How to Transition Your Beauty Routine From Winter to Spring, According to Bobbi Brown

The countdown to spring is on; and this year, Bobbi Brown wants everyone to lighten up—literally and figuratively. Easily one of the world’s most well-respected makeup artists, Brown’s springtime beauty philosophy is less about the makeup and more about the skin. 

“Your body needs some TLC; it’s been under heavy clothes all winter,” she starts. Remember to moisturize head to toe, but maybe reach for less dense creams as the temperatures rise. Same goes for makeup. “You can probably lighten up on foundation, too,” she says. “You’ll want to wear a little bit less—more tinted moisturizer in place of a full-coverage foundation.” On color cosmetics, she encourages a good bronzer for a healthy glow. This spring’s lips can be a sheer tinted gloss or balm. “This is a good time to wear brighter pinker, peachier shades.” 

With spring cleaning top of mind, Brown thinks you should lighten your beauty product load as well. “Go through any old products; anything that’s broken or chipped goes into the garbage,” she instructs. “Anything that doesn’t smell good, or skin care formulas that start to separate should go too.” Per Brown, it’s best to keep a product’s shelf-life in mind as well. Mascaras should be replaced every three to six moths, while clean formulas, because they typically lack preservatives, can last one to two years max. Oh, and you can probably part ways with that contour palette or full coverage foundation or anything super drying.

And for what to replace these with? Below, Brown walks us through the six beauty products she’s loving most right now and taking into spring.

U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound

“Don’t forget about your body,” Brown reminds me. As she puts it, U Beauty founder Tina Chen Craig was “the first quote-on-quote influencer she ever met.” Now old friends, Brown has instantly fallen in love with the label’s Resurfacing Body Compound. The elixir pairs peptides, AHA/BHA (specifically, glycolic, mandelic, lactic, and phytic acid), bioferments, shea butter, and papain into a silky exfoliant that smooths skin texture, conditions flaky skin, and soothes irritation.

Athletic Greens AG1

To know Bobbi Brown is to know how much she prioritizes inside-out wellness. So, I should not have been surprised when she told me she is “obsessed” with Athletic Greens AG1. One of the industry’s best, and most sought-after greens powders (even Olympic medalist Allyson Felix is a fan), this delivers your daily dose of vitamins, minerals, superfoods, probiotics, plant extracts and antioxidants in one single, daily scoop. Its benefits range from improved gut health and energy levels to immune defense and stress relief.

Jones Road The Neutralizer Pencil

“I don’t know what I did without this. It’s like Spanx for my face,” Brown admits, in a way that means this handy little facial crayon wakes up and smooths her complexion like none other. Think of it almost like a thick and creamy concealer that expertly color corrects uneven skin tone. It’s particularly useful around the eyes; the formula is available in nine peachy and pink hues that neutralizes dark circles and discoloration. Check out the brand’s helpful shade chart to understand which hue best treats your concerns.

Live Tinted Hueguard Invisible Sunscreen Stick SPF 50

The next item on Brown’s must-have list is Live Tinted’s sunscreen stick. Instead of your typical liquid sunscreen for face, this combines broad-spectrum SPF 50 (chemical agents homosalate 10%, octocrylene 10%, octisalate 5%, and avobenzone 3%), rice bran, dragon and cloudberry fruit extracts into a jelly-like balm that applies clear when stroked onto the skin. No white case here! “I can’t believe this works,” Brown admits. “It’s so easy to apply.”

Jones Road The Mascara

How does Brown awaken tired eyes? A few strokes of Jones Road mascara—specifically its Pitch Black shade. It’s a deep, pigmented hue with a clean, cruelty-free composition that instantly lifts and volumizes each lash. Plus, it’s buildable to amp up your gaze from morning to night.

Bare Botanics Exfoliating Gloves

Okay, in reality, Brown told me she uses a pair of potato-scrubbing gloves from Williams-Sonoma. “It’s like an ultra-loofah for your legs,” she explains. “I don’t recommend it for the face, but it’s great for legs and feet.” Kind of brilliant to use a tool meant to clean and soften potatoes on the skin; but you can also shop a pair of exfoliating gloves like these form Bare Botanics. Designed for wet or dry exfoliating, just scrub your body in circular motions with the 100% nylon fibers to retexture skin, unclog pores, and reduce ingrown hairs. Like Brown, keep them in your shower so you remember to use them weekly.