Beauty Breakdown: VIEVE founder Jamie Genevieve on what it takes to create a successful makeup brand
Jamie Genevieve's story is every beauty creator's dream. She has captivated millions worldwide, transforming from a self-taught MUA working in a beauty counter to the founder of her own cosmetics brand.
Hailing from Scotland, Jamie's journey began in the early 2010s when she started sharing makeup tutorials on YouTube and Instagram. Her laid-back, chatty approach to beauty quickly set her apart, making viewers feel like they were learning from a friend. Her talent, coupled with her relatable personality, saw her following skyrocket, earning her collaborations with some of the brands in the industry, including NARS, MAC and Estée Lauder.
You may also like
Beauty Breakdown: Esthetician Alicia Lartey says skincare cannot stop at your neck
The Beauty Breakdown: Self-care beauty brand founder Estée Lalonde on why she is 'very strict' with her skincare routine
In 2020, she took the next step in her career, launching VIEVE, a brand inspired by her personal makeup style and the products she felt were missing from the market. With luxurious yet accessible formulas, VIEVE has become a go-to for both makeup artists and beauty lovers alike, featuring products like the bestselling Modern Matte Lipstick and Skin Nova primer.
And the biggest lesson she's learnt from building a cosmetic empire is profound. She reveals to H! Fashion: "Brilliant makeup doesn’t need to be complex or difficult. I always have the thousands of customers I served over the last 13 years in my mind when creating products, as well as the pro MUA's."
She continues: "High-performance, innovative products shouldn’t come with an instruction manual. I’ve always seen my beauty routines as a ritual, the moments I take for myself that make me feel great." Adding, "I wanted everyone to see VIEVE as little luxuries that make your everyday a bit more special."
The Beauty Breakdown with Jamie Genevieve...
Her Beauty Philosophy
"I believe in doing you. I’m not prescriptive when it comes to education around makeup; I want to provide our community with the products and tips they need to take away and adapt to make themselves feel beautiful - no matter what that looks like. It’s all about feeling good in your own skin, whether you’ve chucked a couple of products on or spent an hour on your glam."
Morning Skincare Routine
In the morning's she keeps things simple. "First, I freshen up with water and a face cloth, sometimes I go over my skin with a hydrating micellar like the Bioeffect." The founder adds: "Then, I’ll pop on an essence or hydrating serum, some Curel Deep Moisture Spray, always layer on Skin Nova whether I’m wearing makeup or not and then finish off with SPF."
There are also some specific skincare products she uses to prep her skin before makeup application."Day to day I keep it light, the gentle exfoliation of a flannel and making sure I load up on those hydrating ingredients is pretty fail-safe for skin that looks healthy and fresh."
Jamie continues: "If I’m prepping for an event, I’ll do a collagen sheet mask in the morning or the evening before. The viral sensations from Medicube and Biodance really live up to the hype."
When it comes to busy mornings, she also has some must-try hacks for speeding up your makeup routine. "Having products you can chuck on with your fingers in a car mirror is a must," she says. "I also think playing around with stripping steps out of your makeup routine to simplify it is a great experiment."
Adding, "For example, if I’m stretched for time, I know I love my skin with a light layer of Skin Nova Complexion Balm and a touch of highlight, I can skip the bronzer and blush for a no-makeup makeup look that looks really fresh and natural."
Everyday Makeup
As a true makeup artist, Jamie has her makeup bag packed and ready to go at all times. "Inside I have enough products in there to do a multitude of looks for any occasion. That’s the beauty of having products that are buildable, you can really do whatever you want."
Jamie reveals that the key products you needs are: primer, foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, highlight, powder, eye shadow stick, eye liner, mascara, lip liner, lip balm and setting spray.
"Some days I’ll use a couple products for a speedy, easy face. Other days I’ll use them all in multiple ways to create a more intricate, bold look," she says.
Evening Makeup
For the evening makeup looks, Jamie is all about the 90s vibe."My glam ranges from a polished supermodel-esque look to a grungy moment. It makes me feel beautiful and confident."
As for the secret to her signature lip combo, they are all VIEVE products. "Two lip liners, one darker and one lighter. I use the darker shade around the border slightly overdrawing in the centre and blend it out onto the lip with the light shade," she reveals. "Then, I top it off with a lip colour, like VIEVE Lip Dew or our new Bounce Balm - totally perfect for my everyday and really lasts."
To create a long-lasting makeup look, the prep and set moments make all the difference - skincare and then using setting spray (like our Invisiveil) in between those sheer layers of makeup will work wonders to create a long-lasting look.
Evening Skincare
When it comes to winding down after a long day an evening skincare routine is key for Jamie: "I always a double cleanse and I religiously use my Dr Dennis Gross LED Mask, it’s my three-minute daily meditation," the makeup artist tells us.
She continues, "I’ll use that same Curel Mist then layer something like the Rhode Barrier Butter or La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 on top of a hydrating serum. I like a gentle acid a couple of times a week too and love an eye cream as I grow older, especially during these winter months."
Brilliant makeup doesn’t need to be complex or difficult.
Quick Fire Beauty Questions
If you could swap beauty bags with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?
I’m really nosey when it comes to other people’s routines and makeup bags, so I would really love to peek inside Emma Grede’s makeup bag. I think Emma is so inspiring and brilliant, and as someone who is not necessarily in the beauty industry, it would be cool to see what curated collection she’s built. I’d definitely sneak a Skin Nova in there too!
Can you recommend any multitasking makeup products that you find particularly useful?
Playing with any cream products you have on different areas of the face is really fun. A touch of cream bronzer on the eyes, liquid blush on the lips - it’s good to remember to set down those areas with powder if you want it to last.
Your brows are always perfect - any tips?
I don’t force them to look too different to how they naturally are. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely experimented in the past (shaving off the tail being one phase…) but letting them grow in a bit and making the trends I want to try to work with my natural shape seems to be the most flattering on me.
How do you achieve your signature bouncy fringe?
The secret is the GHD Duet Blowdry, it dries my hair in 15 minutes and gives the most insane volume that really lasts. I bloody love that thing.
Where or who do you get your beauty and hair inspo from?
Everywhere, really. People, places, and times passed. I love Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram for finding new inspiration but I always find myself looking back at different decades and getting lost in the nostalgia.
How do you approach fragrance and what’s your signature scent?
I have a huge love for fragrance. When I was developing scents for our Bathleisure line I sat down with a fragrance nose for a 6-hour education session to understand the intricacies of scent. My signature scent is Amouage Guidance, I get comments on it all the time. I also love classics like Le Labo Santal 33, Killian's Love Don’t Be Shy and Jo Malone's Myrrh and Tonka.
What beauty trends are you most excited about for 2025?
I love healthy-looking skin paired with bolder details in the eyes and/or lips. I feel an energy of ‘I can do what I want’ taking over and it’s infectious. An unapologetic and inspiring take on beauty and really chucking those dated standards out the window.
You may also like
What's next for VIEVE?
We’ve just launched Super Skin Nova, which is a supercharged skincare-makeup hybrid that preps, primes and locks in moisture for up to 48 hours, as well as our new Nova Glow Liquid Light shade in Ballerina - a real focus on radiant, lit-from-within skin. We have lots of exciting launches coming up in 2025 and extensions of some of our best-selling products and categories – watch this space.
