‘This new foundation is the only one that doesn’t settle in my pores – it’s a must for problem skin’

Make-up brand Vieve has just launched its first foundation, and it's already getting plenty of hype on social media. Beauty editor Laura puts it to the test on her tricky skin...

I don't wear a lot of make-up but I always want my skin to look the best it possibly could, so whenever a new foundation launches – especially one in the 'glowy' or 'radiant' category – I'm keen to try it out. And so when I heard that Vieve – the popular make-up brand from influencer Jamie Genevieve – was launching its first ever foundation, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

Evolving from the brand's bestselling Skin Nova primer, Vieve Skin Nova Complexion Balm has just launched on Space NK and vievebeauty.com, priced at £34. Available in 20 flexible shades, it promises 'a medium-to-buildable coverage and a second-skin finish for a healthy-looking complexion'. Right up my street, I thought, and – spoiler alert – I wasn't wrong; it's a new firm favourite.

READ MORE: ‘This foundation makes me look 10 years younger – it’s like Flawless Filter in a stick’

• Vieve Skin Nova Complexion Balm, £34 from Space NK

Pros

• Really easy to blend
• Doesn't go patchy throughout the day or sit in fine lines or pores
• Very buildable
• Gives skin a natural-looking glow
• The shade finder on the Vieve website is helpful and accurate

Cons

• Not as long-lasting as a more matte formula
• Doesn't cover everything; if you have very red spots or dark circles you'll still need a concealer

I have a few long-time favourite foundations, including Shiseido Revitalessence Glow Foundation and Kevyn Aucoin Stripped Nude Skin Tint, but recently my skin's been troublesome. Thanks to a combination of several persistent breakouts around my chin and starting to use a new prescription-strength retinoid, foundations just haven't been sitting well on my skin; they've looked patchy after a couple of hours, with my pores far more noticeable than usual.

I've found none of that, however, with this Vieve foundation. It feels really hydrating and creamy on the skin but not at all greasy or oily ('buttery' is a phrase Jamie uses to describe it, and she's not wrong), and it blends beautifully with both fingers or a make-up brush, sitting well over primers like Skin Nova or your regular moisturiser or SPF.

It gives skin a very natural, healthy-looking glow – no sheen or shimmer, just really really nice looking skin (oily skin types may want to apply a powder over areas prone to shine). I'd say the coverage was more light-to-medium but it's very buildable, and layers up well over areas that need a little more coverage.

• Vieve Skin Nova Complexion Balm, £34 from Space NK

I was matched as shade 140 through Vieve's excellent online Findation tool and, despite initially thinking that it might be too dark, it's actually the perfect match, and I could probably even go one up if I was tanned.

I really like the packaging too; in a squeezy tube with a nozzle rather than a glass bottle, it's light and easy to carry around.

The one minor downside that I found was that it does start to wear off towards the end of the day (something that you often find with a formula that's not matte), however it's easy to top up. If you do want a longer-wearing formula, I find that Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation lasts really well.

If you're looking for a new face base that easily perfects while still looking and feeling like real skin, Vieve's Complexion Balm is definitely worth a try; it's been a game changer for me.