Indie Lee and her force of nature

The Lucerne hotel on the Upper West Side

While planning my weekend in New York, I was keen to make time for a couple of interviews.  Two inspirational woman, actually.  Indie Lee was one of them.  Her name came up during my interview with Liz McCarthy, as she had recently decided to launch Indie’s range of natural eco-luxe skincare products on her beauty site, A Beautiful World. 

Indie’s Squalane Facial Oil £22

Liz promptly handed over some of Indie’s Squalane Oil for me to try. I was curious.  What in god’s name is it?  Turns out that until the age of 26, Squalane is naturally present in our skin.  But once we don’t produce it any more,  our skin starts to lack elasticity, even surface colouration – and this oil can quite literally reboot our cell regeneration and oxygenation.  From that moment, I became more and more interested in Indie Lee‘s beauty products, and her personal story behind them.

So, on the Monday morning, she swung by my hotel, The Lucerne on W 79th/Amsterdam, and we popped out to a cool little coffee shop called Irving Farm so that I could get the low down.

Irving Farm on West 79th

With my jaw on the table, I learnt that it took a life-threatening brain tumour for Indie to learn the valuable lesson as to the dangers of environmental toxins.  Indie being Indie decided to do something about this.  Only five minutes into my interview, I realised she is more than just a business woman.  She is, quite literally, some force of nature. Her story, her products, her passion, her motives…. I was utterly sold.

Indie Lee (outside Irving Farm coffee shop)

Doctors had told her to ‘get her affairs in order and say her goodbyes to her husband and children’ before her surgery.  But on 22^nd April 2009, she awoke to a new lease of life and a uncontrollable desire to create eco-friendly, all natural yet divine-looking face and body products.  They are luxurious and, most crucially, SAFE.

this is where Indie mixes and creates all natural (therefore safe) beauty products

Indie takes huge pride in the greenhouse she has built in her garden, testament to her ‘go natural’ mission.  She almost lost her life to toxins and chemicals and wants to urge us to make the switch too.

Not only is she absolutely right but she’s also a woman I wouldn’t choose to argue with.

Indie Lee’s range is now available on A Beautiful World.  Shop away.