Amy Shio is the creative force behind @LesBest. Muse, innovator, master curator and collaborator, Amy recently partnered with us to create a special capsule including silk pillow cases, scrunchies and an exclusive hair oil to help rejuvenate your skin and hair. Read more about Amy’s thoughts on self care, health and beauty.

(Left) Amy is wearing the Black Ivy Longline (32A) and High Waist (M) (Right) Navy Silk Pillow Cases by LesBest x Fortnight 

1. Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Amy Shio and lets just say I left a very insane banking job of 10 years (!!!!!) to focus on Les Best, which I created while working in finance. My brand currently encapsules working with and collaborating with clients on trend, ideation, stories and also becoming a visual artist and sharing my life authentically as a “person of interest” as I like to call myself, while being my most honest self. From cooking and baking and sharing recipes, to mental and physical health, to art and travel, skincare and wellbeing, running from city to city (actually) and also getting groceries in between and “carrying what i can” aka running home with groceries minus a bag - doing my part on this earth as one human and sharing life, authentically in a very specific viewpoint that is Me.

2. What does feeling beautiful mean to you?

Feeling beautiful for me is when I feel calm and when I’m balanced internally. It is really a feeling of when I feel like I have my shit together and has less to do with a physical outward appearance for me. That's not to say that, that part isn't important, but for me it really is an inside feeling. It’s when I have time to do the rituals for me that mean a lot to me and keep me Grounded.

Navy Silk Scrunchies by LesBest x Fortnight

3. What do you like to wear closest to your skin?

What I wear closest to my skin has become more important to me in the last year more so than ever. Within the last year I had severe issues with my skin, so I became cautious of what I was eating, wearing on my body and on my skin.

Keeping skincare simple helped - rosehip, sea buckthorn, blue tansy and hemp oils have helped my eczema and inflammation. I’ve been using a combination of The Ordinary Rosehip and Sea Buckthorn, Sarisha’s Green Goddess, Herbivores Lapis Balancing Facial Oil and Alpha-H vitamin B avoiding any acids until my face is fully repaired to endure it. SPF always and something that protects from blue light (HEV light) aka the stuff that bounces on to our face from our computers and phones. Always. This is so important to me.

In terms of what i wear inside, you know i’m obsessed with your Ivy Classic Longine in both colourways - it's perfect because for someone like me with a smaller bust, it was hard for me to find something that fit me and also felt age appropriate. It fits me perfectly and makes me feel extremely confident.

At night my skincare routine is contingent on my allergic reaction, because mostly I’ve been waking up with issues, so I started using a silk pillowcase to sleep on for various reasons. First being your hair and face is on it for 8 hours (or so we all hope), so what you are doing passively while sleeping is SUPER important. That brings me to our latest collaboration with Fortnight to help give you your own NIGHT time rituals help to set you up for your BEST days.

Our capsule collection of silk pillowcases and scrunchies is the perfect gift to me, from me. The properties that make up silk are great for your skin AND hair. It provides less friction than cotton, helps prevent kinks, flyaways, and creases. The silky, less abrasive quality can reduce redness and irritation on the skin and helps with overall skin rejuvenation overnight, not to mention its hypoallergenic and has a natural resistance to dust mites, fungus and mold. Ours is special because it's handmade in Toronto by female owned businesses and contains no artificial dyes. Also the oversized scrunchie is so chic, not only for protecting your hair while you handle your skincare regime, but makes a mean accessory on the wrist.

Bronze Silk Scrunchie by LesBest x Fortnight

4. What do you wear to feel most like yourself?

I’m a mood-based dresser and I have always been programmed to be this way ever since I was a kid. I think dressing up and down is fantastic and you really are telling a story about yourself through what you wear. Currently I’m obsessed with wearing denim on denim. Maybe it’s because I’m snowbirding and working remotely from LA and it's a nod to my Canadian Tux. Maybe because the day starts off as spring, transitions into summer by midday and has you feeling like fall at sunset. It’s also very chic and timeless and I find that wearing sneakers and transitioning to heels makes the look so versatile, easy and chic. AND THEN, PILE. ON. THE. ACCESSORIES.

5. When do you feel your most confident?

I feel the most confident on a full moon on my period, like a wolf … said no one ever lol. But I feel the most confident when I'm minding my own business, checking in on my loved ones, working hard, getting paid (on time), feeling needed and having my needs satisfied.

Ivy Longline (32A) and High Waist (M) in Champagne/Ivory

6. What makes a place feel like home?

Home is a feeling. I think about our home in Toronto, while I write this from LA. My Toronto home is a vibe, it's the chachkies that are around, the cards, the scents, the music in the background, the smell of a home cooked meal, it really is rituals to be honest.

It's what I do when I wake up to the time I go to bed and the fact that all of those “things' ' have their home in my home. But as I think about it, being here, I made it a big deal for us to get the things we needed here to emulate our Toronto home, and it feels like home. Homeostasis gives me a homey feel.

Taking potions I mix like ashwagandha, urva ursi and maca and a plant based protein by Moon Juice to ground myself.

Lighting palo santo to remove energies and cleanse my space.

Having an array of dark chocolate stashed in the fridge.

Hugs.

Staying connected with loved ones regardless of where I am physically.

That's home.

7. Are there any self care rituals that are important to you?

Oh god so many. Where do we start?

Let's start off my waking up.

6:00 AM - she wakes up // she meditates

6:30 AM - she dry brushes her face and applies a sunscreen that helps repel blue light

6:50 AM - she's making a hot caffeine free morning concoction with dandelion tea, cacao powder, maca root and a plant based milk

7:00 AM - shes logged in and working

In between my day, I’ll make time for a run outside and a pilates, either at home or at a studio.

Having a home cooked dinner is important to me. When I started getting major allergic reactions and started doing a candida cleanse, I became really creative in the kitchen which was fun to try need ways of nourishing my body and also not feeling defeated about a life change.

My “turndown service” as I like to call it has a lot of self care rituals as well.

I used to love baths, but they are really bad for eczema, so I only take them sometimes and boy are they a treat !!

At night, I’ll make a few things to drink to get tired which include valerian root and magnesium.

For my skin, I’ll do a full cleanse, and apply different oils based on how my skin is feeling.

Currently I am using - Beauty Counter no. 1 brightening facial oil, Estee Lauder ANR, Moon Juice Beauty Shroom Acid Exfoliator (3x a week), Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, Dior's Capture Youth eye cream, Laneige Lip Sleeping mask.

In my hair oil that was specifically formulated for this collaboration by Toronto based SARISHA Beauty. Les Best Hair Days is a nourishing yet non-greasy hair oil that conditions strands, tames frizz and helps to promote a healthy scalp. Made up of carefully chosen natural & organic plant extracts, it assists with stimulating hair growth when massaged into the scalp as a treatment prior to washing. Get ready for Les Best Hair Days yet! Available exclusively in store and online.