Find Your Downtime: An interview with lifestyle Instagrammer Bernice Averion
Have you checked out Boody Lounge yet? We are so excited about our first-ever range of sustainable downtime wear that is perfect for slipping into as soon as you get home from work. Our capsule collection of women’s loungewear and sleepwear is truly what dreams are made of.
As part of the launch, we’re running a series of interviews with awesome women who are talented, passionate and big fans of Boody Lounge – finding out what drives them to get up in the morning and also how they find their downtime when they get home.
Last week, we caught up with lifestyle blogger Alex Cuthill. Today, we find out more about Sydney-based Bernice Averion, a lifestyle Instagrammer and Growth Marketer at Australian online furniture company, Koala. We find out how Bernice manages to find time to unwind in between her busy job and building her first home.
Tell us about your blog, Bunny Bernice.
I write about pretty much everything, and anything.
I write about fashion, my lifestyle, cafes/restaurants I enjoy visiting, holiday options across Australia, and what’s happening in my life. For example, I got married last year so for the two years I was engaged I wrote all about wedding planning from Sydney wedding venue prices, affordable places to buy bridesmaid dresses, how I chose certain vendors and reviews of services I used for the wedding. Now that we’re building our first home I’m starting to write more about home interiors.
What originally inspired you to start the blog?
I first started blogging when I was 11. I’ve been on Bebo, Wordpress, Tumblr, and now this blog just writing about my life and my interests. Blogging, and content creation are more of my hobbies than something I would pursue full time.
I started blogging as a way to clear my mind and try to be understood as a person during a tedious point of my life. I would write about what I did that day, how I felt about my crush, what I wanted to be someday, and inspirational quotes that I wanted to live by. I really treated my blogs as a diary. Nothing scathing of course. It was like love letters to the world for delivering a good day.
Now I write in my blog about how I would discuss those topics to a friend who wanted to know more about something. In-depth articles long enough to educate but short enough to not bore.
It’s pretty therapeutic to just let my thoughts and feelings out, and liberating that it’s now out there in the universe for hopefully someone else to enjoy.
You work as the Growth Marketer for Koala. Tell us a bit about what this entails.
Working at Koala is great! I manage our influencer campaigns, content strategy, affiliates, events, paid advertorials, referral program, and ad hoc growth projects.
I’ve been there since March 2017 when they were only five months old, and the career trajectory is nothing short of incredible.
I started as a Community Manager so I would be the one responding to customers on social media, and editing videos for paid permanence ads. Three months later I became the Social Media Manager so I started booking the influencers, and writing articles. Then after one year of working there, I became the Growth Marketer for Koala Australia.
I book about 30-100 influencers every month across Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Twitch, Weibo, Wechat, Twitch, and Tiktok. I’m a one-woman band so I handle all negotiations, the contracting, content approvals, scheduling, and the content database.
I also write most of the blog posts that go out, did an overhaul of our old affiliate program so it’s running more efficiently, refreshed our referral program, and just started doing events again. I actually just ran an influencer event over the weekend which I did all the planning, decorations, some of the catering, and influencer bookings by myself.
It’s hard work but as they say – if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. The autonomy working here, and investment Koala puts behind its employees is amazing.
We're so excited that you're part of our Boody Lounge launch. What are your thoughts on the range?
I love the lounge range! Everything is so breathable, and it’s like you’re not wearing anything. The bamboo just slips across your skin, and you feel so fresh even on hot days. Plus, I’m a big fan of dusty pink fabric.
I can’t wait for there to be a men’s range as I know my husband would wear it at home. We already use the basics range daily, and the boxers are his favourite. He actually threw away all his old ones since the Boody boxers felt best!
What are your top picks from the capsule collection?
Firstly, I can’t get over how beautiful the colours are! I’m so happy with all the dusty pink loungewear from this range.
My top pick is definitely the Women's Chunky Bed Socks. They’re the perfect level of snuggly for cool nights. They don’t make you feel sweaty so your body is the perfect temperature for a nice afternoon nap.
But I also really love the Goodnight Sleep Cami and Goodnight Sleep Shorts because of how loose fit, and breezy they are. They’re exactly the kind of clothes you long to change into after a long day at work and binge-watch five hours of Netflix before you crash.
What are the top three ways you #FindYourDowntime?
1: Turn off my phone and switch off work emails. We all get so caught up being always “on”, and always being connected that so many of us find trouble just doing absolutely nothing. My husband and I make sure we have at least one hour every day that we’re disconnected from the world, whether it’s while we’re eating dinner, or watching a movie/show together.
Then, before bed we stay off our phones and share one thing we appreciated about our day, and what we want to accomplish tomorrow. It keeps you grounded and connected.
2: Go for a run. I love cardio and HIIT workouts. I love going to the gym, getting ugly sweaty, going for a run with my Pomeranian, and the feeling of doing something good for me. I run about 10kms in a session and just started running 40kms a week.
3: Take a bath. A nice hot bath in a deep tub, my favourite bath bomb from Lush, candlelights, a glass of red wine, face mask slathered on, hair in a hair mask, and just watching something I want to watch.
How important do you think it is for us to find ways to unwind in our busy lives?
100% important for every person. People seem to be getting burnt out younger and younger. We can’t let ourselves get caught up in the stress of every day because we’ll crack. We need to make ways to find joy in every day and to relax. It’s about finding ways for you not to be “on” for a bit so you can relax, heal, and just be.
How important is it to you to live a sustainable lifestyle?
The longer I’ve been working at Koala, and reading more about sustainable alternatives, the more I have incorporated sustainability into my life.
Koala provides a fully-stocked, all-organic, ethically-sourced, Australian-made kitchen so everyone can eat healthy for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner at work. Then, when I’m doing my groceries, I do the bulk of my purchases from local produce stores now and reduced my meat intake by incorporating vegan meats which I didn’t think before I would enjoy.
And, I used to buy a lot of fast fashion. You know, it was an affordable, easy option, and you could get so many different clothes for that season. But now I focus on getting staple pieces that do cost more but cost the planet less. My eyes have been opened about the damages that fast fashion brings to the world. So before I buy clothes I think to myself: is this something I really need? Is it timeless and is this something I would be proud to promote?
I don’t need more things. I need enough of the right things.
You mentioned earlier that you're building your first home! That's so exciting, can you tell us how it's going?
Yes! Our land was finally settled, and the first payment has gone through so it’s all very exciting. So hopefully it is planned to be built by May and we should have enough time to renovate and style it by my 24th birthday in June.
It’s a great first home, and we’re so excited to decorate it. It’s a four-bedroom house, and we’re converting the bedroom adjacent to the master bedroom as a "his and hers" walk-in wardrobe, and using the existing walk-in wardrobe as a linen closet.
We’ve been storing up a bunch of minimalistic paintings, natural wooden furniture, and linens in preparation. Every room has mood boards made, and products sourced, so it’ll be perfect.
We’re aiming for a very minimalistic design, soft tones, and natural finishes. Plenty of white, beige, and greys with gold, black, and plush accents.
Even our Pomeranian will have a mini version of our bedroom made up for her, including a mini Koala mattress, and bed base which she’s excited for!
Do you have anything else exciting planned for the near future? Anything in the pipeline you'd like to mention?
For myself, the house build is my upcoming big priority, some exciting travels planned, and there’s a lot of new launches happening at Koala, so stay tuned!
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Interviews
An interview with Laura Kelly, Yoga Teacher
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Interviews
An interview with Seyi Rania, Natural Beauty & Wellness
Been meaning to give your beauty products an organic and eco-friendly overhaul? Seyi Rania has got you covered. With a deep knowledge of natural beauty that doesn’t compromise your health and wellness, Seyi knows which products are good not only for your skin – but for the planet, too. But that’s not all Seyi is about. She’s also a talented mental health counsellor, a gorgeous model and a dedicated Boody fan. We can’t get enough of her! We caught up with Seyi to talk everything from natural beauty to her fave Boody styles. Hey Seyi! How did your love for natural beauty, health and wellness come about? My wellness journey began in 2011 when my beautiful mother passed away from breast cancer. I was only 19 at the time. Following her death, I began questioning why and how my mother developed such a horrible disease… so I did my research and came across many articles detailing potential links between environmental toxins and cancer. 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I suffer from acne oily prone skin so I have a routine that targets this skin type. I do not believe in undertaking a 10 step routine to achieve glowing healthy skin! In the morning: I use the Lavera Gel cleanser + Sensitive facial moisturiser If I feel like I need it e.g. haven’t had enough sleep or my face is looking a bit puffy, 1-2 times a week, I apply a few drops of facial oil to my face then use a jade roller/Gua Sha to bring circulation back into my face. I find that I look less tired and more bright-eyed when using this technique! In the evening: Again I cleanse and moisturise, however, my evening routine can vary depending on what my skin needs. Twice a week I like to use an exfoliation mask (like the Kora Organics product I mentioned earlier) followed by a facial oil Once a week or every two weeks I like to use a clay mask followed by a facial oil If I am wearing makeup on the day then I ensure to double cleanser to remove all makeup, dirt and grime then moisturise. Without a proper clean, it will only lead to breakouts. In what ways can everyone live a more healthy lifestyle? I live by a few simple rules: Drink more water Aim for at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day Everything in moderation Practice gratitude and speak kindly to oneself How can we all live a more eco-friendly lifestyle? I think it’s good to question yourself on what you buy/use on a day-to-day basis and be mindful that whatever you buy will eventually end up in a landfill. If what you buy can be more sustainable, recyclable or biodegradable, then this will benefit our planet greatly. To implement more eco-friendly habits, I do the following: Use a KeepCup. I am so strict with myself that if I forget my keep cup then I won’t buy a coffee! Use beeswax wraps instead of glad wrap and reusable ziplock bags as opposed to one use zip lock bags Walk instead of drive if possible Eco-friendly washing liquid In terms of food, buy more fruit/vegetables. Less likely to be wrapped up in plastics and good for you! We hear you're a big Boody fan! What is it about our comfy and sustainable essentials you love? I love the versatility of the essentials in that it is comfortable to wear around the home but also lovely to dress up and wear out during the day. The comfort and durability is also what I love about Boody. When I purchased my first pair of undies and leggings a year or two ago, I was immediately hooked. My essentials/underwear wardrobe is about 60% Boody, however, I am aiming for 90%! I had even reached out to one of the customer representatives to submit a review and I admitted that when I wore the Boody sleepwear for the first time, it was the best night’s sleep I have had. That is comfort guaranteed! Any favourite styles? So many styles I can add here but I really love the Everyday Slip Dress in Black. Perfect for home and to wear out on a warm day. I also really like wearing ¾ sleeve tops with a pair of Boody leggings. My favourite work-from-home attire! And of course, in between meetings and calls with my clients, I like to get out and go for a run. The Boody Active range is really lovely to wear and is durable. Comfort, durability and sustainability are all very important to me. Outside of health and wellness, you are a mental health counsellor. That must be both rewarding and challenging? Absolutely! So I have completed a degree in psychology and a masters in clinical counselling. My experience varies from homeless intake worker, behavioural therapist, NDIS support coordinator and support worker and school counsellor. Right now I am working in the education industry to provide support to students. I love what I do and I love that I can make such a difference. You also do freelance modelling. Is that something you enjoy? I love it so, so much. I have been a model for nine years and it has always been a passion of mine. In the last three years, I was discovered then signed by an agency and now I am represented by JR Management. I have never thought to do it as a full-time occupation but I love that I get a great balance of passions between working in mental health, blogging about all things natural and beauty and doing awesome modelling gigs. Definitely can’t complain! Any plans on the horizon or anything else you'd like to mention? I am always thinking of ways of how I can do more with my beauty blog and spread the importance of natural beauty to all, however, right now I think I am happy where I am. I love that I can make a difference where possible. Though if someone asked me what is my ultimate dream, it would be to have my very own natural organic skincare range! Follow Seyi on Instagram.
