Bring up the best VIEVE products in conversation with a group of beauty journalists and you are pretty much guaranteed to hear the phrase “Skin Nova” within seconds. It has a reputation among those in the know for being one of the best primers around—so suffice to say expectations were high for the brand’s first foray into foundation, the Skin Nova Complexion Balm.
Founded by make-up artist and content creator Jamie Genevieve in 2020, VIEVE has rolled out everything from gorgeous blushers and bronzers to excellent make-up brushes in the years since. I’m also really into the brand aesthetic, which taps into our collective love of ‘90s grunge with a sprinkling of modern day chic, if you like.
Last year Jamie finally launched her own VIEVE mascara, so it was high time the brand ticked off foundation, too—enter, Skin Nova Complexion Balm. Here’s my full, detailed review of said foundation, complete with pics so you can see its results.
Packaging might not be as important as the formula inside, but it does do some heavy lifting in terms of your first impressions of a product. On that front, VIEVE Complexion Balm is housed in a squeezy, translucent tube, so there’s no guesswork around how much product you’re using up. This also makes for easier control over the application.
There are 20 shades on offer, ranging from 100 to 440, which the brand describes as flexible. While I can’t speak from firsthand experience as to how flexible the darker shades are, looking at the full range there doesn't appear to be quite as many deep options as there are for lighter skin tones, so it would be good to see some more shades rolled out in future. I've worn both 120 and 130, but the former is my closest match at this time of year.
I’ll admit that, to me, the name balm ostensibly sounded like this would be a fairly rich product and potentially better suited to dry skin than my oil-slicked-by-3pm complexion. But this formula has the nicest lightweight buttery texture that feels neither too heavy nor too thick. I will say it smells ever so slightly unusual, but this is only detectable while you’re applying it; this doesn’t hang around once your base has settled. The medium coverage is nice and buildable, giving my skin the kind of healthy look that's like I've managed to get way more sleep than I probably have.
As for the wear, I have oily skin and found that a very slight wash of setting powder in particularly oily areas was a good approach without removing too much of the radiant finish. But either w-y, the medium coverage lasts well through the day with its natural, healthy looking finish—something that a bit of the best setting spray helped supercharge.
As a beauty editor, a telling moment in how much you like any given make-up product is whether or not you return to using it after the initial testing period—and I have indeed found myself reaching for the Skin Nova Complexion Balm by choice. It's played well with any other make-up I've used alongside it so far and is a lovely everyday foundation if you want to look like you’re having a particularly great skin day—think glowy, not shiny. If that sounds like your kind of vibe I think you'll love it.
