If you haven’t seen MakeupbyRisa work her glossy magic on YouTube check her out here, and of course, subscribe!

Q: What’s your name and age?
Risa (no, it’s not short for anything), 28 years young.

Q: Do you have any nicknames?
Not so much, though my online alias on various sites for years was SonRisa so people who don’t know me still call me that sometimes.

Q: We usually see you sitting down on camera! How tall are you?
Yea, I’m working on a better setup so I can actually sit in a chair I’m 5’3 3/4 to be exact.

Q: Does anyone ever tell you that you look like someone famous? If so, who?
I’ve heard a huge variety of people though I don’t really see any of them – Fergie, Lindsey Lohan (ugh), some wrestler from WWE…Lita I think? Shania Twain, Jen (RW/RR) – which I don’t. I did her makeup for an event once and our faces are very different.

Q: When did you become interested in cosmetics and beauty products?
I came out of the womb with a full face on! Okay, not really but as long as I can remember I’ve loved playing with color and drawing.

Q: Who are your inspirations as far as fashion and beauty?
I honestly couldn’t really tell you. I draw inspiration from everywhere but in regards to artists I look up to and aspire to achieve their level of talent – Pat McGrath, Lottie Stannard (www.lotstar.com), Kabuki, Alice Ghendri…to name a few.

Q: Did you enjoy your time working for MAC? Was it a positive experience?
I learned a lot & had an amazing trainer. Positive? Luckily I can find the positive aspect of any situation.

Q: What draws you to buy a certain product or brand of makeup?
The quality. I could care less about the price, packaging or who’s name is behind it. As long as it is well made and the company is socially responsible, I’ll buy it. Though I will say I am turned off by the names of some companies. There’s one I became aware of through YouTube and though the product may be good (haven’t tried it), I would never buy it based on the name – which strikes me as very ghetto & unprofessional. And no, I won’t tell which company…sorry!

Q: What are some of your absolute favorite beauty products?
Mario Badescu skincare has my heart!! I love MAC’s old products (before EL bought them out & reformulated everything), Calypso Minerals pigments, MUFE’s HD series & flash colors, Shu Uemura lashes are a godsend and I love their deep sea water, Prestige Liquid liners and Face Atilier foundation.

Q: You shared your philosophy on makeup in a video. Why do you think people get so hung up on what is or isn’t “right” in makeup and fashion?
Everyone in this world is looking for validation. Whether you’re aware of it, or want to admit it or not. And we’re taught from a very young age that Life has “Rules”. There’s “right” & “wrong”. So if I’m “right” and you’re different from me, you must be “wrong”. But if you’re “right” (people are complimenting you and I’m different from you), then I must be “wrong” – which is a blow to one’s ego. People tend to bash others when their ego is threatened. Also, women tend to be competitive with one another by nature. As I said in that video, Live and Let Live!!! Learn to appreciate everyone’s differences. If we all did everything exactly the same this would be one hell of a boring world.

Q: Do you have any beauty secrets or tips that you think most other people don’t know about?
Probably not…though I exfoliate with olive oil and sugar and let the coldest water possible run over my nails after painting them to help them dry quicker.

Q: You mention your battle with cancer. Did cancer change your outlook on life? Is it difficult for you to talk about?
No, it’s never difficult! I’m an open book. Having Leukemia flipped my world around so greatly that I’m still adjusting nearly 6 years after the fact. I used to be a stubborn, bitch who felt entitled to the world and complained about damn near everything. I bullied girls in highschool to make myself feel better because I was so insecure. I’m pretty much the opposite of nearly everything I was before I got sick. Life is far too short to not appreciate the little things. Like something as simple as the wind. Being in 1 room with no open windows for nearly a month made me crave the wind. Even now, if I start to complain that I’m cold, I quickly remind myself that I’m even alive to feel the cold. And it then becomes refreshing almost. One’s mindstate can affect their perception greatly.

Q: What are a few of your “obsessions” right now?
I’m always obsessed with food and music!! lol My latest obsessions have been reading, learning to meditate and writing. Though now that I have cable I’ve been catching up on The Hills, Jon & Kate, Whale Wars and I cant wait for Top Chef Masters to start.

Q: Can you tell us some fun facts that we probably don’t know about you?
I’ve been a vegetarian since birth (ex-hippy parents) – only had bites of meat accidentally twice. I danced for 14 years – tap, jazz, hip hop and ballet technique and hmm… I used to work at a musuem and helped raise a Black-footed African penguin chick from an egg and took care of the colony of 14 birds and our in house Nurse and Black & White tipped Reef sharks. And yes, I was the only one who wore any makeup! lol

Q: What got you started doing videos on YouTube?
Brooke (SayAnythingBrooke on YouTube) “tweeted” me on twitter telling me I should because people used to ask me to do tutorials on Specktra and Livejournal – but tutorials with pictures are so tedious to create and no one really learns from those. Plus, I was desperately looking for work in New York to no avail. Hopefully I’ll become a partner soon. *cross your fingers*

Q: How does it feel to have over 12,000 people care about you and your opinions?
It’s really overwhelming actually. I mean, I had been involved with online makeup communities for years but at max, there were maybe (I’m guessing) 400 people I would interact with (and I use that term loosely). So 12,000 is just crazy to me.

Q: How has YouTube affected your life?
It hasn’t really. Though I’ve interacted with some very cool people because of it.

Q: Do all of your family and friends know about your videos? If so, what do they think?
They all know. My mom left me a comment on one of my videos asking for more natural makeup – Oh mom!! lol She’s of course supportive though. And everyone else has been as well. It’s actually great because I have so many friends who ask me to help them but it’s rare we have the chance to sit down in an environment in which I can teach them. Some live in other states and most of my friends here have kids so it’s hard for them to have their own playtime sans the kids.

Q: We know you love your subscribers! But is there anything that you get sick of being told or asked?
When people ask questions that are obviously answered in the video. It’s like “Hello?!? Did you even watch it?” Or when people ask about MAC. Yes I worked for them for 2 years – along with god knows how many other people. They are not the end all be all company to work for and though I was employed by them, I want to be seen as Risa, Makeup Artist not Risa, Ex-MAC Artist.

Q: We want to play Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Will you slip a “secret word” into your next video for our readers? The secret word is “beefy”.
Lol Umm, I’ll definitely try though that’s gonna require some creative planning.