Women You Should Know: Meet Loria Stern
On building a botanical baking business, self-care, and finding love.
LA's Loria Stern, chef-baker-botanist-gardener-artist (the multi-hyphenate of our dreams) is the magical genius behind those pressed floral cookies & cakes filling your feed (@loriastern and @eatyourflowers).
With Valentine’s Day up next, we talked with her about building a business you love, loving yourself, and dating in your 40s.
In The Beginning
The oh-my-god moment
In 2010, I took an edible and medicinal plant class while I was working as a pastry chef, learning French pastry techniques. I started combining edible flowers and botanicals into pastries, casually posted my creations—and my cookies started going viral. I was featured in Vogue magazine (in print, online, and Instagram), and overnight, I had 100,000 new followers. It was wild!
The Reality of Entrepreneurship
It can be a slog
People romanticize entrepreneurship—flexible schedules, unlimited earning potential, the freedom to pursue your passions. The truth is, it’s hard. I’m responsible for everything, from accounting to customer service, all while maintaining the perfect balance between aesthetics and logistics. It’s not easy shipping delicate pieces of edible art across the country!
Her Get-Out-The-Door Routine
And what she’s loving now
I like my makeup to look as natural as possible but still enough there to look good in photos. These days, I start with Iris& Romeo’s The Reset—and then use Weekend Skin SPF 50 (love this!) as a tinted moisturizer, followed by Lash Up Mascara and Ceramide Multi-Balm in Wild Berry on my cheeks and lips.
What She Knows Now (And Didn’t Know Then)
Self-care every damn day
For many years, I wouldn’t listen to myself and would just push, push, push. I played tennis in college, they don’t teach you to stop—you’re playing to win. You’re young, you’re fine, you’ll rebound. But now I know what I need to do to take care of myself. To open up my mental capacity and be clear. I know I need time outside to move my body. I know I need good sleep (and I know what prevents me from getting it.) I know how much water I need to drink and what I need to eat. And now I slow down if I need to.
Finding Peace Outside
Her favorite escapes
I live in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Los Angeles, and feel so lucky that there are so many beautiful walks and hikes right outside my front door. Or I spend time in my garden; in winter, I’m growing primrose, lots of violas, pansies, citrus, marigolds, herbs, and onions. It’s not as wild as the springtime. Come spring, we'll have daisies, leaves on the fig trees that I cook with, the pomegranate tree starts coming back, and all the stone fruit is magic.
Food is Life and Love
Come over for dinner
What brings me to life is the hands-on process of cooking—a veggie-dense dinner with protein, maybe black cod or baked salmon, always with a flavorful sauce. To be honest, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, which is interesting given my line of work. But if I have a few friends over, I'll make my sticky date cake. It’s soooo good.
Dating in Her 40s
What’s different now
It took dating somebody who wasn't aligned with my values to realize what I need. I approach relationships differently now, prioritizing communication, trust, and mutual respect. I do phone calls first and ask really specific questions—if any of the answers are dealbreakers, I just say thank you for your time. I'm hoping to meet my life partner soon, but there's no rush—it's the most important decision anyone will make.
What She Always Says Yes To
Finding joy
A hike with a friend or something outside, I'm always gonna say yes if I'm available. When it comes to spending time outdoors or with friends, that's a given.