hat do you do when your biggest product launch doesn’t go as planned? For Issy, the answer was simple—be honest.

Back in October 2024, the local beauty brand was set to release the Pressed Velvet Insert, a multi-use pan refill that works with their customizable Eye & Face Palette. Over 100,000 units were produced and shipped to the Philippines on schedule. But what they didn’t expect, upon arrival, was that the formula made the product shrink. This eventually made it separate from the pan, leaving most of them cracked or loose.

Faced with a choice between releasing a flawed product or taking accountability, Issy chose the harder route and canceled the launch.

“Repackaging might sound like the easy fix, but it actually creates more waste. Each unit would need to be unboxed, reprocessed, and refitted into new packaging, which means more materials, more labor, and more carbon emissions from transporting everything back and forth between factories and warehouses,” creative director Joel Andrade explained in the comments section of an Instagram post by Issy. “In the end, the cost and environmental impact of repackaging far outweigh simply giving these products away for free. By doing this, we’re choosing the option that saves resources, reduces unnecessary waste, and still lets people enjoy formulas that deserve to be used, not thrown away.”

Joel, along with the rest of the team, believes the formula exceeded their expectations. The Pressed Velvet Insert is an emollient-encapsulated powder that delivers a soft, lumi-matte finish and a natural flush to the skin. Its unique hybrid texture combines powders and emollients for a buttery, smooth feel that melts seamlessly upon application. Buildable and beginner-friendly, it’s almost impossible to overdo. The formula applies like a cream but sets like a powder, leaving a blurred, skin-like glow that’s subtle yet radiant. Best of all, it’s a true multitasker—you can use it on the eyes, cheeks, or even the lips for a soft, diffused look.

In a now viral TikTok video posted last October 15 with over 1.2 million views, friends and fans of Issy praised Issy’s decision to give a curated Pressed Quad Mini Palette in Heartache (cool), Naïveté (neutral), or Tantrum (warm) for free with any in-store purchase from select stores nationwide. Each set also comes with small empty pots for depoting. Makeup artist Sylvina Lopez, who works closely with the cosmetics brand, also shared a video on how to depot.

Lines were long as customers supported this sustainable move, as seen in Joel’s social media posts. “For a while, we didn’t know what to do with them. We were scared to talk about it, afraid it would make us look careless. But hiding it didn’t feel right either. So we shared the story. And instead of judgment, we found kindness. You showed up, lined up, and helped us save what could have been waste,” as read from Joel’s recent Instagram post. “This reminded us that honesty can be just as beautiful as success. Thank you for helping us turn a mistake into something meaningful.”