By Aira Villanueva-Vinoya, PRA
Building a brand doesn’t happen overnight. It takes vision, persistence, and the right people by your side.
Joel Martin Andrade’s journey is proof of that. From taking customer service calls as a call center agent to landing his first design job at Folded & Hung, then moving on to Golden ABC’s OXGN, his path was anything but linear. But every step led him to where he is now: co-founder and creative director of Issy Cosmetics.
Issy was born from what Joel calls a “crazy idea”, one he shared with his good friend and co-founder, Jasmine Ang-Chua. With her entrepreneurial spark and his boldness to take risks, they set out to create something new. Neither of them had all the answers, but they had a vision and the courage to follow it.
Joel trusted his gut when it said, “This is going to be big.” So, he left the security of his full-time job with no backup plan, just belief.
“When we started, there was a real need for inclusivity,” Joel shared during his interview on the Let’s Talk Retail podcast with PRA Thought Leader CJ Jesena.
Back then, it was common for brands to launch with just three foundation shades. Joel, who describes himself as moreno, often struggled to find a match.
“They’d say, ‘This is universal, it works for everyone’ but it didn’t. And when you don’t see your shade in the lineup, you start to wonder, am I not part of this? am I not important? It feels like you don’t exist because no one is making products for you. It’s alienating.”
That deeply personal experience became the heart of Issy.
They set out to build a brand rooted in inclusivity, ease, and self-expression. Joel wasn’t a makeup artist, he just wanted makeup that was easy to use, that made him feel seen, and that didn’t require a professional skillset to enjoy.
That’s how Issy was born, as in “madali” (easy). A beauty brand made for Filipinos, by those who once felt excluded and decided to change the narrative.
Today, Issy is beloved by Gen Z and beauty enthusiasts for its boldness, relatability, and purpose. It’s the brand Joel and Jasmine wished existed when they were younger and now, they’ve built it.
Discover the full story of Issy Cosmetics and how it’s redefining beauty in the 46th episode of Let’s Talk Retail, available on the PRA YouTube and Spotify channels.
