Jones Road Miracle Balm Review: Is It Worth The Hype?
This Jones Road Miracle Balm review can’t begin until we’ve talked about the force that is Bobbi Brown. I was once invited into her home here in NYC back when I worked full-time as an assistant beauty editor at Family Circle, and it was chic as hell.
I don’t know about you, but the “Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty: Everything You Need to Look Pretty, Natural, Sexy and Awesome” book was my Bible as an awkward and angsty teen. And I will forever appreciate Brown for her natural approach to makeup. I love her appreciation for parts of our faces that make us unique. In fact, I specifically remember her writing something in her book about how she loves having a bump on the ridge of her nose. She said it’s what makes her unique and sets her apart from others. I, too, don’t have a perfectly sloped, button nose, and I found solace in the way Brown enhanced people’s unique looks.
Obviously, the Bobbi Brown cosmetics brand took the beauty industry by storm. What’s more, it’s still a leader in the cosmetics industry today. Brown left the company in 2016, and in 2020, she began her new venture with Jones Road Beauty.
Jones Road Miracle Balm Review
In this Jones Road Miracle Balm review, I will be talking about my honest thoughts about the brand’s bestseller. You will learn about my likes and dislikes of this product, as well as which ingredients are used in the formula. You’ll also learn how to use this pick, and whether I think it’s worth purchasing. Read on to get my in-depth review!
What Is Jones Road Miracle Balm
To clarify, I have four Jones Road Miracle Balms in different colors. I received all of them from the brand through my work as a beauty journalist. Three of them are minis and came in a set together. There are a few popular ones that I, unfortunately, don’t have and can’t review. These include Magic Hour (a bronze with silver shimmer), Dusty Rose (a cool, rosy pink sheer tint), Au Naturel (a clear balm with subtle opal pearl), Golden Hour (a warm, sheer gold with multidimensional shimmer), and Miami Beach (a warm peachy coral).
Jones Road Miracle Balm in Happy Hour
This is probably my favorite balm of the bunch that I have. I’m planning on adding it into my air travel beauty essentials the next time I fly, since I have it in the smaller tub. It’s a very light pink highlighter shade that gives off the most natural-looking highlight. In an interview with Prevention, Brown described this shade nicely.
“I’m someone that loves illumination on the skin and I wanted a pinky shade to join the silver and gold shade that we already had,” Brown says of creating the color. “This is just a pretty ballerina pink that just makes you look instantly pretty. Instantly happy.”
I’m really impressed with this shade and have been using it often. One of my favorite highlighters is the RMS Beauty Living Luminizer. While the textures are pretty similar, the finish that Happy Hour gives off is even more natural-looking than Living Luminizer. And I always thought the RMS pick was super natural-looking!
This works well on the cheeks, nose, cupids bow, and on your brow bone. The staying power is decent but nothing crazy. You might find that you have to reapply at the end of the day if you are heading to an after-work event.
One thing to note about with these balms is the texture. They are thick—the first few ingredients in the formulas include castor seed oil and beeswax. They feel a bit sticky to the touch. I wouldn’t say that they “dry down” like some other cream blushes or highlighters that you might be used to. The thick, heavy-ish texture doesn’t bother me (especially because I have pretty dry skin), but it might for some.
For those with oily skin types, I would opt out of purchasing these balms. Additionally, if you struggle with a lot of acne on your cheeks, I would probably steer clear of these. I think they are just too heavy to apply over inflamed, clogged acne pores.
Available at Jones Road Beauty ($38 for full size — product shown is a limited-edition mini size)
Jones Road Miracle Balm in Pinched Cheeks
This is one of the latest shades from the brand. It looks dark in the container, but the color is incredibly sheer. So much so, that once you blend it on your skin, it basically disappears. It does give the slightest, slightest bit of pink color to my cheeks. But, I can’t imagine this would show up on folks with darker skin tones. The website describes this shade as “a medium rosy pink with subtle multidimensional shimmer for fair to dark skin tones.”
I do like that this formula doesn’t have a ton of added shimmer in it. The shimmer is extremely subtle and it’s hard to even tell that it has any type of shimmer in it, honestly. So if you are looking for a shade that has a very slight pink to it, and also adds a sheen to your skin without the shimmer, this is a good option. I can see myself using this more as a sheeny highlighter to apply on top of a blush, but I couldn’t see myself using this on its own, as I like to wear a lot of blush.
Available at Jones Road Beauty ($38 for full size)
Jones Road Miracle Balm in Flushed
This is a really pretty pink shade that can be used as a blush or a highlighter on top of blush. I definitely think it gives off enough of a pinky shade to stand alone as a blush (unlike the Pinched Cheeks shade). According to the website, this shade is considered a cool sheer pink with a subtle sheen.
Because these formulas are already really subtle, you shouldn’t expect this to last on your face all day long. I would plan on having to reapply in the evening if you have to head out after work. All in all, I definitely would recommend this to anyone who likes a blush and a nice sheen all-in-one. It’s also great for folks who don’t love to apply a ton of blush (or those who are afraid of blush) and want to test out the waters with something that it more subdued.
Available at Jones Road Beauty ($38 for full size — product shown is a limited-edition mini size)
Jones Road Miracle Balm in Bronze
This is a nice bronze shade that I can see myself using more in the summertime. I don’t really use a lot of bronzer—I prefer to use a contour stick with blush and highlighter. I would consider this more of a bronzey highlighter than an actual bronzer product. It kinda reminds me a little bit of the Tower 28 Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzers, which I love to use in the summer.
If you like a more bronzey highlighter shade, I would recommend this one. I think this would look really nice on folks with darker skin tones as well.
Available at Jones Road Beauty ($38 for full size — product shown is a limited-edition mini size)
Ingredients in Jones Road Miracle Balm
The Jones Road Miracle Balms have a bunch of ingredients in them, including a lot of oils. Some of the key ingredients include:
- Castor seed oil
- Beeswax
- Jojoba seed oil
- Mica
- Coconut Alkanes
- Argan oil
- Sea buckthorn
Is Jones Road Miracle Balm Worth It
Deciding whether these are worth it or not really depends on the type of makeup look that you prefer. Considering I work as a beauty journalist and I love and test makeup often, I almost think that these are a little bit too natural-looking for me. I like to use them in addition to my other makeup products that offer more color. However, I probably wouldn’t use these on their own.
That being said, there are many, many folks out there who prefer a really natural makeup look. If that’s the case for you, then I think you should try these out. If you like an ever-so-lightly shimmery pinky highlight, I would try the Miracle Balm in Happy Hour. I would try the Miracle Balm in Flushed if you want a slight pink flush to the cheeks that has a bit of a healthy-looking sheen. In truth, I will probably use the Bronze shade a lot more in the summer, but I don’t use it a ton right now. And as for Pinched Cheeks, I’m on the fence about whether that shade is worth the price.
By and large, one thing I hate about these balms is that they come in a giant jar. And they each cost $38, which certainly isn’t cheap. I’m pretty sure it would take you like three years to get through each one of these jars, depending on how often you use them. I really wish the brand would offer smaller sizes (like the ones I have) more often, so that folks can test out these Miracle Balms before committing to a 1.75 oz. tub.
Another thing to note: if you don’t like products that give a dewy, shiny, sheen to your skin, do not buy these! They are balms, and they offer a balmy texture that stays balmy the whole time you wear them. To describe the texture, I would compare it a little bit to Vaseline—it’s thick and leaves a bit of a film on the skin.
How To Use Jones Road Miracle Balm
Get messy
When you first open a Miracle Balm jar, you’ll want to use your finger to “break the seal,” which is the top surface of the formula, so that you can really get in there and start to use the product. I would recommend breaking the top layer with your finger first instead of just using a brush to swirl it around in the jar, as I don’t think you’ll pick up enough product.
Use your fingers
I think the best way to use these balms are to apply them with your fingers. It’s pretty straightforward, but scoop up a tiny bit of product, emulsify it in your fingers to get it warm and easier to blend, and then apply to your cheeks (or wherever else you’re using it).
Dip a brush in there
While I think these would work better when using your fingers to apply, you can use a brush to apply these, too. If you’re using a brush, I would probably use something like the e.l.f. Domed Stipple Brush.
Jones Road Miracle Balm Shades
Where To Buy Jones Road Miracle Balm
Unfortunately, you can’t buy these at many places. You can purchase them at:
Jones Road Beauty ($38) and Liberty London US ($46)
I hope you enjoyed this Jones Road Miracle Balm review! If you’ve tried any of these, or have questions about the Miracle Balm, please add them to the comments section below!
