The influential blogger, creative and social media consultant and digital powerhouse shares her favourite beauty products with us and how she adapts her skincare routine to suit her busy lifestyle and a demanding Fashion Week schedule
What’s the secret to good skincare? While we wish the answer was as straightforward as the question, one point that all experts agree on is that great skin springs from forging a regime tailored to suit your individual needs, skin type, age and lifestyle.
So how does one of the most influential bloggers around do just that? We caught up with Peony Lim, one of the biggest around to find out. With her signature style having garnered a following of over 65,000 fans on Instagram , the extremely photogenic online influencer can be found writing inspirational, relatable, chic and sharp editorial for her website, peonylim.com , on all things fashion, food, lifestyle and travel, attending Fashion Weeks the world over and finding pieces to sell in her covetable online boutique.
With an online presence that sees her at the helm of fashion and beauty inspiration, how does the jet-setting trend-setter adapt her skincare routine to suit the needs of her skin as she gets older and the growing demands of her schedule? From her Fashion Week survival kit to her secrets to good skin from the inside out, here are the skincare tips we found out from the beauty herself.
GTG: What to you makes a beauty product indispensable?
PL: Easy use and quality. I don’t like products that require lots of steps; you just don’t end up using them. For me, quality is something you can’t really tell until you have tested it - it doesn't necessarily have to do with the price tag, it’s about caring for yourself and not just looking for a quick fix.
GTG: What are your main skincare concerns?
PL: My main concerns are adapting my skincare routine to suit its needs as I get older and making sure I respect my skin. That can be influenced by everything from the sun and good suncream, to gentle products and sleeping and drinking enough. I’m in my late twenties now and I can definitely see that my skin is changing as I approach 30. It’s lovely to be able to see my life and personality showing on my face more in laughter lines, but I am also aware that that is only attractive on healthy, glowing skin. My real nemesis is dry skin and that’s why I love Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair , £50 so much. It keeps my skin hydrated and does all the work while I rest.
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GTG: Fashion Week is always such a hectic time - how do you keep your energy levels up and skin camera ready?
PL: It’s such a busy time of year and so I make sure I always have my emergency kit with me. This means I never use really small bags for Fashion Week, but it’s a compromise I am willing to make. I always have a bottle of water with me, a good lip balm like AERIN Rose Lip Conditioner , £20, my iPhone with a full charge, my signature red lipstick - Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Unattainable , a Mason and Pearson hairbrush , £84, safety pins, tissues, a Max Mara Potus scarf , £348 (they can be so necessary in the changing weather of September), mints and Compeed Small Blister Plasters , £4.25.
The shows in Paris are the most theatrical and I look forward to them most, they always surprise me. I tend to wear heels, but I try and never wear new shoes - it’s a huge mistake! If I think I might have to walk, I bring my Stubbs & Wootton College Velvet Slip-ons , £295, just in case - you never know when there will be no cabs and running is the only option!
Most importantly though, I try and take care of myself during this busy time as with the travel and schedule it’s very easy to get run-down so I try and eat really healthily (a challenge on the road in a rush) and make sure I properly clean my hair and my face so all the products don’t build up using Clear Difference Purifying Exfoliating Mask , £35.
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GTG: How do you adapt your beauty regime to transition from summer to autumn?
PL: In the summer, I hardly wear any makeup - it’s all about bare skin for me and so I use a product like Estée Lauder DayWear Anti-Oxidant Beauty Benefit BB Crème SPF 35 , £34. The focus is on sun care and hair for me.
In the winter, my skin gets very dry so I have to really make sure I drink enough and get enough moisture in my skin. I wear more base in the winter to protect my skin from the weather.
GTG: What 3 things do you do every day to better equip your skin to cope with the demands of your lifestyle from the inside out?
PL: I do yoga, which cleanses my body and mind. I have a private yoga instructor who comes to my house and I love the yoga wear by Beyond Yoga . I also start my day with a cup of green tea (I like teapigs Mao Feng Green Tea , £3.99) and I only wear makeup when necessary as it means that my skin gets a break to breathe.
GTG: Being such an influential blogger, how do you switch off? How important are your night time rituals?
PL: So important - I really have to get 7 hours or I am a wreck. Part of getting a good night’s sleep for me is about prepping for bed, so that I’m in a calm and relaxed place. First, I brush my hair and put it in a loose bun to hold the curl overnight, then I brush my teeth - I’m all about an electric toothbrush for a proper fresh feel.
Finally, I always make sure that I take off all of my makeup and then I will apply a spot treatment like Clear Difference Targeted Blemish Treatment , £26 to any blips, followed by my Advanced Night Repair , £50 and Estée Lauder Swiss Performing Extract , £39.
In bed, I try and only read or listen to the radio to stop myself from looking at screens! BBC Radio 4 has some really informative shows in the evening and the news is a great thing to catch up on before bed. Finally, I put my Miniature Dachshund Thumbelina to bed!
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GTG: What’s the best piece of beauty advice that you’ve ever been given?
PL: I think the best tip I have ever been given was from my mother: it is so important to make sure if nothing else, that you brush your hair and wash your face every night. You would be amazed how many women don’t do this. It’s an absolute must for good skin and hair.
Follow us @getthegloss and Ayesha @Ayesha_Muttu .
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Created in collaboration with Estée Lauder .