Meet | Organic Bunny
This month we want to introduce you to mega babe and serial entrepreneur Amanda, founder of The Organic Bunny. As a fellow San Diegian and someone highly respected in the blogger/social community, we wanted to pick her brain so we could ALL get to know her better and learn how she created her ORGANIC BEAUTY EMPIRE.
PLS: What made you start feeling so passionate about natural beauty products?Amanda: I am a naturally stubborn person so when I learned that I was paying my own hard earned money to slather myself in toxins I knew I had to quit, I felt so tricked! When you actually sit down and read what is in your luxury makeup, you realize it's all a marketing gimmick and there is nothing really luxurious about it at all, besides the packaging in most cases. Makeup brands like Chanel that girly girls like myself thought were so high end, really contain super cheap, lab-made ingredients, synthetic waxes that can irritate, more fragrances, various Lake Dyes and BHT, an ingredient with more links to possible endocrine disruption and irritations. At some point you have to ask yourself, what am I supporting? And when I realized it was going against my own well being- I knew I had to quit, cold turkey. Now, I dig and dig to find products that perform just as amazing as Chanel, with actually nourishing ingredients like Organic Shea Butters and mineral pigments! It just makes sense when you sit yourself down and really take a look at this stuff!
PLS: If someone wanted to start going natural with their products, where should they begin?Amanda: I personally started by downloading the Think Dirty app. While it's not flawless, it's a good tool to start scanning your favorite products with. It's so wild how many toxins are lurking in our products each day and this app shows you the worst offenders! Try to set aside anything that scores over a 7 and clean those up first as those are most likely the worst products with links to various health risks, cancer being one of them! I also really suggest paying attention to what order you apply things and also, how often? If you are using a face cleanser, lotion and face foundation every single day, you really want to make sure those are super clean as they are what sits on your skin first and the longest! Also, products that cover major areas like body wash, shampoo, body lotion and fragrance! Fragrance seems harmless but when you wear conventional perfume each day, you are inhaling up to thousands of lab made, hormone-disrupting scents which can lead to a plethora of issues like weight gain, acne, headaches, allergic reactions and more. PLS: What are some dirty brands that people are most shocked by?Amanda: I think some of the worst green washing brands are brands like Tarte. They advertise themselves as more natural but many of their items contain toxins I personally avoid that are not natural at all. Also, brands like LUSH. They market themselves super clean and natural despite still using parabens, dyes, fragrance and SLS!
PLS: What is your favorite bargain natural item and favorite splurge natural item?Amanda: While I do love a good bargain, I like to remind people that the lower the price, the lower the cost to produce is, so cheap is not something I tend to prioritize as quality ingredients comes first, for me personally. Now, that does not mean I don't love a good bargain so I always keep an eye out for affordable options that don't skimp on quality also. I like the Acure brand at Target, for those that just need cleaner and not as high of performance. Just remember, cheaper items can also cause more damage to the skin over time as many are made with ingredients that can still be too harsh or drying on the skin. I always tell people to invest in quality items one by one as sometimes you end up spending more on "cheap" items that never work when you can just invest in a nice piece that works amazing but may be a bit more. Just because something is "clean" or "natural" does not guarantee it works or won't cause a reaction, it just means it's made with less toxic ingredients so always keep quality in mind. Splurge...For sure my Kypris Deep Forest Mask. I am obsessed with this mask to detoxify, brighten, soften, exfoliate and smooth the skin after just one use! Formulated with hydrating mineral clay, medicinal botanicals, soothing Sea Algae, 73 different unique minerals to calm and botanical acids to gently exfoliate the skin, this mask is the real deal when it comes to seriously happy skin! I make sure to use this 2-3 times a week to keep the pores clear and skin soft!
PLS: What do you recommend for a 5 minute makeup routine?Amanda: When I am in a hurry, I always reach for my daily Anti-Aging Fitglow Vita Rich Cream followed by at least some concealer! My all-time favorite clean concealer is Hynt Beauty as it's SO pigmented and a little goes such a long way! Just these 2 items alone leave my skin with that flawless look in just a few seconds! After that, I like to pop on a coat of my Fitglow Vegan Collagen-infused lip gloss to keep my lips super moisturized, plump and healthy. As we age, our lips lose collagen which is why lips deflate over time. These glosses are healing, prevent premature lip aging and gorge, all in one! If I still have a few seconds to spare, I then will swipe on some color to my cheeks for warmth. The Vapour foundation sticks a few shades darker than my skin are amazing for on the go glam! Just swipe and buff in and you're done.
PLS: What does a typical day at the office look like for you?Amanda: Stress, lots of stress but in a fun way, of course, as I feel so lucky to have been able to make a life living my passion. This weekend my website was down so no orders were able to come in so that sent me into a slight frenzy and then there are meetings, lots of meetings. I am always working to grow the brand so I am always being pulled in various directions. Working on a new website, dealing with customer service issues, making sure inventory is ordered, arriving, restocked... I also have a full-time esthetician available for clients and potential new clients to ensure the transition is a breeze so each day I work on custom consults alongside her. This is super rewarding as you literally watch people's skin transform from red and irritated to calm and glowing again. I get to make girls truly glow for a living, in an ethical and safe way, which can't be beat! The rest of my day is spent doing my own photography, accounting, emails, beauty box item placement, designing packaging, planning for upcoming holidays, planning photoshoots and more. My days are crazy and start from the second I wake up until the second I sleep with no days off, but, it's the best!PLS: What are some future goals you wish to accomplish?Amanda: Now that I have my website doing well, I want to get back into more content as that really compliments the business best. Girls love seeing how to use things and what things look like on so I really want to get more into that now that I am slowly but surely hiring out for different tasks! 
For more information about Amanda and The Organic Bunny, please visit her website and follow her on Instagram & Facebook ♥
Peace - Choosing wiser, cleaner products that give you PEACE of mind.
Love - LOVE your skin, hair, nails, and all the beautiful things that make you, YOU.
Style - Going green is always in STYLE, now let's apply it to your beauty routine.
xoxo,
Katy & Shawna