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If there was ever a woman that made transitioning into motherhood look incredibly effortless, it’s Chriselle Lim. She gave birth to her daughter Chloe just a month ago, but she’s already back to work and blogging away on The Chriselle Factor, as if going through pregnancy and labor was no big thing (in reality, not exactly the case—see below). She makes mommyhood look seriously chic and enviable, and that isn’t exactly easy when you’ve just gone through an intensive labor. Somehow though, she does it, and we were dying to know how. So we hopped on the phone with the stylish mama to pick her brain, and she was more than happy to spill. She shared things like how motherhood has inspired her site, what her go-to beauty essentials are, and what staples ever mom needs to own. Read on to see it all.
SHEfinds: How has becoming a mom inspired your blog?
Chriselle Lim: Motherhood has added another layer to what we’ve always been doing. There’s a special touch to each post now, because I’m sharing personal stories aside from just doing outfit posts, and I think people have really responded well to that. Our engagement really sky rocketed after I gave birth to Chloe, and I really think that’s because people like to see the motherly side in people, it’s candid. Overall, the blog is a lot more personal now.
SF: Has your style evolved since becoming pregnant and having baby Chloe?
CL: For the most part, my style has mostly remained sleek, sophisticated, and effortless. I do have to get a bit more creative though as far as outfits go since I’m currently nursing. There are a lot pieces that I just can’t wear, especially things that have higher necks. I’ve been wearing lots of low v-necks and button-ups—things that are easily accessible.
I should mention my postpartum corset—I wear it every single day. People that read my site love hearing about that because it might look like I just jumped back into my old body, but I’m really not totally back to the shape I was before. But I’ve been openly talking about how I’ve been able to fake it on camera, and the post-partum corset has been a really big part of it.
SF: What are some key styling tips you have for new mommies?
CL: I would say to keep things easy and effortless. I think a lot of new mommies, myself included, expect to get back to their old bodies right away, but that’s not so realistic. I still look like I’m three-months pregnant, the baby bump’s not totally gone. But that’s okay, so don’t be so hard on yourself. When you’re looking for clothes, keep things easy and simple and go for airy pieces like dresses. I’m not quite back into my old jeans yet, unless I’m wearing my corset of course.
SF: Tell me about the best fashion hacks that all moms should know.
CL: 1.There is power in a great oversized hat, and every mom should have one—it works wonders at hiding under eye circles.
2. This one’s especially for new moms—you can always rely on a belt to add a bit of a waistline when you’re wearing something like an oversized dress.
3. Save yourself from ironing by bringing your shirts into the shower with you, the heat immediately takes out the wrinkles.
4. You don’t need a diaper bag, you can use a large tote that’s got a lot of pockets—it’s a lot cuter.
SF: What are your favorite pregnancy friendly pieces and brands?
CL: Hatch Collection was really amazing, I still wear a lot of their pieces—they’re so cute for pregnancy and postpartum too. H&M also had a lot of great maternity and oversized pieces. They also have amazing nursing bras. I also loved A Pea in a Pod when I was pregnant—they have a lot of great maternity jeans by AG and Seven. I loved wearing jeans when I was pregnant, because they made me look a lot slimmer.
I also wore a lot of oversized button downs, half of which I took from my husband’s closet. I thought they looked very chic and effortless with my maternity jeans.
SF: What are the staples that every mom needs in her closet?
CL: Definitely a great oversized white button up to act as a dress or a shirt tucked in. Another is a pair of boyfriend jeans because they’re really easy to wear and they’re the most comfortable thing to wear when you’re carrying around your little one and doing all sorts of errands.
Another staple is a really chic pair of flats. I automatically assumed that after I gave birth that I’d just jump back into my high heels, but I’m still in flats. I prefer mine to be pointy since they streamline any look, especially if you’re going for more of a casual look.
SF: What are your beauty essentials?
CL: I never leave the house without a bright red lip on. There’s not much time for me to be spend on doing my makeup, but a bright lip is just enough to really makes you look more alive and a bit more done up. Another must is my concealer—it’s crazy how little sleep you get—my under eye circles are outrageous right now. I’ve been using Clu de Peu, and it’s my absolute favorite. It literally hides tattoos, so you can only imagine what it can cover on your face.
I also always carry around a mist. My skin used to be a bit more oily, but ever since I gave birth I’ve been going through a hormonal change and my skin tone and texture got a little dry. I just mist my face in the middle of the day and everything resets back into place. My last beauty essential is this BB cream by Iope. It has this amazing air cushion that really locks in the moisture on my skin. It leaves me looking dewy, fresh and awake. It’s also incredibly light, which is perfect for me because I don’t want to feel too heavy.
SF: What would you say the biggest difference is between blogging pre-Chloe and blogging now?
CL: Pre-baby we were mainly focused on fashion and style, but ever since I became a mom we really diversified into a lifestyle site that includes a lot of beauty. Overall, the content pool is much larger. We realized that our audience loves beauty, and we really try to preach healthy, organic beauty. I share a lot of homemade recipes that I learned from my mom since she’s such a beauty junkie. We were doing that before, but not as heavily as now. And I also sprinkle in little personal posts about Chloe and I.
We’ve grown to capture an audience that really wants to learn about a great, healthy lifestyle. Beauty isn’t just about fashion, it’s about taking care of yourself and having a personal life and spending time with family.
SF: How have you been able to redefine yourself as a mom without losing your identity? You’re a very public figure, and you’ve just gone through this crazy transition, but somehow you’re still managing, and you make it seem so effortless.
CL: I think it’s important to always remember why and how you got started. Although I want to upload pictures of Chloe every five seconds, it’s really important for my team and I to keep true to our brand identity. Our sole focus has always been fashion and styling, and teaching other women how to feel great about themselves. Sure, the mommy stuff is there, but it’s on the side. It’s something that I post here and there. Everyone knows that I’m a mom now, but my goal is to help other women with style, and I’m constantly reminding myself of that.
Chriselle recently spoke about transitioning her blog as a mom at The Create + Cultivate conference in LA. Check out who else was on the panel here.
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[Photo: The Chriselle Factor]
