I’m so glad I found this from your perspective because I was disappointed but not surprised the ube blush wasn’t giving ube 🤦🏽♀️ is it pretty? Yes. Do I want to wear it? Also yes. But it’s just a clear marketing gimmick to try and lure westerners who know ube only through bubble tea into trying something they think is ‘trendy’, plus this food based marketing kick every brand has been on. It feels like it was just a chance to shove an SEO friendly keyword into their new color instead of having an actual connection or brand story, which is like, really? We’re doing that in 2025? Thank you for covering, huge chunk of my home city is Hmong so I’m grateful I’ve gotten killer AAPI food growing up + local grocery stores, saw this release and immediately was like ??? but I feel the problems with the release are much better stated from someone with lived experience + the cultural background for detailed context and analysis vs. the likes of me, a food enthusiast (lol)
I really appreciate your thoughtful comment! It was definitely giving SEO / marketing play – I mentioned in my piece how the Huda launch totally overtook any other Filipino-owned brand that has ube-inspired products!
I appreciate YOU! You’re exactly right, because brands with this cultural connection and depth are then overshadowed. So so annoying. I would haul an entire list of one beauty products from Filipino owned brands if you did a standalone 👀😏 or even if you’ve got recs! I ordered the Laneige matcha and taro lip balms and want to add some Uber flavors into my little drink/dessert inspired collection; I don’t wanna exclusively be a vanilla gourmand girl 😂
i think the collection is so cute!! i can't wait to try it, but i definitely think it was a missed opportunity to truly celebrate the culture. i know huda mentioned a giant filipino community in dubai but i was like... where are they in the campaign then
YES. This part. When writing this, I read that Dubai is one of the most prominent destinations for OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), where 450,000 Filipinos make up 21.3% of the overall population!! In a video, Huda said she was inspired by the Filipino community / Filipino members of her team? But it all still feels very surface-level
One of your Pearls here! I have to disagree that it bothers me that Huda is using “Ube” while saying it was inspired by a cake. It a purple yam native to the Philippines and if she’s going to use the word she should’ve given a nod to its origin. It’s more than cake. And to make the “ube” products look mostly pink is wrong too. As a morena, I would walk past those as I can tell they will not jive with my skin tone.
I’m so glad I found this from your perspective because I was disappointed but not surprised the ube blush wasn’t giving ube 🤦🏽♀️ is it pretty? Yes. Do I want to wear it? Also yes. But it’s just a clear marketing gimmick to try and lure westerners who know ube only through bubble tea into trying something they think is ‘trendy’, plus this food based marketing kick every brand has been on. It feels like it was just a chance to shove an SEO friendly keyword into their new color instead of having an actual connection or brand story, which is like, really? We’re doing that in 2025? Thank you for covering, huge chunk of my home city is Hmong so I’m grateful I’ve gotten killer AAPI food growing up + local grocery stores, saw this release and immediately was like ??? but I feel the problems with the release are much better stated from someone with lived experience + the cultural background for detailed context and analysis vs. the likes of me, a food enthusiast (lol)
I really appreciate your thoughtful comment! It was definitely giving SEO / marketing play – I mentioned in my piece how the Huda launch totally overtook any other Filipino-owned brand that has ube-inspired products!
I appreciate YOU! You’re exactly right, because brands with this cultural connection and depth are then overshadowed. So so annoying. I would haul an entire list of one beauty products from Filipino owned brands if you did a standalone 👀😏 or even if you’ve got recs! I ordered the Laneige matcha and taro lip balms and want to add some Uber flavors into my little drink/dessert inspired collection; I don’t wanna exclusively be a vanilla gourmand girl 😂
I just got back from the Philippines where I went shopping for Filipino brands with local beauty experts — more to come 🥰🥰
i think the collection is so cute!! i can't wait to try it, but i definitely think it was a missed opportunity to truly celebrate the culture. i know huda mentioned a giant filipino community in dubai but i was like... where are they in the campaign then
YES. This part. When writing this, I read that Dubai is one of the most prominent destinations for OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), where 450,000 Filipinos make up 21.3% of the overall population!! In a video, Huda said she was inspired by the Filipino community / Filipino members of her team? But it all still feels very surface-level
yesss like why was glamzilla's cutout the prominent filipino in attendance at the launch party like please 😭
One of your Pearls here! I have to disagree that it bothers me that Huda is using “Ube” while saying it was inspired by a cake. It a purple yam native to the Philippines and if she’s going to use the word she should’ve given a nod to its origin. It’s more than cake. And to make the “ube” products look mostly pink is wrong too. As a morena, I would walk past those as I can tell they will not jive with my skin tone.
Thanks for sharing what you think! I do wish the launch was handled more thoughtfully and celebrated more of ube's origins too!