For most of my life, I’ve been the type of person who when they find something that works, they stick with it. Especially make-up. But now, having dived a little deeper into the beauty world and seeing how quickly things move on and the constant cycle of new products appearing, when a bottle of something runs out, I’m now more likely to ask myself, is this really the best I could be using? instead of instantly re-ordering. It’s this curiosity and new openness to change that has led me to some stand out brands, that seem to really get what skin needs. They also make the trend towards glass like and glowy skin, which seems ridiculously out of reach in midlife, entirely achievable. The first of these brands, that I’ll review here on My Life Detour, is Vieve.  As my forties progress, I’m increasingly finding that newer formulations that are more lightweight and sheer are far more flattering and avoid any harsh lines, which are the enemy in midlife make-up! What worked in my twenties and thirties no longer suit my skin today. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s an adjustment.  I thought I had the prefect primer and powder for a light and natural make-up look, but having tried Vieve, it turned out there’s better available. Similarly, my old lipsticks don’t quite sit the same either, with oils and glosses offering a prettier and more natural look. Vieve’s gorgeously tempting Lip Dews ticked that box too.

Vieve was founded in 2020 by Scottish make-up artist Jamie Genevieve and is quickly acquiring a cult-status. One of the stars in her range of products is the Skin Nova. The Vieve Skin Nova is a skincare make-up hybrid. It’s basically a bit of both. It illuminates, primes and hydrates and is suitable for all skin types. Vieve is also vegan and cruelty free, which is kind of a perquisite for all new brands, thankfully!

The Skin Nova can be worn alone, as a radiance primer or mixed with your favourite base. So it really is a great addition to your make-up bag. While my skin may now look better with lighter make-up, it definitely needs a helping hand, especially in the radiance department. The coverage required is also dictated by my cycle, so it can be mixed with foundation or tinted moisturiser on those days. I’ve used the Skin Nova on it’s own with powder and mixed with my tinted moisturiser.

The Skin Nova is a peachy hue and a cross between a gel and a cream in consistency. A little goes a long way and pea sized amount is all that’s required to cover your whole face.  It’s unscented and smooths onto and into the skin very easily.

The Skin Nova is marketed as being suitable for all skin tones. I was interested to see how it would work with my very fair colouring as I hate when my face looks a different colour to my neck and decollete, which happens very easily with the wrong base. I can confirm that it blends exceptionally well with your natural colouring and there are no tide marks at all!

As a base on its own, I used it in conjunction with my usual concealer to hide dark circles and blemishes, and applied a little of the Vieve Modern Powder Perfector to set it all into place, followed by a sweep of bronzing powder. In the instant after applying it for the first time, I wasn’t astounded by how my skin looked. It looked pretty much the same as it did with my old base. But, by the time I got downstairs and caught a glance of myself in the mirror, I did think, hmmm my skin is actually looking pretty good. And I felt like that all day. I kept noticing my own skin and being pretty pleased with what I saw. Since using the Super Nova, I’ve had a few you’re looking well comments, and you know exactly why that is. The Super Nova gives you that subtle but coveted lit-from-within glow that just makes you look and feel good. Not in a flashy, try-hard kind of way. In an effortless, minimal, healthy way! It has the same effect when followed with your usual make-up, for which it forms the perfect base.  I’m completely hooked and can’t recommend this more highly. It’s also a fraction of the price of my old VB primer. So it really is a win, win!

Similarly to my primer, I’d been using the same powder for the past couple of years. Powder sounds so old fashioned, but without it my makeup wouldn’t last long enough for me to leave the house. I’m also prone to some shine in my T-zone, and blemishes which require a little extra coverage. I’ve been in a bit of a rut as it’s tricky to find a powder that does its job well but is also discreet. In line with my attitude to trying a new primer, I decided to give Vieve’s Modern Powder Perfector in Light a shot. I’ve been applying this over the Super Nova on its own and also when combined with my tinted moisturiser.

Firstly, the golden case the powder is packaged in is gorgeous! I But more importantly, this is an excellent powder. I’d go as far as to say it may be the secret ingredient in my new make-up routine. It has fantastic staying power and while it is a matt finish, it’s not overly so. Thanks to the addition of hydrating hyaluronic acid, it’s not at all drying.  It’s also exceptionally good at smoothing and blurring imperfections when combined with the Skin Nova. It looks entirely natural, with no chalky residue or clinging to dry skin. You really don’t need to use much to get great results, but equally you can use more on those days when you need a little extra coverage. This, combined with the Super Nova, is my new make-up dream team. It genuinely makes your skin look fantastic, with minimal effort, even on those days when it needs an extra special helping hand.

Over the last year or so, I’ve found that my favourite lipsticks, mainly red in tone, can be a little draining and don’t sit fantastically well on my lips anymore. Equally a lip oil can be a little too invisible when you need a slightly elevated colour. In my quest for a lip stick/gloss/oil that suits me now, I obviously had to try the Lip Dew by Vieve. It is available in a range of colours  and I opted for Cherub, which is a pretty bright candy pink shade. The Lip Dew is basically a cross between a gloss and a lip oil. It offers the nourishment of an oil, with Vitamin E and Camellia Oil, but the high shine and slightly thicker formulation of a gloss. It can be worn alone or over a matt lipstick and or liner.

The first thing I noticed is the Vieve Lip Dew offers a depth of colour I’ve not experienced with other lip oils. While it’s a lovely light glossy finish, the pigment is stronger than that offered by most other oils, which seem to be pretty nude, no matter how pigmented they look in the bottle. It has a lovely, almost cakey scent, which is pleasant and quite cheerful. It also feels great on your lips. Quite luxurious in fact! It’s more of a gloss in its consistency, look and wear time, but a lot more hydrating and nourishing like an oil. A fantastic hybrid and a lovely treat for midlife lips that need a bit more hydration and a clear, but not overpowering, splash of colour.

From the products I’ve tried, Vieve is all about elevating your features in a hassle-free, subtle and sheer way. When you find products like these, that just elevate your natural look and make you feel great, I’m always astounded by the knock-on effect it can have on your confidence, self-esteem and happiness levels.  So, should your make-up, including your stalwarts, run out soon, hopefully this will give you the motivation try something new. You don’t want to be missing out on the best products of your life, like my old self would have done!