I Tried Every Shade of the ‘Miracle Balm’ From Jones Road To Find Out if It’s Actually a Miracle
If a product has the word “miracle” in the title, I admit I’m skeptical and I immediately raise my eyebrow. Only because it already has very high expectations to live up to. But after trying every shade of the Jones Road Miracle Balm (a tinted balm), I do believe it’s earned its title.
But first, a bit of background on Jones Road. It’s the newest brand from legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown, and after its launch it blew up on TikTok. And so many of my friends, even those not in the beauty industry, were asking me: “Have you tried Jones Road?” Once I realized it was from Bobbi Brown (the makeup artist launched Jones Road in 2020), I was immediately intrigued.
I was a teen in the early 2000s, and remember seeing the book Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty in a Borders bookstore in Massachusetts. And I still think of this line from it: “It’s easy to find what’s pretty in other people, but in ourselves we tend to see only what we don’t like.” That was so impactful for me. Because before, my relationship to fashion and beauty was about fitting in, rather than pleasing myself. And Bobbi Brown’s book truly was a turning point for me.
But back to the product at hand: Jones Road Miracle Balm, their best seller.
What is Miracle Balm?
Who better to explain what exactly Miracle Balm is than Bobbi Brown herself? So I reached out to the legendary makeup icon via email. “It can be used to tint, to bronze, to blush and to highlight,” Bobbi Brown tells me. “It’s a one-and-done, multi-purpose product. You can wear it alone or on top of your foundation.” And its formulation? “It’s made with jojoba seed oil, argan oil and vitamin E, so it nourishes your skin. And it reflects light, so it adds a hint of glow wherever you need it.”
@justbobbibrown Here’s everything you need to know about the Jones Road Miracle Balm 💕 #makeup #skincare #miraclebalm ♬ original sound - Bobbi Brown
How do you use Miracle Balm?
The most important step is to “break the seal.” Once you open the jar, you need to dig your fingers into it and crack the surface like it’s a crème brûlée. (Side note: it’s very satisfying). If you don’t, the pigment won’t be nearly as saturated and it’ll just go on like a clear balm. Then you can apply it with your fingers, brush or sponge to your cheeks, lips, or eyelids. I prefer to use it mainly on my cheekbones and apply it with my fingers.
What Miracle Balm looks like on
There are nine shades. They work on most complexions and tones, and you can’t really go wrong. It just depends on the look you’re going for. “Generally speaking, Au Natural, Flushed, and Magic Hour work on all skin tones,” explains Brown. “And I recommend the others with more specificity. But that’s just a recommendation; there are no rules.” Below I'm wearing "Flushed."
Our commerce writer, Kayla Hui, tested "Magic Hour" which goes on transparent and makes skin look naturally dewy.
This is Miracle Balm in "Dusty Rose," as modeled by our Editorial Commerce Director, Gina Vaynshteyn. "I love how it gives me a super natural liveliness to my complexion—and it takes a couple seconds to apply," she says.
Writer Natalie Arroyo Camacho tested "Golden Hour," and says, "My skin skews clear and a little oily in my T-zone, so I avoid putting oil or oil-like products on it. Transparently, I was a bit worried about testing this product because my skin-care routine is composed of hydrating ingredients (like glycerin or hyaluronic acid). And Miracle Balm? Much to my surprise, it's more like Miracle Bomb, in the Y2K way meaning amazing—not in the way you would say someone bombed their standup routine."
"As you can see in my 'after' photo, the product provides a dewy glow that serves as a subtle IRL filter. Even though I'm not exactly bare-faced, I'm pretty darn close—considering I'm only wearing light blush, lip gloss, and Miracle Balm in Golden Hour. I've only used the balm a handful of times, but you can already see the white bottom of the container because I love it that much. There's a slight tint to it (and a lot of shimmer!), so you might want to be careful not to touch your lighter linens."
Francesca Krempa, W+G's associate commerce editor, loves using the Miracle Balm in "Sunkissed" to fake being, well, sun-kissed. "It's hard to see in my photo because it's so subtle, which is largely why I love it—the balm doesn't go overboard on color like other blushes do, and I can layer on more or less depending on what I'm feeling that day," Krempa says. "And it's so dewy, adding a glossy sheen to my cheeks so it looks like I've got a mid-summer glow, even on days when all I've done is sat in front of the computer like an e-goblin. It's like a sunburn (the healthier kind) in a jar."
Miracle Balm shades
Now, I personally have fair and dry skin, and they all worked on me–but some better than others. Below is my full breakdown of the shades:
Au Naturel (clear balm with gold flecks)
If you want the most natural, least pigmented shade–this is for you. It’s perfect if you don’t want any color, but want something iridescent that adds a dewiness.
Magic Hour (light reflecting bronze with silver/gold shimmer)
This is the first shade I used, and I think it's the most versatile. When you open it, it looks like a darker shade, but it actually goes on very sheer and shimmery. It’s excellent if you just want to “wake up” your skin.
Flushed (warm pink with gold flecks)
This is my personal favorite, mainly because I’m a huge pink fan. I use it on the apples of my cheeks, and it gives a lovely flush of pink. It’s also a bit more pigmented than the other shades, so I think it works best as blush and a lip tint.
Dusty Rose (cool rose pink)
This is like a subtle version of the “flushed” shade. It’s a sheer, rosy pink and works well if you have fair skin. If you’re like me, and have more yellow undertones in your skin, a rose shade will cut the yellow and give a natural flush.
Golden Hour (warm peach with a gold shimmer)
This shade is a peachy/golden tint with a shimmery finish, and it gives your skin warmth, glow and dimension. It’s great if you want to look a bit more tan and sunkissed.
Sunkissed (deep reddish/bronze)
Speaking of sunkissed, if you want a deeper golden glow, this shade is perfect. It works especially well on medium to darker skin tones.
Bronze (shimmery, warm brown tint)
If you have red in your skin and want to color correct, the bronze shade is your best bet. It gives a lovely golden glow that adds a sunkissed warmth to your skin.
Tawny (reddish/brown tint)
This can work on anyone, but it’s especially great on medium to darker skin tones. It gives a gorgeous brownish red glow. You can also apply it on your lids and lips for extra radiance and dimension.
Disco (shimmery bronze highlighter)
This is the newest Miracle Balm shade, and true to its name, it gives a ‘70s-style shimmer. You can also use it on your decolletage, arms or legs for more of an all-over glow.
Now, the cost: $38. It may sound pricey, but for a product that’s so multi-use it’s a bang for your buck. Plus the size is very generous. It’s a 1.75 oz jar and just a few dabs will do ya, so you can get a ton of mileage out of it.
A little bit more about Jones Road
Bobbi Brown launched Jones Road back in 2020, four years after leaving her namesake brand, Bobbi Brown. Brown's goal was to create a line of "no makeup makeup," makeup that's versatile and easy without sacrificing quality. "Jones Road was born from a search for something that didn't yet exist. Because it didn't exist, I had to create it. What I wanted was the makeup equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife: easy, cool, multi-purpose products that could be used to nail any look, whether it be no-makeup makeup or something with more drama," it says on Jones Road's website.
Ingredients are incredibly thoughtful, and follow guidelines even more strict than the E.U. The site claims their products don't contain "phthalates, sulfates, petrolatum, PEGs, cyclic silicones, EDTA, or BPA."
The only con?
This isn’t really a con, it’s just a caveat. It’s great for normal or dry skin, but if you have very oily skin I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll likely find it a bit too tacky, and you’ll want something that reduces sheen. I have dry skin, so I love it because it gives me a healthy, dewy look. I also appreciate that Bobbi Brown herself says it’s not a product for everyone. So many brands claim to have products that work on “all skin types,” when it’s just not true. And that claim can waste people’s money and time. This one happens to be best suited for dry or normal/combo skin, but not oily.
Bottom line: Is it a miracle? Well, not in the biblical sense. And not in the 34th Street sense. But, absolutely in the sense that it’s a genuinely new, different type of makeup product on the market; and those come around so rarely.
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