Leah Rumack is a Toronto-based journalist specializing in lifestyle, beauty, and cannabis culture. With bylines in Toronto Life, Refinery29, and Broadview Magazine, she combines service journalism with incisive cultural commentary.
We’ve followed Leah Rumack’s dynamic career as she’s evolved from magazine editor to a versatile writer covering beauty, lifestyle, and cannabis with equal parts wit and rigor. Her work, spanning two decades, reflects a keen understanding of cultural shifts and consumer trends, making her a trusted voice in Canadian media.
Rumack’s journey began at Today’s Parent, where she honed her skills in features editing and audience engagement. She later served as Deputy Editor at Toronto Life, overseeing digital, print, and social content while establishing herself as a specialist in travel journalism. Her pivot to freelance writing allowed her to explore niche beats like cannabis culture and beauty innovation, contributing to outlets such as Refinery29, The Kit, and Broadview Magazine.
This profile of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Ross Gay dissects the intersection of joy and grief in his work. Rumack contextualizes Gay’s themes within broader societal conversations about resilience, weaving in interviews with literary critics and snippets from his Book of Delights. The piece stands out for its nuanced exploration of how personal sorrow fuels artistic expression, reflecting Rumack’s ability to tackle abstract concepts with grounded relatability.
A masterclass in product journalism, this article combines rigorous testing with cultural commentary. Rumack enlisted a diverse group of testers to evaluate tanners across skin tones, assessing factors like odor and streak resistance. She pairs practical advice with playful insights into pandemic-era beauty standards, noting how “lockdown glow” became a paradoxical status symbol. The piece drove significant affiliate revenue for R29, underscoring her commercial acuity.
Rumack uses Helen Fielding’s iconic character to examine shifting gender dynamics in romantic comedies. Through interviews with film scholars and Gen-Z viewers, she critiques the franchise’s uneasy transition into the #MeToo era while acknowledging its nostalgic appeal. The analysis is peppered with box office data and streaming trends, showcasing her ability to blend pop culture critique with hard metrics.
Rumack consistently highlights Canadian brands in her beauty coverage, as seen in her Refinery29 piece on Shoppers Drug Mart’s skincare launches. Successful pitches should emphasize homegrown formulations, sustainability practices, or unique founder stories. Avoid generic “clean beauty” angles unless tied to specific cultural moments (e.g., cannabis-infused topicals during 4/20).
Her Kit article on Bridget Jones demonstrates a fascination with legacy franchises navigating modern sensibilities. PR pros might pitch retrospectives on Y2K trends, reboots with feminist twists, or interviews with creators revisiting their early work. Ensure tie-ins to current discourse around aging or gender roles.
While Rumack reviews edibles and topicals, her Broadview interview with a hotline abortion provider during COVID-19 reveals interest in cannabis’ societal role. Consider pitching stories on maternal cannabis use, regulatory inequities, or the plant’s intersection with wellness movements like “quiet quitting.”
Rumack’s nominations span categories from Personal Journalism to Investigative Reporting, a rarity for writers bridging lifestyle and hard-hitting features. Her 2018 investigation into Canada’s maternity leave policies for Chatelaine prompted parliamentary discussions, illustrating her dual focus on reader service and systemic change.
“I’m drawn to stories that let people laugh while they learn—whether that’s about vaginal moisturizers or corporate greenwashing.”
