It’s a guilty admission when said aloud, but most of us have probably played influencer (or if you’re an OG, a YouTuber) at some point. We talk to ourselves in front of the camera, a mise-en-scène of a PR-sponsored video by way of a pre-shower 90’s glam, a nighttime skincare regimen, a GRWM, or a guide to your everyday beauty routine. The fantasy of having an audience on the other side of a screen hanging onto your every tip a la Bretman Rock comes alive during these fleeting moments, all before the footage gets deleted or forgotten. 

For beauty content creator Iya Omaña, however, her aspirations were simple: At the height of beauty and YouTube, she wanted to see product swatches catered to deeper skin. She wanted more morena creators to look up to; more makeup tutorials, and for them to recommend more morena-forward products. She sought after a desire bigger than acknowledgment for deeper skin—she needed a face that takes pride in it. Yet, how could this be done when there were barely any creators with the same reality? 

So, in 2018, she saw an opportunity to take matters into her own hands. The rest, as they say, is herstory.

“As a college student, I really needed [references] for shade bases,” she says. “So I told myself, I’m going to make that video, hopefully inspire others—or help them with choosing the right shade match.” Her first YouTube video, titled Natural Makeup For Morena, became the heart of her career. “Helping morenas—that’s really my main focus.” Now, her aspirations are woven onto every content she produces. It’s found in latest product review, in a content sharing shade-matching advice, in her would and would not repurchase list, and in the morena-forward glam tutorials that have become part of her signature. Her 203k besties on TikTok can attest to that.

In this Allure Philippines exclusive, the beauty content creator takes on the Allure Philippines’ beauty slambook and shares her beauty & wellness preferences, her YouTube era, making the leap to full-time content creation, and the transition that nearly made her quit.

What were you doing before being a content creator? 

I was actually a college student—a marketing student, so I was in school. I started YouTube when I was in first year college. 

What made you decide to go to YouTube?

During that time, there was kind of a rise with YouTube creators with vlogging and I had a long break before my first year college, kasi it was September pa. That time I had my sister’s camera so she lent it to me and I said this is a sign–let’s start vlogging. 

What’s your earliest memory of loving beauty? 

Aside from my mom of course, she loves putting on her red lipstick, it’s definitely when I was in high school. I was inspired by Bretman Rock during that era of YouTube again, YouTube beauty creators. 

What was your very first beauty post on your feed, or what was your first YouTube Video? 

It was definitely the natural makeup look for morenas. During that time I noticed there weren’t enough Morena creators yet, so as a college student, I really needed base shade [recommendations]. So I told myself, I’m going to make that video and hopefully inspire others or make sure to help them with choosing the right shade match. That’s why my main focus is really helping morenas. 

What was the video or the post that changed everything for you?

For TikTok, definitely and it was the products I would and would not repurchase. Because I think that really helped others to really choose the products that are worth their money, and are not. 

What was a risk you took that paid off? 

A risk I took that paid off is definitely that jump from being a full-time content creator. 

I was definitely scared–because again, as a marketing student, all my life I believed to jump into corporate. Now, I’m in such a creative field and being a freelancer or a full-time content creator—there’s freedom to it but sometimes I get lost  along the way as I’m doing most of it on my own.

I’m a one-man team. I edit, I film, I post.

Is there a moment you almost quit? 

Definitely the time when I transitioned from YouTube to TikTok. I noticed a lot of the people I meet in events, they’re more on TikTok and I took it as a sign to finally jump into TikTok, but it was so hard. 

Short-form content was really hard coming from long-form. So that’s when I realized na I just have to push myself—let’s just go through it. There’s a lot more words that you have to be concise about. 

Describe your content in three words. 

Modern, intentional and glowy. 

One word that defines your trademark?

Actually can it be two words? It’s really soft glam. The soft glam morena look. 

Why do you think people keep coming back to your page? 

I think it’s my beauty bestie approach. I’m very approachable and I really want to help my audience to know more about the products that they want to purchase. So I really review them intentionally as well. 

Allure Philippines Face Card Iya Omana

Kim Santos

Matte or dewy base? 

Dewy base. I really love that skin glow effect on my skin. And also I have dry skin, so that’s perfect. 

Full glam or no makeup makeup? 

No makeup-makeup look for everyday, but sometimes for the highlights of my life, I want that soft glam look. 

Three-step routine or 10-step routine?

Three-step routine, I’m kind of basic like that. 

Morning skincare or nighttime skincare? 

Nighttime skincare. Because again, I have dry skin. I really want to lather my skin with the right skin care, so I wake up with nice dewy skin. 

What’s your routine for your product like for your nighttime routine? 

I love my Estée Lauder Advanced Nighttime Repair. 

Short hair or long hair? 

Long hair, just like mine.

Air dry or heat styling? 

Heat styling. I also enjoy styling my hair. 

Bar soap or body wash? 

Body wash. Just very easy to lather, to make it more bubbly. 

Hand cream or body butter?

Body butter– body butter right? Body butter for me. I like salt and stone.

Layering scents or one fragrance? 

I’m a one fragrance girly as mentioned. I like it basic–on-the-go, just spray and all good. 

So what’s your signature scent? 

Right now, I’m wearing the YSL Libre but I also like Lazy Sunday Morning by Replica. 

Spray on skin or clothes? 

Definitely on the skin to make sure it lasts longer.

Rest day or active recovery? 

I love my rest day., I love watching movies and just chilling at home. 

Coffee or matcha? 

I’m a matcha girly! 

Frequently Asked Questions

As a college student, she struggled to find shade-matching references for deeper skin tones, so she filmed a natural makeup tutorial for morenas herself, aiming to help others choose the right base shade and build more representation in beauty content.

Her first video was a natural makeup tutorial made specifically for morena skin tones, created because she noticed a lack of beauty creators addressing deeper Filipino complexions and wanted a shade-matching reference for herself and other viewers.

She relies on the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, favoring a nighttime routine over a morning one because her dry skin benefits most from richer hydration overnight, waking up with a noticeably dewier, more nourished complexion.

She found short-form content difficult after years of long-form YouTube videos, since TikTok demanded more concise storytelling. Seeing peers shift platforms pushed her to adapt, despite the steep learning curve of trimming her message down.

She calls her signature look soft glam, built on a dewy base and an everyday no-makeup-makeup approach for most days, saving fuller glam for special occasions. She describes her overall content style as modern, intentional, and glowy.