When Huda Beauty creates a new collection of products, the whole beauty world stands up to listen. And as such, when the queen of cosmetics announced a trio of products inspired by a purple vegetable, well, it’s safe to say that my ears pricked up.
As someone who considers a bit of winged eyeliner as adventurous, a lavender-hued blush has never been something I’d typically consider adding to my makeup collection. Purple setting powder and lilac lipgloss also fall under this, if you are unsure.
That said, historically, Huda Kattan’s products rarely miss the mark. And seeing as the latest launches were new shade additions to already bestselling products, giving them a go for myself was a no-brainer.
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The makeup mogul released the exclusive new ‘Ube’ colour collection on January 10, inspired by the root vegetable of the same name, which is popular in the Philippines. Every year on her birthday, Huda celebrates with an Ube cake, and that tradition is what inspired this limited-edition electric lilac shade that runs through the new line up.
The collection is made up of the Easy Bake Powder in Ube Birthday, Blush Filter in Ube Cream and finally, the Faux-Filler Lip Gloss in UUU-Baby. According to Kattan, the new shades are best suited to medium to tan skin tones with warm to gold undertones. Together, they deliver a flawless, blurred-skin finish for an almost filter-like effect.
Now, I’m incredibly pale so I was initially very apprehensive about applying purple powder and blush in particular. However, I recently got my colour analysis done and an expert confirmed that I do have warm undertones to my skin. As such, Huda’s new range would be a good match for my complexion, as purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, therefore neutralises warmer tones in the skin for a brightening effect.
To test out the collection, I completed my makeup routine exactly as I usually would, with blush, lippy and powder usually being my final steps most of the time anyway. I then went in with the Blush Filter in Ube Cream, £24, applying the vibrant electric lilac formula to my cheeks.
Usually, liquid blushes can be too highly pigmented on my skin, meaning even the tiniest dot – I’m looking at you, Rare beauty – is too much, and it takes a lifetime to blend out and tone down. With Huda’s ultra-creamy, soft-focus formula you still get a good amount of colour payoff, but you can afford to be more liberal with it.
What I like about this is that you can add a small amount of product and effortlessly blend it out for a super natural flush, or build up to a bolder pop of colour, making it a really customisable product. Despite being an unusual shade straight out of the bottle, it doesn’t look drastic on the skin, delivering a healthy-looking swipe of colour that feels perfect for the upcoming spring season.
When it comes to lilac setting powders, Huda isn’t the first to launch one, with the likes of Chanel having their lavender matte powder blush, while TARTE Creaseless Setting Powder also comes in a lilac shade. But when it comes to setting powders, few can rival Huda.
The Easy Bake Powder is a cult-loved member of the Huda Beauty family, and now I understand why. I’ve used countless setting powders in my time, but as someone who suffers with dry skin, have often found it to cling to my undereyes creating an unflattering effect. I’ve heard amazing things about the Easy Bake formula – mostly from other members of The Mirror and OK beauty teams – but it’s only when you try it out for yourself that you see exactly why it’s so revered.
Huda recommends pressing Easy Bake Ube Birthday Cake under your eyes with a powder puff, starting at the inner corner and working towards your temples. For some people, this can feel like too much product, so I sometimes find a fluffy brush is better. Huda has a strong belief that the technique of ‘baking’ is a key step to a flawless finish while ensuring long-lasting, melt-proof makeup, so I decided to opt for Kattan’s suggested method of a powder puff.
Again, while the product looked a shocking shade in the tub, when applied to the skin, it’s not as stark as expected. After applying it to one undereye, the difference was astonishing. The rosy tones immediately brightened and blurred my under-eye area, giving it an instantly airbrushed effect.T
he formula is lightweight and super silky, making it ideal for people like me who often shy away from setting powders. My only critique of this product is the price point, coming in at £34 – it’s on the higher side, but the results certainly will justify the splurge for beauty fans.
Finally, I applied the Faux-Filler Lip Gloss in UUU-Baby, £17.50, having lined my lips with a Huda Beauty Lip Contour liner. This was the only product in the collection that missed the mark for me, with more of a light pink hue than lilac, making it less standout than the blush or powder.
While the high-shine gloss – which is infused with vegan collagen and vitamin E – looks great on and delivers a fuller-looking pout, I did find the consistency to be on the sticky side. For an alternative, Dior has their Dior Addict Lip Maximizer in celestial purple, which offers an icier hue and plumping effect for £33.
As for the latest Huda launch – will I be reaching for lilac blush in my daily routine? Probably not, but I’ll certainly keep it for the right occasion or outfit. Meanwhile, the lipgloss isn’t for me, but I think the Easy Bake powder is set to be a new staple in my makeup bag. Consider me ‘ubsessed’.
