So I FINALLY made it to Lisi Cosmetics after like what felt like AGES of missing out. My blog bud Christina from Love Brown Sugar (who has a fab “Love Brown Sugar” Lisi nail lacquer that you should look into) has had a ton of events there but I’m always out of town, so when I headed downtown to pick up some hair products I need for a special project I’m working on (deets soon!!!) and noticed that Lisi was across the street so I electric slided in that mug!

First of all, everything is pretty much under $10 so if you’re a drugstore diva you’ll like that aspect. But what makes them stand out from drugstores is that much like any other makeup boutique, you can walk in and touch and test products AND get help from the store’s staff. The young lady who helped me out (Samira) was just as enthused about makeup as I am (don’t you love when that happens?) and was so attentive but not pushy—like the perfect mix of what you want from someone at the beauty counter.

The store is filled with tons of cosmetics from eyeshadow to blush to foundation to brushes to makeup wipes to liner to bronzer to—-yeah, they pretty much have everything and in tons of colors. I focused mostly on blush and lip color to review for the blog because I’m a blush and lip kinda girl AND I noticed some of the colors looked like dupes of department store products I own and love.

Namely…

Lisi Pressed Powder Blush in Maldives >>> NARS Blush in Exhibit A (though Maldives isn’t quite as red as Exhibit A)
Lisi Pressed Powder Blush in Aruba >>> Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Tweak
Lisi Pressed Powder Blush in Antigua >>> NARS Blush in Orgasm (though Antigua has more gold shimmer in it than Orgasm)
Lisi Matte Color Lip Stick in Shattered >>> MAC Ruby Woo (though Shattered isn’t as blue as Ruby Woo)
Lisi Liquid Skin Illuminator >>> NARS Illuminators

Even the packaging and the names of some of the products is all NARS-esque.

Now, it’s very important that when the word “dupe” is used by me, it doesn’t mean you get the same exact product at a lower price. I mean that you could somewhat pass it off in color especially if you’re on a budget or you’re not a nut like me who buys both high end and mass market beauty products ALL THE TIME, then a dupe might be it for you.

I also picked up a few liquid liners because I’ve been dying to do the Illamasqua speckled liner trick and although I have liners here at home, I don’t have a ton of colors so I picked up Hocus Pocus (a silver glitter with rainbow reflects), Incantation (a bronze with bronze shimmer), Potion (a bold cobalt with cobalt shimmer), and Enchanted (an eggplant-y violet). I liked the color payoff on these, but the applicator definitely needs some help. It makes the product apply uneven and streaky so you have to go over it a couple of times to get an even line or really hold your hand steady while being careful not to puncture your eye. I found that this wasn’t as stressful using something super glittery like Hocus Pocus since you wouldn’t really need a perfect line, but to do a cat eye with the other shades would be a little tough. You can also use the bolder colors to add a tint to your lashes that I found to be fun.

The Liquid Skin Illuminators were really nice although the almost opaque effect you get when you first apply vanishes to a sheer wash of shimmer. You can use them on the body to add a gorgeous luminous effect to your decollete, arms, and legs. I wouldn’t use them on the face though because the effect could be too much.

I also picked up the Sunkissed Pressed Bronzer in Montego Bay which I gravitated towards because of the deep shade on the end. It’s a true bronze that won’t look orange on lighter skin tones and has enough pigment in it to show up on darker skin tones (I’d love that shade on the cheeks with either a coral or bright pink colored blush on top for a really sexy sunkissed look). The other shades are pretty highlighters for darker skin or less-intense bronzers on lighter skin. I really liked how pigmented it is.

I think out of everything I bought, I liked the blushes the most because I feel like there aren’t enough low-priced bold blush shades out there. These are really pigmented but I did notice fading pretty early in—like 2 hours in. I still had a hint of color but it wasn’t as strong as when I put it on. Now this isn’t a huge issue for someone on a budget as it is a $9.90 blush (I got it for $4.95 because they had a 50% off sale) because you can just reapply once it fades and not worry about wasting product because honestly how often do you hit pan on blush?

The Matte Color Lip Stick had awesome pigmentation and is pretty long lasting. The two I tried (Bombshell and Shattered) were comfy mattes that didn’t feel drying on the lips. I did notice a bit of a weird drugstore lipstick smell when I put them on but it thankfully disappeared after a while.

Overall from the products I tried out and the warm reception I received in the store, I think Lisi Cosmetics is a good brand for those who like bold colors and variety in makeup, but have a specific budget set aside for it. In general the products I tried were decent for the price range but just don’t expect them to do anything completely outstanding like say some waterproof Make Up For Ever product.

Also, they were having a great 50% off sale so I got everything I mentioned in this post for $70!

Bottom line: If you have a strict beauty budget and would like to try out some of the gorgeous colors you see at more expensive brands, I think Lisi is worth a whirl. Just try to catch when they have a 50% off sale or some sort of discount as I feel like they have them often.

Return policy (in-store): unused product may be returned for exchange or refund within 14 days.

Where to buy: Lisi Cosmetics 741 Broadway (near Waverly) 212-260-LISI (5474), www.lisicosmetics.com.

About Danielle

New York City freelance writer, Image Consultant, Makeup Artist, Fashion and Beauty Producer for Bag Ladies Radio, and President of Urban Glamour, LLC. I'm a Hofstra University and Fashion Institute of Technology grad with a penchant for pretty and enjoy bringing out the FIERCE in everyone through personalized thorough image and makeup consultations. Think of me as your style and beauty entourage all wrapped up into one bubbly brown package :) I have had the honor and privilege of working backstage at NYC Fashion Week shows like Karen Walker, Jayson Brunsdon, Sabyaschi, Altuzarra, and Bridal Market Week for Vera Wang. You can also find me running around photo shoots doing makeup and styling. If you have a style or beauty question, contact me. Your question could be featured on the site!

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