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Bobbi Brown has a lot to celebrate this fall. The legendary makeup artist, author, and founder is marking the five-year anniversary of her clean beauty brand, Jones Road Beauty, in October—just weeks after the release of her tenth book, a memoir titled Still Bobbi, out Sept. 23. After stepping away from her namesake brand in 2016 and a decades-long career that simultaneously elevated and gave mass appeal to the enduring (and decidedly trend-transcendent) “natural beauty” aesthetic, Brown launched her sophomore brand, Jones Road in 2020—at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Brown, who doesn’t like to draw comparisons to her eponymous brand and her current venture, Jones Road was a natural extension of what she was practicing in her own life outside of work at the time, and an effort to address where she felt there were gaps in the beauty market. “It was really a big reflection on how I was living my life outside of work,” she says. “But also, I wanted [to use makeup] that didn’t require a lot of time or talent to put it on. I wanted to be able to use my hands, my fingers.” Bottom line? She sought to launch the Swiss Army knife of beauty brands that was, first and foremost, accessible to everyone regardless of age, skin tone, skill level, or skin type. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for that ethos to click and for the brand to ‘go viral.’
Since then, Jones Road has continued its meteoric growth, earning a cult following for its clean, no-fuss formulas and inclusive approach—not just in shade ranges, but also for creating products that perform for skin of any age. In fact, Brown just opened the ninth brick-and-mortar store in Austin, TX, this May. At the opening event for the store located in the buzzing South Congress neighborhood, women (and men) of all ages, ranging from those in puberty to perimenopause, gathered to celebrate South Congress’ best new beauty shop. The diverse appeal and fan girl effect of Jones Road is a no-brainer—unlike other minimalist, “skin-like” brands, Jones Road is a no-makeup-makeup line that looks beautiful whether you’re 18 or 80—and that’s no accident. “The ethos of Jones Road is to inspire women—and some men—of all ages,” Brown says.
Perhaps the brand’s buzziest product is the now-iconic Miracle Balm, though it wasn’t originally part of the plan. The multitasking skincare-makeup hybrid—part primer, part base, part highlighter, part blush—was the result of a miscommunication between Brown’s lab and her then one-person team. “When I first opened it up and looked at it, I said, ‘This is not what I asked for,’” Brown recalls. “But instead of closing the lid and walking away, I stuck my finger in it and put it on my face. I looked in the mirror and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing.’” And while it was a happy accident, Miracle Balm is one of the most coveted beauty products on the market today, which has led to a slew of attempted (and failed) dupes. Brown is a beauty industry veteran, and shrugs it off. “I’ve tried all of the [dupes] and they’re nothing like it,” she says. After all, “when you make an incredible product, everyone wants it.”
Miracle Balm is perhaps the ultimate no-makeup-makeup, skincare-makeup-hybrid formula, and it is still reminiscent of Brown’s legacy of approaching “natural beauty” (an aesthetic she and her work are arguably the face of) as a means of using makeup to look like yourself—only a little more polished. In fact, the beauty values Brown espoused in her seminal Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty remain firmly intact for the veteran makeup artist—and not just for teens and tweens—the principles ring true for those of all ages.
Despite Gen Z’s obsession with beauty and a constant churn of TikTok trends, Bobbi Brown’s approach has remained refreshingly unchanged. She’s still staunchly anti-contour and pro-blush. “[Contouring] still makes me cringe. I don’t know why you have to tell people they have to change their [facial structure.] Blush is better.” Glass skin? Not realistic. “I tried one product that [promised] glass skin, and it barely even moisturized. I don’t think you can have glass skin in your 60s,” she says. But you can have glowy, radiant skin—and, at 68, Brown is living proof. Her current complexion lineup? Jones Road’s bestselling What The Foundation, The Best Blush, and, of course, a dash of Miracle Balm on the cheekbones and temples.
Available in a set of four ($68), six ($99), and eight ($128).
If you’re new to Jones Road and curious about its hero product, Miracle Balm, right now is a great time to find out what all the hype is about. From May 19 to May 26, you can grab the brand’s limited edition Miracle Balm Set. This set allows you to choose your ideal set of four, six, or eight mini Miracle Balms in your desired shades, including two new exclusive shades. “What makes this year’s Miracle Balm sets special is that you have two of my favorite limited edition shades to choose from—Chic and Pink Champagne,” she says. “I use Chic all over to give my skin a cool, natural glow, and Pink Champagne, I dab on the high points of my cheeks as a highlighter that catches the light beautifully.” There’s no better way to kick off summer’s unofficial start than with a new glow-boosting lineup.
