Introducing Jouer Cosmetics
Founded in 2008 by Christina Zilber, Jouer Cosmetics positions itself as a clean, cruelty-free makeup brand offering editorial-worthy products to enhance natural beauty. With over 1 million Instagram followers and features in magazines like Elle and Allure, Jouer has developed quite the cult following.
But does this brand live up to the hype when you look closely at the ingredients, pricing and real customer reviews? I decided to find out.
In this extensive review, I analyze if Jouer truly offers quality formulations without irritants and if the products give value compared to similar items from Sephora faves like Benefit, Tarte and Too Faced. Let‘s jump in!
Jouer‘s Product Range and Prices
Jouer Cosmetics sells a full range of color cosmetics for face, eyes and lips. This includes foundations, highlighters, bronzers, blushes, eyeshadows, mascaras, lipsticks and more. Most products are priced between $20 to $40.
Compared to competitor brands carried at Sephora like Benefit, Tarte and Too Faced, Jouer sits squarely in the middle in terms of price point. While not drugstore cheap, Jouer avoids the $50+ price tags of high end prestige lines.
Assessing Jouer‘s "Clean" Formulations
Jouer makes a lot of claims about being a clean, non-irritating makeup line free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates and other harsh chemicals. Let‘s take a look at some bestselling products to verify this.
The Essential High Coverage Crème Foundation lists water, caprylic/capric triglyceride, coco-caprylate/caprate, and dimethicone as the first four ingredients. Two types of chemical emollients and silicone. No natural oils or extracts in sight.
Same story with the Lip Enhancer lip balm. Petrolatum, ethylhexyl palmitate, hydrogenated polyisobutene take the top three slots.
While Jouer avoids overtly toxic ingredients, the brand relies heavily on synthetic chemicals versus natural extracts to formulate many products. If seeking clean, non-irritating makeup, Jouer falls short of brands like Ilia, Kjaer Weis and Vapour.
Jouer Bestsellers Review
With questions around how "clean" Jouer‘s makeup truly is, let‘s analyze 4 top selling products to determine if these provide quality results.
Lip Enhancer Lip Treatment
The Lip Enhancer lip balm contains petrolatum, mineral oil byproducts and dimethicone to hydrate lips. While moisturizing thanks to the occlusive barrier, this leaves an evident silicone slick on the lips. For $17, many comparable natural lip balms exist without this residue.
An affordable, clean rival is Acure Organics‘ Brilliantly Brightening Lip & Face Cream. At $10 with nourishing oils like argan, coconut and jojoba, Acure delivers equal moisturization minus the film and gunk.
Essential High Coverage Liquid Concealer
Offering complete coverage of under eye circles and spots, this concealer blends smoothly without collecting in fine lines. The thin, concentrated formula provides fuller coverage than Shape Tape but feels lighter. With a shade range of 25 options, the concealer suits most skin tones.
For $24, the Jouer concealer delivers quality performance on par with mid-range offerings from Tarte (Shape Tape), Nars and Becca but at an easier price point.
Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipstick
This liquid lipstick glides on glossy then quickly dries to a transfer-proof, matte finish that survives eating and drinking. While comfortable, it lacks serious staying power. The lip color wears off unevenly after 4-5 hours leaving you with ring-around-the-lips.
At the same $19 price point, Sephora Collection‘s Cream Lip Stain liquid lipstick offers richer pigmentation with weightless 10 hour wear. For even longer lasting liquid lip color under $20, NYX‘s Soft Matte Lip Cream takes the cake.
Essential High Coverage Cream Foundation
Offering buildable medium-to-full coverage, this foundation smooths flawlessly over skin, masking imperfections without ever appearing cakey. The creamy texture feels lightweight despite the high pigment concentration. With 50 inclusive shades, most complexions get a seamless match.
The closest competitor is Too Faced‘s Born This Way Foundation at $39. While also providing smoothing medium-to-full coverage, the Too Faced formula cannot quite match the second-skin feel and wide shade range of the Jouer offering.
For $38, Jouer‘s foundation beats out higher end options as a new must-have base product for concealing and perfecting.
Is Jouer Cruelty-Free and Ethical?
Jouer avoids animal testing and uses no animal byproducts, qualifying the brand as cruelty-free. However, Jouer still relies heavily on synthetic chemicals versus natural ingredients. Those seeking ethical, eco-friendly makeup may want to explore greener brands like Kjaer Weis and Ilia instead.
What Skin Types and Concerns is Jouer Best For?
Thanks to smoothing, buildable coverage with a natural finish, most Jouer base products work for dry, oily and combo skin alike.
However, the reliance on chemical emollients may cause issues for sensitive or acne-prone skin. Those avoid pore-clogging makeup should opt for non-comedogenic brands like Bare Minerals instead.
Jouer Reviews: What Real Customers Are Saying
Scouring Google reviews, Reddit, Influenster and more, Jouer earns overwhelmingly positive feedback from buyers praising the brand‘s quality and value.
A common sentiment shared on Influenster is that Jouer offers makeup artistry-level products without the steep price tag. Multiple reviews compare favorably to high end brands carried in salons and pro stores.
Negative critiques call out issues like small product sizes, limited shade ranges for deeper skin tones (now expanded) and inadequate oil control for super slick skin types.
Where To Buy Jouer Cosmetics
Jouer Cosmetics sells through the brand‘s own website along with beauty retailers like Sephora, Revolve, SkinStore and Macy‘s.
Promotions and Discounts
Shoppers can save on Jouer makeup purchases in the following ways:
- Free shipping over $45
- Earn rewards points redeemable for discounts
- Seasonal sales up to 50% off select products
- Free gift with $35+ purchase promos
Jouer also runs an affiliate marketing program where publishers can earn 8-15% commission referring new customers.
Is Jouer Worth The Money And Hype?
If seeking makeup that leaves skin looking professionally done while avoiding the highest prestige brand prices, Jouer delivers on quality and value with bestselling base products like the Essential High Coverage foundations and concealers. Eyeshadows and lip colors fail to impress quite as much though especially compared to drugstore dupes.
However, those wanting truly natural, non-toxic cosmetics should look beyond Jouer to green brands like RMS, Ilia and Kjaer Weis instead. While avoiding parabens and sulfates, Jouer still relies heavily on silicone and synthetic emollients.
So in summary, yes, invest in Jouer for airbrushed second-skin base makeup at mid-range prices but appear beyond for clean formulations using botanicals over chemicals.
The Final Takeaway
For flawless looking foundation, concealer and finishing powder without the usual prestige markup, Jouer delivers. Eyes, cheeks and lips prove more hit-or-miss but likely better quality than drugstore dupes.
Just don‘t expect botanical-based formulas free of synthetics and irritants here. At the end of the day, Jouer focuses more on perfecting your complexion without necessarily nourishing skin too.
Hopefully this exhaustive Jouer review helps set the record straight! Let me know in comments any other brand reviews you would like to see next!
