Sleek Makeup has a new website and 20 % off everything!

Sleek Makeup's eyeshadow palettes and blushes have aquired quite a cult status among beauty bloggers because their mainly top notch quality and reasonable prices. Surely, everybody has heard of the company already and no need to tell more, right? 

Myself, I've been meaning to order their 2012 Collection dedicated to London's Summer Olympics since I first read about it sometime in June. Well, I'm glad I had postponed it until yesterday, when I discovered that Sleek Makeup has launched a new website and to celebrate it offers 20 % discount of everything on the site! The offer is valid until September 5th.

They have sales or other promotions next to never (at least on their website), so I think it's a good offer.

Even better, Sleek has adjusted the shipping charges. It used to be ridiculously expensive 10 euros per package for International Signed For and it was stated on the website that you can order only four items at a time : S So if you wanted one or two things, it made more sense to find somebody to order with you or get your items from eBay. Now they have reduced the shipping and calculate shipping costs according to the weight of package aka number of items ordered. I paid 6.50 euros for the shipping of quite large order, but I checked that for one palette it would be 2.20 euros, so it still pays to order several items at a time.

As for yesterday, everything was nicely in stock, but that may not last long.

I have a few good words for the website itself. It's quicker and more logical than it used to be and they have added swatches on different skin tones for most items. Well done, Sleek!

Yours Truly,
Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Briti päritoluga Sleek Makeup (kõik on neist kindlasti kuulnud, eks?) annab kuni 5. septembrini kõikidele veebitellimustele 20 % allahindlust. Vähendatud on ka postikulu: kui varem oli see kõigi tellimuste puhul 10 eurot paki pealt, siis nüüd arvutatakse postikulu paki kaalu järgi. Näiteks ühe lauvärvipaleti tellimisel tuleb postikulu maksta vaid 2.20 eurot. Sleeki lauvärvipaletid ja põsepunad on väga hea kvaliteediga, soovitan juhust kasutada!

Siiralt teie,
Tolmu Rull

The Body Shop new rewards card has arrived to Estonia! The Body Shopi uus kliendikaart on kohal!

Osta soodsalt: Green Nature kreemid ja õlid laadalt ligi poole odavamalt!

This post is in Estonian only, because it concerns a local natural cosmetics company that sells it's products roughly about two times cheaper at open air fairs than in mall. Unfortunately they don't sell their products outside Estonia (yet).

Külastasin eelmisel laupäeval Vanamõisa käsitöölaata ja muu hea-parema-toreda seast avastasin sealt Green Nature kreemide ja õlide letikese. No muidugi äratas see minus huvi ja ajas näpud kohe sügelema. Ikkagi oma ja eestimaine, öko veel pealekauba :)

Tegelikult olin Green Nature nime poodides varem ka silmanud, aga põhjalikumat tutvumist polnud kunagi viitsinud ette võtta. Laadal oli lahke müüja kaupa tutvustamas ja soovitusi jagamas, pakkus testreid proovimiseks ning (loomulikult!) ma sealt ostuta ei lahkunud. Soetasin endale jumet andva ja nahka toitva porgandikreemi ja rasust nahka reguleeriva jojobaõli. 

Kodus pöördusin truu abilise Google poole, et Green Nature'ga põhjalikumalt tutvuda. Teada sain järgmist: 

“Green Nature on aastal 2009 asutatud Eesti looduskosmeetika ettevõte, mille eesmärk on pakkuda oma klientidele 100% naturaalset ja puhast kosmeetikat. Green Nature tooted ei sisalda sünteetilisi lõhnaineid, värvaineid ega sünteetilisi säilitusaineid. Seetõttu on kõik tooted lõhnatud või õrna tooraine lõhnaga. Green Nature tooted ei tekita nahaärritusi ning sobivad ideaalselt ka tundlikule ja allergilisele nahale.

Põhirõhk Green Nature sortimendis on naturaalsetel, 100% looduslikel kehaõlidel. Green Nature valikus on 15 naturaalset õli kehale, juustele, küüntele ja ripsmetele.” 

Kõlab väga ahvatlevalt, eks? 

Nüüd aga jutu poindi juurde. Eile Tallinna Kaubamajas läksin uuesti Green Nature riiulit uudistama, sooviga nende argaaniaõli soetada ja pidin pepuli kukkuma. Kui mina maksin laadal kreemi ja õli eest kokku 15 eurot, siis Kaubamajas maksis jojobaõli 11 eurot sentidega ja porgandikreem 14 eurot sentidega ehk siis kokku üle 25 euro! Vau! Päris suur vahe! 

Pole vist vaja mainida, et argaaniaõli eile minuga koju ei tulnud...

Porgandikreemi ja jojobaõli ma praegu pikemalt ei arvusta: olen neid selleks veel liiga vähe proovinud, et arvamust avaldada. Kirjutan hinnatähelepaneku siia hoopis seepärast, et ka kohe-kohe algaval augustikuu eelviimasel nädalavahetusel peetakse mitmel pool laatu ja muid rahvaüritusi. Kes vihmaseid ilmu trotsides minemas on, hoidke silmad lahti!

Kas olete Green Nature tooteid proovinud? Mida sellisest hinnakujundusest arvate?

Siiralt teie,
Tolmu Rull

Neal's Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture face cream review

I have a confession to make -- face moisturisers are my least favourite beauty products. Why? Because finding a good one is like Indiana Jones'es quest for the Holy Grail for me: one minute I'll think I've found it, the next everything starts to collapse. It's nearly possible, but still not quite possible. I have fairly oily combination skin that can turn very greasy and shiny one minute and be quite dry the next. My skin needs just the right amount of moisturising to keep it matte and in good condition. So go figure.

I have never been a fan of organic face moisturisers, because I've always thought of these as very greasy and suitable for dryer skintypes only. Neal's Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose one has been a head turner for me, though I was quite skeptical at first.

It's a basic moisturiser that promises to nurture & replenish normal skin and keep it in balance. I feel like it has been tailor made for my skin. Rehydrating Rose has just the right amount of moisture in it, it has very light texture, but keeps my skin hydrated enough and MATTE for all day long. It's great under makeup (I use it mainly as a day cream), but in case of need it operates as a night cream too. Just perfect! 

I'm also a great fan of it's scent. I can't quite put my finger on it what it smells like, but if you're ever received an aromatherapeutic massage, that's what it reminds me of most. Must be a mixture of Damask roses, calendula, citrus, ylang-ylang and some other scents: crisp, oriental and refreshing at the same time. 

I had never heard of Neal's Yard Remedies before, turns out it's British award winning organic cosmetics company. Founded in 1981, it's one of the pioneers of organic cosmetics with holistic approach, "driven by the passionate belief that health and beauty should be more natural, less synthetic. This passion, and our firm belief that it's down to all of us to protect our precious planet, is at the heart of everything we do." Or so they state on their website.

I got this cream as a magazine freebie in spring while I was at Great Britain. I don't remember which magazine, I believe it was Marie Claire or Glamour. Neal's Yard products are fairly expensive, so I'm very happy to have got this one for free. I've taken it along many times while travelling ever since, see  here how it fits into my travel beauty bag and what else is in there.

If you're interested, Neal's Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose is readily available from eBay (you'll have to beat me in buying one as I soon need another one!). Or you can get one from their website for GBP 12 (around 15 euros).

Have you ever tried anything from Neal's Yard Remedies? What are your impressions?

Yours Truly,
Tolmu Rull

 
For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Sain Neal's Yard Remedies näokreemi tasuta koos mingi Inglismaalt ostetud naisteajakirjaga. Enne polnud ma sellest firmast kuulnudki, aga kuna kavatsesin ajakirja niikuinii osta, siis proovisin kohe ka tasuta kreemi ära ja oli see vast üks väärt leid! 

Neal's Yardi roosiga niisutaja hoiab mu küllaltki rasust seganahka mõnusalt niisutatu ja matina ning toimib nii päeva- kui öökreemina. Lisaboonuseks mõnusalt aroomiteraapiline lõhn, mis kestab tunnikest-paar ja on suurepärane hommikune ärataja. Looduslik koostis on ka hea omadus, käsi südmel, ma poleks looduskosmeetika kreemidelt midagi nii head oodanudki. 

Siiralt teie,

Tolmu Rull

Empties: summer 2012. Part 1

According to the weather, summer seems to be officially over for Estonia, so it's time to see what I've used up. This will be in two parts, the other coming up someday in September. Apparently I've needed lots and lots of products this summer. I'm simply too lazy to do the empties thing monthly:)

Here are my usual mini-reviews and product recommendations.

• Garnier Invisimineral deodorant. It had nice fresh scent, fighted the odour quite ok, but didn't fulfill it's promise not to leave white marks. Price: 2-3 euros, no repurchase.
• Garnier Bodytonic Slimming and Reshaping gel. A nice refreshing gel with a minty feel. I didn't notice any slimming or reshaping results though, but I used it only 2-3 times a week after gym. Maybe the results would be great if used twice a day daily? Don't know, but it sure sinks in fast and isn't sticky. Price: probably around 10 euros, no repurchase.
• Garnier Color Naturals Hair Colour. It's my holy grail DIY hair colour! The blonde shades (I've tried different blondes) are excellent for me, it is so cheap and easy to use and it makes my hair soft like no other haircolour. I'd say the results beat going to the hairdressers' for colour! Price: 2 euros (on sale), will definitely repurchase.

• Lumene Natural Code Face Wash & Toner. I loved these! Despite their skin purifying properties they didn't dry my skin out too much, but helped to keep it fresh and more matte. And they were very reasonably priced too. I would like to buy again, but unfortunately Lumene has changed their Natural Code line and these are no longer available. Certainly, a bit of a loss for me. Price: 6-7 euros each.

• ByPhasse Make-up remover wipes for sensitive skins and mature skins. I didn't notice much difference between the two varieties, but for some reason liked the sensitive skins version a bit more. Both were very soft, quite big and wet and removed make-up well for a wet wipe. I think at 2 euros a pack they were value for money and I will probably repurchase if I ever see them discounted again.

• The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel. This had the total goodness of all The Body Shop shower gels! It smelled and looked yummy and had produced lots and lots of lather, so not much was needed. That's why it lasted for ages and ages and I grew a bit tired of it at the end. But that is rather a virtue than a vice, isn't it? I shall not repurchase Pink Grapefruit, but I shall certainly try other shower gels from The Body Shop. Price: 7 euros for 250 ml.
• Lush It's Raining Men Honey Rich Shower Gel for body and hair. This was one of the very few 2in1 shower products that actually worked well for hair too and didn't dry they out too much. It actually gave my hair some bounce and made them smooth! I also liked the mild honey scent and like The Body Shop one, it also lasted for ages. Extra points for the witty name! I shall probably buy it again in smaller travel size bottles as this is perfect for travelling and taking to the gym. Price: 11.65 euros for 250 ml.
• Freeman Bare Foot Iced Teaberry and Mint Foot Scrub. This foot scrub had somewhat larger and harsher scrubbing particles than most of other foot scrubs usually do. It was quite refreshing to use and scrubbed really well, so I'd recommend it over others if your feet need a good scrub. Myself, no repurchase, because I can do very well with my usual shower scrub and don't need an extra for my feet. Don't remember the price, but Freeman products are generally not expensive.

• Avon Anew Rejuvenate 24 hour eye cream day & night. Two eye creams in one pot! I liked this one so much it deserves a separate review. I shall add a link if I complete it. A repurchase already made! Around 10 euros from Avon brochure.
• Garnier Pure Active Roll-On. A lot of Garnier products here today :) Shaped exactly like Garnier undereye concealer (review here), this zit-killer knows it's job well. It really works on even the most painful of blemishes and helps them heal faster. On the downside it the fact that it leaves a bit of a sticky film on the skin, so it can't be used under or over makeup as it promises. I don't remember the price and will be on the lookout for a better one.
• Phytomer OligoPur Shine Control Moisturizing Fluid. Oh dear, I passionately hated this and regretted bitterly getting the bigger salon-size version! First, it didn't mattify, it made my face appear more shiny and sticky. Then, it didn't hydrate at all, my skin was still itchy after using it. To top it all off, it behaved impossibly under make-up, rolling off whenever I tried to use my foundation. Oh, and let's not forget it was expensive too: around 30 euros for 50 ml, but mine was 100 ml! I was desperately waiting for it to be empty, but I should have thrown this crap out a long ago. Absolutely no repurchase whatsoever.

• Lumene Eyebrow wax. Finally some empty make-up items in my empties project! This wax is also a Holy Grail product of mine, that totally deserves a review of it's own. Price: around 8 euros, definite repurchase.
• L'Oreal Glam Shine Juice lipgloss. A good nude coloured non-sticky lipgloss. Nice, but not so special. No repurchase.

• Dermoshop Cuticle Cream and Yves Rocher Coleurs Nature 8h Eyeshadow Duo. Neither were empty, but these simply didn't perform well, so I decided to throw them out. Simple as that.

• Just some random hotel shampoos and travel sized bottles, used up mostly at the gym.

That's all this time. Great success! It's a real relief to throw all these empty pots and tubes out, although several of them have become my favourites and already are or will soon be replaced.

Yours Truly,

Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Palun, siin on sel suvel tühjaks tarvitatud potsikud ja tuubid! Neid on hästi palju, sest mitmed pikalt-pikalt kasutatud asjad olid lõpukorral. Soovitada julgen Garnier Color Naturals juuksevärvi, The Body Shopi ja Lushi dushigeele, Freemani jalakoorijat ja Avoni kaheosalist 24-tunni silmakreemi. Lõpuks ometi said otsa ka mõned meigiasjad, neist soovitan Lumene kulmuvaha. Kauge kaarega tuleks mööda käia Phytomeri OligoPur näokreemist. 

Siiralt teie,

Tolmu Rull

My Sephora haul & mini reviews

Although I was in Poland more than a month ago, I haven't posted more about my beauty haul than a tiny peek in my huge Inglot traincase post and Benefit The Pretty Committee kit review. Here's a short overview of my Sephora haul. Needless to say I'm also madly in love with Sephora as many girls from the countries that don't have Sephora stores :P

Sephora has been my main beauty Mecca since 2004, when I accidentaly stumbed upon one of their stores in Bologna and was instantly hooked. The bad thing is we don't have them in Estonia or Scandinavian countries. So I admit, I have chosen my travel destinations according to whether they have Sephora stores or not :) I believe I'm not the only one to do so.

So, what's the contents of this black Sephora bag? First and foremost, my best find from Sephora, Benefit The Pretty Committee kit, full review here. But some other stuff too. 

Two eye pencils, Flashy liner in flashy taupe and Jumbo liner 12H wear in beige. Since both are waterproof and stay on really well, they have been my most used eye pencils this summer. I use Jumbo liner all over the lid as a wash of colour or as a base for eyeshadows. It glides on really well and I don't even need a brush to blend it. The beige colour with a hint of pink and some shimmer is perfect for nearly-there summer makeup. I paid 39 PLN (9,6 euros) for it.

The swatches

What I like most about Flashy liner is the soft taupey-bronzy tone that is perfect for complementing green eyes and useful for many make-up looks. It also glides on really easily. The shimmer in it doesn't really show up on the lids. What I don't like about it is the fact that it is not pigmented enough for using on waterline. I paid 30 PLN (7,4 euros) for it. 

Also I grabbed two synthetic eye shadow brushes, number 26 small and number 25 large from Sephora main brush collection (Sephora Pro Collection is not sold in Europe). They are meant specially for the application of cream shadows, but can double as concealer brushes as well. The short and light handles make them suitable for travel and they seem very durable. I like them! I don't remember the exact price, but they were around 10 euros each. 

Sephora Express empty 50 ml pot. I'm going to use it for decanting some body creams for travelling or taking to the gym. I paid around 2 euros for it.

The green thing is exfoliating face disk. It has very soft and small silicone bristles and is meant for using with a facial wash. It's comfortable to use and is great for everyday light exfoliation. I paid 20 PLN (4.90 euros) for it. 

Waterproof eye make up remover from Sephora own line. I was out of make up remover and thought why not give it a try? They place these kinds of products seductively by the cashier, you know :P I'm not disappointed, it removes makeup well, does not sting and is not too greasy. Next time I'll get it in travel size too. It was 26 PLN (6.40 euros).

You can also see my Sephora White Card, I regret deply I haven't paid much attention to Sephora loyalty program before, could have saved a lot by now. 

Finally, some free samples I got with my purchase. I like the fact that you get almost always some samples with your Sephora purchases. It's a nice touch, I think.

All in all, I'm very happy about my Sephora haul :) It's not a very big haul, but since I got some stuff from other stores as well, it all adds up. I like to do bigger hauls sometimes and then stay away from the shops for a long time. I have been a very good girl since the trip: I've stepped to a beauty store only once in July and haven't bought anything from the web also (although I have had an occasional peek what's on offer once or twice :P).

Yours Truly,
Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Väike ülevaade minu Sephora ostudest Poolast. Eestile lähimad Sephora poed asuvadki umbes pooleteistpäevase autotripi kaugusel Poolas. Sinna sattudes soovitan kindlasti sisse astuda ja muu kraami kõrval tähelepanu pöörata nende oma kaubamärgile.

Benefiti komplekti olen juba näidanud ja arvustanud, minu ülejäänud ostud ongi Sephora oma tootesarjast. Lühidalt öeldes olen kõigi ostudega väga rahul ja see ei jää kindlasti minu viimaseks Sephora visiidiks.

Kui Sephorast midagi ostate, võtke kindlasti ka tasuta kliendikaart, millega saab neljandalt ostult 10 % allahindlust ja poes kasutada spetsiaalseid kaardiomanike soodukaid. Mina kahetsen, et ma juba varem ei viitsinud endale kaarti teha :( Kaarti registreerida ja lojaalsusprogrammi tingimustega lähemalt tutvuda saab näiteks siin.

Siiralt teie,
Tolmu Rull