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.

The Rosy-Beige Makeup Look That Actually Works on My Olive Skin

I have been trying to figure out the perfect beige makeup look that works on my olive skin ever since Kackie (of Kackie Reviews Beauty) did a video on beige blushes. Most of those blushes go orange on me, and I’ve been obsessed with figuring this out. After doing a ton of testing, I think I have the right products, and I wore them all together yesterday. I got so many compliments from people in person and over work calls. I actually don’t think I have ever gotten that many compliments on a makeup look before. Caveat up front that I tried to get a more rosy-beige leaning look because I know so many of you are hoping to avoid orange, and I really do think rosy-beige looks so pretty. I’m super excited to share this set of products for this kind of look, especially for spring. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Believe – Like most of these products, this is very far away from beige in the packaging, but on me it turns into a perfect soft muted beige flush that looks like it just belongs on my face. The brand describes it as a true mauve, and it has that desaturated cool-toned mauvey pink tone that ends up looking just right instead of orange. This is a pretty pigmented formula, so you don’t need that much, and 0.25oz will last forever. The formula is great – it blends easily, lasts all day, and sets down to a really nice skin like finish that isn’t too dewy. If your blush disappears on you, this is a really good one.

Naming Fluffy Powder Blush in Taro – Naming came out with a beige spectrum of blushes that goes from warm light beige to deep cool beige, and I’m so glad I picked one up. As a warm high-contrast olive, I figured the coolest deepest shade would be the best test, and I was right. Taro turns into the perfect everyday rosy-beige blush on me. I’ve actually been using it as a comparison point for other blushes while trying to find the right ones for this look. The formula is soft, blurring, and easy to work with. It is a little sheerer, so I have mostly been using it to set cream and liquid blushes instead of wearing it on its own. I especially love it over Believe because the two shades work so well together. And at least while I’m writing this, it’s only $12.

YSL Couture Mini Clutch in 200 – I’ve written about this palette before, and it is still probably my favorite eyeshadow palette for my olive undertones. The shades stay rosy-beige without going orange on me, and they’re the right shades to use to make everything look cohesive with this type of blush look. The formula is also fantastic. The satin and matte shades are so smooth, easy to use, and very forgiving and blurring. The topper is beautiful, though it’s pretty sheer and I wouldn’t wear it on its own. It looks great over any of the other shades. I didn’t actually see this particular color story on Sephora, but it is currently 15% off at Nordstrom. If it turns out they’re discontinuing this one, I will definitely be picking up 400 next.

Queen Musia Skincare Supercharged Tinted Balm in 1993  – My lips are pretty pigmented and pretty pink, so keep in mind that these lip shades are mixing with my natural lip color. For me, that means I do not actually want a lip product that is straight mauve. A cool-toned brown mixed with my natural lip color gets me to that neutral beige effect better. 1993 is just a perfect sheer rosy cool-toned brown. The formula is really nourishing, and it’s one of my favorite lip balm formulas. It also does not turn cheeto orange on me, which is obviously a huge plus for a brown balm.

Westman Atelier HydroBalm Sheer Tinted Lipstick with Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid in Soda – This is the more pigmented version of that same idea. It is also a cool-toned brown, but with a lot more color payoff, so if you want something that is much more likely to actually show up brown on the lips, this is a really good choice. I will admit that Kackie just bought this for me for my birthday so I haven’t had it that long, but I’m SO HAPPY with how it looks. It’s definitely the vampier version of this lip look, but I love it so much. It’s also a little tingly so if that’ll bother you, I wouldn’t choose this one.

If you specifically want true mauve lip color recommendations, I have also been collecting those, so let me know in the comments!