We 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, we’re immediately skeptical and raise our eyebrows. A miracle? For every skin tone? There’s no way one product can be that versatile and effective… right? Well folks, consider us schooled. After we tried every shade of the Jones Road Miracle Balm (a tinted balm), I do believe it’s earned its title. Read on for W+G’s full take, plus everything you need to know about this beauty superstar.

Jones Road, Miracle Balm — $38.00

Key ingredients: jojoba seed oil, beeswax, mica

Available in 10 shades.

Pros: 

• Subtle and buildable
• Moisturizing—great for nourishing dry skin
• Versatile—can be used as a blush, highlighter, bronzer, or lip balm
• Made without phthalates, sulfates, petrolatum, PEGs, cyclic silicones, EDTA, or BPA

Cons: 

• Not recommended for those with oily skin

What is Jones Road Miracle Balm?

First, a bit of background on Jones Road. It’s the new brand from legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown who set out to create a, “clean, no-makeup makeup” line of products.

It first launched in 2020, four years after leaving her namesake brand, Bobbi Brown. “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 its products don’t contain “phthalates, sulfates, petrolatum, PEGs, cyclic silicones, EDTA, or BPA.”

Now back to the star of the show: The Miracle Balm, which is its best seller. “It can be used to tint, to bronze, to blush, and to highlight,” Brown tells us. “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.”

How do you use Jones Road Miracle Balm?

The most important step is to “break the seal.” Once you open the jar, you need to dig your fingers into the waxy balm 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. Because it comes in a variety of shades, it can also be used as an alternative to your foundation or tinted moisturizer—or even in combination with the two—for a subtle luminescent vibe.

What Jones Road Miracle Balm looks like on

There are ten 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, contributor Emily Popp wears Flushed to give her cheeks a pop of color.

An additional contributor, 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 contributor 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, “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 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.”

Jones Road Miracle Balm Shades

Here’s a full breakdown of the Jones Road Miracle Balm shades. Note: more shades have been added since the time of publishing. The W+G team is working on testing more shades to give you a comprehensive review. 

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)

We think this shade is 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)

For fans of pink, rosy cheeks, Flushed is for you. It’s also a bit more pigmented than the other shades, so we 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, dusty pink and works well if you have fair skin. Pro tip: If you 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.

Miami Beach (warm peachy pink)

This is a newer Miracle Balm shade. It’s a warm, peach-coral color with gold shimmer that adds a sun-kissed glow to all skin tones.

Happy Hour (cool sheer pink)

For a subtle touch of shimmer, Happy Hour mixes sheer light pink and a bit of silver sparkle. It’s best for light to medium tan skin tones and looks awesome as a highlighter.

FAQs

What does Jones Road Miracle Balm cost?

Now, the cost: $38. It may sound pricey, but for a product that’s so multiuse 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. Jones Road also offers a 30-day guarantee, so if you don’t love your Miracle Balm you can return or exchange it within 30 days (you do need to pay return shipping, though). In addition to the Jones Road website, you can also find Miracle Balm at a few brick-and-mortar locations in New York and New Jersey.

Are there any downsides?

This isn’t really a con, it’s just a caveat. Jones Road Miracle Balm is 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. We 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.