I have always had full cheeks—family lore is that when I was a baby, they stuck out so much that you could see them from behind my head—but a couple years ago, I noticed a few changes to my face. One was that I began losing volume along my cheekbones and, two, as a result, powder blush started to look cakey and would sit on my skin in an unnatural way. It was then that I made the switch to cream blushes, and while I haven't tried every product on the market, I've definitely developed some strong opinions along the way. One of the most noteworthy formulas I've tried is the Jones Road Miracle Balm, and while it is a bit ballsy to call something a miracle, turns out they have a good point. While I received this product for free, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions.
First, a little about Jones Road
Jones Road was founded by the world-famous makeup artist and entrepreneur Bobbi Brown basically on the day her non-compete clause with Estée Lauder (which acquired Bobbi Brown the makeup line) expired. Unlike her namesake line—which to this day makes some of my all-time favorite makeup—Jones Road uses clean formulations, and while they've expanded into fragrance, skincare, and body products, the makeup line itself is a tightly edited number of SKUs, which is somewhat rare in this day and age. The ethos is that we need better makeup, not more makeup, which is an idea I can get behind. I've only tried a limited selection of products so far, but the two I have tried—What the Foundation and Miracle Balm—are Jones Road's hero products, e.g. the iconic, innovative bestsellers that brands become known for.
Jones Road Miracle Balm
It's hard to describe exactly what this product is—depending on the shade and consistency you choose, it's some combination of highlighter, blush, and/or bronzer. It currently comes in 15 different shades, from colorless to deep bronze, and they're further categorized as tint, blush, highlight, or colorless. I use Dusty Rose, which qualifies as a tint. It's more pigmented than a highlighter, but definitely less pigmented than a traditional cream blush—to me, it's just enough color for my cheeks, which tend to lean a little flushed anyway. What makes this product so unique, of course, is the texture, which is truly a balm in that it's very emollient and, like a lip balm, it's meant to stay on top of the skin versus sinking in, leaving a light-reflecting finish that translates as a healthy glow. It's available in a full size for $38 or a $20 mini, which drops down to $19 if you buy 3 or $18 if you buy 6 (tempting!).
My honest review
I can understand why this product has over 76,000 reviews, most of them overwhelmingly positive. I have never used a blush that has produced such a pretty, natural-looking flush, but what truly makes it a "miracle" is that my aging cheeks look plump and smooth, with a lit-from-within glow. It's not a fountain of youth, but more like a your-skin-but-better scenario. There is a bit of a learning curve with Miracle Balm; the website suggests applying with your fingers, but I've found it goes on more smoothly and evenly with a brush, which I then use to blend out the color as well. The texture can also be a bit polarizing; it's a little sticky until it dries down a bit, and my hair can get stuck in it for the first hour or so of the day if I'm not careful. To me, that's a minor inconvenience for a product that lasts nearly all day (especially with a setting spray) and has made such a drastic difference in minimizing how my loss of volume appears. I use Miracle Balm around 4–5 times per week and while I'm starting to hit the pan, I've been using the full size for over a year, so you definitely get a lot of product for $38. That said, I'm eager to finish it so I can try more shades—I will definitely be repurchasing and would be happy to spend my own money on Miracle Balm. It's that truly that good.
Where to buy Miracle Balm
In the U.S., it's available exclusively on the Jones Road website. For readers in the UK and EU, Liberty of London stocks Jones Road.
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