Bobbi Brown, the make-up artist and founder behind Jones Road Beauty and her eponymous brand, has spoken out about selling her namesake brand to Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) in 1995.
During an appearance on The Bossticks Podcast – a business-focused podcast hosted by entrepreneurial duo Lauryn and Michael Bosstick – Brown opened up about the “very emotional” sale of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics to ELC.
Brown said during the interview how she sees her name on the brand’s packaging, noting that “I do not follow their Instagram or anything, but people send me stuff”.
When asked why she no longer follows her namesake brand, Brown said: “Just because I do not care, and it is just important for me to move on.”
Brown opened up about seeing the brand’s decisions differ from choices she would have made, and how that makes it easier for her to detach.
She said: “I think if you see something and you are like, ‘all right, I would not do that’.
“I mean… I do not really care.
“I think it would be worse if they turned it into the brand I really wanted it to be, without me.
“That would have been worse. That would have been torture.”
Brown continued: “But it is not painful.
“In a weird way, and I do not want to sound like this, but it is comical sometimes.
“It is really not my brand anymore, and so I know that.
“I do not want them not to do well, but it is… writing the book was really cathartic.”
Cosmetics Business has reached out to Estée Lauder Companies for comment.
Brown is referring to her tell-all memoir, Still Bobbi, which covered her ‘groundbreaking’ journey.
The podcast appearance is not the first time Brown has opened up about her layered career journey.
Earlier this year, the make-up mogul claimed the last two years at the namesake brand left her “miserable” during an appearance on the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast.
At the time of selling, in 1995, Brown signed a 25-year non-compete clause, believing she would be happy working under the Estée Lauder umbrella until she retired.
After Brown departed ELC, she launched Evolution 18, a line of beauty and wellness ingestibles to complement her certification as a health coach.
She then returned to the cosmetics arena in October 2020 with colour cosmetics brand Jones Road Beauty.
The initial launch range was said to comprise ‘clean’, high-grade formulations for women to achieve a ‘no make-up make-up’ look.
Following this, Jones Road Beauty has expanded into other categories, such as fragrance, with the brand’s first scent, The Shower Fragrance, launching in October 2023.
The launch of its second “unconventional” scent, BKLYN, came in September 2025.
More recently, Jones Road Beauty launched a completely nameless product in January.
Related content:
- MUA Bobbi Brown claims last two years at namesake brand left her ‘miserable’
- Why Bobbi Brown's Jones Road Beauty has launched a nameless product
- Bobbi Brown Cosmetics latest Estée Lauder Companies-owned brand to launch on Amazon US
- Make-up mogul Bobbi Brown releases tell-all memoir Still Bobbi
- Bobbi Brown and Jones Road launch new YouTube series to celebrate ‘remarkable women’
- Bobbi Brown on life after Estée Lauder, Jones Road and beating influencers at their own game
