Embracing a life of beauty

MANILA, Philippines — Bea Ivanica Mocorro believes that beauty is everywhere, often where one least expects it — even in the most mundane. Every day she is reminded that life, even with its ups and downs, is beautiful. This outlook drives her to take charge of her life and journey in the present by doing the things that she loves.

Born and raised in Bacolod, 22-year-old Bea lives and breathes creativity. This is evident in her YouTube channel Booya and Instagram account @makeupbybooya, where one could see her makeup tutorials and creations — from fantasy, glamorous, special effects and even makeup transformations with the likes of Drake and Beyonce. Creating contents for her channel helped Bea discover her quirky side and her introspective and creative self.

Bea’s passion for creativity was nurtured at a very young age by her mother, visual artist Joan Honoridez, who she considers her anchor, her mentor. Her mother was the one who encouraged her to be creative and to pursue her passions. As Bea grew up exposed to art, it was inevitable that she would take the paved path toward being a full-fledged visual artist. She even had exhibits until she was in high school.

But it was through a couple of summer workshops in college that she discovered her love for filmmaking, video editing and makeup. And when asked to make a video about herself for a school project, though hesitant at first, she realized that creating videos was something that she was cut out to do.

“I always see myself doing something where I create, whether videos or art. I knew back then that creating content for YouTube could be a career for some people, so why not create a career out of these things that I love? I was 17 years old when I did that project, I started by removing my hesitation and the fear of other people’s judgment in my head,” says Bea, who finished Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod.

In her desire to learn more about her craft and experience life in the big city, Bea left her comfort zone in Bacolod in 2017 and lived independently in Makati, which she has called her home since. When she made the big move, she had the lesson from her mom in mind: “Art is your life but do not forget that you should be smart with your art. You have to balance your dream and your reality by letting your dream drive you. My mom believes I could go places with my creativity,” says Bea, who has landed gigs doing the makeup of model Monika Santa Maria, and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach for her movie My Perfect You.

As she lives independently, Bea initially took video editing projects to sustain her everyday needs. Today, she manages social media accounts, a job that is lucrative and at the same time allows her to do her personal projects like creating content for YouTube and Instagram.

Vlogging allows Bea to share her ideas with the online community of the same passion. She gained a support system through her friends, who are also content creators. “They are the ones who uplift me and we have a genuine relationship. I’m happy that I am able to attract these friends that I can also call my family. They are my safe place.”

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In creating content for her channel, which has more than 500,000 views to date, Bea is able to hone her makeup skills. “For others, makeup is vanity. For me, makeup is a form of art and self-discovery. It brings out the different sides of me,” says Bea who embraces her glowing morena skin.

“Embracing myself is an act of honoring my ancestors. I inherit the flaws and beauty, curses and blessings of those who have come before me. Recognizing those flaws and curses and breaking free from them make me more empathetic, powerful, resilient as a woman and a human.”

For her personal style, Bea sticks to her makeup staples — concealer, eyebrow pencil/liner, powder and lipstick — that give her skin a space to breathe. These must haves also highlight her best assets — her eyebrows, eyes and lips.

One of her favorites is the EB Advance Eyeconic, a six-pan eyeshadow palette that is buildable and blendable with matte or shimmer finishes.

For this shoot, Bea used the EB Advance Face Trio to seal her complete look. This face palette has a blusher, bronzer and highlight that are smooth and easy to blend.

For her lips, Bea, who loves matte lipsticks, swears by the EB Advance Lip Define. The retractable chubby-pencil lip color comes in flattering nude shades in a comfortable matte finish.

“I love a lot of EB Advance products. The brand is stepping up its game with its product choices, packaging and its overall look,” she says.

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Bea truly lives and breathes creativity. As she continues her journey to her dreams, she shares how embracing one’s artistry and passion could help one better oneself and move forward in life.

“It is beautiful when you truly embrace who you are, where you come from and what had happened to you,” she says.

“When times were tough, art was the escape for my mom and me. We got to create beautiful things from our grief, something that’s happy and something that people can relate to. Art heals and art provides. We are living testimonies to that,” she concludes.  

Photography by Claudine Cervantes Callanta of Larawanmo • Makeup by Mary Jane Arpa and hairstyling by Petchi Ombrosa of Ever Bilena • Fashion styling by J-em Sta. Ana, assisted by Maria Philip Francisco • White tube ruffled jumpsuit by Jamila Paz and mint green ruffled V-neck jumpsuit by D’Jour Shop • Accessories by @moxie.ph