Long before it appeared on Huda Beauty’s “Ube Ubsession” collection, ube was a flavor—usually found in desserts reached for at parties and often among the first to disappear. Now, that same electric purple has left the kitchen counters for the vanity: in blush palettes, loose powders, versatile pigments, and multi-use products—all borrowing the humble ube’s unique shades of violet-purple and lavender.

Local makeup artists have also taken cue. Filipino makeup artist Booya Mocorro recently collaborated with Allure Philippines on three ube-inspired looks—elevated glam, everyday, and a night out—playing with the richness of the violet hues and taking it to the next level. 

In this Allure Philippines exclusive, Booya Mocorro breaks down how she translated the popular yam into wearable beauty looks. 

Playing with undertones

Purple tones are tricky to perfect, Booya says, since the same shade can look different from one skin tone to the next—ashy on some, too warm or too cool on others. Her fix: matching the exact tone of purple to her model’s skin tone and undertone. 

“So if the person has a warm undertone, make sure that the purple color that you use is on the warmer side or more on the reds ‘yung purple tone, and if the person is more on the cooler tones, make sure the shade is more on the cooler side,” she explained. 

There are different shades of purple, too: violets, lilacs, and lavenders—each shifting warmer or cooler depending on the undertone. “You really have to have that eye,” Booya says, “and practice with those different shades of purple, working them into different undertones and skin tones.”

The products in the shoot

Making purple wearable isn’t just about undertone-matching—it’s also about product choice. Booya built the three looks entirely around GRWM Cosmetics, using the brand’s range of purple shades. 

Her key pieces: the GRWM Cosmetics Mini Multiuse Creamy Tint in Purple Yam, an ube-inspired shade, layered with purple eyeshadows from the brand spanning metallic, glitter, and matte finishes, and finished with the GRWM Cosmetics Powder Rush Loose Baking and Setting Powder in Ube. 

“They offer such a wide variety of shades and colorful shades to choose from,” Booya says. “So it was really helpful for this shoot.”

From the Filipino merienda table to the makeup bag and vanity, ube truly has made a big leap—and if Booya’s looks are a sign to take, this isn’t just a passing shade of the season; it’s here to stay for years to come. 

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Match the purple’s temperature to your undertone: warm undertones suit red-leaning, warmer purples, while cool undertones suit cooler violets and lavenders. Makeup artist Booya Mocorro says this keeps purple shades from reading ashy on Filipina skin tones.

Ube, the Filipino purple yam, has moved from dessert into beauty, inspiring blush, loose powder, and pigment shades in violet-purple and lavender. Huda Beauty’s “Ube Ubsession” collection helped popularize the trend, which local artists like Booya have since localized.

Booya built her looks with GRWM Cosmetics, layering the Mini Multiuse Creamy Tint in Purple Yam with purple eyeshadows in metallic, glitter, and matte finishes, then setting with the Powder Rush Loose Baking and Setting Powder in Ube.

Violet, lilac, and lavender are distinct purple shades, each shifting warmer or cooler depending on formulation. Booya says recognizing these differences—and how they read against warm versus cool undertones—keeps purple makeup wearable rather than ashy.

Booya Mocorro created three ube-inspired looks for Allure Philippines’ Beauty Breakdown: an elevated glam look, an everyday look, and a night-out look, all built around GRWM Cosmetics’ violet-purple and lavender shades.

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