I Tried Moira Beauty So You Don’t Have to Guess What’s Worth Buying

Thank you to my friend for suggesting looking into the brand Moira! It’s now been on my list for a while because the prices are great and the product range is huge. But I wanted to know if the products were actually good. I tested bronzers, blushes, eyeshadows, and lip products to see what’s worth picking up and what’s not. I also have really liked buying Moira products from HB Beauty Bar because they seem to always be having a good sale on already affordable products, and I can grab things from other brands at the same time (not sponsored, I just really like shopping there for certain brands). In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) based on your feedback for all the products.

Moira Stay Golden Cream Bronzer & Contour in 250N – This doesn’t turn orange at all, which already puts it ahead of a lot of cream bronzers for me. I definitely would not use it as contour, but as a bronzer, it’s really great. It reminds me of the “contour” shades from other brands that I end up using as bronzer because they’re neutral enough to work on olive skin. The formula is smooth, blurring, and easy to blend, but it sets super quickly, so I’d work in small sections. Once it sets, it really stays put and stays all down. Because of that, it can get a little patchy if you don’t move fast enough when you’re blending. I’m especially excited to use this in the summer when my skin eats and then sweats off cream products because it’ll stick around all day. 

Moira Signature Bronzer in 001 Sunkissed Honey – This is very much a sunkissed bronzer as the name suggests, and on me, that means it turns very orange. I’ve actually ended up using it a bunch even though the color isn’t great because I just really like the way it applies. The formula is honestly great. It’s super smooth, easy to blend, and easy to build up. Compared to the cream bronzer, though, you can really see how much warmer this is. The glitter overspray also isn’t my favorite but not a big deal. Of all the affordable powder bronzers, this one is my favorite, but I think I’m going to be trying for warmer contour powders from now on. 

Moira Loveheat Cream Blush in 014 I Desire You – This has a very similar formula to the cream bronzer. It’s easy to pick up, easy to blend, and not too pigmented, but not too sheer. The shade is exactly the kind of bright spring pink I like. It’s cool-toned, a little purple-lilac, and it brightens my whole face without turning warm or peachy. Like the bronzer, it dries down quickly and sets. If you want a dewy cream blush, this is not that, but if you want something that looks nice on the skin and lasts, it’s a really good option. It’s basically the Tower 28 cream blushes if they set down to a matte satin finish instead of staying dewy.

Moira Love Blur Blush in 003 Amore, 008 Sweet Whisper, 012 So Divine, and 006 Blush Kiss – I really like this formula. It’s another cream to powder, soft-focus blurring blush that if you’ve been reading, you know I’m obsessed with (and I don’t use that word lightly). Like all the best cream to powder blurring blushes, these feel super smooth, blend easily, blur the skin, and don’t look heavy or textured. They’re listed as all matte shades, but I swear most of these are slightly shimmery, which I actually really love. There’s no visible glitter but it just makes my skin look really nice. 

That all said, the colors are more hit or miss than the formula. 003 Amore is a pale peachy pink with a little shimmer. Based on the swatches and online images, I thought this was going to be a cool toned baby pink, but it’s definitely peachy. 008 Sweet Whisper was an even bigger disappointment because I thought it would be a mauvey red-brown terracotta, but on me it’s just orange. 012 So Divine is a perfect cool purple that turns a little pink on me and looks super at home on my skin. This is also the only one of these four that’s truly matte. 006 Blush Kiss is one I’ve used way more than I expected. It’s a bright warm pink that actually works really well and wakes up my face. I’ve loved So Divine in the cooler months and have really started using Blush Kiss more as it gets warmer.

The product images of these shades for reference

Moira Chroma Light Shadow in 002 Tempting, 005 Sugar Crush, and 013 Renegade – These are the standout product from Moira for me. If I had to pick one “run, don’t walk” product from everything I tried, it would be these. They apply well with a finger or a brush, they’re smooth, they layer easily, and they last all day on me. They’re sparkly without being chunky glitter, and I don’t get fallout. 002 Tempting is my perfect spring pinky shade that I can wear alone or as a topper to add more pink to an eye look, which I do often. 005 Sugar Crush is my everyday warm brown sparkly shade that reminds me of Urban Decay Space Cowboy and Coulourpop Ritz (yes, it’s a little orange learning, and I have a post coming up on why orange and warmth on purpose is okay even as an olive). 013 Renegade is a fun purple-pink-burgundy shifty shade that reminds me of some of the Half Magic singles I love. I’m really so happy with these, and I use them more than my much more expensive eyeshadows. Let me know if you’re interested in other shades because I will absolutely grab more to test. 

Moira Supernova Glitz Shadow in 003 Starbloom – I’m a little torn on this one. From farther away, this looked surprisingly similar to Clionadh Forge. Up close, though, it looked way patchier, drier, and less smooth. It’s also way less pigmented and took a lot more building up. In the swatches, it’s 3 swatches of the Moira and one of the Clionadh. I asked my husband to choose between them on the eyes, and he immediately said that the Clionadh shadow looked way better without knowing which was which. It’s still not awful, but since it’s not actually that much less expensive than Clionadh shadows (some of their multichromes are almost $18 but some are under $10), I’d rather invest there. If you’re already placing a Moira order and want to try an accessible multichrome, these are really fun. But I also have it on good authority that Wet n Wild’s new Chameleon Chrome Collection is pretty fantastic, and the powder singles are $6.99. 

Moira Angel Satin Lipstick in 003 Soft Wing – I was so excited about this shade because I love the idea of an affordable cool-toned mauve lipstick. If I sheer it out, the color is actually really pretty but the formula is just not one I can work with. It settles into lip lines, makes my lips look drier than they are, and feels super uncomfortably waxy. After about a minute of having this on, my lips felt awful. Of all the products I tried, this is the only one that I’d not recommend even trying with an order. 

Moira Velvet Air Lip Tint in 005 Mauve Moment – This is the Moira lip formula I’d actually recommend. After trying the Angel Satin Lipstick, this felt immediately better. It’s smoothing, super comfortable, and made my lips look so much better even though it’s matte. It has that soft blurred tint finish, but it doesn’t grab every line or make my lips feel awful. I also really like the shade. It’s a wearable bricky terracotta on me that works pretty well, though I do wish it was an actual mauve color. 

As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog and some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored. 

I Tried 8 “Olive-Friendly” Cream, Cushion, and Liquid Blushes From YesStyle Under $20 

A lot of affordable makeup is pretty fantastic, and I don’t spend enough time talking about it. So for May, I’m dedicating the entire month to posts about products under $20. I originally planned to do one big YesStyle blush roundup, but there were way too many good affordable blushes to fit into one post. So after starting with the powder blushes, I’m back with the cream, cushion, and liquid blushes as promised. I did order a few more blushes based on your recommendations so far, so there will be another YesStyle under $20 blush follow-up later. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Swatches are in the same order from left to right as the order of blushes are reviewed in the post. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) based on your feedback – thank you!

Joocyee Glazed Multi-Purpose Stick in G402 Wheat Nude – This is one of my favorite blushes from this whole YesStyle haul. G402 is a rosy brown that actually stays rosy-brown on me instead of turning orange, and it’s one of those colors that immediately looks at home on my skin. The formula is creamy, easy to blend, and makes my skin look hydrated without looking greasy. I also like it as a lip product, so it’s very easy for a soft monochromatic look. My only complaint is the packaging, which is chunkier than I want it to be, especially because this is exactly the kind of product I’d otherwise travel with all the time. *Out of stock at YesStyle, but I did find it in stock at Stylevana.

Gege Bear Air Cushion Blusher in 303 – This might be the most perfect blush color I’ve ever found. It’s my ideal everyday beige-mauve, and it looks so good every time I put it on. I do have to build it up a little, but I don’t mind that because the cushion format makes it so easy and hard to overdo. I use this all the time, especially paired with the NAMING powder blush from my last post. I’ve used the included puff, brushes, and fingers to apply it and never have any issues. The packaging is cute, but it does feel a little like a kid’s toy. If luxury packaging matters to you, this may annoy you, but at this price (under $5), I don’t care, and I would absolutely repurchase it.

TFIT Fluffy Velvet Cushion Blush in B01 Charming Berry – This one did not work for me at all. I don’t know if mine arrived dried out or if the formula is just this low pigment, but I cannot get it to show up on my face at all. I can get a little pigment if I really press into it for a finger swatch, but on my cheeks, it basically disappears. It also doesn’t pick up well with the puff, a brush, or my fingers, so it feels harder than it needs to be. If you are very fair and want an extremely pale cushion blush, maybe this is for you, but there’s so many amazing blushes out there. If you have this and love it, please comment and let me know if mine is just a bad batch! *This is actually over $20 when it’s not on sale, but I had to include it because it was my only product that didn’t end up working for me.

TFIT cushion vs Gege Bear – you can see the Gege is an actual cushion product

Bbi@ Ready to Wear Downy Cheek in Downy Taro – I love this formula so much that I already have another shade in my cart. Downy Taro is a brighter cool-toned pink that actually stays cool on me, and it brightens up my face so well. The formula is so easy to work with and makes my skin look dewy and hydrated. It’s also tiny and compact, so it’s one of the easiest blushes here to travel with. I especially like tapping it over a look that has gotten a little too powdery because it brings the skin texture back in a really pretty way.

A’pieu Juicy-Pang Jelly Blusher in PK01 and BE02 – PK01 is definitely the shade I should’ve gone with. It’s a neutral rose with a little warmth, but it doesn’t go orange on me. It has a slightly red-leaning quality in a good way, and it feels like a perfect, easy summer blush color on me. BE02 is a tangerine-orange shade, and it absolutely reads orange on my skin. It was recommended as an orange that an olive can actually wear, and I don’t totally regret having it because it does work for a fun, intentionally orange look since it isn’t super Cheeto bright once it’s blended out. This is one of the only blushes I own that I can use for that kind of look. The formula is easy to blend, blurring, and definitely more of a cream-powder hybrid than a dewy cream blush, which is one of my favorite blush formulas. The packaging is small and travel-friendly too.

A’pieu Juicy-Pang Jelly Blusher in BE02 vs Joocyee Glazed Multi-Purpose Stick in G402 Wheat Nude so you can see they are actually very different undertones/shades

Before we get into the liquid blushes, I’m not usually a liquid blush person. Before trying these, the only liquid blush I consistently used was the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flushes. Otherwise, I almost always reach for a cream, cushion, or cream-powder blush. These really surprised me. They’re easy to blend, easy to layer, and I’ve been using them a lot either as a first blush layer or on their own when I want something quick and fresh. Swatches are in the same order from left to right as the order of blushes are reviewed in the post. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) based on your feedback – thank you!


Peripera Syrupy Tok Cheek in 03 Friendship Mauve – This is the liquid blush I use the most. Friendship Mauve is mauve in theory, but on my face, it turns into a soft, springy pink that brightens up my face. The formula blends out beautifully and stays dewy without being sticky. I also love that I can build it up without it getting patchy, so if I want more color, I can just tap on another layer, and it still looks good. My only complaint is the packaging. It has one of those little buttons at the bottom that you have to press, which can be frustrating if you have any kind of mobility issues.

House of Hur Moist Ampoule Blusher in Rose Brown and Berry Purple – I have two shades of this because I liked the first one enough to buy another. Rose Brown is a rosy brown that doesn’t go bright orange on me, though it’s definitely a little warm. Berry Purple is a brown-berry color that looks very at home on my skin. These are more of a watercolor wash than the Peripera, so I don’t always wear them alone, but they’re really pretty when I want something soft and skin-like. The formula blends out well and makes my skin look nice without looking like I’m wearing blush. This is much more of a watercolor, could never put on too much, kind of formula. 

nuse Mousse Care Cheek in 05 Crema Mauve – This is such a pretty cool-toned pink. Compared to the Peripera, it’s lighter and brighter, but it still works really well on my olive skin and doesn’t go orange. The formula is more opaque than the House of Hur, so instead of giving that watercolor wash, it looks more like I put on a cream blush. But then it dries down and really stays. Once it sets, it’s pretty matte and blurred, but it still looks really pretty. I like this one so much that I actually already bought two more nuse blushes to test, one in this formula and one in a different nuse liquid formula that one of you swatched that I just had to try. 

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

I Tried 6 “Olive-Friendly” Powder Blushes From YesStyle Under $20

A lot of affordable makeup is pretty fantastic, and I don’t spend enough time talking about it. So for May, I’m dedicating the entire month to posts about products under $20. I specifically picked 13 YesStyle blushes that looked like they had a real chance of being olive-friendly and were all under $20 to test. I originally planned to put all of them into one big affordable YesStyle blush roundup, but once I started writing, it became very clear that 13 blush reviews in one post was too much. So I’m going to do the powder blushes today, and then this weekend or early next week, I’ll post the liquid, cream, and cushion blushes. I promise there will still be all the other affordable May posts so we’ll just have an extra post. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. 

Swatches are in the same order from left to right as the order of blushes are reviewed in the post. I tried two different lighting conditions, and the second photo is truer to the actual colors of the blushes, but I think you can see the formula better in the first. Feedback always welcome!

dasique Blending Mood Cheek in 05 Violet Knit – These are the powder blushes I reach for the most out of these 6. The formula is so smooth and blurring and has what I’d call a skin-finish matte texture. It’s very soft and blurred, but not flat or dry. There’s a pale lilac I use more as a blush topper, a warmer pink that gives a pretty almost peachy pop (although if you’re less green, it’ll probably be just pink), a cooler purple that actually stays purple on me instead of turning pink, and a bright cool pink that is my my perfect everyday brightening blush. My camera kept pulling the warmer pink so much more peach/orange than it looks in real life, but the difference between the warmer pink and cooler purple is much clearer in person. I can use one shade, mix them, or shift the tone depending on the rest of my makeup, and it’s the rare blush quad where I actually use every shade. 

NAMING Fluffy Powder Blush in Taro – I’ve talked about this one before in my beige makeup for olive skin post, and it still holds up as one of my favorite beige blushes of all time. The formula is also excellent. It’s smooth, easy to blend, and very hard to mess up. Compared to the dasique quad, this has a little more of a satin finish, but you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference unless you were really looking for it. This is the kind of shade I can wear when I don’t want my blush to compete with the rest of my makeup, but I still want my face to look finished. If I had to pick one single powder blush from this group of 6 to keep, it would probably be this one because the color is so perfect.

Unleashia Dough Dough Waffle Blush in No. 3 Jammy Grape – This is not the blush I’d pick if you want something matte, because it is definitely shimmery. There are no obvious flecks or chunky sparkle on my face, but it’s definitely more of a blushlighter. It’s smooth, glowy, and sheeny in a way that makes my skin look really nice but it’s not matte or blurred. Jammy Grape is a brighter pinky-purple shade, and it gives me more of that spring/summer pop of color. It’s also the most pigmented of this group of blushes here, so I don’t have to build it as much to get it to show up. Even with the extra pigment and sheen, I still find it easy to use because the formula is so smooth and blends out without getting patchy. This is the one I reach for when I want my blush to be brighter, glowier, and more noticeable.

rom&nd Better Than Cheek in C02 Blueberry Chip and N02 Vine Nude – I have both C02 and N02, and you don’t need both unless you’re looking for pale blushes with slightly different undertones (I know at least one of you is, and if you’re reading this, then yes, you specifically do need both). They’re also really hard to see in the swatches with my current skin depth, but I promise they’re very pretty in person. The formula is really nice but texturally, these are a little less smooth and blurring than the dasique and NAMING blushes. They still have that soft, airy, pale powder blush look, but if your main goal is “as blurred and smoothing as possible,” these would not be my first choice. If you are very fair  and your biggest issue is blushes looking too pigmented too fast, these are perfect. The tones are so pretty and soft and really easy to build up slowly. I also really like them for blending out another blush or giving that Dior Rosy Glow style blush topper effect. When I first got these, I used them both all the time, especially in winter as a very pale blush. 

Judydoll HOT Pretty Blush Powder in 68 – This is a really pretty pale cool pink, and it also gives me that Dior Rosy Glow type of effect that’s bright and fresh. The Judydoll formula and the rom&nd formula are almost exactly the same, and I would happily reach for any of them for this type of color. As we’ve moved into spring and warmer weather, I’ve definitely been reaching for this one more than the rom&nd. It works as a topper, but I can also wear it by itself when I want a fun lilac-y pink cheek that still looks like it belongs on my face. Warmer pinks work well on me because I’m a warm olive and I personally like that almost-peachy (not cheeto) look in the warmer months, but if you want to stay in that cool pink/lilac/purple blush family, this is the one I’d pick. *I can’t find this shade on YesStyle right now but it is on Stylevana for about $5.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored. 

The Products Under $10 at Ulta I Actually Use, Even If I Was Just Trying to Hit Free Shipping

A lot of affordable makeup is pretty fantastic, and I don’t spend enough time talking about it. So for May, I’m dedicating the entire month to posts about products under $20. I wanted to start with the under $10 products at Ulta that you might throw in your cart just to hit free shipping, but that I would happily buy anyway because they’re really that good. I also did a quick affordable bronzer check at the end because I tried three from Ulta (and don’t use them very often). In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. 

Maybelline Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner in Gone Greige ($8.49) – This color is really special. On me, it reads like a cool brown with a purple-gray undertone, which is exactly the kind of lip liner color I am always looking for and almost never find. It gives definition without looking out of place and goes so well with the lip products I tend to reach for. The formula has a little time to blend, and then it really stays put. I also love using it with lip products that run a little too warm because it helps cool everything down. 

NYX Butter Gloss in Blueberry Tart and Marshmallow ($6) – The NYX Butter Gloss is one of my favorite gloss formulas and has been for years, but these two shades I’m especially excited about. They’ve been so useful for cooling down lip products that pull orange or yellow. If something is really orange, I use Blueberry Tart, and I always get the most perfect shade no matter what I’ve mixed it with. If it just needs a little help or is weirdly yellow, I use Marshmallow. Marshmallow is also so pretty with my olive skin on its own. It’s a really special cool milky muted lilac I don’t see very often. The formula isn’t sticky, feels nice on the lips, and wears better than a lot of glosses that are way more expensive. I think they actually moisturize and nourish my lips too, unlike a lot of lip glosses/oils. 

ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Ritz ($7) – This is one of my all time favorite one and done eyeshadows. The sparkle, wear time, and overall effect are right in line with my more expensive shadows; I wouldn’t be able to tell that this was as inexpensive as it is. It reminds me a lot of Urban Decay Space Cowboy, just with a sheerer base color. Even with that, it has such a beautiful wet-look sparkle that I can get away with wearing this alone or layered over matte shadows as a topper. The formula is super easy to use with a finger or a brush, and I find I get less fallout than with other similar glittery shadows. I keep thinking of buying other shades since I love the formula so much, but I know I’ll reach for Ritz every time. 

NYX Buttermelt Pressed Powder Blush in Butta With Time and For The Butta ($11) – I really like this formula. These are super pigmented, but they blend easily and don’t feel as difficult to work with as some other super pigmented powder blushes. That said, if you want a super subtle flush of color, I don’t think you’ll appreciate these because they really are pigmented. Butta With Time is a bright, warm (but not too warm) pink, and For The Butta is more of a rosy mauve. Now that I’ve gone back and tested them side by side again, I actually think I like Butter With Time more right now because it wakes up my face and fits with the warmer weather. For The Butter feels softer and moodier, and I can already tell it will be perfect for the fall and winter. *I know these are actually $11, but I can almost always find them on sale, so I decided to include them anyway. 

Essence Soft Touch Bouncy Blush in Roses in Berry ($5.99) – This has that blurred, soft matte-satin, bouncy cushion blush formula that is my absolute favorite blush formula. If I didn’t know this was affordable, I would totally think it cost way more than it did. I do think some of my more expensive blushes have more nuanced shades, but this formula is definitely just as good. On me, this berry shade is almost a little too red, but if I use a light hand, it gives a really pretty fresh pop of color that doesn’t go orange. This is especially pretty for spring and summer, and I think I would also have loved Electric Peony. Like with the NYX blushes, these are pretty pigmented and a little goes a long way. 

Trying affordable bronzers: Milani Baked Bronzer in Amalfi Glow ($12.99), Essence Soft Touch Butter Bronzer in 10 Whipped Buttercup ($5.99), and NYX Buttermelt Bronzer in Deserve Butta ($11)  – I actually like something about all three of these. Milani Baked Bronzer in Amalfi Glow and Essence Soft Touch Butter Bronzer in 10 Whipped Buttercup are both super easy to blend and build up, with Milani being glowier and more believable as a bronzer on me and Essence looking softer and more matte. The NYX Buttermelt Bronzer in Deserve Butta gives the prettiest sunkissed effect but is also the most pigmented and the closest to going too orange. All three still run warmer or just more yellow than my ideal bronzer tone, so this is one of those categories where the formulas are improving faster than the shades for my undertones. I might try NYX Buttermelt Bronzer in All Butta’d Up, though, because I like the formula and that shade looks rosier. Based on the swatches, the Milani and Essence shades I got are the coolest options in their ranges. I also included the Gucci Bronzing Powder in 01 for reference in the swatches.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog and some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.