De-stressing with Patisserie De Bain *

Three of my favourite things to do is to  eat, sleep and shower. I know life is composed of so much more, but those basics have a tendency to make me more happier. I have discovered a new brand that has made two of those three things better and it has been my go-to for body-care. I'm so excited to showcase this brand to you all, because I am so besotted with the range.

The brand I'm rambling on about is Patisserie De Bain*, who are a fun and novel brand that are super affordable. I tried their newer Crème Patisserie range and fell in love, so much so that I had to contact them to just so they could know how much I enjoyed their products. They were kind enough to send me a box full of products to try out and review for you guys. The products they sent me was from their Sugared Violets range, which literally smells like the candy Violets, and so it's so nostalgic to wear because it reminds me a lot of when I was younger. I also love the packaging of the products, the aesthetic is cute and fun, and just fit for purpose.

In a recent post I already spoke in depth about the Sugared Violet Hand Cream* (£.399/50ml) , which is a thick hand cream, that melts into the skin within a few seconds, and leaves no residue. It's one of the best high-street hand creams I have tried, and the smell is lovely. It's the perfect size and texture for when you are on the go!

I also received the Sugared Violet Bath and Shower Creame*, which is just a lovely shower gel, I like to venture out and try new things when it comes to simple things like body wash because they run out fairly quickly and it's always nice to switch things up! The texture of this is a mix between a lotion and a gel, and so applies nicely and lathers up.

The Sugared Violet Hand and Body Lotion* (£4.99/200ml) is also super nice, it's easy to blend out due to the thinner consistency and the scent lingers on the skin, which is really nice and calming before sleeping. I tend to find that the products in this range tend to go a long way, in terms of the amount needed to moisturise the skin. A product like this is nice to use daily, to keep the skin soft and moisturised. I also love that the packaging is simple, as it doesn't get messy and the actually material is quite matte in texture, and so is non-slip which is exactly what you need from a product like this!

Patisserie De Bain also have the Sugared Violet Mini Bath Bombs* (120g), which are super cute. I really enjoyed using these bath bombs because they are small and dainty, and come with a nice glass jar which looks lovely as a gift and also as an accessory for the bathroom. These bath bombs however, add a bit of fragrance and atmosphere to your bath routine, rather than a underwater firework show. I tend to put around two or three bath bombs into one bath just because I love the scent. I find that bath bombs like this are something that get used more often, since they just make my bath a bit more special without making me feel like I need to spend an hour in the tub!

The last product I got sent was this super cute Sugared Violet Cupcake Soap* (£5.99/120g), although this whole range smells of Violets, the cupcake has a slightly different smell, it's slightly more vanilla and cupcake like which makes this smell so nice! Literally, I couldn't stop sniffing this! I know my mom wants to use this soap for herself, so one of these are going to her! While this is just soap, I love the smell, the texture is also smoothing and slightly cream like in texture and I find this scent lingers on my skin. I love the way this looks in my bathroom too, although it won't always look so cute, it just adds a bit of joy to my shower routine. I think this would make such a lovely side present, because it literally looks like a cupcake!

This range I have just been besotted by. I feel like I hardly see brands that go out of their way to create a range that is fun and creative. It's so refreshing to see new scents being used, and new types of products being released. I also think they smash the traditional products too, I love their hand cream, and it's something I'm already half way through. For some reason I just tend to use these products, and I was always someone who was quite lazy with body care!

I would love to know if any of you have tried this range, because I see no-one talking about them! Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

* This post contains a PR sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 Lessons I've Learned From Blogging

I've been blogging for just under 3 years now, and I have learned so much from the blogging community, through reading other blogs and just figuring some things out for myself. I thought I would compile all the things I have learned from my blogging journey.

1) Do you really need that?

So I am probably the best enabler for my friends to get them to buy certain products. However, when I recommend something, it's usually because they are having trouble with a certain product or they aren't happy with their current routine, so my advice is usually tailor-made towards them. The world of blogging however, is full of things that is advertised as things you can't live without, and honestly I think it's best if you take blog posts with a pinch of salt. I believe that blogs are honest, however I normally refer to them if I am having an issue or I want to see what's new on the market. I've bought so much stuff due to reading blogs, and the majority of them weren't really game changers.

2) Time management and organisation

If any of you guys have job interviews and you have a blog then it's good to mention it even if it's small blog like mine. I usually forget to do this, because I don't see blogging as a job, I see it as a hobby. What it has done for me is made me more time-efficient. If I know I have to get a blog post up in the next few days, I will then try to work out when I will take my photographs, and when I can get the time to sit down and write so that my posts are up on time, and have a certain quality to them. Employers love this, because it shows that I have genuine and original interests, because lets be honest, as much as I love to say that I enjoy reading in my spare time, it's one that a lot of people say.

3) Photography

This is still one of my weakest things, however it's a working progress, and I feel like photography is something that most people struggle with because there are a lot of factors to consider, such as background, lighting, props and camera. I've found that I really like flat-lays, and I like to keep my photo's as simple as possible, with as less props as possible because my photo's have a tendency to look messy very fast. I also feel like I've mastered Instagram photos more than I have mastered photo's on my blog which is strange but true!

4) Being happy with your blog

So I think being jealous of other peoples blogs or followers is common in the blogging community, and I totally understand why people do it. I was one of them, I was desperate to do as well as others have done, especially because I felt like I had been blogging for a longer period than others. However, I have learnt to just focus on my own content, and look towards other blogs for inspiration, and funnily enough, once I had start doing that, I started to get more followers. It's also important to keep remembering why you are blogging too, it is competitive, but if like me, you are just blogging to talk about things you love and give advice, then I feel like the content comes from a more honest place.

5) Advertising
For about a year of my blogging journey, I didn't advertise any of my posts. I think I was embarrassed to show people how much I loved make-up, because lets be honest, it's not the deepest topic. However, once I did eventually start, I found that my friends found my posts helpful and started to ask me for advice. Twitter was a life-saver in terms of advertisement as you can constantly put your content out there and with the help of hashtags and RT pages without overly annoying people.

I would love to know what any of you guys have learned from blogging, if you do blog, and perhaps what you like to look for when reading blogs? Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!