A qualified naturopath and nutritionist, Bonnee Fahlstrom is one of the growing number of influencers using their Instagram platform to help inspire others on their own wellness path β encouraging followers to become more connected with their health, beauty, love, and nature.
With Bonnee’s philanthropy and social conscious endeavours leading her to volunteer work with βSave the Bees Australiaβ as well as being dedicated to conscious organic and vegan brands β we decided to pull the model and influencer aside to learn a little more.
Here, she undertakes our latest Fast 50 Q&A β talking everything from organic makeup to living a healthy lifestyle to using her Instagram profile for positivity.
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with Emira Bugerra, Jaime Xie, and Aretha La Galleta.
1. Best beauty product of all time? Sage Body wash! So you are protected before you leave the house
2. Five beauty products you canβt live without? Makeup often contains a lot of different chemicals and many products arenβt earth-friendly β I keep my beauty products natural, vegan-friendly and organic. β¨Coconut oil, body oil, brow gel, Ere Perez lip and eye butter, and Vanilla Falling Star highlighter
3. Hair βdoneβ or messy? I love a blowdry! also love my hair salty and sun-kissed β itβs naturally curly
4. Favourite fragrance? Essential oils: vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint and rose
5. Favourite item of clothing? My silk nighty I designed in Bali
6. Favourite fashion brand? I only wear black and white β itβs about texture and quality for me. I love silk and linen. I love my nude Dior Handbag my boyfriend bought me for our anniversary last year
7. Gym or exercising outdoors? Outdoors! Walking along the beach with my boyfriend and dog
8. Healthy eating or treating yourself? HEALTHY is treating yourself!
9. Can you cook? YES!!!! I LOVE TO
10. Favourite food to indulge in? Fresh Italian homemade pasta with truffle and mushrooms, mmmm, roasted sweet potatoes and dutch cream potatoes with garlicβ¦
11. First thing you pick from the mini-bar? Water
12. Best place to eat out? Nobu at Crown. I am a VEGAQUARIAN
13. Happiest moment? Falling deep in love with my boyfriend Darren
14. Saddest moment? When my mum moved to Far North QLD
15. Blog or YouTube? Blog
16. Iphone or camera? Camera
17. Type of camera? Sony RX100
18. Facetune or untouched? Untouched. Untouched, beautiful shots come from natural lighting
19. Lightroom or VSCO? Neither
20. Favourite filter? N/a
21. Favourite way to edit pics? Bright and colourful!
22. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? It is actually 24/7. I have studied to be a Naturopath and love nutrition β I am working on a really exciting project at the moment for my brand…
23. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? I started 5 years ago as a creative outlet to photograph my smoothies and blog about health and natural medicine. It grew from there after I started highlighting my love for caring about the environment and saving the bees and the mermaids. I believe that by living a conscious and healthy lifestyle, it creates an abundant life full of meaning
24. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? It can be from 5 minutes to 2 hours depending on the photographic process and upload, tweak with an interesting caption
25. What’s your top Instagram tip? Connect and support like-minded people. To stay true to yourself. Personally, I like to use the Instagram platform because as a model, it enables you to showcase your own personal and favourite pick of images to clients and project your personality. I like to not only promote my current campaigns, but also provide an insight into my healthy life and loving relationship. Using my profile to encourage and influence people to become more connected with their health, beauty, love and nature is the most important motivator for me
26. Who takes your pics? Sometimes my boyfriend, my mumma, or a professional photographer
27. Career highlight since being an influencer? Deliveries in the mail every single day!
28. Career lowlight since being an influencer? Jealousy, losing connection with people
29. Best campaign youβve ever worked on? I loved the Bamboo Sunglasses campaign shot by Leila Joy at Bondi Beach. @bamboolifeau is a brand of integrity and substance – it is an eco and environmentally-friendly sunglass brand
30. Worst thing thatβs happened to you on a photo shoot? Maybe photographers falling in love with me
31. The best gift youβve ever received as an influencer? Hand-written notes from the client. Personal touch and human connection is still heart-warming
32. Last thing you googled? What do butterflies symbolise after I saw 3 white ones in a row one day with my boyfriend. Oh and a ladybug flew onto his arm within a minute of the butterflies β it was a spiritual moment for us
33. Favourite film? βI Originsβ β about a molecular biologistβs study of the human eye that has far reaching implications about humanityβs scientific and spiritual beliefs
34. Favourite book? I love biographies! I just finished reading Gisele BΓΌndchenβs book βLessons: My Path to a Meaningful Lifeβ. It was so inspiring. I read it on the plane home from the Daintree Rainforest
35. Favourite song? Omg, so hard to decide. I love Fleetwood Mac, βEverywhereβ. I am also loving Angus & Julia Stone
36. Living in the city or living by the beach? Living by the beach. I grew up on Sydneyβs northern beaches in Palm Beach.
37. Favourite travel destination? Daintree Rainforest is the most pristine natural wonder. Australia really is beautiful
38. Most Instagram-worthy spot? Far North QLD, Bondi Beach/ Icebergs
39. Top three essentials to pack when traveling? Water, iPhone and a good book
40. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? Dinner!
41. Partner or single? I live with my beautiful man
42. Siblings? I am an only child
43. What city are you currently living in? Melbourne
44. Celebrity/influencer crush? Miranda Kerr and Jennifer Hawkins are my two favourite role models
45. Pets? Yes, I have a 10 month old puppy called Francois β he is a Papi Poo
46. What is your best asset? My smile. Trusting my intuition
47. Key attributes about you and your job? I am shy and I am super down to earth. Iβm incredibly sensitive to other peopleβs feelings, so when I feel other peopleβs sadness β that makes me sad. I think that empathy is a noble cause. I take criticism and judgement on and make it a positive energy to give me strength. I use modeling as a platform for my business to be an active role model to educate others on the bees, on nutrition, and to promote a healthy and happy lifestyle
48. Top Instagram accounts to follow? I am an ambassador for the following accounts: @savethebeesaustralia, @veganbody_official, @togetherevents (my boyfriendβs event company), and @modelsofcompassion
49. Favourite quote you live by? βYou can create whatever you want in your life if you put your mind to it.β βHonour the dream by doing the workβ
50. Top career tip? Be kind to everyone and stay humble.
All images: Bonnee Fahlstrom
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