Buffing Up the Bidens

Ms. Brown was going to do Michelle Obama’s makeup for the 2009 inauguration, but it fell through.

“You know, she went with someone else,” she said. “I was so bummed and someone said, ‘Oh I know someone who knows the Bidens. I was hired to do Mrs. Biden’s makeup, which was awesome. It was an amazing experience. I did Jill’s makeup and touched the vice president up and I found myself alone with him in a hotel room, just me and him with a ruffled bed. I have a picture of it. The door was left open.”

The former second couple now visit Ms. Brown’s beach house on the Jersey Shore, she said. “Joe Biden is the most simple, by-the-book guy. He’s amazing.”

It was the next afternoon, and Ms. Brown, surprisingly fresh considering she’d made a quick trip to Syracuse the previous evening to watch a basketball game and feed barbecue to her youngest son and 60 of his fraternity brothers, was alone in the living room of her penthouse pied-à-terre, in Chelsea, overlooking the Highline, with spectacular views of uptown, downtown, the Hudson River and New Jersey.

She was wearing the same casual attire as the day before. “Even at the White House I wear jeans,” she said. “I don’t go to the White House anymore. I’ll just say that.”

Ms. Brown was, however, scheduled to give a talk about anti-counterfeiting at the United States Chamber of Commerce (which happened this week). “When they first called, I thought they made a mistake,” Ms. Brown said. “But they said, ‘No, we really want you,’ a female entrepreneur that had a global business.”

At the Obamas’ last state dinner, she and Mr. Plofker were in line when former President Barack Obama got her attention. “And I run over and I say, ‘Hey!’ And I said, ‘Oh my God, your skin looks so good! Can I touch it?’” He said yes. “He had quit smoking, I think, at the time. And he’s like, ‘Michelle! B. Brown just told me my skin looks good!’ And Michelle goes, ‘Steven!’ So we had a moment.’”