It’s a good day that starts with breakfast in Edition, the café in Brown Thomas Dundrum (we recommend the apple and pear bircher; the coffee is good but expensive at €3.95 for a flat white). Rather than being a lady who breakfasts, this was for a press launch with Jamie Genevieve, the Glasgow-born make-up artist turned beauty mogul, as she celebrates her super-glamorous gold and black new Vieve counter.

Fresh from her London pop-up store, Genevieve has a lovely easy confidence and down to earth charisma to go with her striking tattoos and jewellery. She buys a lot of her jewellery in New York (see @catbirdnyc, www.catbird.nyc.com and New Top Jewelry, @janes8103, and www.edgeofember.com). She’s worked on beauty counters from Lauder to Lush and Ilamasqua, and combines ten years of make-up expertise with a clear vision and decisiveness. This is a girl who’s going places.

Vieve is right at the front of the shiny new BT Dundrum, and is a perfect match for the bright, light store – both have a glamour and aspirational quality, while being entirely accessible and relaxed. The counter draws you in and it’s almost impossible to resist going straight to the eyeshadow palettes and trying out the sparkling, highly pigmented gold shade that’s crying out to be worn to the next party, wedding or night out.

Honestly, when I first received samples I wasn’t sure if this was a make-up brand I’d be using myself – though I loved the colours, I thought that in general this might be the preserve of a rather younger demographic. But I’d recommend that make-up lovers of all ages make a stop-off at this counter rather than side-stepping it in favour of longer-established favourites. For a start, I was impressed that the products aren’t just shipped in a job lot from China (many make-up artist brands are right now). Instead, Genevieve has found the best manufacturers for each product, so the bronzer and Skin Dew liquid highlighter are made in Italy, while the Skin Nova primer and Eye Wand cream eyeshadow sticks are made in South Korea.

The new set of 13 brushes are made in China, but Genevieve explained how she researched everywhere from Japan to the UK (she loves Smith brushes) to find the perfect shapes and finishes, and was very specific in what she wanted; plus they’re clearly labelled so non-professionals know what to use them for. Prices from €22. The full set of all 13 brushes comes in a smart holder; €250. Also worth a look: the lipsticks are creamy and decent value at €24; the Lip Dew, which reminds me of Fenty Gloss Bombs, is €22, while blushers are €30.

GLOW GETTER

But what I’m making a beeline for is the skin enhancers: Skin Nova and Skin Dew. I’ve always had a thing for liquid formulas that make your skin glow. We can all do good skincare, but sometimes you want a bit of help to borrow some radiance high on the cheekbones (and that’s exactly why MAC Strobe Cream and Arden’s Eight Hour remain eternally popular). If you’re 40-plus, you generally might not want anything with too much shimmer, or too sticky – instead, it has to be silky and catch the light. Previous winners for me have been Bobbi Brown’s Golden Glow Illuminating Moisture Balm (no longer widely available; I found a mini one on Asos, or try Bare Glow at Boots.ie, €56). I also loved Tom Ford’s pricey but luxurious Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust (now reincarnated as Face and Body Skin Illuminator, €56, in three shades).

So I’m excited about Vieve’s glowy and moisturising Skin Nova Instant Radiance Primer, €35, as it ticks these boxes. You can use this on bare skin as a first step, somewhere between skincare and make-up, or else add to your foundation/tinted moisturiser to boost the glow. For me, it’s the kind of thing you dash on when you realise you have a Zoom call in five minutes: quick-fire, easy beauty. There’s also a highlighter, Skin Dew, €25, which is quite pale but gives good gleam – I’d love this in a warmer or rosier tone too.

All this for a brand that’s just over a year old. Jamie Genevieve brings a breath of fresh air to beauty, and fair play to Brown Thomas for snapping her up and giving her space in their glamorous and modern new space.

www.brownthomas.com