It had 10,000 people on the waitlists, celebrity fans and went viral on Tik Tok. Our beauty writer gives an honest review of the product you didn’t know you needed, but really do…
When Jones Road landed on UK shores in summer 2021, I was immediately excited. The brainchild of Bobbi Brown, yes THE Bobbi Brown , is a new line of clean, no-fuss makeup and skincare that’s cool enough to be used by Gen-Z and good enough to be borrowed by their parents. “It’s about helping people understand how health and wellness is the most important thing and using makeup just so you look better,” says Bobbi.
If your makeup bag is filled with minimalist brands such as Trinny London and Glossier, then the Jones Road collection of multi-tasking glosses, pencils and creams could be right up your street, no pun intended.
There’s one product though, that has been causing quite the stir: Jones Road Miracle Balm £34. While in the pot it looks like cream blush or bronzer, it's actually a solid face gloss in seven shades that leaves a soft wash of colour. Wearing it makes you look like you, only instantly healthier.
You probably never knew that you needed a solid face gloss in your life, but trust me, you do. It's kind of hard to explain just what's so good about it, but it does weird things to people and once they've got the hang of using it (more on that later) they become obsessed. In just a year, it's gone from becoming a 'what even is it?' product to an 'I can't live without it' staple. It's a bold claim, but one I'm standing by.
Since its launch (in six shades, there's now a seventh), it has been selling out both here in the UK and in America, at one point the Dusty Rose shade had 10,000 Americans signing up to the waitlist. Even mega model Cindy Crawford has got her hands on the stuff. Tiktok has gone crazy for the solid balm’s ‘miracle’ power for subtly enhancing skin, and users are smudging and smushing the gloss everywhere, from cheeks to eyelids. The Miracle Balm is a 'one and done product' for nailing no-makeup makeup.
A product that calls itself Miracle Balm should come with a comprehensive Q&A because, frankly, it begs a lot of serious questions. Like, will it transform my skin? Will it turn me into a supermodel? Will it help me answer Wordle in two guesses? The answer to all of those questions is currently no, for me anyway. However, there is something kind of miraculous about this unusual product. Allow me to explain…
What is Jones Road Miracle Balm?
Images: Instagram @jeannedoesmakeup
Good question. Technically it falls into the skincare/makeup hybrid camp since it’s packed with skin-nourishing ingredients such as jojoba oil, vitamin E and argan oil. However, it’s also a little shimmery and each of the seven shades has a very definite colour. So don’t throw away your moisturiser just yet, the Miracle Balm is very much used for cosmetic purposes.
That being said, I wouldn't call this a blusher, bronzer or highlighter either (see I said asking what it is was a good question) it’s more of a glow-giver that just glazes skin with a faint wash of colour – a kiss of life if you like.
How do I use Jones Road Miracle Balm?
Bobbi describes three main ways to use it: "all over as a tint, correcting the lighter areas (under the neck) and to address any unevenness on the face," she says on her blog Just Bobbi . "It's also great for correcting a foundation that is just sitting on the skin." And it's not purely for the face either. "The balm is beautiful on the legs and can help tame those pesky flyaways," she says.
But before you dive in, there are some important technicalities. When you first crack open the Miracle Balm it’s totally solid. But if you simply glide your finger over it as you would a cream blush (as I did the first time) and dab onto your cheeks, the result is underwhelming.
The trick, says Bobbi, is to 'break the seal'. She advises that you use your index finger to wriggle through the top layer of the balm. I used the end of a spoolie and made my pot look like the spaghetti junction. But once you break the seal the miracles of Miracle Balm will be revealed.
Breaking the seal on Jones Road Miracle Balm in Dusty Rose
You can now use your finger to lift a whole lot more product, which you can dab and blend anywhere over your face to give it some glow. I personally love smooshing it onto my eyelids for a barely-there glimmer of gloss. It's always the last step in my makeup routine. I dab it over my cheekbones, along my nose, over my eyes and across my cupid's bow for that 'dripping in dew' look. But you can also wear this as a stand-alone product to just lift skin a bit and some users even apply it all of their face pre-makeup to give a kind of ethereal glow.
Which shade of miracle balm should I get?
There seven shades of Miracle Balm range from baby pink Au Naturel to the deep burgundy Tawny. Don’t be fooled by how pigmented the colours look in the pot; once warmed up in your fingers and blended into the skin they’re fairly translucent. Think of them as subtly tinted gloss rather than a highly pigmented blush or bronzer.
I have fairly olive skin and I’ve been using the shade Dusty Rose which is a dirty pink. The colour payoff is minimal but the iridescent glow is mega.
The newest shade in the lineup, Flushed, a strong pink, is the brightest: "The perfect product to make skin glow with health,” says Bobbi. Unlike the other shades, Flushed is designed to add a pop of colour and shouldn’t be used all over your face - unless a face full of pink is your vibe.
Is Jones Road Miracle Balm greasy?
It’s more tacky than greasy, which is a feeling that I personally don’t mind but if you like a matte finish then you might find this a little heavy on your skin. It does melt really nicely into the skin so as the day goes on it becomes more skin-like.
The verdict
I find it really hard to put my finger on why I love this product so much because it’s an unnecessary addition to my makeup bag. Technically, it doesn’t do anything, it’s not hiding my tired eyes or evening out my skin tone or making me look sun-kissed, but it does have this unique multi-tasking ability of just lifting my face and making me look healthy. It’s become a real go-to part of my everyday makeup routine because it does what Bobbi sais it would do, makes me look like me, but better.
More gloss: These are the best concealers for every skin concern