For this installment of Nosy Beauty, I’ve asked the co-founder of The Better Story Project to share her makeup bay’s contents with me. Isa is a teacher, a lover of words, and she’s also my best friend! We’ve known each other since the second grade, but it was not fraaandship at first sight. Now, we get along swimmingly.

“Let me be honest: I don’t know much about makeup. But the rule of thumb that I try to follow is: keep it simple and keep it real. If the discrepancy between your real face and your made up face is too great, maybe you’re doing it wrong. Personally, I use makeup to enhance my better features and hide what I feel self-conscious about.”

“The current makeup bag I use is messy (!), sorry. It’s an aztec print bag from Forever 21 that I got on sale. :)”

When I asked her to participate in Nosy Beauty, Isa divided her products by brand and then by function for the friendless single products from random brands. She started with MAC products.

She has MAC Lipstick in Del Rio: “This shade is a little dark but I like it because it keeps me from looking too pale on the days that I step out of the house.” She also MAC Ebony eyeliner : “I never use any other eyeliner just because black seems to complement my eyes really well.” Lastly, Isa has a MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque: “inspired by you. Haha. I use this when I want to give my eyes some shimmer/color. It usually mixes with my eyeliner since my skin is acidic so my liner tends to smear. I still don’t use eye primer (I should!) so right now, I solve the smearing problem by mixing the liner with the paint pot. Voila! Smokey eye effect. (Sort of.)”

Next up, we have Isa’s bareMinerals products!

Here, we have the Prime Time Foundation Primer. “This came in the pack I got from Bare Minerals during my NYC trip. I don’t use it regularly since the tube is so small but it really helps hold my makeup during long days.”

Her gloss of choice is a Marvelous Moxie: “this lip gloss by Bare Minerals stay on longer and is berry-colored. It’s also minty so it feels good/relieving to use, especially since my lips chap often. The color of my Moxie lip gloss is called Dare Devil. :)”

Lastly, she has Flawless Definition Mascara: “There is nothing particularly special about this mascara for me though it is effective in adding definition to my lashes. I don’t use it often, mostly on special occasions when I don’t feel lazy. Hehe.”

Next up, we have concealers and bases:

VOV Cover Foundation: “This one is a solid cream that you spread on your face with your fingers to cover blemishes and unsightly facial features like eyebags, zits and acne scars. (All of which I have.)”

K-Palette Cover Control 0 Kuma Concealer in 02 Yellow Beige: “Similar to Beng’s! This one is a liquid foundation so it is a little easier to apply in terms of spreading it on your face so that it looks natural.” I asked her if she actually used this as foundation, and she said it was for blemish-y areas. 🙂

Lastly, we have cheek products!

CATHY CAT by LACVERT: “Got this in Korea. It gives my cheeks a bronze tinge that I really like.”

MAJOLICA MAJORCA PUFF DE CHEEK: “I use this when I need a more prominent color on my cheeks. This one is a little orange-y but it works well enough with my face. :)”

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Nosy Beauty! Stay tuned for another one next week. 🙂