Issa Lish Shares Her Global Approach to Beauty

As it stands, there’s nobody on the fashion circuit who looks quite like Issa Lish. Perhaps it’s her Japanese-Mexican heritage, or the fact that the girl’s got swag and pals around with a posse that includes badass babes like Binx Walton and Anna Ewers. Born and raised in Mexico City, Lish also called Tokyo and Yokohama home at one point: “When I was living in Japan, I got really into Japanese products,” said the catwalker, who has scaled back her arsenal since moving to New York City. Here, the unique beauty talks to marieaustralia.com about learning to razor her bangs backstage, the power of a post-flight face massage, and how getting grounded led to a modeling career.

What are your go-to beauty products at the moment?

I honestly just wash my face. I believe the more chemicals you put on your skin, the more your skin becomes dependent on them. I know so many people who use serum, oil, face wash, and moisturizers, and then their skin is not that great or they stop using it and start breaking out. Your skin should rest, so I just use a face wash. I either use Peter Thomas Roth or one from Fresh. If it’s dry, I’ll use Embryolisse, but I try to keep it very simple and not use that much.

I know women in Japan take skincare very seriously. Did you pick up any tips when you were living in Yokohama or Tokyo?

When I was living in Japan, I got really into Japanese products just because they have so many! I think a normal [Japanese] woman uses around eight to ten products, so I got really into that and bought all ten of those products. Then I started breaking out, and that’s when I realized that maybe it’s not good to use that much. Advice I’ve gotten from my dad’s side of the family is to always wash your face before you go to sleep and wash your face with cold water in the morning. Also, you should massage [your face] when you get off a plane or if you didn’t sleep enough.

Does the massage stimulate blood flow and give you a healthy glow?

Yeah, it stimulates blood flow and helps you look more awake. Also, there are six points in your face, which if you press for eight seconds each it’s supposed to stimulate blood flow—like on the sides of your nose, the cheekbones, your jaw, and your temples. For me, it helps when I get off a plane and I’m a little puffy.

Where did you stock up on beauty products in Tokyo?

Everywhere—the supermarket or the pharmacy. There’s also this big store where they sell everything called Don Quixote.

Are there any specific Japanese beauty products that you discovered when you were there?

I like the Hada Labo toning lotion. And as far as makeup goes, I almost always do eyeliner. I like the K-Palette 24-Hour Tattoo.

Do you have a technique for applying the cat-eye we always see you wearing?

I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen every day. Well, not every day, but usually. Just follow your lash line and angle it up according to your eye shape.

Since your mom is from Mexico City, what did you learn from her about beauty?

My mom has a lot of beauty rituals! She puts on a lot of antiaging cream. I guess [she taught me] the basics, like how to apply foundation, just from seeing her get ready in the morning.

Are women as into skincare and beauty in Mexico as they are in Japan?

In Japan, it’s more of a ritual or procedures that they’ve taught themselves to accomplish a look. But in Mexico, it’s less like a ritual and more like steps. I would say the Mexican woman doesn’t [focus] that much on her skin, it’s more about makeup—it covers.

Are there any beauty products you stock up on when you’re in Mexico City?

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Mexico City is very much influenced by America, so we have a lot of products from Maybelline, MAC, and L’Oréal. You can buy some of the Mexican products in the markets, like Apple mascara, which is actually really good. I remember when I was twelve or thirteen and getting into makeup, I would buy it [at the market] because it was cheaper than going to MAC. There’s also Jafra eyeliner—it’s like a crayon, very pigmented and strong. There are many people who still wear that in Mexico because it’s cheaper [than other brands].

In terms of haircare, is there anything that you use to repair the damage after all the heat styling for shows and shoots?

The shampoo I use is Shiseido Tsubaki, and there’s this other Shiseido [Tsubaki Damage Care] Water that’s a conditioning treatment. You just spray it after your shower and let it dry.

Since you have bangs, do you trim them yourself?

Sometimes at shoots they cut them without asking me, which is kind of annoying because I think bangs are very personal. But usually I trim them myself with a razor.

You’ve got skills! How did you learn to use a razor?

Just by looking at people [backstage] like Guido [Palau]. Once I just asked, “How do you use this?” and he told me and I bought one.

Have you always had bangs or did they come about when you started modeling?

No, I’ve had bangs since I was, like, ten. They transform from short to side bangs, but I’ve never had long bangs.

I read that you were a bit of a badass and didn’t like to study, so you worked your dad’s restaurant for an entire summer as a punishment. What do your parents think of your success now?

The story was that I failed one year in high school because I was just being a teenager, I guess. My mom grounded me by making me work at my dad’s restaurant for an entire summer without getting paid, working from 8:00 to 8:00 every day. I could only rest on Sundays! She was very strict with me. And then toward the end of the summer, I got scouted and everything started happening. At the beginning, I don’t think she trusted the people that scouted me. Like, “Maybe they’re trying to hurt her.” I mean, I was only fourteen or fifteen. Now I always tell her: “See, I had to fail school for this to happen!” And she’s like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Parents don’t typically understand, but teenagers always have a plan.

Well, my mom is a big believer in that everything happens for a reason, but when it actually happened, she was not happy. She was like, “I can’t believe it—you never miss a chance to get things you want. I grounded you and now look!”

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