I Just Tried Over £250 Worth of Jones Road Make-Up Products—These Are the Buys I’d Definitely Recommend
From bronzer and blusher to *that* viral foundation
I have been a fan of Bobbi Brown’s work ever since I started spending a significant amount of my disposable income on make-up as a teenager. The woman is a fountain of knowledge and some of her creations have been my go-tos for about half my life—from my daily under-eye concealer to one of the best mascaras. Suffice to say, when she parted ways with her eponymous brand back in 2016, it was big news in my books.
Thankfully, Brown made her return to running a make-up brand with the launch of Jones Road in 2020 and, let me tell you, I was keen to get my paws on the products when they made their way across the pond just shy of a year later. If you’re yet to try anything from the band, I tested and re-tested a selection to give you a thorough run-down of some of the best Jones Road products. Here are my honest thoughts...
The best Jones Road products, reviewed by a beauty editor
Jones Road The Bronzer
This is our Junior Shopping Editor's favourite bronzer of all time, and I can see why. For me, this was divine to use. The powder itself is gloriously fine and builds brilliantly, so it works well for a light, all-over sun-kissed wash (pictured), but can be built up to create a more sculpted look, too. Jones Road generally is on the expensive side, but, as powder products tend to last longer than other make-up bag buys, this feels like it’s more worthy of the investment.
As for how it looks on the skin, it also has a slightly matte—but, crucially, not flat—finish, so played nicely with my oilier skin type. More personally, for those with a similar complexion to me, I’d also note that the second lightest shade, Light Tan, didn’t have even a hint of that all-too-common orange hue. I’ll be interested to see how long it takes me to hit pan.
Jones Road The Best Eyeshadow
The best eyeshadow palettes will always have a place, but as a beauty editor I’ve noticed that single shadows are increasing in popularity. This is probably down to a few different factors—increased consciousness of waste and spending are two that immediately spring to mind—but either way, it’s a nice segue into The Best Eyeshadow (while I do think it’s great, this is the actual product name!).
There are 14 different, very wearable shades across matte, shimmer and sparkle, though I only tested matte, but what struck me straight away from my first swatch was how pigmented the formulas are. They also blend super easily, which is a must for me. Peachy Nude, which I’m wearing above, on me, is a nice balance of warm and neutral for everyday wear.
Jones Road The Brow Gel
Fun fact: when the masses were over-plucking their brows in the 90s, Bobbi Brown was discouraging excessive tweezer use (think the magnificent arches of Brooke Shields). That approach is the inspiration behind The Brow Gel, which is a a really nice all-rounder for a brushed-up look that packs decent hold. Shade-wise, I’m wearing Light Brunette in the above picture, a kind of mid-brown.
I did find that you have to wipe a lot of excess product off the brush when you first unscrew it, but the effect is surprisingly filling out—I’m someone who has sparse-ish brows and relies quite heavily on the best eyebrow products, and I didn’t feel the need to use any pencil with the tinted shade. The clear option is also great and a more lightweight choice, ideal for those who want a little hold but don’t feel the need to fill in their arches or who are wedded to their brow pencil. I can’t yet speak to any long-term benefits of conditioning ingredients of glycerine and panthenol, but those are nice to see on the ingredients list.
Jones Road What The Foundation
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. If you are on social media you saw that video featuring this foundation before it launched in the UK, but I tried to go in with no expectations. What The Foundation (great name) is a tinted rich balm and very nourishing, which isn’t something my oily-combination skin generally needs from base make-up. Because of this, even a couple of hours into wearing, my skin still felt slightly sticky to the touch, and I found I needed to set it with a little powder. That said, it did settle well throughout the day and the little coverage stayed put.
This would be brilliant, in my opinion, on somebody with dry skin who wants light, healthy-looking coverage—another MC contributor has tipped it as one of the best foundations for mature skin. Balm textures can be great at withstanding a harsh, dry, cold atmosphere, so I’m going to keep hold of it and re-test it in winter. However, I would point out that the lightest shade was a match for me in the summer months, meaning anybody with paler skin than me will struggle to get a great shade match.
Jones Road The Lip Tint
It is very, very difficult to stand out as a lipstick in today’s market, because there are so many decent options to choose from. There are really only two ways a product can do so: impressive staying power or richness of colour (or both!), the latter of which Jones Road’s The Lip Tint nails. I’ll admit I was actually surprised at how rich a colour I could layer up here—Nude Rose is a great nineties-esque rich brown-pink that went straight in my bag, and the formula has a nice level of classic shine to it.
The downside is that they don’t last a remarkably long time, but I’ve personally never been averse to reapplying if it’s not a statement shade, like the best red lipstick. They’re also very comfortable to wear (the formula includes castor oil and vitamin E), and I'm sure I'll be reaching for it in the winter months, too.
Jones Road Miracle Balm
"The Miracle Balm is one of my favourite cheek products when I want to add some colour to my face without losing any glow. The formula is pretty sheer but buildable, and the creamy finish means it's so easy to apply and blend out. It comes in a huge pot—I've had mine for months and hardly made a dent—and it gives a true your-skin-but-better finish with zero cakeiness." - Amelia Yeomans, Junior Shopping Editor
Jones Road Gel Liner
"My hooded eyes mean thick liner doesn't really work for me, but this one has changed the game. It stays in place, has brilliant colour payoff, and comes at a good price point for the pot (which lasts a very long time). I'm not the most skilled at liner and this one does require some precision, but it's easy to blend out if it needs softening." - Amelia Yeomans, Junior Shopping Editor
