My Honest Review of the Jones Road Beauty Face Pencils (2024)

Before you buy the Jones Road Beauty The Face Pencils ($25, 25 shades available and I have shades 02, 07 and 09), check out this honest review.

I’ve been using these Face Pencils off and on for over a year now. They were originally gifted to me by the brand (I was under no obligation to review) and seemed super interesting.

A pencil that provides coverage? Sure, why not? But have I repurchased them, and would I recommend them to you?

In this Scorecard I cover five key questions you may have, along with my final verdict, so by the end of this post, you’ll have a better idea of whether to buy or go with another option:

1. INGREDIENTS SCAN

2. HOW IS APPLICATION?

3. DO THEY GIVE COVERAGE?

4. HOW IS FINISH?

5. WHAT ABOUT WEAR TEST?

   + MY FINAL VERDICT

Why trust me?

I’ve tested and honestly reviewed thousands of products over the past seven years. You can learn more about my method here, and check out my skin/hair profile here for context.

This product was gifted (pr) by the brand. I’m under no obligation to review it. The opinions below are my own. You will always receive my honest, in-depth review over here.

This post contains affiliate links that support TheStyleshaker.com, an independently owned company.💜

1. INGREDIENTS*

• I’m seeing castor seed oil and waxes up front with titanium dioxide

• There's also mica inside, along with synthetic mica called fluorphlogopite which is composed of sheets of magnesium aluminum silicate plus potassium

• Finally, some shea butter at the very bottom of the list

• Full transparency means I’m a happy camper over here

2. APPLICATION: 5/5

• I prep my skin with some light face oil and do a gua sha massage in the morning. From there, it's SPF (also not heavy)

• Oily skin types may be able to skip any extra moisture, but I'd keep the sunscreen in there

• I found pressing the formula to my finger and then pressing that into the areas on my face where I needed coverage worked best

• Brand recommendation: "Start by applying around the nose to conceal any redness. Next, apply around the mouth, spot correcting as needed and tapping to blend the product into your skin. Build up the coverage level by applying multiple layers. For longer-lasting wear, follow up with a light dusting of powder"

3. COVERAGE: 3/5

• CLAIM: spot treatment and a “wash of coverage”

• CLAIM: “Cover redness and dark spots, correct discoloration, and lighten dark circles”

• I can definitely say it evened out redness and worked well for spot treatment

• It was also SUPER lightweight, which I loved, especially heading into warmer weather months

• I used shade 2 as a brightener under the eye and then preferred shade 7 for face coverage (I just got the Neutralizer pencil so I'd probably end up using shade 7 more than 2 these days since it corrects and brightens)

• A small amount showed significant evening out and strong spot coverage - I don't think I'd use this as a wash of coverage on the face because the formula doesn't really apply as easily as a liquid option, but that's just a personal application preference

4. FINISH: 2/5

• CLAIM: “formulated with a clear base for no chalky undertones”

• CLAIM: “[provides coverage] while remaining virtually undetectable

• I have a love/hate relationship with my magnification mirror. From afar, the evened-out skin looked great. It’s a bit flatter than I normally love (a potential bonus for oily skin types), but that’s subjective and could have been glowed up with an illuminating facial oil underneath

• Up close, it was a bit of a different story… the formula wasn’t fully melting in; it sat a bit on top of my skin after some serious zhushing

• I also saw a bit of gathering and adhering to my skin's natural texture

• The finish wasn't chalky, so that part held up, but this wasn't an undetectable, skin-looks-like-skin finish for me regardless of how I prepped or what I used to apply

• Tip: when I used a very sheer setting powder with a flat triangle puff to press it into the skin, especially under the eye, the finish blurred a bit. This also helped prevent some, not all, creasing

5. WEAR TEST: 3/5

• If I weren't looking at finish, then I'd give a stronger wear test score because the lightweight coverage stuck around all day on the face

• Under the eyes took a bit of a hit with fading of coverage, but it was the finish deteriorating after eight hours that stood out most for me

• It's 50/50 for me: a decent wear for coverage and a bit of a flop for finish

TOTAL SCORE - 13/20

PROS:

• cruelty-free formula in a pencil form, which is more eco-friendly for sure

• application was really super simple here. I could just press it in for spot treatment (not referring to applying it all over the face)

• plenty of shades available

• if you're looking for quick spot coverage, this could be a winner for you, especially if you need something lightweight and without heavier oils that could crease (it can also be great for well-prepped dry skin too, but seems like a no-brainer for oilier skin types)

• on the go, oily skin types may also find touch-ups throughout the day to be really easy

• coverage was also pretty strong with only a bit of product

CONS:

• some skin types may not be for the waxes, and the finish was a bit flat

• I didn’t see a wash of coverage on my skin & felt this was better for spot coverage, evening out small areas which could be great for some

• the 'undetectable' claim didn't hold up for me

• you'd have to buy a separate color for concealer if you need brightening (not a major issue, just something to note)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

I'll include the concealers I use as multitaskers since this pencil is less about full-face coverage and more about spot treatment. I love using concealer over tinted moisturizer/sunscreen for a lighter look.

• Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer

• Iris & Romeo Best Skin Days Treatment Concealer

• RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up

• Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer

MY FINAL VERDICT:

WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN?

I like the Face Pencil for spot coverage, but I couldn't get the finish to work for my skin and that was the dealbreaker for me.

If you have oilier skin and are looking for mostly spot coverage to even out, I think these could be a helpful addition to your routine (always double check the ingredients list of course).

At the end of the day, I prefer liquid formulas for under-eye coverage. I find them easier to apply, even though sometimes I need to set. The thicker, denser, or waxier products are just fussier for me to work with, and I can be pretty lazy when it comes to makeup application.

Curious about the products I reach for every day? Check out:

💜 MY CURRENT FAVORITES 💜

Out of the hundreds of products I’ve tried, these are the winners I would buy again and again:

BRITT’S PICKS

DISCLAIMER: *Why I don’t assign a score to ingredients: percentage matters and what works for one may not work for another. I’m in no way a cosmetic chemist (probably obvious at this point). This is not medical advice or meant to treat and diagnose. Please seek advice from a medical expert if you have additional questions.