Peony Lim

We chatted to Peony Lim, the fashion and beauty blogger who has attracted a loyal following thanks to her signature chic style, dark glossy hair and a long-standing obsession with beautiful flowers. Peony reveals how she uses face products on her body, why she’ll always love TV in the tub and her fail-safe trick for making Monday morning wakeups that little bit easier…

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The Wind Down

I travel a lot for work, which means any weekends spent at home are precious. They are also the ideal chance to catch up on some life admin, jobs like tidying your wardrobe or organising the kitchen, so I try and keep them low-key with little or no plans. Usually I’ll only leave the house to take my dog Thumbelina out for a walk. She is the best, she’s like a little shadow so wherever I go she’ll be right behind me. My wind down usually starts about 4pm, which is when I’ll sit down and have a think about the week ahead. Usually I’ll open up my laptop, catch up on some emails and take a look at my diary for the week so I know what I’ve got coming up. Face masks are always the first step of my wind down. There such an easy way to treat skin. I love the Eve Lom Rescue Mask and Glamglow’s Treatment Mask. I also love a sheet mask like La Mer’s.

The Routine

I don’t usually have a bath but sometimes if I’m really in the mood for one, I’ll have a shower and then a bath – it’s quite indulgent! I usually do the mucky bits of my routine in the shower, starting with a body scrub like Tata Harper’s Body Scrub or Ren’s Moroccan Rose Body Polish to exfoliate and then I’ll hop in the bath with a lovely oil like Sausanne Kaufmann’s or one of her bath soaks. Not only do they smell delicious, but they also have the benefit of moisturising your skin too. The Byredo shower products are so decadent, I love the Rose of No Man’s Land Body Wash. I’m one of those people that has a bath rack which should be for your book but inevitably I end up watching a Netflix series that I’m addicted too. It’s the perfect downtime. Before I was pregnant, I loved a thriller or a true crime drama, but recently I’ve been having crazy dreams, so I’ve been enjoying more light-hearted and frivolous shows.

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My facial routine is all about moisturising for dewy, plump skin. I start by using a foaming cleanser like La Mer’s The Cleansing Gel, then I layer on my serums. At the moment I use the intense Hydrating Booster from Sarah Chapman and La Mer’s Lifting Contour Serum. I keep a little drawer with my favourites together so I can access them easily. During the day I prefer a gel-based moisturiser, as I think they sit well under makeup. Then I pat in my eye cream, By Terry’s Liftessence Eye Cream has a rich and hydrating texture, which feels soft on skin. For my SPF, I like Evy Technology’s Sunscreen Mousse SPF30, or if I’m wearing makeup Dr. David Jack’s All Day Long.

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I try to avoid drying my hair and prefer to leave it to dry naturally after washing as that means I can use heat to style it if I want. Changing my style is fun, I used to love a pin curl but now I switch it up more often. I try and apply a hair mask once a week. I also love Sisley’s Regenerating Hair Care Mask with Botanical Oils.

I’m an occasional fake-tanner, I naturally go quite dark in the sun, so I always try and find a product to mimic that and suit my skin tone. The Tan-Luxe Body Drops work really well for me, which I mix in with a moisturiser. When it comes to body products, I’m quite adventurous and love trying something new. Since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve been very conscious of stretch marks so I’ve been spending lots of time trying to hydrate and moisturise my body. I’ve got a two-step body care moisturising routine, first I slather on Aurelia’s Body Serum and then the Hydrating Mist from Revive. It’s so easy and effortless, I just spritz it all over my torso and it sinks in really quickly. Then I’ll lock in all the moisture with a body butter or a body oil. The Kiehl’s Crème de Corps and the Ren body oils are lovely. I think it’s so important to treat your body well and I’m not afraid of using face products on my body, I don’t think you should be too restrictive. I think dedicating time to your body is my best feel-good tip, whether it’s exfoliating or hair removal, just spending a little more time caring for yourself is a treat.

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Bedtime

I’m obsessed with Eve Lom Balm Cleanser, it’s the original cleanser by Eve Lom and I’ve used it since I was about 15. I buy those massive jumbo pots of it, it takes off everything even waterproof mascara, so I always cleanse with that and a muslin cloth just before bed. Then I’ll use a richer moisturiser in the evening, sometimes I’ll even use a sleep mask, like Revive Masque De Volume or the Dr Sebagh Rose De Vie Hydrating Mask. I usually apply it like a moisturiser and then leave it on overnight. Then I’ll slather on Sisley’s Confort Extreme Lip Balm. I used to have an alarm on my phone set for 10pm that I set to tell me to start heading upstairs and getting ready for bed. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t last long! I’m pretty happy if I’m asleep and in bed by about 11.30pm, I do really cherish sleep and I try to get about 7 hours if I can. I try and avoid using my phone, it’s much easier to fall asleep if you’ve been reading in bed.

Monday Morning

I wake up at a different time every day, because the nature of my work is very changeable. Recently, we got a Lumie light, which we love as it helps to bring you into consciousness slowly so you feel a lot better in the morning and it’s easier to wake up. I try not to snooze my alarm as I think once it’s gone off you don’t really sleep properly again. Pre-pregnancy, I used to wake up early and workout, but now I take things a lot slower and I’ll have breakfast and a cup of tea and then it’s time to start my morning skincare routine.

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