Bobbi Brown sold her cosmetics company to Estée Lauder at 34. Now, in her 60s, she has a wew brand and no plans to sell

Bobbi Brown returned to the beauty industry in her 60s after leaving Estée Lauder launching Jones Road in October 2020 on the day her non-compete agreement with the cosmetics group expired. By September 2025 the company had been profitable since its first year. Brown then 68 years, said she was enjoying her work and had no plans to sell the business.

Brown built her career around a simple approach to makeup, women did not need complicated routines or numerous products to look and feel good. After selling her namesake cosmetics company to Estée Lauder in 1995 she eventually started another beauty business that allowed her to continue developing products as per her own ideas.

Bobbi Brown Launched Jones Road After Leaving Estée Lauder

Brown sold her namesake cosmetics company to Estée Lauder in 1995. And remained with the business as chief creative officer until she parted ways with the conglomerate in 2016.


She was 34 when the company was sold. At the time, Brown expected that she would not want to work once she reached her 60s. However, she later decided to return to the beauty business.

Jones Road launched in October 2020, the day her non-compete agreement with Estée Lauder expired. Brown said the company had been profitable since its first year.

During a Forbes interview, she explained that she wanted to continue teaching women that makeup was not complicated and that they did not need to use a lot of products to look good and feel good. She was also interested in creating products with what she described as clean, natural formulas.

From 10 Lipstick Shades to Building a Second Beauty Business

Brown's career began with a line of 10 subtly toned lipstick shades in the early 1990s. The collection became the starting point for Bobbi Brown Essentials.

Her approach to makeup emerged in an industry that, according to the Forbes report, was dominated by heavy contouring and colorful cosmetics. Brown focused on a different idea of beauty, encouraging women to look like themselves.

The business was eventually sold to Estée Lauder, but Brown's departure from the company did not end her entrepreneurial career.

She recalled that the original lipstick venture was launched using the last $10,000 in her bank account. She did not borrow money to start the business and said she had not initially realized she was building a brand. She had lipsticks and needed to figure out how to tell people about them.

Why Bobbi Brown Said She Did Not Want to Sell Jones Road

When Brown spoke to Forbes in 2025, she said that she loved Jones Road and did not want to sell it. She acknowledged that the right partner might eventually come along. But said she was not going anywhere.

Her advice to business owners was to start small. Take their time and also avoid rushing into decisions. She had emphasized the importance of knowing when to walk away from collaborations/partnerships that become more difficult than they are worth.

Looking back at the Estée Lauder deal, Brown said she and her husband, Steven Plofker, had been excited about selling the company. They viewed Estée Lauder as a partner, even though the conglomerate technically owned their business.

Starting Jones Road on the day her non-compete agreement expired was another major decision. Brown explained that she approached decisions by considering whether something might work and accepting the possibility that it might not.

She also described herself as open to possibilities rather than focused on obstacles. Two questions guided her approach: “What if?” and “Why not?”

Jones Road Introduced The Classic Lip in 12 Shades

Brown's work with Jones Road also brought her back to lipstick, the product category that helped launch her original beauty business.

At the time of the September 2025 Forbes article, Jones Road had recently introduced The Classic Lip in 12 shades.

Brown had explained that she had stopped wearing lipstick for many years because she found many formulas dry and powdery. It took time for her to determine what she wanted from a lipstick formula, leading to a product she described as smooth, satiny, lightweight and comfortable.

The launch connected her current work with the product category that had played an important role in the beginning of her career.