a fabulous technique that enhances the natural beauty in women, but it may also have something to do with the tools of trade. I remember once listening to Kate Spade talk about her handbags; while on a model photo shoot she heard models complaining of not finding what they needed in their bags because they were to annoying to dig around in.
So Kate designed a tote that was large enough to carry most things and wide enough to see in, it was very structured but very simple at the same time, it was this simplicity that worked so well and it is the same ideology that works for Bobbi Brown. For example, how many times have we looked at make-up brushes and wondered what they were all for? Well in answer to that dilemma Bobbi prints the name and use on each brush, simple right?
One of the main differences between Bobbi Brown and other makeup brands is the connection with the customer, it's all about the experience, "A learning experience" says Eduardo, "When customers come to the counter, the first question that should always be asked is, how much time do you have?" "Well, what if you don't have much time?" I ask, "Then you say, let me make an appointment with you for when you do have more time and bring all your make up with you. Let's go through what you like and how it looks on you, really get to know the customer." He stops, and adds with much gusto, "It's never a blind date with make-up!" As we go through each make-up brush Eduardo describes how the brushes stroke the face and why it is important to use the right tools to get the required affect. It is all very interesting, definitely a learning curve, so the next time you go to the make-up counter, ask questions and then ask some more, these people are trained specifically to make sure you look your absolute best, naturally! As I rise to leave I ask Eduardo, "If you could work on anyone, who would it be?" and without a seconds thought he says, "Oh Madonna, yes, she is always changing, looking so different, I would like to reveal who she really is, I think that would be very interesting."
As I think about it myself, I too wonder what she would look like with a Bobbi Brown make-over, maybe we'll cover that one next time!
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