Chriselle Lim of Phlur on Turning Pain into Purpose

Summary

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.

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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

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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.

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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.

Transcript

[A]

Hello. Hello, it's Brooke Devard, and you're listening to the Naked Beauty Podcast. And if you're watching on YouTube, you're watching the Naked Beauty Podcast. Today. I am so excited for my guest, Chriselle Lim, someone who I have admired and followed pretty much for her whole career. And where she's at now, I'm just. I'm so excited to discuss, to give you all some background on her incredible journey. Chris Lym is a trailblazing entrepreneur, creative visionary, and one of the OG Digital fashion influencers who helped define the modern creator economy. With over 6 million followers across her social platforms, Lim has built a global audience through her sharp, irreverent approach to style and her deeply personal storytelling. In 2022, Lim launched her fine fragrance brand Fleur, which became an instant viral sensation. Its hero scent, Missing Person, sold out within hours of launch and generated a wait list of over a quarter of a million people. Is that correct?

[B]

Yeah, 250,000 people.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Amazing. Today, Fleur is carried in over 500 Sephora stores across the U.S. canada, as well as internationally in Selfridges and Space. Nk. You all know I've been on my fragrance founder journey. This is like, ultimate, ultimate goals. Most recently, Fleur was acquired by TSG Consumer Partners, and Criselle will still stay on and serve as the brand's creative director. I'm so excited to welcome you to Naked Beauty.

[B]

Thank you for having me. I'm a huge fan of you and your podcast, so this is truly an honor.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Well, I really remember I followed you for your incredible style. Right. Like, just the early days of, like, Instagram and fashion influencing, and that's probably how you cultivated most of your audience, right?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. 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.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Instagram wasn't really. It wasn't around at all. And so it was pure passion. It was just a creative outlet for myself and a few. A handful of other creators that was doing it, which was like Ami Song, Brian boy, a few of us. And again, had no, I guess, goals to make money or create a business out of it because it didn't really exist. So it's pretty incredible to see where the industry is at now.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Well, you asked me when I started my podcast, and like you, I started my podcast before there was this whole industry around it. I just loved doing it. And here we are. So you kind of had that Same thought going into being a creator.

[B]

And I think that is really one of the reasons why your podcast is one of the best beauty podcasts and so successful is because it comes from a place of passion.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Versus, oh, I should do this because there's a lot of money involved. Right, right. So, I mean, congratulations on your podcast.

[A]

Thank you for saying that. So you grew up in Texas?

[B]

I was born in Texas. You were born in Texas. I didn't grow up.

[A]

Where did you grow up?

[B]

I grew up in Northern California in a small town called Danville, and I also lived in Korea for about five years. My dad had to relocate there. I went to a foreign school in Korea, and I was in my teenage years. So a lot of kind of what I do and the beauty obsession and all of the learnings of beauty really came from my teen years in Korea.

[A]

Oh, wow. Yes. I feel like we talk about Korea as this having this beauty industry that's so ahead of the curve. But I also would imagine that growing up there and being young and being a teenager, there would also maybe be a lot of pressure around beauty and the way that you show up. Did you feel that pressure growing up?

[B]

Yes, I did. I felt it very early on. And Korea is incredible. They are so advanced. They have incredible technology. They are light years ahead when it comes to beauty. And that's why we all go there to get the best treatment for a quarter, a fraction of the price that you can get it here. But I have to say that the beauty standards are quite challenging there, especially as a Korean American. Not being a full Korean Korean girl, I didn't look like everyone else. People thought I was darker because I'm a little bit more tan than the Korean girls there. So there was a lot of learnings about myself. And like, oh, I'm not. I don't look American when I'm in America, but I also don't look Korean when I'm Korea. So that is kind of like that Asian American experience that I experienced at a very young age that defined who I am that I'm so proud of today.

[A]

Yes. Now, was the beauty standard to have fairer skin and so that you were perceived as kind of a little bit outside of that beauty standard. But did you feel beautiful growing up? Were you aware of your own beauty?

[B]

I didn't feel beautiful growing up. I used. Because I was always an outlier, in a sense. When I grew up in Northern California, all of my peers were not Asian. They didn't look like me. And all of the media that was on tv at that time, no one looked like me.

[A]

Theoc and the Hills.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

All just blonde white girls.

[B]

Exactly. So I guess it was Lucy Liu.

[A]

That was, like, the only Asian. I'm trying to think of what representations we had of Asian. Asian American Beauty.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

There was Lucy Liu and there was Lucy Liu.

[B]

That was really about it. I mean, there was Suchin Park.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

She's actually one of my best friends.

[A]

No way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Mtv.

[B]

From mtv.

[A]

Oh, my God. She was iconic. I, like, wanted to be her.

[B]

So she was like the cool Asian girl that was on MTV that was talking about music and hip hop. She was on, like, trl. She was so cool.

[A]

Devin Aoki, also.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Was cool.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

But, yeah, there wasn't much.

[B]

There wasn't much.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so my beauty standard was whatever I was exposed to, and when I looked at myself, I didn't look like them. So my armor was really makeup and clothes. And I would use fashion essentially as a way to, I guess, catfish in a way, my confidence. So people thought I was confident. People thought I really, I don't know, looked a certain way because I always had these, like, cool outfits on. But I was really an insecure girl growing up, all the way up until probably my late 20s.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So what was that turning point when you started to recognize your own beauty? Was it starting to create content and share with people and kind of build a community?

[B]

It was definitely when I moved to la. When I moved to LA right after high school, I was like, wow, there's a lot of people that look like me here.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And it was being able to build that community out and be able to really just understand that there are many different beauty standards. And I think as I get older now, I'm really trying to think of beauty in a different way. I think before it was a lot of short fixes of like, okay, what can I do now to feel better? But as I'm 40 now, the whole idea of beauty has changed. For me, it's more about longevity, and I've been very open about my beauty journey, but I removed all my fillers.

[A]

Yes. I saw the video that you did. What made you want to get the fillers? And then what made you say, I want to dissolve them?

[B]

I started fillers maybe about 10 years ago.

[A]

There's really nothing to fill. Like, what were you like, looking at? Your face, it's so perfect and beautiful. What were you feeling?

[B]

Thank you. I don't know. I really don't know. And that was a problem. And I think that is a problem that we as online digital citizens that we face all the time is like, we're seeing other people do these things, and we're like, oh, should I do this? Should I try this out? And there was lack of information when fillers were just coming on the market. And so you try it. It looks really good. And then. And then you feel like you have to upkeep.

[A]

You want more and more and more because your eye adjusts to the new normal. And then it sort of. It's swelling at first, and then it goes down, and then you're like, oh, I kind of want, like, another hit.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Did you feel like the practitioners that you were going to. To give you the injections, did they ever say, like, maybe you don't need it? Or were they just kind of like, let's go, let's do it, because everyone else is doing it?

[B]

I. It's really hard to say because I felt like I had to upkeep. And they wouldn't discourage it, but they would also say, it's really on you, but you probably don't need it. But I'm like, but I want it. It was like a drug, right? And then I think it was maybe three years ago where I was like, I just always look puffy, like, always. And I was in denial that I was maybe just always so tired I was eating the wrong food. But I finally went to a derm. Her name was Cindy at Blisspoint, and she was like, we need to remove everything. And I was like, I just needed to hear that from somebody, like, someone professional just to tell me that and have a game plan for me, because I don't know where to start. And so I went on my dissolving filler journey about a year ago, and it was hands down, the best decision I've ever made.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What felt different immediately after making that decision?

[B]

I think, again, it's coming back to myself. I also very open about talking about my divorce and losing myself along the way. I think we all kind of go into relationships or we go into journeys or careers even where we kind of lose ourself. And I think I felt a little bit about that with my life in general. So 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 and being able to be back in your own skin. And of course, there were things that I noticed that I never knew that were there. But again, instead of thinking of, how can I fix this quickly, it's more of like, what can I do long term that could actually help this situation? And so, again, I. It was one of the best decisions, and I wish I did it earlier.

[A]

Yeah. Well, I'm so happy for you and that you've had this journey.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Being a creator when you started versus being a creator today, I mean, it's so different. And I know you. You know, in addition to all of the incredible work you do with Fleur, you also still are doing content creation and you do paid deals. How do you think it's changed, like, the entire just influencer industry?

[B]

It's changed a lot. I mean, when we first started again, there was no industry. No one was paying anybody to create content. It was pure creative expression. And so the industry has evolved and it's grown, and it's a mega business now. People can make a lot of money from it. And also, it is a way to advertise. Brands are able to get their messaging and the product out to the world through social media now. Right. And it's a very powerful tool. So it's evolved. We went from the wild, wild west to a proper business, and I think we all kind of learned from it. But it's an incredible industry to be a part of. It's also an industry where you have to be nimble and you have to be on your toes a lot because it's ever evolving. It's always changing. And I think that is one of the most important things for me as a creator. Have been doing this for almost. I think it's about 18 years now.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

You just have to realize that nothing is forever. And I always say you have to evolve or die.

[A]

I mean, you brought up Ami Song and Brian Boy, people that I've followed again, like, since the beginning. And just seeing how their careers have evolved and changed, it's incredible.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Let's talk about Flor. What was the impetus for going into fragrance?

[B]

So fragrance was a category that I absolutely loved and admired as a consumer for very long time.

[A]

I can deeply relate.

[B]

I could tell. But did I ever think in my wildest dreams that I would be a brand owner of a fragrance brand? No, that was never in my. My roadmap.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But there was an opportunity for me to come on board with Fleur. So Fleur was actually an existing fragrance brand before I came on board.

[A]

And.

[B]

And it was a beautiful fragrance brand as I was very familiar with it. They actually were one of the very first brands to be very transparent about their ingredients. And so they built a very loyal cult following that, I respected and admired.

[A]

So much, which is, I think for people outside of the industry, they don't know what a big deal it is. Like, I was so proud when my fragrance was carried in Credo Beauty because Credo has such strict standards. They do, but half of the standards are just around transparency. So few fragrance brands disclose what's actually in the fragrance.

[B]

It's very true. And I was actually surprised that a lot of people didn't know that because when you spray something essentially on your skin, you just think that, oh, it's water and some beautiful scents. No, there's a lot of things in it. And so it was really important to me, as a mother to two girls, as someone that has built a business talking about longevity, that that flair really stood for something that is than just the now and something very long term. And I, I know that even flir before I came on board, they did kind of set that groundwork of being that transparent, clean brand. So I respected what they built. So I came on board in 2021 as a creative director, as a one of the co owners of the brand. Okay.

[A]

Co owner.

[B]

Okay. And also as a creative director.

[A]

Okay. Now, had you ever been a creative.

[B]

Director before for a proper brand?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

No.

[A]

No. Just for yourself?

[B]

Yes, just for myself.

[A]

So I have this theory that we're going to see more and more creator led, influencer led brands because creators are essentially their own business enterprise. You have all of the marketing insights, you know what people are clicking on, you know what people are responding to, and you have real time always on customer feedback, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Marketing firms pay a lot of money to do focus groups. You know what your audience wants, you know what people like, you know what people respond to qualitatively and quantitatively. You've also been creating images and videos yourself for your audience. So doing it for a brand that probably almost felt easier in a way. Like, did you just, did you kind of come into it and be like, I know what I'm doing.

[B]

I think it worked to my benefit that I didn't have a proper creative director role in a fragrance brand before because I didn't have any red tape around me. I didn't have anything that was like, oh, that's a big no no in this industry. I did what felt was right for you, for me, that I know of, and that people still ask me till this day how we were able to get fuller off the ground so fast and how we were able to make multiple hit sense like missing person and father figure, Vanilla skin and heavy Cream. And the answer is, I was just being myself. Like, I don't know anything but to do that. And I think that worked to my benefit that I didn't have kind of this strict guidebook of the rules that.

[A]

I had to follow. You had no preconceived notions about how to market the product, how to develop the creative, so you just kind of did what felt right to you.

[B]

And I'm a consumer. At the end of the day, we work with incredible noses. One of the. The top noses. I actually have been fangirling over these noses that we've been working for for a very long time. And I'm like, we have to get these guys on board with Fleur. So I'm learning from them every single day. But I'm not a nose. I work with the nose. I'm learning from them. I have the pulse and the idea of what I want, and that's what's guiding me and my stories. And so it's been a beautiful collaboration, being able to work through these storylines and then present it to our noses and be like, okay, how can we bottle this up?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so it's just a beautiful partnership, and it. And it really works well.

[A]

Incredible. Incredible. I'm so eager for you to try my fragrance.

[B]

I'm so excited.

[A]

Please try. You know, it's interesting. I received. I think I pretty much have received all of the. All of the fragrances you've launched for the past two years. And one of my favorites, I feel like, isn't necessarily the most popular. Solar power.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I love solar because I like. You'll smell mine. The dry down is. It's neroli. It's neroli sandalwood green tea.

[B]

There's a brightness to it.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Bergamot.

[B]

Oh, it's beautiful.

[A]

And then in the dry down, you get some amber.

[B]

The dry down is really unexpected.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you. Well, that bottle.

[B]

Oh, it's stunning. It's for me.

[A]

That's yours.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Yes, Yes.

[B]

I love collecting fragrances outside of floor. Like, I'm. I'm a fragrance lover. I shop fragrances. There's so much out there. Oh, congratulations.

[A]

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

[B]

I love that. It's like. It feels like a jewelry box.

[A]

Thank you. Yes. Want to make it sustainable. Something that you don't just throw away, you know, that you can, like, really cherish.

[B]

Oh, it's good.

[A]

Oh, thank you. Huge compliment coming from you. So the drop that really got my attention was Tangerine Boy. The fragrance was beautiful, but it Was all of the creative around it where I was like, oh, no one's really doing it like this. This is different. Right. Like, it really, like, kind of got my attention. I was like, let me pay, like, closer attention to floor. And you've had a lot of, like, releases.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What's that process, like, of deciding, like, how much of it is trend based, how much of it is just like, your intuition, how much of it is based on previous sales of, like, past sense?

[B]

We. There's no real formula. I wish I could say that it's 80% what I love and then 20% trend. There really is no rhyme or reason to it, but it's really what feels right as a brand. We have to have our pulse on. Right. So there are things that I want to do, stories that I want to tell, and then we'll go to our noses and be like, okay, can we create something like this? But then we'll come back and be like, oh, we have too many gourmands in the family. Right. So let's hold off on this one. We really need more floral. A part of this where there's just not enough floral. Then we'll work on something with floral. So again, it has to be well balanced. But we also look at trend. We're building a brand that's here to stay. But also we're aware of the trends that are happening. For example, Strawberry Letter.

[A]

Yes. It's just been this explosion around Strawberry. And so is Strawberry Letter one of your top sellers?

[B]

So Strawberry Letter was an interesting story because we brought that because Strawberry was having a moment.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And we're like, this is going to be a very limited edition where we're just going to drop it. We have a beautiful scent, by the way, that Strawberry was so hard to develop because it kept going sour. So we actually had it for, I think about three years. It was one of our earlier scents that we wanted to launch, but we couldn't get the juice right. And once we finally did, Strawberry happened to be trendy. So we're like, perfect, we're going to release this, but we're going to make it limited because we feel like it's one of those trends that will come and go. So we dropped, took off. People were obsessed with it and it sold out and we had no plans of bringing it back. But then the demand on it was like we've never seen before. So now it's here to stay. So it's here. It's part of the forever family for now. And so we also are very Observant. And I wish we could know what's gonna take off. And sometimes I get it right. Oftentimes I don't get it right. But we're very nimble and we're open, and so we let. We also let the followers and the fans of Fleur kind of tell us what more they want, and we really listen to that. Vanilla skin, for example, started off as a body mist. It was our first. We dropped three body mists for the first time ever. When we introduced body mist as a category, it was Mango Moon, Amber Haze, Vanilla Skim. My bet was on Amber Hayes. I'm still an Amber Hayes girl. I'm still like, why hasn't this one?

[A]

But I also love Amber. Like, the dry down of my fragrance is really amber forward.

[B]

Yes. I smell the amber.

[A]

Yes. Yes. I think Amber. It just, like, feels, like, sensual.

[B]

Sensual. It's sophisticated. It's feminine without being overly floral.

[A]

Like, vanilla's having such a moment. There was no chance that Amber was going to win against vanilla.

[B]

I'm still. I'm still rooting for my Amber Haze, but vanilla skin really, really took off, and everyone was asking for it as a fine fragrance, and so we worked as quickly as possible to make it into a fine fragrance, and we did. And again, again, there was no plan to making vanilla skin into a fine fragrance. But because the demand was there, we were nimble and we were able to make it happen. So it's a little, again, a mixture of us putting things out there and letting the audience determine it and see how it goes.

[A]

I know that there's a deeply personal story behind Missing Person, and I am curious what your experience was of kind of building this company while also going through divorce.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What was that like to navigate?

[B]

It was very blurry and hazy at the time when I was going through it. And I was in a place where I couldn't really think beyond just the next thing. And so when I got this opportunity to be a part of Fleur, it was kind of like, okay, if this is a way for me to be a little distracted from my divorce, then, you know, it could be my creative outlet.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

But to be honest, it was hard for me to feel inspired at the time. And I think that was my biggest blessing because that's how Missing Person was. Was born. And Missing Person was really a story of where I was at. I was lonely. I was craving for love. I want to feel that skin to skin intimacy with someone because I was sleeping in my own bed. I haven't been alone for 15 years of my life. Like, that was such a void for me. Like, it just felt so weird. So I was like, can we create something? When I sprayed felt like someone's skin. It felt like warmth just kind of against your body. And so when you smell Missing Person, you're like, huh, it's not an obvious scent, right? It's. It's a very skin scent, Skin clean scent. And that's the whole point, right? And so I said, 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 in a place where they were missing. Whether it was an ex or whether it was their best friend that moved away or, I don't know, their grandma that passed away, or a missing moment that they're craving to feel again. It really brought that. That emotion to people. So when we launched Missing Person Again, I launched it with no idea that it would be emotional for other people. It was emotional for me, but I didn't realize how emotional other people would get. And so people would be spraying the scent and just crying and be like, oh, my God, this reminds me of this one moment. Or this reminds me of my grandma who just passed. And it wasn't because it smelled like them, but it smelled very nostalgic.

[A]

What are the notes in Missing Person?

[B]

So there's skin musk on top and. And then bergamot. And then there's also. It's a double musk with musk on the base as well. And so. And a little bit of jasmine. It's clean, but it's not overly clean. It's slightly musky. So it's a very light scent.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so I always tell people, if you want something that projects, this is not it.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But this is a scent that also works so beautifully as a base because skin musk just. It just ties in nicely with any scent, whether it be a double musk, whether it be another gourmand. When people are building out their Fleur collection, we always say missing person. Whether you like strong scents or light scents, Missing Person is your white T shirt of your closet. Everyone needs a missing person because it goes with anything. Whether you throw on a pair of jeans with it, whether you put on a skirt, whatever it is, it works for everybody.

[A]

Yes, I love that. I also love. I love the naming of your fragrances, like Father Figure. I love the copy on your site. I have somebody wood here, and I'm actually going to pull some copy up from your website. So this is the description, and I want to hear from you how this fragrance story came together. So not so. This is. Somebody would not afraid of intimacy. A bright burst of bergamot floats into watery cyclamen. Am I saying that correctly? Cyclamen and leathery saffron accords before grounding itself in a cream. Creamy sandalwood and spicy amber cozy, warm, undeniably sexy. You may have found the one. That description is so evocative.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

How do you think about that as you're building the fragrance?

[B]

As I mentioned earlier, I'm the everyday consumer. I don't come from the fragrance world. Again, we work with incredible noses. But I think, again, that works to my benefit because I think majority of people are like myself, where, yeah, you could read notes and you could mention all the incredible, you know, the bass and the heart and the top notes. The majority of people don't really understand that. And it's really more of how it's gonna make you feel. And for me, that's the storyline that is where. Where you can determine if you want to buy a fragrance online or not. Because if you really think about online buying or fragrance that didn't exist until a few years ago, or maybe not even a few years ago, like, for us, it really. I think Missing Person was one of the brands where people are like, you were not at a Sephora, yet. You could not even go to any store to smell it. And how did you get a wait list of 250,000 people? And my answer was it was a storytelling, the storytelling. 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. So for Fleur, it's really about wearing what you feel. And that is 100%. Our tagline is wear what's true. And if that description feels like it's true to you, then, yeah. And I think blind buying on fragrance is something normal now.

[A]

It's so true. And I think the. The world of fragrance trends and fragrance influencers is also interesting. We're in this, I feel like, very, like, heavy gourmand, period. Now. What do you think is next?

[B]

I mean, I love gourmands, but there's room for more, I think. I think the evolution of gourmand is here as well. I think we were in a stage where it was very heavy. Heavy gourmand. Gourmands on top of gourmand on top of Gourmands.

[A]

Right.

[B]

We at Fleur, we like to take traditional, classic notes and give it a nice twist to it, a very unexpected twist to it. We've been playing a lot with Florida florals lately, because I think florals have a connotation that's tied with your grandma's floral, especially with rose.

[A]

Oh, yeah. But you. You released a rose scent recently. That's beautiful.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

It almost reminds me of, like, a rose water. I spend a lot of time in Turkey. My husband's Turkish.

[B]

Oh, I love.

[A]

And it feels like it almost reminds me of, like, rose Turkish delight. It's like a little. It's sweet, but it's not cloying. It's really beautifully done.

[B]

Yes. Thank you. So it's called Rose Whip, and Rose Whip was our. A challenge for us to take on rose in a very unexpected, non traditional roseway. And so there's no real leather note in it, but it dries down slightly leathery. And so there's a very kind of big turn as it dries down. So you will smell the rose at top, but then if you get. Once you give it a few seconds, you're like, oh, this is really sexy. This was not what I thought a rose was supposed to smell like. And so 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.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And that's what we want people to know. Fleur as is taking something classic and giving it a nice Fleur twist to it.

[A]

Well, I can't have you here and not ask you about all of your skincare products, your makeup products, the hair products, because I feel like you use the best of the best, and you look so great. What are the skincare products that you're absolutely loving right now?

[B]

Oh, gosh, I have so many.

[A]

I know you do.

[B]

I have so many. And it's true. People are like, do you actually use that many skincare products? I'm like, yes. And more like things that you don't even see online. My nighttime routine is very extensive.

[A]

Give it to us this. If there's ever a place where you can share an extensive nighttime routine, it's on Naked Beauty.

[B]

Okay. Well, again, because I'm thinking longevity. Right. And so before I was like, oh, no. Like, I could just go get a. Get Botox and flares, like, fix it. I dropped that kind of. And I'm not saying I'm never getting Botox again. I know there are benefits to it. But as of now, I'm trying to test out a period where I can. How long I can go without it. And so I take my nighttime routine very seriously. I do the medicube first.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I know it's very viral and trendy, but if you're consistent with it, it works wonders.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I.

[A]

So I have one from my dear friend Sir John, who's another creative director, and he's like, you have to use it. It will totally transform your skin. And I just. I feel so intimidated by it. I just need to, like, I just need to get going.

[B]

Start off. Start off light. Cause there's five different modes to it. Or. Sorry, there's five modes, but there's also different levels. The high level, which I'm at, don't jump to it. It's intense.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So you have to work your way up to it.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So start off with level one or two. But for me, there's different modes. For me, I'm an oily skin girl, so I do the blue light, which is great for just controlling oil. But there's also the booster mode, which essentially you can apply your skincare with it. So instead of taking the time to, let's say you put on your toner, serums, moisturizer, and instead of, like, rubbing it in, you use a wand, and you use a booster mode to get that in because it will penetrate a lot deeper than when you use your hands. And you're gonna do it anyways, right?

[A]

Okay. Okay.

[B]

So I kind of double it up.

[A]

Okay. So you start with your medicube. Then what's next?

[B]

So, well, I do my oil cleanser. My cleanser.

[A]

Okay, wait, which oil cleanser are we using?

[B]

I use a Korean brand called Haruharu. It's a very gentle, gentle, lightweight oil cleanser. Love I use is clinical. I don't know what.

[A]

The cleanser, the one in the blue bottle.

[B]

The blue bottle.

[A]

Clear blue bottle is clinical cleanser. Yeah, the gel cleanser.

[B]

The gel cleanser, like, been my holy grail for years now. Then I go into my clo de peau toner.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I like to test out a lot of different products because skincare can be very expensive, as you know.

[A]

But you get everything for free.

[B]

Yes, but that's where I'm like, I have to test out to see if I would actually buy with my own money. Right, right, right. Because if I want to buy with my own money, then it really has to work. Yeah, right. It has to work. And also testing out Korean Skincare that's so cheap.

[A]

And it's just as good.

[B]

And that's just as good, right?

[A]

I know, it's crazy.

[B]

And so I like to do like kind of a comparison of is this worth it? If this one is as good. But this one's great, right?

[A]

What's the best cost effective K beauty brand you've discovered?

[B]

Haruharu.

[A]

Haru. Haru. Okay, I'm ordering tonight. Can't wait.

[B]

The rice toner. I mean, it's black rice toner. It's incredible.

[A]

Okay, I need to try. I need to try. Okay, so we're at toner. What's next?

[B]

Serum.

[A]

Okay, it's your go to right now.

[B]

My go to for a long time has been Claude Peau. It's just called the serum. But again, I test out many different products. One product that I recently have tested out for the past three months, it's a newer brand called 8th Day.

[A]

How did I know you were gonna say 8th Day? Really? I just knew you were gonna say that. So I've been using 8th day and I really like it. So this is. You help me out. Cause I really like it. It's kind of. It feels plain, like. It does.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But then my skin really loves it. So people have been asking me, is it worth it? Is it worth the money? And I'm like, I can't tell you if it's 100% worth it. All I can say is my skin is enjoying it and it's working for me.

[B]

That's why skincare is so tricky, especially when you're trying to share with your audience. Because there are some products that are just. You're like, it's nice, it's nice. But then you start using it and then you stop and you're like, oh, my skin actually really liked it and it worked really well. And you don't notice it until you stop using it. And so when I first got eight day, I was like, I don't know, it's great, but it's very simple. There's again, no scent.

[A]

Right. It's simple. Simple.

[B]

I don't know. We'll see. And then I went through the entire bottle. The big, big one.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And now I was like ordering online because I'm like, oh, my God, I'm out. Like, I need this stuff. Because I went about a month without it and my skin completely turned changed.

[A]

So now I need to not run out. And they just released a moisturizer too, right?

[B]

I don't know. I haven't. I'm like, on the serum. And I'm like, I know. Love the serum. I need to try out their moisturizers, too.

[A]

Yes. Okay, so what do we do to lock it all in?

[B]

Okay, so then I go to my moisturizer, and again, we're using the wand while we're applying these products in. So my moisturizer right now, I'm testing out again. High, low. There's a Neutrogena retinol moisturizer that I've been testing out. It's pretty good. It's pretty good. Yeah. I'm a retinol girl. Like, I retinal. I love my retinols. So I haven't used a moisturizer that had a retinol built into it. And so that's been really nice. So that's one that's really affordable that I've been enjoying.

[A]

Love. What do you like for eye cream?

[B]

Eye cream's tricky for me because sometimes I'm like, do I need to do this? I don't know.

[A]

I love an eye cream.

[B]

What's your eye cream?

[A]

I like the Shiseido Benefiance, and there's a brand called Retrouve that has an incredible, like, eye concentrate. It's like this balm, and it's just like. It's beautiful.

[B]

It's thick.

[A]

It's very thick. Okay. I love a thick eye cream.

[B]

That's what I'm saying, because I think I use a lot of. Actually, no, I lied. There is a Augustine Despotter eye cream that. It's a newer one. They had one before and they relaunched the new one. That was. I ran out. That's why I forgot about. Because I haven't used it in a while, but that it reminded me that I should go get it again. But that one was great because it was a little thicker. I've realized that if the eye cream is thinner, it just feels like I'm putting moisturizer under my eye. So I like a good thick eye cream. Yeah.

[A]

Yes. What's your go to sunscreen?

[B]

I have three. Again, kind of across the board. They're as far as K beauty, more affordable. There's this brand called Cell Fusion.

[A]

Where can you buy that?

[B]

Amazon.

[A]

Amazon.

[B]

But this is. Okay, the thing about Amazon with Korean Beauty, and a lot of people don't know this is that it's really hard to sell Korean beauty. I mean, I think Sephora has some K Beauty now. I think Ulta, a few other places are building out their K beauty section. But majority the easiest way for a lot of these Korean. Korean brands to Enter the market is through Amazon. Because I know there's a lot of kind of question marks of like, should I buy my beauty products from Amazon? But Cell Fusion is one of the most popular sunscreen brands or skincare brands in Korea. And it's actually the one sunscreen brand that all the derms, they give you after your treatments before you walk out of the clinic.

[A]

Oh, wow. Interesting.

[B]

Yeah. And so that's my. I always have that in my bag. Go to if you want, like, a good. Just.

[A]

I'm gonna check it out.

[B]

Yeah. It's $15, I think love effective. It blends in well. There's no white cast to it. As far as my most expensive sunscreen. Yeah. Is Clo de Peau.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

This sunscreen is so beautiful. Like, I can't even describe. It's so silky, and it just makes your skin. It's like a veil.

[A]

Right. Clay Depot is the same. It's owned by Shiseido, and I love so many of the Shiseido products, and I feel like I just need to go like that one level up and get into the clay products.

[B]

Shiseido has really great products. And, yeah, they're the families. The family of Shiseido. They're probably all coming from the same labs.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly.

[B]

But, yeah, in Japan, they. They kind of own that market. And I'm surprised that not as many people know about Clay Dopo. A lot of people know about Shiseido, but not as many people know about Clay Depot. Another one that I really love that I recently tried is Allies of Skin.

[A]

Oh, yes.

[B]

They have this selfless tan.

[A]

Interesting. Not a product I need, but I'm interested.

[B]

Selfless. And I was a little hesitant by. Because I do not trust self tanning products.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

But it's very mild, and my body is always so much tanner than my face.

[A]

Right. Because you're so good about sunscreen.

[B]

Yes. And I'm always, like, covered up with the hat. And so my face is probably three shades lighter than my actual body, but a ton of bronzer on to kind of match it. So I was like, okay, let me give this a try. I brought it. I just came back from Costa Rica. I brought it, and it was just like a beautiful sunscreen. I thought it was gonna turn, like, kind of more of a tanning color. It was like a normal sunscreen, and I do feel like it gave me a little bit of color, and it was just a great product that we used throughout our entire Costa Rica trip.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I have two last questions. For you, you and having fun. So I follow you on all the platforms. But I love on TikTok when we get little glimpses of just like maybe like a new person you're dating or just like fun things that you're doing, traveling. And I feel like, especially for moms, like we both have two kids, it's so hard to remember. Like, okay, before I like went into like mom mode and became a, like, what did I do for fun? And it feels like you're having a lot of fun in this chapter of your life. Yeah. What do you do for fun?

[B]

Huh? That is a good question. I like to dance.

[A]

You like to dance. So you like to go out and have fun?

[B]

I like to go. I don't go out much because. And this is a challenging part. I think it's more about finding my tribe at this age because so many of my friends are married and have kids. Whereas, like for me, every other week I don't have my girls because I'm co parenting. So when I first got divorced and I was. My girlfriends who they were supporting me and they were going out with me like every weekend. But they have full fledged families, they're married, they have jobs. After a few weeks, they're like, we love you, but like, we think you need to make some new friends now we're tired. So I think that gets a little hard. Hard finding a group of women kind of on that same wavelength and that freedom to be able to go out. But I think, yeah, I have my rhythm now. I have my kind of my core group. And I had a lot of fun though, during that period. Yeah, I've been out a lot.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

I got into creating content and it became just an obsessive passion of mine and it turned into this mega kind of career and job. I never really got to enjoy free time at a young age, so I was able to really do that in my late 30s and it was a great experience.

[A]

I love that for you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then I have to ask for women that are so busy running a business, raising children, what do you do to relax, to truly relax? Because I think it's something that really successful people struggle with.

[B]

Yeah, I struggle with it too. I mean, we just came back from Costa Rica and I think the only way to get me fully, I want to say relaxed because I think it's hard for me to relax unless I'm. I don't know, like there's no, no kids, no phone, nothing is something that takes like an insane amount of attention needed.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that is actually really good therapy for me. So we did this challenge course where we were, like, way up in the air, and you can't think at that point of anything else but that. And so just figuring out creative ways of trying new things that I never tried. I. I'm always in a place where I want to get inspired. So something where I can just kind of turn off my brain and focus on that one thing is something that I've been doing more of. My daughter is a horse rider, so I'm like, maybe I should give that a try. But I'm. I'm not going to lie. I'm not the best at relaxing, and I'm. It's a journey that I'm still trying to figure out how that looks like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

My relaxing is sleeping at this point, if I can.

[A]

Honestly. Very relatable.

[B]

I mean, how about you?

[A]

It's. I struggle with it as well. I think for me, it's watching really great content. So, like, watching movies or watching, like, really great series where it's just like, the phone's away and you're just, like, so enraptured in this, like, world of drama.

[B]

But that's why reality tv, everyone's obsessed with.

[A]

So I don't watch reality tv. It's not for me. I need. I need, like, actual. I need, like, a really well scripted, like, deep character development, like, bring me into a world. Right now I'm watching Mobland, Guy Ritchie's series with Tom Hardy and Helen Mirren, and it's just, like, so different from my life, but, like, I'm just so interested.

[B]

Yes. It just takes you to another place. Take me away for me, because I spend a lot of my time on planes for work. I'm always going somewhere. I love reading. I love fiction books, and I think that kind of gives that same experience.

[A]

At a much better level. Yes. At a much better level. I need to get better at reading books.

[B]

Well, I think it's because. Because I'm always tied to the screen.

[A]

You need a break.

[B]

I'm like, I don't want anything visual in front of me right now. I want to kind of use my imagination for once. And so I think that's why I resort to books when I can.

[A]

Yes. Ooh, can you give us a book recommendation for, like, something that's like a real page turner, just really just grabs you and pulls you in?

[B]

Okay, so this one is not fiction, but it is a page turner.

[A]

I regret almost everything I've been hearing about this book.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Yes. Tell me more.

[B]

It's an autobiography and he's the founder behind Balthazar.

[A]

Yeah. Very famous restaurateur. Yeah. Yes.

[B]

You just get so emotional and so attached to everything that he's going through. And you like someone who has everything, hates himself so much and you just get so wrapped up into his world.

[A]

Wow. You're the third person to mention that, really. So I need to read it.

[B]

It's really good.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I'm not done yet, but I'm almost done. And I went through that book faster than any other book that I've been through, so. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. I love when people can be really vulnerable and reveal the less attractive parts of themselves.

[B]

Yeah. And I also think there's something to be said of, at least for me, when it's an autobiography, you know, that someone's actually lived. Makes me feel more compassionate for people and situations.

[A]

Yes. Yes. My final question. When do you feel most beautiful?

[B]

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. Yeah. When I am at peace with myself at the end of the day.

[A]

I love that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Thank you so much, Christel, for sharing so beautifully today on Naked Beauty. It was such a pleasure getting to know you more.

[B]

Thank you for having me.

[A]

It's your birthday and you know, we don't give up.

[C]

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Hey everyone, I'm Robert Mayes, host of the Athletic Football show and I'm excited to welcome you to the 2025 season and everything new we've got going at Tafs. First and foremost, get ready for a whole new look. We're coming to you from the Athletic Football show studio in Chicago. Get the full experience by checking us out on our YouTube channel. Second, whether you watch on YouTube or listen to us on your podcast platform of choice, you'll hear a new voice. Dave Hellman joins Derek Classen and myself as the third host on the show, bringing a different perspective to the conversation. Finally, Dane Brugler is back with year round NFL Draft coverage with Building the Beast. No matter what type of NFL fan you are, there's something for you on the Athletic Football Show. Join us Monday Through Friday on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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