PHOTOS Lindsay Lohan at Coachella looking, umm… pretty damn good!

Lindsay Lohan looking great at Coachella 2012

It’s amazing what clearing your legal calendar can do for your complexion! Less than three weeks after Judge Stephanie Sautner declared Lindsay Lohan to be a free woman by taking her off of formal probation, the 25-year-old actress was spotted at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival looking like her old young self again.

Lindsay Lohan and a mystery man at Coachella Music Festival 2012

Sporting a pair of bright yellow-rimmed sunglasses, a cute white and patterned mini dress, and a pair of dirt-friendly very non-stiletto high heels, Lindsay looked joyful and – dare I say – downright effervescent!

Lindsay’s appearance at the festival raised a few virtual eyebrows as “the haters” were quick to suggest this was just Lindsay returning to her old ways and ignoring Judge Sautner’s advice to “stop nightclubbing and focus on your work.” But, LiLo reportedly didn’t drink at the event (which she has attended for the last four or five years), so I hardly see how attending some concerts qualifies as “nightclubbing.” (If so, someone should probably tell all those folks following Jars of Clay around!)

Lindsay Lohan and her rumored new boyfriend at Coachella 2012

On another note, no one seems to know much about the mystery dude in the Coachella-appropriate ski hat who has accompanied Lindsay each day during the festival. Could it be that the bisexual Lindsay has herself a new man? Could partying too hard AND Samantha Ronson be things of her past? The mystery dude is reportedly Lindsay’s younger brother, Michael Lohan Jr. So I guess that rumor train got stopped before it even rolled out of the station!

While we ponder all these mysteries, let’s take a long last look at the new and improved Lindsay, shall we?

Lindsay Lohan 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Week 1 Day 3

It should be noted that we have starcasm researchers looking into these photos to verify that they are in fact LiLo. In other words, they’re trying to figure out where Emma Stone was this weekend.

Photos: STS / WENN.com

UPDATE – I talked about Lindsay’s towering toewear but forgot to include a decent photo. Here’s a sideview of the shoes (and Lindsay Lohan) in full stride:

Lindsay Lohan strutting at Coachella Festival 2012