Musician and viral sensation Lisa Mishra on what makes her life so beautiful

Breaking barriers and crossing borders, music is undoubtedly the universal language of the world. Nothing exemplifies this better than 25-year-old musician Lisa Mishra’s career trajectory. A popular household name, the Chicago-raised data analyst and singer’s adventure actually rewinds all the way back to 2007. Starting her YouTube channel when she was just 13, Mishra’s Cinderella moment struck 11 years later, after her cover mash-up of hit songs Tareefan and Let Me Love You caught Sonam Kapoor Ahuja’s attention. Before she knew it, Mishra was flown down to India, and recorded and shot for the reprise version for the movie Veere Di Wedding, along with the other stars. 

With 1,85,251 subscribers on YouTube and over 168k following on Instagram, clearly this singer is here to stay. The millennial is just as soulful and refreshing as her music, and we got her to spill the beans on her beauty mantra, skincare secrets, and upcoming projects.

ELLE: Take us through a day in the life of Lisa Mishra.

Lisa Mishra: My day is split between recording and rehearsal. My day begins at 7am every single day—I am very regimental about my routine. I have coffee, eat breakfast and then I head out. Right now we’re in a phase where we are doing rehearsals and recordings back-to-back; so if it’s one of those days, I would then head to a rehearsal with our band and we’d practice for about two to three hours to prepare for a show. 

ELLE: You said you’re a make-up hoarder; what’s the earliest make-up memory you have?

LM: Every little kid sees their mum with make-up. It’s usually something very basic like lipstick. Like most girls around the age of seven or eight, I too wished to look pretty. So it is trying on my mum’s lipsticks for sure!

ELLE: Which beauty products are you currently crushing on?

LM: There are so many! Honestly, right now it’s a beauty blender and M.A.C’s 24-hour concealer.

On Lisa: Satin shirt, TommyXZendaya by Tommy Hilfiger. Pink quartz and gold-plated earrings, Tanzire 

ELLE: You’ve got beautiful skin. What’s your skincare routine like?

LM: I am a huge believer in good sleep and healthy eating. We truly are what we eat, so when we eat junk our skin sees immediate bad effects. Other than that, I use a cleanser and moisturiser in the morning and night. The two products that I use are Clinique Take the Day Off Balm and the Clinique 72- Hour Moisture Surge.

ELLE: How would you describe beauty?

LM: Beauty, according to me, is something that is obviously internal, it’s something you feel. Nothing projects better on a person’s face than if they have confidence, or an inner beauty—that radiates the most. It’s also about taking care of yourself, it’s about enhancing your natural features and having fun while you’re at it. That’s what I do. I don’t see make-up or beauty as something that’s good or bad. I think it’s a neutral thing. You just have to figure out what works for you.

ELLE: What is your biggest beauty learning?

LM: Less is more. I think once you understand your face, you learn that a little bit of make-up goes a long way. It’s about enhancing what you have and playing up your existing features without going too crazy.

ELLE: What’s been the most beautiful moment in your life? 

LM: I think watching my parents react to the whirlwind Tareefan moment last year. Of course, it was special for me, but it was made all the more beautiful seeing how proud they were.

ELLE: If you were to describe your life right now in a song, which one would it be?

LM: ‘A hard day’s night’ by The Beatles because currently it’s a hard day’s night for us and I am working a lot. 

ELLE: What’s next in the pipeline for you?

LM: The next project is a film song followed by a combination of singles and films for the rest of the year. I am a Universal artiste and we have tonnes of great singles lined-up before the year is over and I am especially looking forward to those.

Photograph: Sahil Behal; Styling: Pujarini Ghosh; Make-up: Ralph Lteif /Dior Beauty; Hair: Myrra Jain / Eficiente Management; Assisted by: Suhani Lotlikar (Styling)

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