Beauty Detail
Millie Bobby Brown Doesn't Miss Her Pre-Motherhood Beauty Routine
The actor and entrepreneur reveals her go-to brow hack, signature scent, and the moisturizer she reaches for during breakouts.
In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite celebrities and talent for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing. Ahead, Millie Bobby Brown shares her signature scent, her go-to brow hack, and how motherhood has changed her beauty routine for the better.
Five years ago, Millie Bobby Brown’s skin care routine looked a lot different. “I had 10, maybe 12 steps, and now I’m down to four,” she tells me over Zoom. “Cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and, if I’m feeling really fun, maybe an eye cream.”
Of course, plenty else has changed in her life since then. The 22-year-old actor recently closed the chapter on Stranger Things, the series that made her a household name at just 12. Off-screen, she’s entered an entirely new era: motherhood. Last August, she and her husband, Jake Bongiovi, adopted a baby girl.
With that, her priorities have shifted. “Less is more,” Brown says of her beauty philosophy these days. “After becoming a mom, it’s all about simplicity. You still want to take care of yourself, but make it as easy as possible. Don’t set yourself up for failure.” For her, that means spending about an hour less on her routine than she used to.
That’s not to say beauty has completely fallen by the wayside. Brown is, after all, the founder of Florence by Mills, the beauty brand she launched as a teenager in 2019 that’s quickly become a cult favorite among Gen-Zers, and she still proudly considers herself a skin care girl. “I love to do my makeup, but I love the reward of taking care of my skin even more.”
Even with her streamlined routine, there’s one ritual she’ll never give up: her LED mask. She likes to wear it while sitting on the couch, embroidering and sewing pacifier clips and bonnets as her husband watches a movie nearby. When it comes to the rest of her routine, though, she’s managed to find a few shortcuts — chief among them, using hairspray on her brows to keep them in place. “It’s better than any eyebrow gel you’ll ever buy,” she says. “It never fails.”
As it turns out, Brown doesn’t miss the extra steps in her routine. “Honestly, I feel like the new version is just better,” she says. “It’s better for me and better for my skin.” Ahead, she shares the products that have made the cut, from the moisturizer she reaches for in the middle of a breakout to the fragrance that’s become unmistakably hers.
Her Blemish Backup
“It’s super hydrating and keeps my skin moisturized all day. It’s my favorite, especially during the summer. I use it once a day in the morning, and if I’m going through an acne phase, I’ll use it at night, too.”
Her Sleep Staple
“I use a pillow spray every single night and take one everywhere with me. Honestly, it feels like I’m taking a little piece of home wherever I go, which is really nice.”
Her Hair Hero
“It protects your hair and helps mend dead ends. However, I also use it because it’s really great for shine. After a blowout, it’s the first thing I put on.”
Her Purse Essential
“I love lip oil. This one has a pink tint, but it looks a little different on everyone because it reacts to your pH balance. I always keep it in my bag — it’s a must-have for me.”
Her Signature Scent
“I don’t know if I want to gatekeep this. It kind of smells like fresh pages from a book. It’s so delicious and musky, and I get compliments on it all the time. Everybody knows it’s my scent.”
