Think you don't have time for a side hustle? Think again...
Daniella Verlaque, founder of Blossom Brew (who feature a face mask in our current Autumn Box!), has 3 little boys under 3...
No, you didn't hear wrong!
Daniella not only looks after her gorgeous boys, but she also founded and runs the incredible Blossom Brew - a brand with beautiful, beautiful all-natural products for the face, body & bath (check them out for yourself if you don't believe us when we say they are absolutely beautiful!!).
We had a chat to Daniella about her daily life, balance (what's that?!) and why she chose to start her brand!
Tell us a bit about the people behind your company
Blossom Brew is run solely by me, Daniella. I started in 2016 in formulating bath teas and expanded from there as I saw a massive gap for spa inspired bath and skincare that was natural, affordable and fun.
What inspired you to start your company and when did you start it?
Blossom Brew began in 2016 just after I had my first son. I was feeding him at the time and quickly realised I had to shower to rinse off the store bought chemical filled lotion I had put on prior as I didn’t want whatever that was in that lotion to transfer to his delicate skin. So on this, I wanted to create a line of natural bath and skincare products for women to not only use but get an experience from, like being at the day spa.
What would an ‘average day in the life of’ look like for you?
Hectic! Apart from running Blossom Brew, I run a house hold with my amazing partner and three little boys under three! Yup, crazy busy! My days are always unplanned as life never goes to plan. I literally manage getting to emails during naps, meal preps at 6am before anyone is awake. I attend to my studio and manufacturing from 7pm onwards and of course I’m always the last one to bed, anywhere from 1am onwards.
What is your favourite product in your range?
My absolute favourite product in my range is my Overnight Face Balm. I formulated it during Winter as I needed something emollient and occlusive from harsh weather conditions. I wanted something thick and creamy but not greasy and something that would help with the appearance of red pigmentation I suffer from with dry skin. I blended it with some beautiful and delicate essential oils such as carrot seed, geranium and rosemary. It became so intoxicating and a winner with family and friends so I decided to add it to my line of products for others to enjoy.
What is your favourite way to enjoy your product/s?
My favourite way to enjoy one of my products is with a Sunday morning bath with my Rose Quartz Bath Crystals. It’s a ritual I do weekly to help open my heart charka, encourage self-love and find peace. It’s something I look forward to, me time. I generally light a candle and tune out with vibrational music. If you haven’t tried a bath in the morning, I highly recommend it.
What is an interesting way of using your products that not many people would know about?
Face masks are typically hydrated with water, which is extremely beneficial as is, however I recommend to a lot of my customers, if you want to amplify the benefits of a mask then replace the water with other skin loving and nurturing natural ingredient such as coconut milk, aloe vera juice or even brewed tea or coffee. Sometimes it’s also nice to let sit in the fridge for a few minutes prior to applying, a cold face mask is perfect to help cool and sooth irritated skin.
If you weren’t running your company, what would you be doing?
If I hadn’t created Blossom Brew I would have delved into the world of herbalism, maybe created a line of teas, I can’t say for sure. I love herbs, my pantry says it all, and although I haven’t formally studied it, I love reading up and play around with blending and brewing concoctions.
What is your favourite way of winding down and taking time out?
For me, I take time out by soap making. It’s not a product I sell or intend to yet, I do it more so for the therapeutic properties I get from it. It’s similar to baking, there is just something about seeing beautiful botanical oils saponified and turn into soap. And not to mention cutting fresh soap is an amazing stress relieving exercise.
Here at Retreat Yourself, we LOVE dreaming BIG - what is your vision for your company?
Someone once told me to dream big or don’t dream at all…So I took that advise and on my vision right now is for my little Blossom Brew to hit retail chains. Not this year, maybe not next but sometime in the next 5 years. I dream of seeing our sophisticated packages on nice shiny displays for shoppers to admire and buy.
For anyone out there wanting to start their own business, what would your biggest piece of advice be?
My biggest piece of advice I can give is if you feel you need to make a decision by tomorrow then it’s not the right decision. Too often I would rush into things with just a thought thinking it was the right thing at the time, but after letting it brew for a while I would change my mind on things, this would cost me time, money and head space. As creative as some of us are, I say just let it brew and linger for a few days or weeks, in most cases your mind would have changed on the idea.
And lastly, what does a fulfilled life look like to you?
A fulfilled life to me is trying to get away from the rat race, the 9 to 5 life style and op for a more grounded and relaxed life with my family. We chose to move out to the country where we can walk bare foot on the ground, grow our own fruit and veggies and slow down. Take each day as it comes, relax and enjoy!
You can check out Blossom Brew here: www.blossombrew.com.au