Long associated with Filipino kitchens and purple sweets, the distinctly cool-toned violet has quietly entered makeup’s color vocabulary. Across runways, beauty campaigns, and product launches, ube tones are showing up everywhere: lilac blush, lavender powders, and cool purple pigments that feel softer, and more unexpected than traditional pinks or bronzes.
John Llamas
“Let go of your inhibitions if you want to explore this exciting violet hue,” says makeup artist Booya Mocorro, who uses GRWM Cosmetics’ Mini Loose Powder in Yam to brighten and set the face instead of the conventional translucent powder. For cheeks, she reaches for GRWM Cosmetics’ Milk Tint in Purple Yam to create a fresh lilac flush. She even uses muted violet shades to contour the face. “A good mix of shades, from purple to magenta will add dimension,” she says.
John Llamas
Today, ube is something we proudly share with the world, and now wear with confidence, too.
Art Direction: Mikiyo Ricamora. Photography: John Llamas. Makeup: Booya Mocorro. Hair: Reese Roque, assisted by Charlize Martinez. Model: Naomi Serrano of Farah Models. Photographer’s Assistant: John Mark Advincula.
