My latest blush crush: Benefit Bella Bamba review and comparison swatches + a sale alert

I love blush. I'm easily enchanted by new products and can almost always justify the purchase. I'm a blushaholic!

I hadn't tried any of Benefit's cult-worthy blushes before. There were several reasons for this: partly because they are difficult to get your hand's on in Estonia, partly because their price tag, partly because there are many other great blushes out there...the list goes on and on.

Bella Bamba became mine (oh, mine!) this summer (read more about it here). I don't care that it has been reviewed a million time or so, it's my latest blush crush and I'm going to say a few words about it! 

Bella Bamba is not Benefit's latest creation in terms of blush, but it's their only 3D “brightening face powder” (they call their blushes “face powders” for some reason that remains mysterious to me, guess that's a part of their retro attitude). 

The first thing that catches the eye in Bella Bamba is of course it's colourful rectangular box with holographic effects. It is one of the famous cardboard boxes of Benefit's blushes: sturdy enough for keeping on your vanity, but will probably get ugly quickly if carried around in handbag in daily bases. But it sure does endure some dropping. 

The blusher comes with a natural hair brush, mirror in the flip over lid and plastic separator to keep the blush and brush apart. The brush is quite big and clumsy, but would do in case of emergency.

Bella Bamba itself is a most gorgeous watermelon-coloured blush, more bright pink than coral. I love the vibrant hue! The 3d part simply means it has lot's of pale gold shimmer-sheen in it, not holographic particles or anything. The shimmer is so fine that looking from some distance you can barely see it, you'll just notice a nice glow, the so-called brightening effect.

See the beautiful golden shimmer and holo effects on the box!

The blush is very-very pigmented, but it's texure is soft and well-blendable, so you can apply it with a light hand for only some rosy sheen on your cheeks or go for full on bright colour. Benefit says it amplifies cheekbones and creates the illusion of sculpted features: it sure does, you probably won't be needing any separate highlighter with it.

The blush is lightly scented (a sweet candy scent, doesn't remind watermelons to me), but you can only feel it when smelling the box directly, not on your cheeks.

Bella Bamba in the left, Nars Deep Throat on the top and Nars Orgasm below.  

I think Bella Bamba tends to beat Nars blushes, as it's texture is softer and even easier to blend. Don't get me wrong, I love my Nars too, but Bella Bamba just has something special about it. 

It is a lot more bright and vibrant than Nars Deep Throat and has a lot less of the golden-yellow sheen than Orgasm does (personally, I don't find the yellow sheen flattering on me). I hope you can see that from the swatches. Surprisingly, in the box Nars Deep Throat seems a lot lighter, but in swatches it came out really similar to Bella Bamba, minus the sheen. Maybe just a tad more red, whilst Bella Bamba leans more to the pink. 

Bella Bamba heavy swatch on my NC 15/20 skin.

From left: Nars Deep Throat, Bella Bamba, Nars Orgasm heavy swatches. Click on the picture to make it bigger ( as always).

Also, Bella Bamba is surprisingly a lot more affordable than Nars blushes (especially when you get it in a kit, like I did). Bella Bamba has 8 g (0,28 Oz) of product in it, Nars blushes have only 4,8 g (0,16 Oz). The prices in Europe are about 32-33 euros for Bella Bamba and 28-29 euros for a Nars blush. I don't know the US prices, according to Sephora.com they both cost 28 USD, but that makes Bella Bamba still a lot cheaper, as you get roughly twice as much the product. 

BTW, there is major Benefit discount going on on Cheapsmells.com website! They sell genuine perfumes and quality beauty products at affordable prices and deliver all over the world. So if you want to get your hands on some Benefit products at quite affordable prices (for Benefit of course), check this out! They have Bella Bamba individually and also some blushes in travel sets, but these are going fast! 

What do you think of Bella Bamba? What's your latest blush crush?

Yours Truly,
 Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Ma olen täielik põsepunahull! Minu viimane "armastus" on Bella Bamba Benefit'ilt, kuidas ma selle omanikuks sain, loe siit. Arbuusitooni, külluslikult õrna kuldset sädelust sisaldav Bella Bamba on veel ilusam, kui kultuslikud Narsi põsepunad (piltidel näed võrdlust). See on Narsi punadest pisut pehmema tekstuuriga, sädeleb rohkem ja on pakitud suuremasse karpi. Benefit'i tooteid saab Eestisse tellida näiteks CheapSmells'i lehelt või kõige lähemalt osta Poolast Sephora poodidest.

Milline on teie suurim põsepunalemmik?

Siiralt teie,

Tolmu Rull

Adorebox review: is there anything to actually adore?

Tadadaa, yesterday morning I got my first Adorebox. It's good that I just had barely got out of my robe when the nice delivery guy came :P

If you are not familiar with the concept, Adorebox is a mystery beauty box you order from the web for 11.99 euros and get delivered each month. It promises 4-5 samples and/or full-size products per box for 11.99 euros, free delivery. 

So, what did I get in my September box?

• Anne Lind 150 ml body lotion with Guarana scent. 7.35 eur. 

This is the highlight of this box. It's a lovely, 100 % natural body lotion, free from preservatives, synthetic colourants, mineral oil and silicones, produced according to the BDIH guidelines for natural products. Besides smelling yummy it sinks into the skin really fast too.

The downside? I just bought exactly the same lotion from Ilu Sõnum/Beauty Word trade show two days ago! And the Adorebox one came without the original cardboard box. I think I'll shut my eye on the fact that I already have one and shall happily use it up nevertheless. 

• Royal Functionality brush set. 3.95 eur. 

Sorry, but these brushes are actually a royal fail! Their shape and quality of hair is unbelievably poor and they stink of cheap plastic! They're too flimsy for decent use too. Or maybe my daughter could use these for some play makeup, but I'm not too sure these are up to even that job. I think they'll go straight to the bin. 

• Esprit lipstick in 302 Beige Chic. 9.90 eur.

I didn't know Esprit had their own cosmetics line :S Hmm... a frosty brown beige, a shade that used to be "chic" 20 years ago or so. Really? I might, just might, try it on, but I'm quite sure this shade would look very unflattering on me. To the bin probably.

• Nivea Pure Diamond Eye Shadows 5.50 eur.

Three highly shiny shadows in one box, I have them in white +green shades. These seem nice, although I haven't tried them on yet. At least it seems like these won't be a bin material completely...

• Stenders Bath Bubble ball, 2.90 eur. 

Handmade bath bubble in a shape of a ball. Looks like a small orange :) The letter says it should smell as good as Sundays breakfast. Well, mine smells more like a Toilet Duck. Have I managed to mention that I don't have a bathtube in my apartment?

I might be able to use this doing a foot bath (in the case I manage somehow to survive the stink, of course). Otherwise -- a bin material again.

So I'm not sure what to think of Adorebox. I love the fact that the products are full size. I love the nice packaging and included delivery service, but surely, if three out of my five products are bin material, I could do something better with my 11.99? What do you think?

Yours Truly,
Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian readers: 

Sain eile hommikul kätte oma esimese Adoreboxi. Kes veel ei tea, mis see on, võib uurida siit. Põhimõtteliselt on süsteem lihtne: maksad 11.99 euri ja sulle tuuakse järgmisel kuul koju karbike 4-5 ilutootega. Mis need täpselt on, näed siis, kui karbi avad. 

Ma ei teagi, kas olla Adoreboxiga rahul või mitte. Ühest küljest on Anne Lindi kehakreem hea “saak”, aga ülejäänud kraam on kas ebakvaliteetne, lootusetult moest läinud või täiega ebavajalik. Ja see WC-puhastaja lõhnaga vannipall, öäk! Seega viiest üks pihta või nii... Ma pole päris kindel, kas raiskan raha ja tellin ka järgmise kuu karbi...

Ootan teie  mõtteid ja arvamusi Adoreboxi kohta.

Siiralt teie,
Tolmu Rull

Ontic Minerals Peacock exclusive eye shadow collection swatches & review! Uus ja eksklusiivne lauvärvikollektsioon Ontic Minerals'ilt!

Today, my lovelies, I have something very special for you! Remember the Estonian first MMU company Ontic Minerals I've been telling you about (here & here)?

Well, you'd better do, because they have launched a brand new exclusive collection of eye shadows (their first exclusive!) and I have the privilege to tell you all about it! I know I have done previous posts on Ontic Minerals mostly in Estonian, but I'm pretty sure I would like to introduce these to everyone else also, so this one is going to be in both languages.

The collection is called Peacock, as you could probably notice from the header.  They are launched specially for the Estonian biggest beauty trade fair of the year Ilu Sõnum/Beauty Word. It consists of four mineral eyeshadows:

• Green Peace: a kiwi green;
• Queen of the Beauty Fair: something between cocoa and taupe;
• Kiss of a Peacock: a full on yellow;
• Shine like a star: medium denim blue.

I could have a touch on these about two weeks ago at Ontic Minerals event. I couldn't resist and two of these came home with me from MOM event. I shall probably purchase the other two as well (dear hubs, don't be mad, this is money well spent!)

Queen of the Beauty fair

Green Peace

But I'm going to show you the whole collection, as Nadja from Ontic Minerals was kind enough to send me the samples of the other two.

Kiss of a peacock and Shine like a star

These eyeshadows do not contain mineral oil or other petroleum derivates, parabens, gluten, perfume, dyes, talc, bismuth oxycloride, nanoparticles, sulfates, silicones, synthetic colourings, mineral oil. Basically, they should be pure goodness for your skin!

OK, let's torture you no more, the swatches!

L to R: Green Peace, Queen of the Beauty fair, Shine like a star, Kiss of a peacock.  Swatched over UDPP .

These shadows are very soft, buttery, highly pigmented and in gorgeous colours! BTW, did you notice the tiny holographic particles?

Without UDDP, on bare skin.

Queen of the Beauty fair is probably the most pigmented, while Kiss of a peacock is basically matte. Kiss of a peacock is easier to use with a primer, as you can probably notice from the photo above.

I must also note the amazing staying power of these. The swatches only came off with a remover of waterproof makeup.

I haven't had a proper chance to test them in my daily makeup yet, but I expect them to be very good. Must I mention that the colours are totally coordinating with the current jewel eyes trend? Probably not.

The eyeshadows come in elegant 2g shifter jars and cost 9.95 euros each.

These are not available on Ontic Minerals website yet and I forgot to ask whether they are LE or not. You can definitely see them at the upcoming beauty trade fair Ilus Sõnum/ Beauty Word. All mineral makeup by Ontic Minerals is 20 % off at the beauty fair Ilu Sõnum/Beauty Word next weekend, so be sure to visit!

Yours truly,
Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Eesti esimene mineraalmeigifirma Ontic Minerals toob spetsiaalselt järgmisel nädalavahetusel toimuvaks ilumessiks Ilu Sõnum välja uue eksklusiivse lauvärvide kollektsiooni Peacock ehk paabulind. Ontic'u kodukalt seda veel ei leia, niiet nautige swatch'e!

Paabulinnu sabasulgedelt laenatud toonides lauvärvid on imeilusates värvides, tugeva pigmendiga, väga hästi püsivad ja sisaldavad imepisikesi holograafilisi osakesi. 

Ja muidugi ei sisalda need nahale kahjulikke koostisosi nagu talk, vismut oksükloriid, parabeenid, nanoosakesed, sulfaadid, silikoonid ja nafta jääkproduktid.

Lauvärvid maksavad 9.95 eurot 10 g sõelakesega elegantse topsiku kohta.

Need lauvärvid ja ka kõik muud Ontic Mineral'si mineraalmeigi tooted on ilumessil 20 % soodsamad. Ilumessihuvilised: juba varsti on siin blogis samuti tulemas midagi suurepärast, nimelt üks väike loosimine! 

Siiralt teie,
Tolmu Rull

Empties: summer 2012. Part 2

Now when the summer is really-really over and done with in Northern hemisphere and autumn has arrived, it's high time to do part with my summer empties. Here's the second part I promised a while ago (see the first part here). BTW, I've been suffering from the first true cold of this autumn for the whole weekend: slurping down some spicy chicken soup, while trying to stay warm and covered :(

OK, down to business, let's get this one done, so I could concentrate on better news next week.

• Purexin Garlic shampoo. We brought this from Turkey last spring. My hubby used up the most of it, but I did get a few tries. My frequent readers must know my love for kitchen-related beauty stuff by now :) It was a fairly decent shampoo (no actual garlic smell whatsoever!), but obscenely expensive and no need to mention, hard almost impossible to buy in Estonia. Since I have no special memories of it, no repurchase. (I used a lot of 'no'-s in these last sentences. Umm... the point remains the same, but I must contain myself, otherwise my reviews are going to be a lot like something you can read from certain books beginning with the word  'Fifty'). 
• Tigi Love Peace & The Planer Eco Awesome Shampoo and Conditioner. Whoa! These have been my greatest love in hair cleaning & conditioning since I laid my eyes on them. They totally deserve a review of their own! I've purchased these again in bigger sizes already and they are being loved by our whole family. Let's just say these are pure goodness in bottles. Don't remember the excact prices, but if you are familiar with Tigi range, then you'll know they're not the cheapest ones around, but not the most priciest either. 

• Avon  Senses Waterfall Shower Gel. I loved this too! Avon Senses is a nice range of shower gels, you've probably seen some of them here before. I love them for their smell, but must mention they're rather thin & watery, therefore go fast. I loved Waterfall for it's turquoise colour and great unisex smell of fresh waters. Paid 3.90 euros for it and shall probably repurchase. 
• Lancome Aroma Tonic Body Lotion. Another great love of mine!  I loved-loved-loved the scent of it! I've been saving it a while, using only a little at a time. To my knowledge, it's discontinued by now, so no hope for a repurchase. It's gone and dearly missed by me. If i could repurchase, I would.

• Australian Gold Intimidation solarium cream. Yep, I do visit tanning booth's from time to time, because a person needs a break from endless rains from time to time. I loved the cooling effect of this cream. The tube was huge, took a while to use up, but it was all good. 
• Sally Hansen Airbrush Sun self tanner. I got this as a GWP and totally hated it! The smell was obnoxious and application very patchy. And don't even get me started on the orangey skin tone and damage to the ozone layers it left behind! 
• Lush Cupcake Fresh Face mask. Not my first one of these, see review here.
• Lumene Arctic Aqua 24h Balancing Moisturiser. I was on the fence with this. I mean, I totally love Lumene and I like light face moisturisers, but this one was a brat. It completely sunk in to my skin, but after a few hours my face turned really oily & shiny, especially if I used some foundation on top. I liked it's slightly marine smell, but I can't give top grades on moisturising... I think there are better ones out there (this is my politically correct comment if I don't want to say that I'm outright disappointed with something). 

• Ambray Nail Polish Remover and Avon Individual Blue Ladies Scent. These are the beauty school drop outs this time. The nail polish remover didn't remove much, so it was gone in a jiffy, but Individual Blue was totally another matter. In spite of being a popular ladies scent, I hated it, so I mostly used it to scare off my evil cat from biting my shins at nighttime and to freshen the toilet. Glad they're both gone! 

After staying on the empties project for about 9 months now, I noticed today some more unexpected free space in my bathroom cabinet. Yay! On that happy note, over and out.

Yours Truly,

Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Järjekordne osa tühjade potsikute projektist. Heas mõttes on kõige märkimisväärsemad on Tigi Eco Awesome shampoon ja palsam, millest ehk kunagi jõuan põhjalikumalt kirjutada, ja Lancome kehakreem, mida ma väga armastasin, kuid paraku sai seegi lõpuks otsa. Nüüd lähen voodisse oma nohust nina nuuskama ja loodan, et selle sügise esimene külmetushaigus jääb ka viimaseks. Loota ju ikka võib, eks?

Siiralt teie,

Tolmu Rull

Naked Shine Coconut & Shea Glossing Hair Treatment review (and a few words on “naked” and “nude”)

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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