Bobbi Brown's Top 5 Beauty Foods (Plus, 3 She Avoids At All Costs)

Bobbi Brown shaped my teenage beauty perspective with her first (and now classic) book and her natural approach to makeup that emphasized letting your real features shine through. Now, with her book, Beauty From the Inside Out, Bobbi is sharing a decidedly mbg approach to beauty, with an emphasis on what you're consuming as much as putting on your face. In the middle of NYC's latest snowpocalypse, we chatted with her about her top five beauty foods, the three she avoids at all costs, and the one meal (and piece of advice) she'd give to her younger self.

People forget that water is the ultimate hydrator, and if you're dehydrated your skin never looks good. "It actually makes your skin look so much better," Bobbi says. She prefers her water warm, and in the morning she'll squeeze some lemon into it. She'll put a bit of sea salt in if she's feeling particularly dehydrated, calling it "natural gatorade," and if her digestion needs some help, she'll add a splash of apple cider vinegar.

"It's the perfect food," says Bobbi, "because it works for beauty inside and out." She cooks with it, using it in her coffee, smoothies, and stir-fries, and also uses it to take off her makeup and moisturize her skin and hair.

According to Bobbi, when she eats a lot of fresh fruit—particularly berries—her skin always looks amazing. She also noted that she was eating blueberries with a friend earlier that day, and the juices gave their lips a lovely, natural stain—the ultimate in organic beauty.

And by this, Bobbi means really good-quality chocolate, not just any old bar from the convenience store. One of Bobbi's favorite treats is a scoop of chocolate protein powder, a little bit of dark chocolate (Bobbi loves one with a bit of pepper or spice), and some coconut milk. She warms it up and sips it like hot chocolate, getting all the antioxidant, energizing, and de-stressing benefits of the cacao (and de-stressed skin is beautiful skin!). Bobbi drinks it before exercising—a hot chocolate workout drink? Sign us up.

For Bobbi, bone broth is all about the collagen. "It not only helps your gut," she says, "but it really helps your skin. You can see an immediate difference within a few days of consuming it—you have softer skin and look much, much better."

The day after she eats sugar or white flour, Bobbi finds she has darker circles and doesn't look as wide-eyed, noting that it "makes a vast difference."

'Nuff said.

The one common thread in all of Bobbi's answers? Intuitive eating. She kept mentioning listening to her body; really paying attention to how she felt after eating something and analyzing what her skin, hair, energy, and gut responded to. Now, it's quick-fire time!

"Hard-boiled eggs with a rice cake. If I do mostly protein and little bit of carbs, it's fine, but I've tried just eating protein and fat—I've tried every diet really—and it didn't work for me."

"My favorite food in the world is toast. I haven't yet discovered the perfect gluten-free bread, but it would be my favorite thing if I did. For now though, I like vegetables and super-clean proteins. I love bowls, too—quinoa, shredded chicken, beans, with great tahini or great dressing. I've also become completely in love with anchovies and now put them on everything."

"I'd make the ultimate beauty smoothie. It would be the greatest gift I could give myself so that even when I was running out the door as a busy working mom, I could start my day on a healthy note." (We got her to share her no-recipe recipe, below!)

Ingredients

Blend all ingredients until super smooth. Enjoy!