Vieve eye wands
Eyeshadow sticks are one of the most foolproof make-up products you can have in your kit. Typically coming in a slim bullet shape, they can be applied directly onto the eyelid and blended with a brush or finger, or painted onto a brush before being applied to the skin.
It’s hard to go wrong and if you’re a minimalist at heart, short of time or find huge palettes trickier to use, they’re perfect for a speedy look.
The packaging of Vieve’s version is synonymous with the rest of the brand: black sticks with gold lids and the shade colour helpfully indicated on the outside of the product. They have a rounded head that’s smooth to apply in the eye socket, all over the lid and on the lower lash line with precision.
There are six shades in total – vanilla, sand, camel, hazelnut, mahogany and raven – all with a matte finish and a richly pigmented, creamy texture that blended brilliantly with a soft, fluffy brush or our fingertips.
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“Vanilla” is a brilliant base shade that concealed pigmentation and discolouration on our lids, and can also be used to prime before you add deeper hues. It seamlessly blended with just our finger, but be careful not to be too heavy-handed, as you could be left looking chalky. It can easily be worn on its own with just a touch of mascara too, to make you look a little more awake.
“Sand”, as the name suggests, is a sandy pink, which adds a subtle wash of colour that pairs well with a bright lip, while “camel” is a desert beige that adds a warm, bronzy hue. We loved wearing this on its own, applied all over the lid and buffed out for a soft-focus finish with an eyeshadow brush.
Shades “hazelnut” and “mahogany” are best suited to those looking for a more intense colour payoff, and they are perfect for the warm smokey-eye look that’s dominating TikTok. “Hazelnut” is a mauve-tinted brown while “mahogany” has a richer brown undertone, which would also serve well as a base shade for darker skin tones. “Raven” is your classic jet black for finishing off a smokey eye, and it can double up as an eyeliner when applied with a fine, angled brush.
Do they last?We played with all the shades to get a feel for their versatility and were left impressed. “Camel” is our stand-out favourite, however, for how easily it creates an all-over-lid look and the sunkissed glow it gave to our eyes.
If you’re keen to emulate the softer, brown smokey eye that’s trending, “mahogany” is a must-have. We found it was pigmented enough to add depth without looking muddy.
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The sticks layer beautifully on top of each other without looking messy, though you could easily invest in just one shade.
Throughout the day we wore them, there was little movement, although we would stress how helpful an eyeshadow primer is at extending any eye product’s staying power. Our go-to is Urban Decay’s primer potion (£19.50, Boots.com).
Despite our perpetually oily lids, there was little to no creasing and touch-ups are easily done by applying a bit of pressure onto the lid with your fingertip, without disrupting our carefully blended look.
The verdictThere’s little not to love about Vieve’s newest launch and those keen to mimic Genevieve’s signature style will love these multi-purpose eyeshadow sticks.
They have universal appeal – even the most novice of make-up users can enjoy the long-wearing, easily blendable formulas.
We’re hoping Vieve will expand the collection to include shimmer shades too, and we’re keen to see what’s next for the brand, but, so far, we judge them to be a worthy investment.