There are some beauty products you just have to have in your repertoire – and Jones Road Miracle Balm is one of them. Created by the brilliant makeup artist Bobbi Brown (when she was developing the launch offerings for her brand, Jones Road), it was initially a mistake. Brown was working with the lab to create another formula when they sent back a sample of what they thought she wanted – and it was not at all what she had in mind. Of course, she couldn’t resist trying it, as she told Vogue: “But it did look sort of interesting so instead of getting upset about it, I just stuck my fingers in it and dabbed it on my cheeks.” Impressed with its texture and moisturizing benefits, she thought – “what a miracle.” Somewhere between a blush, highlighter and bronzer, depending on what colour you use, the formula became an instant beauty favourite.

I was lucky enough to receive one of the earliest samples four years ago – Bobbi and I go back a long way. I knew her when she was still at Bobbi Brown, her namesake makeup brand, built on the philosophy of helping women look like the best version of themselves, and I was a beauty editor at Mirabella magazine. I got to know her better when I moved on to become beauty director of Tatler, where we dreamed up playful photo shoots together in New York. I loved working with her; she had zero bitchiness and was delightfully down to earth and creative. I still have the perfect dusty rose-brown shade she chose for my cheeks and lips to make my eyes pop – a colour I have never managed to improve upon.

Since then, the Au Naturel Miracle Balm is another can’t-live-without essential for me. It’s the ultimate multi-tasker and, critically, perfect for mature skin thanks to a delicious blend of oils, including argan, jojoba and seabuckthorn. I tap it onto my cheekbones for a healthy glow, use it on my lips as a gloss and even smooth it over my eyebrows to tame them – a trick I learned from makeup artists backstage at the fashion shows, who used to do the same thing with Vaseline. As Jones Road fends off younger influencer brands such as Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, and Instagram serves me endless adverts for lookalike products (Rhode Highlight Milk versus Jones Road Bright Skin Illuminating Drops is just one example), my trust – and my dollars – still go to Brown. Her integrity and her focus on helping women feel like their best selves rather than chasing youth still ring true.

Five years and 15 shades later, Jones Road sells a pot of the blush-meets-highlighter sensation every 30 seconds. Brown, now in her mid-60s, emphasises the power of skincare-makeup hybrids throughout Jones Road, all of the formulations from eyeshadows to blush sticks are created using efficacious skincare ingredients – a bonus for mature complexions. For summer, she has re-issued limited edition Miracle Balm Palettes, with three shades in four summer colourways. The result is a beauty staple that delivers the effortless, lit-from-within look that has become Brown’s signature, without any of the glitter or sparkle that can come to rest in, and emphasise, fine lines and creases.