Chriselle Lim On Her Everyday Wellness And Beauty Routine

Not in a dramatic, overnight way but in a quiet, grounded realization that beauty is now a long game. The choices I make today will determine how I feel and how I glow years from now. My self-care has become less about ‘fixing’ and more about supporting, replenishing and protecting my energy so that I can continue showing up fully as a mom, a founder and a woman who’s still evolving. As a result, how I care for my mind, body, skin and scent has changed in this new era.

…is drink warm lemon water. It’s my little wellness hack. I heat it the night before and keep it in my Stanley thermos bottle so that it’s perfectly warm when I wake up. It cleanses my system, kick-starts my digestion and is how I get some good hydration in – I’m not naturally a water drinker. In Asian culture, we believe anything entering the body in the morning should be warm so you don’t shock the system, and I live by that.

I have one hour to get myself ready, get them ready, make breakfast, pack lunches and get out the door, so mornings need to be efficient. I start my skincare routine with ice rollers from my beauty fridge to de-puff, then a water rinse and apply a serum that I’ve used forever – Clé de Peau Beauté The Serum. I grew up with my mom using it too, and although it’s been reformulated over the years, it always gives me the glowiest skin. Next, I use Augustinus Bader The Light Cream and Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Niacinamide Serum, and I never leave the house without SPF. It’s non-negotiable – especially at 40.

What I’m wearing and how I’m feeling dictates my fragrance. My Phlur scents are designed to layer, so my routine always starts with Missing Person Body Oil as the base and Missing Person Eau de Parfum to amplify my natural skin scent. Then, depending on what I’m doing that day, I’ll layer on an additional fragrance. I usually wear Missing Person for school drop-off and Pilates because it smells so light and clean, Father Figure when I need to be a boss and lead big meetings, or Cherry Stem as my date-night go-to. I’ll always finish my morning routine with my favorite deodorant. My Phlur Vanilla Skin Deodorant is clean, incredibly effective and smells so good without being overpowering.

It relaxes me and I love testing new products. My go-tos right now include starting with a primer to make everything last, then going in with Dior’s Forever Skin Perfect foundation stick, as it’s so easy to apply. If I want a more natural finish and an airy glow, I use Clé de Peau’s Radiant Cream Foundation. For cheeks, Gucci Beauty’s Blush de Beauté adds incredible dimension – and the brand’s Rouge à Lèvres Mat lipstick offers the best shades and a velvety finish, especially when blurred with my fingers. I cannot live without my Shu Uemura eyelash curler and Hourglass’s Unlocked Instant Extensions mascara. I rotate in new products weekly because experimenting is part of the joy.

…but I find that using an LED mask two to three times a week massively helps with this, as well as for smoothing wrinkles – but you have to be consistent.

I wear my favorite Saint Laurent baseball cap and oversized sunglasses. If I have to go to a meeting indoors and can’t wear sunnies or a hat, I usually apply a hydrating foundation with my fingers like a moisturizer, because it gives a dewy effect with amazing coverage. I also use a brightening under-eye concealer, such as Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I go one or two shades lighter to really brighten the area, then apply blush to give my skin a little ‘pop’. I really focus on making my skin glow and my cheeks rosy, because once skin glows, you instantly look ‘put together’ and alive.

I always start with a double cleanse – first with Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Oil, then with Allies of Skin’s Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser as the second cleanse to make sure everything is really off. After that, I use the K-beauty Medicube Age-R Booster Pro device [which combines microcurrent technology with EMS, LED therapy and electroporation] to help the products I apply next to penetrate better. Once my skin is prepped, I go in with iS’s Clinical Active Serum, which has been amazing for my hormonal and sensitive skin. Then I layer on Allies of Skin’s Multi Peptides & Growth Factor Advanced Lifting Serum, followed by an essence and toner. I finish with a good moisturizer and seal everything in with the Guerlain’s Orchidée Imperiale The Fundamental Oil. By the end, my skin feels like it’s had a full spa treatment – but the whole thing still feels effortless.

My fiancé can’t live without morning showers, but I cannot get into bed without washing the day off my hair, face and body. Then, I’ll lather on Missing Person Body Oil before bed – it’s heaven. Feeling clean before bed is my love language.

I wash it three times a week and do a weekly hair mask. I’m currently obsessed with Hair Rituel By Sisley hair masks because they make my hair so shiny. I even do a scalp detox with a brush and a physical scrub beforehand.

She’s 90 years old but she still focuses on looking and feeling beautiful – and she always says that what you eat shows on your skin. Korean culture really focuses on collagen-heavy food, so I eat lots of bone broth and bone marrow. My grandma also taught me to use good skincare on top of my makeup. Sun damage is real, so I’m all about sun protection, too. I am that girl who sits under a parasol on vacation, because I just don’t want my skin to see the sun. I always wear a hat when I’m driving and put SPF on my hands. It’s also important to keep your skin hydrated. Women in Korea hydrate throughout the day, which means applying moisturizer and spritzing your face all day long – almost every hour. Your skin eats up all that moisture, so it needs more than we think.

It helped me understand my triggers, sensitivities and deficiencies so that I can actually nourish my body instead of just guessing. I found out that my body doesn’t process dairy or yeast well, so I avoid those now. I also stick to a morning and night-time vitamin routine – and I drink magnesium water before bed to calm my mind because I’m an over-thinker. I try to get eight hours of sleep whenever I can, even though travel and jet lag make that tricky sometimes – and every day I aim to drink at least half my body weight in water. Ever since I started taking care of my body with real intention, I rarely get sick – and I genuinely feel so much stronger.