The Light Moisture Cream by Jones Road Beauty is a moisturiser I can get on board with. Hydrating but not sticky. Comforting without being oily. Gel-like that still does something. They call it “lightweight but substantive”. I call it a really good cream.
If my skin were a person she’d be a demanding little lady. She’d be the one who always orders off-menu, wishing for just a few different ingredients, who’s regretful the night after a glass (or two) of bubbles but always drinks them anyway, and one that wants to wear the big, warm woollen turtleneck despite knowing it’ll end up being scratchy and irritating. She’d be generally, you know, fussy.
After plenty of years sussing out my skin, we’ve got to know each other well. In fact, I have the obligatory ten-minute tell me about your skin conversation at the beginning of an aesthetician appointment down to a ten second dot-point. I think it’s so important to get to know your own skin; a Facialist might see it for 60 minutes, but you see it every day of the month. One day it’s clear, the next maybe inflamed, some days dry, and others smooth and plump. So much can be pieced together by looking at environmental and lifestyle factors and you are undoubtedly your own best skin detective. Looking radiant after that week of switching Coca Cola for water? Huh. Reaching for the face oils and rich creams more after enjoying that bottle of red? Interesting. Pigmentation a little more noticeable after you bought a new exfoliant and loosened up on the SPF? Curious. I’ve got to know my skin, and I’ve subsequently got to know what sort of skincare I like and what works best for me.
I’m also just drawn to rich creams. I love a thick, nourishing texture but I also know my skin doesn’t. It needs the hydration and the barrier protection, but an overload of oils and a heavy layer sends it into overwhelm. If it were that fussy lady, she’d be feeling all suffocated, irritated and wanting some alone time. A cream that’s too rich for my skin often leads to irritation followed by congestion and breakouts. It begins with a little itching, leads to a red bump and it’s all down hill from there. So, I spent years testing out the creams labelled Light; the safe-option lotions and the watery fluids. They gave me no satisfaction, no skincare texture joy, and rarely actually saved my skin from feeling dry. I’d find myself spritzing my face mists and adding a generous dose of a MV Skin Therapy oil booster on top. And I still craved the texture of a proper cream.
If you’re similarly skin-inclined, you may know the dissatisfaction of applying a light moisturiser or lotion that’s just not up to the job. You can tell as soon as you spread it around your skin and there’s the knowing feeling that “this isn’t enough”. But in my case the alternative – the rich creams – weren’t right either. Fussy.
On days when a rich cream was too heavy and a lotion-like texture such as Odacite’s Beautiful Day Moisturiser didn’t pack enough of a punch, I’d often reach for a tried and tested staple like Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre just to get a base on that I knew would sit well beneath makeup and not cause a reaction. The whipped texture is one of my go-to’s for when nothing else seems to be working. I love it, but I still wanted more.
When Jones Road dropped their first round of skincare, I was intrigued. I see them as simple, basic skincare products – in a good way. The pots are simple and satisfyingly glass and the moisturising Miracle Cream is luxuriously textured. What it is not, is light.
Miracle Cream is your classic cold climate/dry skin balm-cream that provides deep moisturisation and that protective feeling of a barrier against the elements. It’s an interesting texture; a solid balm that you have to warm between your fingertips yet it doesn’t reduce to a slippery, wet oil in the way that Josh Rosebrook’s Vital Balm Cream does. Miracle Cream somehow stays a little creamy, at least in my current cold climate. It’s unique and pleasurable to apply. Dry, flaky, mature skins – and anyone heading to the mountains this ski season, will lap this texture up. But while the consistency is gorgeous and it’s the kind of cream I adore applying, it’s not what my skin always needs. Enter Light Moisture Cream.
With one option so rich, I expected an uber-light lotion to sit beside it but I was very pleasantly surprised. Thrilled, in fact. Light Moisture Cream is lightweight, but not in a lotion-like way. It’s substantial and decadent and the texture beautifully luscious. You get all the pleasure of application of a rich cream, without the weight of a heavy layer. And yet somehow, you still get that sense of nourishment on the skin. For those that are fond of a really thin, fluid-like lotion or water-gel, you might find this a lot more substantive than you’re used to. And for those with very oily, acne prone skin this might even be too much for you – try a light hand or wait for the oil-free option still to come. But for those who have sat in between the two worlds like me, lacking the moisturisation from the lighter textures but not getting along with the heavier creams, this is a Goldilocks of a skincare product. It’s just right.
A cloud-like consistancy – it’s not quite a gel but but not quite your traditional cream – it contains plenty of nourishing properties like macadamia seed oil and shea butter. Light Moisture Cream is also a beautiful base for makeup. In fact, I hadn’t been getting along with The Face Pencils until I paired them with this cream. If your concealer has a tendency of looking a little cakey or foundation is clinging to dry patches, try priming with this cream beforehand.
It feels refreshing, but not at all watery. If Miracle Cream feels slightly tacky and dense on the skin, Light Moisture Cream feels pillowy and plump. It leaves my skin feeling smooth, hydrated, cushioned but not claggy. And while Miracle Cream arrives in the form of a solid balm that you have to break into and smoosh a little, Light Moisture Cream is fuss free and spreads gloriously on the skin. I’m currently living in a blankets and open fire climate, and this is plenty of hydration for my daytime winter skin. In summer, I expect a lighter application will be necessary to avoid that ‘melting off’ feeling.
Jones Road’s Light Moisture Cream doesn’t contain SPF, and as someone who keeps these products separate I’m fine with this. Jones Road teamed up with Supergoop’s Unseen SPF for the launch but I’m on the fence about the film-like texture and instead my go-to is La Roche Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid 50+. I know some people find even this texture a little on the greasy side and I’m also loving Thank You Farmer’s Sun Project Water Sun Cream but it’s not always accessible. Never completely satisfied when it comes to SPF, my perennial hunt for the perfect sunscreen up to the task of a southern hemisphere sun continues. Suggestions on a postcard – or Instagram comment, please.
Scent-wise, the Light Moisture Cream is zingy and fresh – a little citrusy but not in an overt, overpowering way. You see, goldilocks. For oily or younger skins wanting to try try out Jones Road skincare, I’d skip on Miracle Cream and add to cart on this one. Even for drier skin types that might not want the fuss of the melt-between-your-fingertips step required by Miracle Cream, or who find themselves in humid climates where a richer texture is just too much – this might give you all the hydration you need. As for my fussy skin the Light Moisture Cream is just what she ordered – no substituting or going off-menu here. This one’s just right. How satisfying is that.
Read all about the Jones Road Beauty hero product Miracle Balm here.
Fan of glitter? Find out all about Jones Road Sparkle Wash and Just A Sec eyeshadows here.
Find Jones Road (US and Canada only) exclusively at jonesroadbeauty.com
Disclaimer: Some products mentioned in this article were kindly gifted by the brand without obligation to post. As always, this in no way affects or influences my review.