Exclusive: Bobbi Brown Tells Us the Inspiration for Her New Clean Makeup Line, Jones Road

Bobbi Brown is once again redefining the beauty game. The makeup legend who introduced many of us to the world of beauty via her namesake line is back with her very own beauty line of not-so-basic basics (Brown sold her eponymous line in 2016). Jones Road Beauty is the new baby by the makeup-artist-turned-beauty-mogul created to bring a solution to multi-step routine fatigue. Its debut collection is literally a starter kit of easy to use beauty essentials. 

Officially launching today, Jones Road Beauty is all about simplifying your routine with six essential clean products. The name "Jones Road" was a stroke of luck. After trying to figure out a name for weeks, Brown explains to Byrdie exclusively how a trip out to the Hamptons helped her discover the brand name. "I looked down and there it was on the WAZE navigation app: Jones Road. I immediately loved the name and so did my husband and the team. We checked to see if it was available and it was, so the brand became Jones Road,'" she tells us.

Not only is the name different from her namesake line, but its business blueprint is very different too. "Working at the brand as long as I did was the best on-the-job training I could have gotten. It was like getting an MBA. Now, business is done differently because of the rise of social media and e-commerce," she explains. "Jones Road is a scrappy startup. We have a small team. We’re using social as a major part of our marketing strategy and we’re selling [direct-to-consumer]. That’s the modern way to launch a business now."

With 40 years of industry experience, enforcing strict standards for the new brand's clean ingredients is also a high priority strategy for Brown. "All of our products adhere to standards even more stringent than those set by the European Union and are made without 2,700 potentially toxic ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, PEGs, cyclic silicones, BPA, and EDTA," she lists.

Jones Road Miracle Balm $38.00

Shop

So what’s in the collection? Let’s start with the Miracle Balm ($38). Even though each product in the line is key to creating the brand's "no-makeup makeup" vibe (that's very on-brand for 2020), Bobbi cites the balm as her favorite. "It’s high-performing, multi-purpose, and is full of amazing, good-for-you ingredients, all in one," she says. "It adds a wash of soft-focus moisture to enhance your skin. It reflects light so it adds a hint of glow wherever you need it—cheeks, eyelids, or lips." She notes that it also comes in four different shades so you can wear it alone, or layer it on top of your foundation. The star ingredients in this cruelty-free formula are jojoba seed oil, a hydrator that does not only mimic the skin’s natural oils, but is also rich in vitamins and fatty acids. Argan oil, rich in linoleic and ferulic acid, is noteworthy for restoring the skin’s barrier and reducing the appearance of fine lines. Lastly, vitamin E serves as an anti-inflammatory because any great makeup look starts with great skincare.

Jones Road Cool Gloss $22.00

Shop

Another power player from the new collection is the no-fuss, no-mess Cool Gloss ($22), which lives up to its name. The lightweight plumping gloss moisturizes and plumps the lips with shea butter, vitamin E, and peppermint oil for a cool minty feeling.

Then there's The Mascara ($26)—emphasis on the "the." With ingredients like vitamin E, moisturizing vitamin B, and sodium hyaluronate (a moisture-boosting humectant) it's proof that extra TLC isn’t just for your skin; the inky black mascara conditions and volumizes lashes. The brand says it’s perfect for adding on a few extra layers for bold length.

Jones Road The Mascara $26.00

Shop

There are a few exciting products listed on the site that isn’t available just yet: Sparkle Wash ($24) a shimmering, no-budge liquid shadow in five shades that won’t crease. Just A Sec ($26), a cushiony wash of shimmer and color for the lids and The Best Pencil ($22), a no-frills opaque liner for precise lines or smoky eyes, both of which are available in the Start-Up Kit ($68) or available separately soon. 

"When I left [Bobbi Brown] four years ago, I had no idea what I was going to do next," says Brown. She spent the time after promoting her 9th book Beauty From the Inside Out, which covered nutrition and wellness more than beauty and led her on a new path. "I went back to school to become a certified health coach. Then, I launched EVOLUTION_18, a line of wellness, and ingestible products. Then, Masterclass called me and asked me to do a makeup masterclass, which was such an honor. Doing the Masterclass reminded me that, before anything else, I’m a makeup artist first—I've been doing this for 40 years. I realized it was time for me to get back to my roots."

She leaves us with these thoughts on how she's acknowledging her roots in this new chapter: "Jones Road is a collection of the products I wanted for myself because I couldn't find them anywhere else—an edited indispensable collection of clean, high-grade formulations designed for all ages, skin types, and skin tones."

Shop the brand at Jonesroadbeauty.com.