One inconspicuous December evening, Huda Kattan sent TikTok into a frenzy when she patted an electric lilac setting powder across her under-eyes and T-zone. Attempts to recreate the bright purple powder quickly ensued, with content creators suddenly becoming mixologists, mixing purple eyeshadow into their setting powders. Spoiler alert: It didn’t end well.

Thankfully, there’s no need to DIY anymore, as Kattan’s brand, Huda Beauty, just launched a vibrant purple shade of its cult classic EasyBake powder, aptly titled Ube Birthday Cake. In order to cut through the clickbait, I went right to Kattan for all the details, and put the powder to the test. Ahead, all the info, plus team Byrdie’s honest reviews.

The Product

Huda Beauty’s Easy Bake Loose Powder has amassed a cult following since its launch in 2018, but Ube Birthday Cake is by far the most vibrant of the shades, drawing inspiration from Kattan’s tradition of celebrating her birthday with her favorite ube cake. (For the unfamiliar, ube is a type of purple sweet potato from the Philippines.) “I wanted to capture that same excitement in this collection,” Kattan tells Byrdie.

With an electric lilac color with hints of pink, Ube Birthday Cake features the same silky, blurring formula you know and love for an airbrushed finish. The shade is most suitable for medium to tan skin with golden undertones.

In addition to the loose powder, Huda Beauty is launching the limited-edition Ube Obsession Collection, which features the Blush Filter in the shade Ube Cream, and the Faux Filler Lip Gloss in the shade UUU-Baby.

The Trend

If 2024 was the year of baby pink under-eyes, 2025 is the year of lavender under-eyes. The idea behind using a lilac powder is that it can both brighten and add a slight blush, creating an ethereal, angelic look. “The subtle rosy pigments in this shade help to neutralize any darkness, brighten the area, and blur imperfections,” said Kattan.

As for placement, the Ube Birthday Cake shade is most suitable for the under-eye area. “I like to press the powder in with a puff, starting at the inner corner of my under-eye and working my way out towards the temples,” said Kattan.

The Reviews

Derek Deng, associate content editor

“I grew up on ube ice cream, so this launch particularly spoke to me. Formula-wise, this powder has a dreamlike finish: it’s matte (like, 2016 matte) but not drying, blurring but not cakey. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the coquette shade on my skin tone—it adds a muted rosiness to the under-eyes, and combined with the ube blush, it’s incredibly chic. I wouldn’t say it’s an everyday look (I’m still loyal to my baby pink under-eye powder) but to my surprise, there’s definitely a time and a place for this.”

Star Donaldson, social media director

“This lilac color is actually amazing on me! I’m obsessed. My under-eyes are noticeably brighter and I love that this powder gives a smooth and matte finish. I know its technically designed for the under-eyes, but I will definitely be trying it in my T-zone as well.”

Eden Stuart, editor

“I was shocked at how well this worked! Since I have neutral undertones, such a cool powder makes me apprehensive upon first glance. But I’m glad I have this one a chance: I do feel like my undereyes look brighter. For me and my tan skin tone, it’s a slay!”