I am really enjoying writing in this space. It’s so fun, sweet, and I usually write my posts when V rolls off of me during her nap time which is a win-win for both of us.

I’ve been sharing a little bit on instagram on how since having Vera my creativity and inspiration has not only wavered, but it’s been on radio silence. Which I feel like is a post in and of itself about motherhood, postpartum and finding your identity again. It’s one of those things that nothing and no one prepares you for. You can hear stories, or witness others go through it, but until it runs through your cells, soul, and self you don’t know, until you know. It’s also not everyone’s experience, but it’s been mine.

Slowly over the past few months I’ve felt it coming back in many different ways, so in today’s post I wanted to share some of the things that are inspiring me. Small, fun, and tangible things that might ignite something within you too.

Art. Art is beauty, and beauty is art. We all have different tastes, preferences, views, values, eyes, but I think we can all agree that art speaks to us, and through us. I personally have not purchased a lot of art in my forty years earth side. The first actual piece of art we bought was in 2020 when we commissioned a line drawing from a local Canadian artist using 3 words that we gave her. She created the most beautiful line drawing ( art created using one consecutive brush stroke) called “One Soul”. It’s something we cherish, and apart from our Noguchi lamp, it’s the only other thing we moved with us to Costa Rica. Now that we are slowly settling into our new house, we purchased our second piece. This stunning piece from the artist Brittany Ferns. While the original canvas piece was sold out, this “Where Sun meets Moon” print is so special. It really feels like it embodies the masculine (sun), with the feminine (moon) energy within our home. A constant reminder of the union, duality, and harmony, of both energies. It should be arriving this week, and just looking at it inspires me in many ways.

Jewelry. I’ve been looking at it a lot lately as my wedding band got damaged a few months ago, and it’s usually all I wear. Although I love my engagement ring, I just don’t love bigger diamonds for everyday wear. I’ve been pursuing a replacement for fun, even though I know I am sticking to a classic eternity band in white gold.

Jewelry is something that I do not own a lot of, as almost everything I have is a heirloom or gift. It’s probably not a surprise that I am a massive minimalist when it comes to jewelry, and more a “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory” type of woman. I like classic styles, understated elegance and simple designs. While I do not collect or own a lot of jewelry, I love looking at it for inspiration, as the craftsmanship and designs are always so mesmerizing and beautiful. So many use precious metals, and gemstones, which are true gifts from the beauty of mama earth.

It’s also something I think about more often, as I will now pass on everything to my daughter one day, so it’s both an investment and an heirloom piece for Vera (something my husband also loves to hear haha…). The pieces I still have from my Mother (who passed when I was 18), are so incredibly sacred and special. Even though they are material items, they hold a very, very special energy and sentiment to them, and to me. I know this to be true, so it is something I think about.

It terms of designers I especially love this, and this for more luxury/investment pieces and this brand, which is more everyday wear. Oh, and this one too. So many classic pieces but with a cool twist.

Jewelry is also something I always notice on other people, as it’s such a beautiful statement, and really creates a sense of personal style and expression.

I know matcha has been having its moment, but I remember quietly sipping it back in 2013 when it was still under the radar in North America, and wasn’t readily available. It’s always been something that inspires me — the colour, ceremony, culture, richness, depth and beauty of it all. I’ve been obsessed since my first sip, and still wake up every morning excited for my first sip of matcha. Since Radiance Matcha has been on hiatus (my farm still cannot give me dates), I’ve been inspired by so many other brands! I’ve tried at least twenty different matcha’s and love tasting and experiencing their uniqueness. While many were not for me (they weren’t bad, I’m just crazy picky in terms of taste and quality), I found some favourites in my field testing.

This one is a local Costa Rican brand which I get at my local health shop all the time, and actually really love. It’s super umami, rich, creamy, and insanely smooth. I’ve also ordered this one three times, and this one four times. I’m continuing to try some new ones are my radar, so I’m excited to see how they compare. Constantly being inspired!

Books! A forever source of inspiration, expansion, fun and beauty. Growing up I loved reading, then went through a period in my 20’s and 30’s where I really waxed and waned on the pleasure reading front. But when I moved to Costa Rica I picked it back up again and now I can’t stop.

Since living here I read on average two books a month, and love it so much. While my genres and books alternate and flow through non-fiction to fiction, super heady, spiritual, serious, and some classic literature, recently they have been romance fiction, both sweet and spicy. I’m not ashamed to admit that after a full day of toddling with my almost two year old trying to absorb any new information, my nervous system just says n-o. Give me all the romance, and all the love stories. Enter the genre of romance novels, some deeply cheesy and fun like watching a romantic comedy on TV, and some beautiful, deep love stories that depict real life and love. Also a little fun and fantasy is good and healthy. These have been some of my favourites:

The Wedding People, Strangers (only non-fiction but was really powerful), Deep End (had no idea how spicy this was going to be, but woah), Seven Husbands of Evelyn Huge, Our Perfect Storm (I loved all Carley Fortune books), Dolly All the Time, Fourth Wing, and The Paper Palace.

So many more, but these are some of my favourites which are perfect for the beach, a cozy night in, or like me after the whole house is clean and asleep.

I am also on the hunt for a bunch of coffee table books. I just sourced two that I was looking for at the bookshop in town — this and this, and this one is on my Wishlist. I’m inspired by many things, but living two minutes from the beach, these books just feel so sunny, warm, and refreshing to have in our home. I love these that aren’t beach, but are also inspiring me— this , and this.

Slow living. We moved to Costa Rica three years ago when my husband got offered a job here, and haven’t left. The pace is hard to describe unless you’re living here, as it’s a huge adjustment to the regular rhythms of life, at least that is what I’ve found. It’s slow, intentional, zero traffic, nature focused, minimal infrastructure (unless you go to the capital, San Jose), and very Pura Vida (Pure Life), when it comes to all things. We live in the Guanacaste region which is known for its beaches, beach houses, and super hot and sunny climate!

Having lived all my adult life in big cities, Cape Town, New York and then Toronto, moving here was a huge adjustment. It took my nervous system a few months to actually decompress, wind down, and sink into the natural rhythm of life here. You can’t order things online and get them same or next day (we use a shipping company and it still takes 2-3 weeks, sometimes more), you don’t pop around to the corner shop, good cafes are minimal, there is no uber or uber eats, furniture shopping or any shopping for that matter is a mission, and things are just much slower in every area of life.

On the other hand it’s also so insanely beautiful, biodiverse, the sun is beyond healing and we navigate our days around sunrises, tides, sunsets and surf, people are happy (it’s the 4th happy place in the world when it comes to rankings), fresh local food is in abundance, almost all beef here is grass fed and finished as they graze all year on grass, you buy your coconut water from an actual coconut that you crack, days start and end at the beach, and for me it’s led to a nervous system that is at peace. Not to say I (we) don’t have stress, challenges, pressure, etc… but handling life’s ups and downs is infinitely smoother when life and the pace around you is slower, at least that has been my experience living within this rhythm.

I also believe our slow living has brought abundance in. We bought our first house ever, sold it, purchased the one we are currently in, purchased our first cars, got pregnant super swiftly, and had our baby girl, Vera, here. Not to focus on the material, as so much exists beyond that, but also to highlight how stuck and stagnant we were living in the city for a decade (just our experience and manifestation of city living for, as this is the opposite for many, as so many thrive in cities). I can say without a doubt living in CR, near the beach, with a lifestyle that is much slower, fully in sync with natures circadian rhythms (all year it gets light at 5am and dark at 6pm), much calmer, happier, that we were able to create and manifest more rapidly than ever before.

Note: I am only speaking about my personal experience. This is not exclusive to Costa Rica or anywhere for that matter. This is just my take on it, and how we are choosing to live our life. Also I love cities, I miss things and people a lot. Sometimes it can feel too slow haha, but it comes in waves, and at the end of the day I’m so insanely grateful for this little life we have created here. We also won’t be living here forever, so while we are here I am soaking it in, and truly cherishing and relishing in these scared moments, seasons, and Pura Vida life.

90’s mothering. I was born in the mid 80’s, so my whole childhood spanned throughout the 90’s. I love the fashion, the music, the art, the interior design, the lifestyle, all of it. I’m a child of the 90’s, and bringing back this energy feels very refreshing to me.

Landlines, sleep overs, walking to and from school nearly every day, and our parents just trusting that we arrived safely because there was no smartwatch or tracking device, no organized playdates we just made do with neighbours or kids we found playing, blockbuster movie nights, trampolines and sprinklers, making up dances in my room, reading sweet valley high, simply doing nothing while listening to music on my CD player, rollerblading, being bored and having a lot of independence and freedom.

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed since having a baby is the expectations society puts on our babies and kids today to grow up faster. Sleep alone in a room after just coming out of the womb, when adults don’t even like sleeping alone, have the baby feed itself at 6 months, be little humans and obey commands, develop quickly and intelligently, during wake windows do flash cards, always keep baby and toddler stimulated and educated, zero this, zero that, it’s actually wild. And while yes independence is important, I do feel we’ve gone a little crazy in this social media era.

The beauty and blessings of parenting in the 90’s is that they often led through intuition, environment, and education from elders or a small handful of experts. There were no screens, social media, experts, courses, thousands of books, online psychologists, etc… honestly I’m sure a lot of our parents learned some things through parenting experts on Oprah. And in no way were our parents perfect or that parenting was easier, I feel like they simply had a more real and honest foundation built outside of comparison, competition, and pressure. Of course society and technology has evolved and we are living in different times, so it’s not about comparing past and present, it’s more about brining back some of that essence, and energy back which I have been doing in my own ways.

I will also say parents and mothering is wild. I understand when parents simply have to do what is best for them. Again, you don’t know until you know, and while it’s such a wild ride, it’s also the best one. My favourite chapter yet.

Fashion and my personal style has also been inspiring me, but I will save that for its own post, as I have a lot to share and link…until then.

I hope you enjoyed this, as much as I did writing it. Have a beautiful week.

xo L

Let’s chat beauty and skincare, because it’s one of my favourite topics to talk about. It’s definitely a hobby at this point, and quite truthfully it’s just something I love. Over the past twenty years I’ve tried a lot of products, but I continue to be loyal to my all time favourites, while also still testing and trying new products out because it’s fun, while also improving my skins health overall!

Before we begin — when it comes to skin I always want to be super transparent. I haven’t done a single injection, treatment, procedure, laster or anything at all really. I don’t get facials anymore, as I don’t have immediate access to them here in Costa Rica, so skincare does a lot of heavy lifting for me (lifestyle, and nutrition are huge too!). The products I use matter, and are highly researched, and I would never recommend products for monetary purposes, or content. It’s not something I take lightly, as I know how important our body and skin is to all of us. It’s an organ we should take care of, and if I am going to spend money on products I want them to be effective for myself, but also for you! Here are some of my new and old skincare loves:

After knowing about this brand since its launch in 2013, I had yet to try it. I heard so much about it, but could not bring myself to spend the money on it. After coming out of a two year sleep deprivation — co-sleeping, no sleep training, (all my choice of course), but V not being a great sleeper since birth, has led to a lot of lost sleep. I decided to treat myself and my skin. I purchased both the essence and the serum, and while they were beautiful, a lovely ritual, for the price it just didn’t do much for me. After two decades of trying products, I know it takes time for things to reveal themselves sometimes when it comes to products, these just didn’t “wow” me like some of the other things I have tried and used. So while they are incredibly luxurious, sensorial, and beautiful I personally would not buy again. It could just be my skin, and the season I am in, so I wouldn’t not recommend trying them if you are curious, they simply were not a fit for my skin.

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum is this serum which I just purchased my 6th (!!!) bottle of a few weeks ago. While I love trying new things, I am also a complete loyalist. I first discovered this when I was pregnant and stopped using my MV retinol, and have used it off and on since having my daughter. I noticed a difference in my skin right away, which you can’t say for many products. While pregnant, and even while postpartum, in my depths of sleep deprivation my skin was glowing. When I look back at that time, whenever I had a bottle of this my skin was noticeably more radiant, even toned, and soft. I honestly tell everyone about this product, and could not recommend it more.

When I started with this I used two bottles of level II first, and then moved up to level III as I knew my skin could handle it. So depending on your skin you might want to try I, II, and then III, or go straight to II or III. If you purchase it here, you automatically get 30% off at checkout or you can use my code: LISAOCONNOR at checkout. If you have used it, or try it out please let me know how it goes.

I also have this cream on my Wishlist too!

I ran out of my beloved MV Vitamin C serum a few weeks back, and felt the urge to try something new. I discovered this brand when I tried their retinol alternative while pregnant, which I loved and also repurchased. I kept on looking at their vitamin C formulation and felt the deep pull to try it out. This one also contains E and Ferulic acid which pair well with a potent vitamin C. I have a feeling I will already be repurchasing.

I am a massive, massive fan of May Lindstrom. I first found her products back in 2012 when I was dealing with persistent and very intense acne. I was really in the depths of my skin back then and I remember e-mailing May (the business email I found on the website) asking what products she would recommend and what she would do in a case like mine. She not only gave me the sweetest, kindest and most helpful advice she literally sent me three of her top picks for FREE! She didn’t know me at the time (later we had connected a few times for podcasts, and catch ups), but she genuinely wanted me to experience her creations, and to help heal my skin. Not only did they help, but she really inspired me in my love for all things skin, and creating beauty in this world no matter how or what that looks like. May is someone who literally exudes radiance, and golden light, and her passion for what she creates is honestly one of a kind, especially in the beauty world. I hadn’t used her products in sooo long, but a few weeks ago I heard her on a podcast and it brought back so many memories and reminded be of the power, beauty and efficacy of her products. Immediately after I purchased this, this, and this and got gifted a full size of this as a gift with purchase. May is one of the most generous and beautiful skincare founders out there, and cannot recommend her products enough.

This is very new to me. I’ve never done a micro needling session or used something like this before, but I’ve been curious for years. I’ve been following the founder Jamie (former esthetician) for years and I love her (now) more natural approach to skin and lifestyle. After she got really bad botox poisoning a few years back, she did a a complete 180 with all of her skincare treatments and routines, and found using a gentle roller like this over time was way better than any in office treatments she used to offer and do herself. Micro needling is amazing for tone, texture, and overall health of skin externally, but also the deeper layers that help to stimulate collagen production. I’ve been wanting to try something like this for a while, as living in a tropical climate, and now being a mama, my skin is definitely needing a little extra love. I’m going to try this one out and see how it goes!

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I could skin talk forever, but that’s it for now. What I will say is that although I don’t do much for my skin in terms of treatments, appointments, injections, all the things… I still take deep care of my skin from the inside out. It’s our largest organ and I want it to be healthy and strong into old age. Less is always more for me, but also choosing to take care of it takes time, intention and is an investment.

See you soon,

xo L

It’s been awhile, but I am excited to be back. If I am being honest, I think I was putting too much pressure on myself to write more long form on this platform, which I think I will sprinkle in, but at this moment in time I simply do not have the mental capacity or time. So we are going to dig right back in with my favourite posts to do — things I am loving, in my cart, on my wish list, and open tabs.

This dress. It would be in my cart if my size was in stock, so for now it’s on my wishlist. It’s honestly the most perfect dress. A little mini, the perfect square neck, thin straps, the most beautiful low-ish back, and the chocolate colour is so chic, yet different. Will be waiting patiently.

I don’t know how I don’t own this bag, as it’s been a classic forever. It’s the perfect everything bag. Being a mom now calls for big bags, and with some travel coming up this summer, and endless beach trips living near the beach, makes this bag a no brainer. It’s in my cart and ready to go. I’m opting for large, black trimmed, long handles, and no monogram (I am not a monogram person).

To all the mama’s, and aunts out there. These kid and baby clothes!! I am obsessed with them. Vera already has this whole outfit above, and I’ve since ordered a few more things. Everything is 100% Gots certified Organic Cotton, and the fit, feel, and sizing is just perfection. I do love buying clothes for her, and she already loves picking them out, so we are having fun over here as a girl mom.

I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve tried probably a good thirty white tanks or more, and the quest is not over. When it comes to fashion and dressing I am into uniform, staples, and classic foundational pieces, the white tank being one of them. This one is in my cart and I’m excited to try it, as I saw someone wearing it on IG and it looked like the perfect fit, and ratio of sheerness vs opaque.

We are still settling into our home that we moved into at the end of last year. Between my husband and I, who is a Taurus, we have so many taurus placements that we can move slowly when it comes to some things, most notably design. We purchase things one by one, and really, really think things over a lot. Decorating this house has taken a long time since we sold our previous house fully furnished. We moved here with nothing, literally only our clothes, so it’s taken some time to really make it a home. Our main priority was changing the kitchen cabinets, and replacing all of the doors with custom teak ones (still in process as there are many doors), so it’s taken awhile to really focus on finer details. We just purchased our first art piece for the house (will share in another post), and finally hung our Noguchi lamps this weekend. During the lamp project I also got the idea to panel the whole back wall with wood behind the bed. Went on Pinterest immediately and found the best inspiration, so stay tuned, I think a wooden panelled wall is in the future.

I’ve had these as an open tab for months! I usually wear these as a daily sandal, but these would be perfect for nights out, or even when I am wanting to wear something a little more “dressed up”. I haven’t worn heels in years, but sometimes it’s nice to feel a little more put together than rubber thongs :)

I also somehow don’t own a long black silk slip. I think they are perfect for everything. Daytime, nights out, wedding attire, travel, literally everything. There are so many different ones out there, but this is the OG, and it’s in my cart right now.

Speaking of weddings and slips, I got married eight years ago, and wore a $300 slip I purchased from Etsy, which I loved. But if I were to go back I would have gotten something from their bridal atelier, as it is completely up my alley. Minimal, high quality, effortless, and timeless. We got married in the forest with less than twenty guests, had a homemade meal in a cabin, I threw on a chunky knit over my slip while we ate over candle light and we flew to Paris the next morning. It was very us, and I could not recommend a low key wedding more. I know it’s quite niche, but it was zero stress, and 1000/10 intimate.

This lip oil. It is the best. I have it on subscription, it’s so pure you don’t have to worry about it getting in your mouth. It keeps your lips insanely hydrated, it lasts so long, and it gives the right amount of gloss for your lips. Holy grail. Try it and let me know what you think.

It’s good to be back.

That’s it for now, see you soon <3

xo L

WHAT A YEAR! I am sure we can all agree in our own way.

It was my first full year as a mama, house sales, finding and purchasing a new home which was a saga, two big house moves, the endless ups, downs, and in-betweens of LIFE, and while it doesn’t feel like a slowing down, this time of year always feels like a huge reset and refresh. I want to keep this short and sweet, as I feel like we are all coming to the end of this year majorly overstimulated. So much information, screens, posting, scrolling, consuming, creating, thinking, doing, messaging, calls, DM’s, posts, voice notes, videos… it really is endless these days, and one of my hopes and visions for this substack is to create a cool, calm, grounded and fun space for you to land. Take what resonates, and leave everything else. I am still mapping out how I want to move forward with this space, but I am having so much fun writing long form, and sharing what I love…so more to come in 26’.

I know there are a million gift guides floating around the web space right now, and there is lots of holiday shopping going on, so I am not going to do a gift guide in the traditional sense, as it is sensory consumption overload, but will share Open Tabs 02. This is everything I have bought, am eyeing, loving, in my cart, and some things just for fun! Maybe you’ve tried some of these, already have them, or will love them as much as me, here we go…

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While I do love skincare, the other side of the external beauty, skincare and makeup business is the ingestable skin and beauty industry. Supplements, powders, tinctures, products, herbs, which is also quite endless. There are so many things you can take, and if you wanted to, you could literally add in a new product a week…maybe even a day? We consume, I know I do, but for me it has to be intentional. Like I said in Part 01, I am not a complete purist, and I do love the products that I love. I will never hide that, or pretend I just use rose water and oil. I like good, clean, and natural external, and internal skin, beauty and wellness products, but for me they must be effective, and actually work.

Having been in the nutrition/wellness industry for almost fifteen years now (I got certified as a Holistic Nutritionist in 2011/2012) I have tried a lot, I’ve put my clients on many protocols, and supplement regimes, and I have gone through my own major health and healing journey that spanned almost a decade long, with severe acne being a part of that. While I no longer practice as a Nutritionist, I still really love the internal wellness landscape. I have gone through periods of taking over fifty supplements a day (which I would never do again), trying out wild healing modalities like bee venom therapy, the rife machine, ultraviolet blood therapy, endless healers, and practitioners to name a few. I have seen so many ups and downs in my own physical health, and ultimately my skin, which is a huge mirror and window into the internal landscape. What we put on our skin matters, but what we put in our bodies, for our skin and body, really matters the most. The internal will always affect the external.

All of this to say, and I could go on, but will stop here, I have seen, tried, trialled, experienced and witnessed a lot these past 15 years, both personally and professionally. I’ve never been into trends, so do not fall prey to things easily, so when I recommend a product I 100% stand behind it. I want to preface with that, as I do not take it lightly. Even when I was working with clients I treaded lightly as I know it can be a slippery slope online with millions of influencers, products, trends, celebrities, etc… and I do not want people wasting their money.

I am not going to go into my current supplement regime, as that is one area that I don’t believe anyone should ever replicate, as everyone’s body is so insanely individual for the season of life you are in. I change things up all the time, especially now that I am still in a postpartum season, and still breastfeeding on demand. What my body *needs* is completely different from yours.

But I will still be sharing lots, so not to worry. (:

I know there is a lot out there right now. Stacks, routines, injections, endless supplements, peptides, detoxes, technologies, etc…. so I want to keep it simple, foundational, and as close to natural and nature as possible. Most of the what I list are from nature (herbs, flowers, plants), and the supplements I do list are the best I can find, and truly make a difference when taking them (not just expensive urine).

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These past few years have been super transitional…A move to Costa Rica, living at a resort for 11 months with no kitchen, purchasing our first home, having to repurchase everything down to kitchen forks and glasses (we moved with nothing but clothes!), to then putting up our house for sale only three months later, selling it fully furnished, closing on new house, having to re-buy almost everything again, all while pregnant, postpartum and now with a 14 month old! It’s been a lot, but I am excited to now be settling in, and grounding into our home and life here. Before moving to CR I got rid of almost everything, except for some clothes and the things that are very sentimental to me.

I wanted to start a series here that gives a little BTS into my tabs browser, as I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of tabs open at all times. Most of them are things I am looking to buy, will be purchasing, researching as I am in want/need of “x” thing, or sometimes it’s just purusing some things that I am loving at the moment.

When I was writing the first post to substack and looking back on leeselooks, I used to do these types of posts over 17 years ago! I did roundups of my favourite things, songs, blogs, websites, and I’ve continued to do them in some form or another on the lifebyleese blog, and then in ARL newsletter. I love links, I love curating, and I love purchasing things that will be loved, used, and that spark excitement within me, and in some way create and cultivate beauty for me in my day to day life.

Without further a do, here are all my open tabs right now:

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In this post I share every detail, product, link, step, and thought process that goes into my current skincare line up.

I am extremely mindful of what I put in and on my body, but I am no purist. It’s just not possible in the world we live in, I wouldn’t want to be. It’s just not who I am. But I do read labels, check all ingredients and products out on verified databases, and aim for the most natural and non-toxic products on the market. Now being a mother I am even more mindful, as whatever I use ends up in, on or around my baby girl. It also still shocks me when I read that women on average use 168 chemicals on their body daily! It’s not just a few, it’s a lot. Not to alarm, or fear fonger, but many of the personal and self care products contain ingredients with known or suspected health risks. That is all I am going to say about that, as again I don’t want to fear monger, or judge, but it’s important for me to note. I can’t talk about beauty, and products without acknowleding this, as women use so many products these days, and it absolutely adds up. Ultimately everything we do is up to us, and we can use what we wish. But if I can offer some better and effective options than I will. Take or leave what you wish.

With that being said, I am not a rose water and jojoba oil only woman (which I have done before to help clear the very stubbourn acne I had starting in 2010). I love intentional beauty, natural skincare, skincare branding and packaging, wellness products, and trying new things.

I do have my staples that I will share below, outlining my exact steps, products, and regime, but I also love trying new things, rotating things in and out, so I will share those things as they come up (ie. round ups of new and favourite things for the month!).

This was last year, 2024 when I was about 7 months pregnant. No make up, no filter, no nothing just morning skin post meditation, and with one of my top internal skin superstars (matcha !!!). Also as I write this I am actually three weeks out from getting those above moles removed. I was sad to get them removed, as I loved how they looked, but they almost doubled in size, and morphed during pregnancy and postpartum, so it was time to get them removed. They are still healing, and it will definitely take some work to work on the scars, but I will post about scar treatment, pigmenation and acne marks at a later date, as I have had a lot of experience healing all of them.

While I could go on, and on about skin, and I will be doing many skin and beauty posts, let’s lay the foundation. Below I share my current skincare regime step by step in every fine detail, morning to night, as a postpartum mama who has not had a full nights sleep since before my daughter was born.

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The thing is I still do, which brings me to creating this substack. In many ways I feel it’s still an extension of LEESELOOKS, which then transitioned into LIFEBYLEESE which married my love of fashion and wellness, and then in 2020 A RADIANT LIFE was born which continued to combine lifestyle, design, wellness and all the things I loved. They were all blogs and I only posted what lit me up, and shared the things that felt real, authentic, simple and true to me. If it resonated with someone great, if not, than we all know that we are truly not for everyone.

After my pregnancy and birth I found myself stripped of many things: teaching kundalini, my podcast, programs and ebooks I had created, nutrition and healing 1:1 practice. The only thing that remained is my other baby, RADIANCE MATCHA, which will continue to be apart of my life, and yours. Matcha has been a staple for me, for the past fifteen years. It’s something that I not only love consuming every day, but something I deeply love to share with others. It feels like it’s interwoven into my life, rituals, beauty regime, and the health benefits are a major bonus.

This all brings me to present day.

ARL is going to be a collection of all my favourite things, like it always has been since my original blogger days. It will be heavy on curation, links and production recommendations, as I stand by and fiercly love the things I use. I am a loyalist (Scorpio, ride or die), and I want to use things that actually work, but are good for you. Before having a baby I was already big on non-toxic living in every area of my life. Now after baby it’s increased even more, but my thing is that I want it to look and feel good. I love a good hippie branding here and there, but I truly want it to be beautiful if I left it out on the counter (Taurus moon and NN). I also love style, design, wellness, and health, so you will get my top product picks, beauty secrets, wellness tips, practices, things I am loving, buying, open tabs, coveting, dream lists, etc… essentially coming back to all of my favourite things in one place. A place that feels good, and where I can share in a more comprehensive fashion. While I love instagram for it’s swiftness, I don’t feel compelled to go deeper, or even share all that much. Substack feels grounded, exactly how I like to feel, live and create my life.

With all of the wildness of the world I want to create a space in this wild space on the internet where we can both embrace our deeper nature, while also loving the things we love, without shame or guilt. Life is meant to be embraced, we can find and seek beauty both internally and externally in the ways we desire, all while having fun along the way.

Speaking of fun, I will now leave you with some LEESELOOKS looks to bring this full circle.

Excited to be back in this form, and fashion.

With love,

Lisa

The above photo is my first post ever, 08. 02. 2008 at 8:18am.

My staples still… Jeans, black belt and white t-shirt.

t-shirt. joe. belt. vintage nyc. jeans. zara. boots. frye.

hi. First post. I am Lisa. This has been on my mind, so here I go. I am inspired by all things: nature. fashion. culture. art. people. love. Through this I hope to share. express. indulge and love. To express is to share ones heart...and my love for fashion has never skipped a beat. Thanks for sharing the same passion and expressing and sharing your lives with me. xx.