For those of you who have been following me for a while, you know how nostalgic and monumental this moment is for me. I started my career in college with my blog, The Chriselle Factor, where I chronicled every piece of my life—from beauty hacks and fashion tips to life updates and personal moments. It was a huge part of my life for 15 years, and I’m beyond excited to finally bring her back!
The Chriselle Factor is now a newsletter on Substack, where you’ll receive all the nitty-gritty details directly from me. The full story, the behind-the-scenes, the juice—everything in between. From a deep dive into every beauty product, procedure, and skin treatment I’ve had, to the supplements that are non-negotiables in my daily routine, my workouts, my fave recipes from Umma Lim and my French Fiance, my travel guides (a full Seoul list coming soon!), and of course, personal moments. So, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a newsletter! This will be my way of connecting with you on a deeper, more meaningful level.
With that said, I wanted to kick off this first post with a personal moment that I’ve kept to myself for over a year now…
I’m engaged!!
So this is how it happened…
It was the winter of last year when Seb got down on one knee and proposed to me. We met four years ago in Paris and what seemed impossible we made possible. We both have two kids, and we’ve both been married before. I rarely show him on my socials—though I do talk about him a lot—but I’ve learned to keep some special moments sacred for myself. That’s why, when he proposed a year ago, I decided to keep it just between close friends and family. Intentionally and purposefully—those are the words I live by now.
We went ring shopping together because I wanted a ring that truly represented us—our love and our two families coming together. I call it our patchwork family. We found a stunning, classic, and simple toi et moi ring, which symbolizes the blending of our families and also subtly resembles an infinity sign.
People keep asking when the wedding is, but to be honest, we don’t have a date, and we’re not in any rush. This engagement is our next step in commitment, and we’re just enjoying this chapter of our journey together.
The thing I’m most proud of is that I didn’t let my heart harden after everything I've been through. I allowed love to flow in, and it led me here—because I always asked myself, but what if it does work out? I didn’t allow my doubt and fears to take over. And here we are. We’ve built a beautiful life together with both our kids, following our passions, building our businesses, enjoying life, and having fun along the way. I’ve found a true companion and best friend in him that I couldn’t have imagined. There is so much respect, admiration, companionship, and love between us.
I promised myself I wouldn’t overshare about my personal relationships and kids, so here are a few never-before-seen photos of us simply enjoying being engaged!
Next newsletter I’ll be sharing my Mexico City guide and everything I packed, ate, visited, etc. I’m also working on my Seoul list which is a long one! Get ready guys and I’m so excited to connect with you guys here beyond a 30 second reel!! Meaningful moments, information, ideas shared together! The Chriselle Factor is back, and I couldn’t be more excited!!!
PS. So so so happy to be here and can’t wait to connect with you all!