The beauty industry is flooded with anti-aging products. Bobbi Brown thinks they’re mostly nonsense. “They don’t make you look younger, or get younger,” she says. “And why would you want to look younger anyway?”
Brown is one of the most celebrated makeup artists of our time. She’s been in the beauty industry for nearly 40 years, and her eponymous cosmetics brand, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, brings in nearly $10 billion in annual sales. But Brown, 67, believes there’s a gap in the market for cosmetics for aging skin, and that most beauty brands don’t know how to appeal to women past their 30s. “The beauty industry says getting older is a bad thing,” she says. “But getting older is a great thing.”
So in 2020, Braun decided to take it upon herself to fill that gap: she launched Jones Road, a direct-to-consumer cosmetics startup aimed at women of all ages, but especially those over 50. Braun created a line of innovative, hydrating makeup products perfect for dry, dull, aging skin.
Jones Road is now leaning into its identity as a brand that appeals to older women. The company just launched a new campaign called “I Am Me,” featuring women with gray hair and wrinkled faces (Brown is allergic to the word “wrinkles”). These women say they’re embracing this stage in their lives and want to be their best selves, not their younger selves. Brown believes the brand can do more than just make cosmetics for older skin; it can counter the persistent narrative that aging is a bad thing.
Cosmetics is a growing and maturing market
The $374.18 billion beauty industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with new brands launching daily, but Brown believes there’s still room to grow by targeting older women, who tend not to talk about makeup. For Jones Road, it’s proven a profitable approach, bringing in more than $100 million in revenue last year after just three years in business.
Oddly enough, Bobbi Brown is no longer associated with the brand that bears her name. She founded the company in 1991 in her mid-30s after making a name for herself as a top makeup artist on catwalks. Her approach was to use products to create natural beauty and make yourself look like a slightly more polished version of yourself. Her makeup brand was a huge hit, and three years later it was acquired by Estée Lauder for a reported $74.5 million. Brown stayed on as chief creative officer for 20 years.
Ten years ago, Brown was eager to do something new, but was bound by a non-compete agreement with Estée Lauder until October 2020. The day that contract expired — in the middle of the pandemic — Brown launched Jones Road.
With her new brand, Brown’s approach remains the same: She’s still interested in achieving the “no makeup” look. But since her first company, she’s focused on developing non-toxic beauty products. She’s partnered with a lab to develop products free of more than 2,700 potentially harmful ingredients.
Brown also had an idea for an interesting new kind of product that didn’t yet exist on the market. Her first product was Miracle Balm. She noticed that many products designed to add color, like blushers and bronzers, were powdery and could dry out the skin. Powders could also make facial lines appear deeper than they actually were. So she created a thick balm with a Vaseline-like consistency that delivered both color and shine.
Her other products have similarly hydrating formulas: her foundation has a thick, creamy texture that combines hydration with the benefits of makeup; her bronzer is a gel; and her face oil contains shimmering ingredients that moisturize and give the skin a subtle glow.
Brown never expected Jones Road to be a huge success; it seemed like just a side hustle during the pandemic. With no stores or in-person events, the only way to get the brand in front of customers was online. So Brown hired the most social media-savvy person she knew to be her marketer: her son, Cody Plofker.
As TikTok took off, Plofker decided to act quickly, putting Brown in front of the camera to speak directly to TikTok users. In her first few videos, Brown just answered questions, but Plofker noticed that many women were asking about what to do with makeup after they turned 50. “TikTok started with a younger audience, but then it went mainstream,” she says. “TikTok influencers tended to focus on trendy, dramatic makeup looks. Older people weren’t finding what they were looking for.”
Plofker realized he had to double down on that message. While the skin-care industry targets older women with products that promise to keep skin young and healthy, cosmetics brands tend to target younger consumers; their ads typically feature young models with dewy, wrinkle-free skin. “Bobbi has had fans for decades,” he says. “They were looking to her for help navigating makeup at this stage in life that a lot of other brands aren’t really marketing to.”
Brown has some strong opinions about what makeup looks good on older women. She points out that as skin ages, it tends to lose moisture, so it’s important that any makeup you use on your face is highly hydrating. “I create products that make you look instantly healthy and radiant,” Brown says. “I don’t like to use the term ‘youthful glow.’ It’s not about looking your age, it’s about looking your best.”
While Jones Road resonates with women of all ages, older women are undoubtedly fueling the brand’s growth. The brand sells exclusively through its own channels; in addition to its website, there are five stores across the country with more on the way. For Brown, getting the chance to launch a new beauty brand has been an unexpected joy and a chance to show other women that it’s never too late to try something new.
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