Naked Beauty Podcast Summary

Guest: Chriselle Lim of Phlur

Host: Brooke DeVard
Date: September 1, 2025
Episode Theme:
Turning Pain into Purpose—A candid conversation with entrepreneur and fragrance founder Chriselle Lim about her pioneering digital influencer journey, the evolution of beauty standards, authenticity in entrepreneurship, creative growth, and the personal stories behind her viral fragrance brand, Phlur.

1. Introduction & Guest Background

[00:06–01:21]

• Brooke welcomes Chriselle Lim, calling her a “trailblazing entrepreneur, creative visionary, and one of the OG digital fashion influencers.”
• Chriselle’s journey: Began with a creative outlet in college before “influencer” was a term, now has over 6 million followers.
• In 2022, Chriselle relaunched Phlur; its hero fragrance, Missing Person, went viral, amassing a 250k-person waitlist.
• Recent milestone: Phlur’s acquisition by TSG Consumer Partners; Chriselle remains creative director.

“I started my fashion blog when I was in College and started YouTube just as a creative outlet. This was a time when influencer wasn’t even a word.”
—Chriselle Lim, [01:37]

2. Growing Up Korean-American & Beauty Standards

[02:28–06:17]

• Raised in Texas, Danville (Northern California), and Korea due to her father's relocation.
• Teenage years in Korea shaped her beauty obsession but also exposed her to rigid and challenging Korean beauty standards.
• Struggled with not fitting the American nor Korean standard of beauty; "I don't look American when I'm in America, but I also don't look Korean when I'm in Korea."
• Minimal Asian American representation in media—Lucy Liu and Suchin Pak as the rare examples.
• Used fashion and makeup as "armor" to catfish confidence during her youth, despite inner insecurity.

“My armor was really makeup and clothes. I would use fashion essentially as a way to, I guess, catfish in a way, my confidence.”
—Chriselle Lim, [05:38]

3. Shifting Definition of Beauty & Dissolving Fillers

[06:17–10:11]

• Feeling beautiful started after moving to LA and discovering community and new beauty standards.
• Now, as she turns 40, Chriselle’s focus is on longevity and authenticity instead of quick fixes.
• Open about her journey of getting and then dissolving all her facial fillers; a major step toward reclaiming self and embracing natural beauty.
• Dissolving fillers was both a physical and emotional reset.

“Once I dissolved the fillers, I felt like I was finally coming back to myself and getting control again. And that’s a really good feeling.”
—Chriselle Lim, [09:20]

4. The Evolution of the Creator Economy

[10:14–11:39]

• Contrasts today's influencer landscape (a massive business) to the early days of content creation being purely creative.
• Stresses necessity of adaptability: “You just have to realize that nothing is forever. And I always say you have to evolve or die.”

—Chriselle Lim, [11:32]

5. Building Phlur: From Consumer to Creative Director

[11:46–16:22]

• Phlur was an established brand, known for transparency and clean ingredients, before Chriselle joined in 2021 as co-owner and creative director.
• Brooke notes creators’ edge: intimate marketing knowledge and direct feedback from audience.
• Chriselle’s nontraditional approach (not coming from the fragrance industry) was an advantage—she simply relied on intuition and authenticity.

“I was just being myself. Like, I don’t know anything but to do that. And I think that worked to my benefit.”
—Chriselle Lim, [15:25]

6. Creative Process: Storytelling & Viral Fragrance Launches

[16:22–24:57]

• Creative process is organic: guided by intuition, trends, gaps in their line, and community feedback.
• Examples:
  • Strawberry Letter: Released in response to the strawberry fragrance trend; initially a limited drop but community demand made it permanent.
  • Vanilla Skin: Started as a body mist, became fine fragrance due to consumer requests.
• Collaboration between Chriselle (storytelling, vision) and "noses" (master perfumers) is central.
• Emphasis on naming and storyline—fragrance is marketed as an emotion, not just a scent.

“People are more curious about how something smells because of the story. And so when we write our descriptions and our copy, it should be intriguing enough where they’re like, oh, that’s how I want to feel.”
—Chriselle Lim, [27:00]

7. The Origin Story of "Missing Person"

[21:22–24:57]

• Created at the lowest point of Chriselle’s life, amid divorce: “Missing Person” was born out of loneliness and craving intimacy.
• The scent is designed to recreate the warmth and comfort of another person’s skin.
• The fragrance resonated widely as a vessel for grief and longing—became a viral bestseller.

“I created this for myself, really, during the time of healing for myself. And I think that story lended to so many people where they were in a broken place and they were...missing...someone or a moment.”
—Chriselle Lim, [22:57]

“Missing Person is your white T shirt of your closet. Everyone needs a missing person because it goes with anything.”
—Chriselle Lim, [24:57]

8. Fragrance Trends and the Future

[27:25–29:14]

• Gourmand fragrances (food-like, sweet scents) are in vogue, but Chriselle predicts evolution in the category and a renewed interest in florals—done in modern, non-traditional ways, like Rose Whip.
• Phlur’s signature: classic notes, unexpected twists.

“We love when people say things like that, especially with something like vanilla, too. The amount of people that have come up to us and say, I am not a vanilla girl, but I love vanilla skin.”
—Chriselle Lim, [29:14]

9. Skincare, Beauty, and Product Recommendations

[29:24–39:00]

• Chriselle’s nighttime routine is extensive and “high-low”:
  • Cleansing: Haruharu Gentle Oil Cleanser (K-beauty), iS Clinical Gel Cleanser
  • Toning: Clé de Peau toner + Haruharu Black Rice Toner (budget-friendly must-try)
  • Serums: Clé de Peau “The Serum”, 8th Day serum (“my skin actually really liked it and it worked really well”)
  • Moisturizer: Neutrogena retinol moisturizer (affordable & effective)
  • Eye Creams: Augustinus Bader (thick), prefers thicker textures
  • Tools: Medicube (viral K-beauty skin device; “if you’re consistent with it, it works wonders”)
• Sunscreens: Cell Fusion (K-beauty, easily found on Amazon, favored by Korean derms), Clé de Peau for luxe option, Allies of Skin (mild self-tan sunscreen).
• Stresses comparison-testing expensive products vs. affordable K-beauty.
• Skincare for her is about longevity, not just quick fixes.

“I have to test out to see if I would actually buy with my own money. Because if I want to buy with my own money, then it really has to work. Yeah, right. It has to work.”
—Chriselle Lim, [32:19]

10. Personal Life—Motherhood, Fun, and Relaxation

[39:01–43:32]

• Chriselle’s joy: dancing, going out with friends, discovering new experiences (“I have my rhythm now. I have my kind of my core group.”)
• Post-divorce, spent more time enjoying life, making up for time building her career.
• Struggles to relax but finds it in travel adventures, activities requiring full focus (e.g., high ropes challenge), and reading fiction for mental escape.
• Book recommendation: I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally (autobiography of the Balthazar founder)—raw, vulnerable, “a real page-turner.”

“I’m not going to lie. I’m not the best at relaxing, and it’s a journey that I’m still trying to figure out how that looks like.”
—Chriselle Lim, [42:19]

11. Reflections on Beauty

[44:46–45:14]

Brooke: “When do you feel most beautiful?”
Chriselle: “I feel the most beautiful when I have absolutely no makeup on and I have my entire skincare routine done and I’m going to bed knowing that I gave it my all that day with my kids, my work, and I could just like rest and be at peace with myself.” [44:46]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Chriselle’s mantra: “You have to evolve or die.” [11:32]
• “I don’t know anything but to do that [be myself].” [15:25]
• “People are more curious about how something smells because of the story.” [27:00]
• On Missing Person: “[It’s] your white T shirt—everyone needs a Missing Person because it goes with anything.” [24:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:37] Chriselle on starting as a digital creator
• [05:38] Fashion as “armor” and growing confidence
• [09:20] The emotional journey of dissolving fillers
• [15:25] Authenticity as creative direction at Phlur
• [22:57] Missing Person’s origin story and emotional connection
• [27:00] The power of storytelling in fragrance marketing
• [32:19] Product recommendations and personal standards
• [39:28] On rediscovering joy and fun post-divorce
• [44:46] What makes Chriselle feel most beautiful

Tone & Style

Uplifting, honest, and full of practical wisdom—Chriselle is candid about insecurities, mistakes, evolving standards, and the power of community-driven beauty. Brooke creates a warm, inviting conversational space for deep dives on beauty, business, and living authentically.

Summary Takeaways

This episode is an inspiring exploration of how personal vulnerability, adaptability, and authentic storytelling are key to both beauty and business. Chriselle Lim’s journey from insecure teen to global beauty mogul reveals universal truths about identity, healing, and the creative process—reminding listeners that evolving into your purpose, even through pain, is beautiful.