A Glimpse Into The Chriselle Factor

After getting her feet wet interning at the Karla Otto International public relations firm in New York City (Marni, Sergio Rossi, and Valentino were clients), Chriselle Lim went on to style her own photo shoots and teamed up with YouTube sensation and Lancôme’s first-ever video makeup artist Michelle Phan to create fashion and beauty YouTube videos. She then branched out on her own, launching her own fashion YouTube channel and blog, The Chriselle Factor. Now, she has her own website, styles fashion shoots and personal clients, and is the Style Director at Genlux magazine—all the while looking gorgeous! We can’t get enough of Chriselle’s signature side-part waves, pink lipstick, and chic outfit combinations. So we sat down with the style maven and chatted about matching your lipstick to your dress, her upcoming wedding, and of course—beauty!

Q & A: Chriselle Lim

Q: Have you picked up any tips from makeup artists about pairing makeup with clothes?

Always focus on one thing. If you’re trying to stand out you want to have one feature pop—whether it’s your lip color or your eyes. It can look messy otherwise. However, I do love color blocking with your top and your lipstick. So if you’re wearing a bright red top, pair it with a coral lip. Those are really popular color blocking tones this season.

Q: Do you plan your makeup when you plan your outfit?

I always do my makeup first, then I plan my outfit around it. If it’s day I’ll have a more subdued look than in the evening. I love bright lipstick so I choose outfits that can work with a pop of color.

Q: Do you have any favorite lipstick shades?

My go-to pink lip is called Stylista by Lancôme. It’s a matte color that’s not too dry or sticky. At night I love the vampy look so I use Russian Red by MAC.

Q: Your skin is so luminous and blemish free. Tell us your skin care routine:

I think skin is so important and I spend a lot of time on it! Because I’m getting older and working more, I’m noticing more bags and wrinkles that I have to take care of—so my evening routine is quite long! I start by washing my face with Dermalogica Face Wash—which is super gentle—and I use a Clarisonic every other day. I also apply Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Clay Masque every two to three days depending on how my skin is feeling. After cleansing I use Lancôme Génifique Serum—which I’m obsessed with! I wake up in the morning and my skin feels buttery soft. After the serum I apply moisturizer. I’m using Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica for the winter. It’s so thick and creamy and really moisturizes my skin. Then, if I feel a pimple coming or my skin is extra oily, I’ll apply Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel to those areas. Lastly, my Génifique eye cream! But when I’m really exhausted and can’t do all those steps, I’ll just swipe a Neutrogena makeup wipe and apply the serum and eye cream.

Q: How about nails? What are your favorite colors and brands?

For the holidays I love anything red and shiny, and I’m obsessed with Deborah Lippmann’s glittery polish. I like to wear it at events or for special occasions. But for a regular week my go-to color is a simple burnt rose shade by Essie.

Q: Do you have a signature scent?

I’m in charge of the fragrances for Genlux so I wear different fragrances every day! My friends are always saying I smell like a different person. There are two scents I love at the moment—Burberry Body and Lancôme Trésor in Love. They’re both really light, fresh, and not overpowering.

Q: Is there a new product you’re looking forward to using?

I’ve really loved the look of thick eyebrows for a while, and mine are still a little scraggly. I’m excited to try out Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum Advanced—I hope they grow really full like Camilla Belle’s!

Q: Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Any idea about hair and makeup?

Thank you! I just want to look like myself so I’m going to do my basic makeup look, but a little more polished. I’m going to stick with neutral tones with super natural, fresh, dewy skin and a red or pink lip. I’d describe my style as romantic glamour, so I want my hair to reflect that. I love soft pretty braids, or almost a messy, wavy, boho braid. It should look like it’s done, but is coming apart.

Q: That boho, soft wave look is your signature style—is your hair naturally curly?

As much as I have a love-hate relationship with my thick, coarse, and slightly dry hair it’s very easy to style! After I take a shower and my hair is damp, I part it in the middle and separate my mane into four sections. Then I wrap each section into a little twisted bun and secure with a bobby pin. When I wake up the next morning my hair has bed head waves! All I do is spray L’anza Volumizing Hair Spray and then add a little bit of L’anza glossy serum to give it more of a silky finish!

Q: You’ve been making fashion videos for just over a year. What do you love most about it?

I love interacting with my readers and being able to learn exactly what they want. Receiving instant feedback is exciting, and I love hearing what my readers think about a video. It makes my day to know that just one girl likes what I did.