Riga, my love! The visit to Baltic Beauty 2012, part 1

Baltic Beauty is the biggest beauty trade show in Latvia. The organizers claim, it's the biggest in whole Scandinavia, but I'd take that statement with a pinch of salt :P. This year it was held from 2.-4. November in Kipsala Exhibition centre Riga. It was my first time at Baltic Beauty: I wanted to go last year already, but then I had no time. This year, in spite of many unhappy events beforehand, I was finally there and felt like I deserved some fun and play! 

About ten minutes before opening on Sunday morning. The crowds start to pur in. 

This year, Baltic Beauty was said to be especially big with a record number of participants: 300 companies from 37 countries around the globe. Though, I must mention that there were mostly local Latvian representatives of the beauty companies present plus a few companies from Estonia and Lietuva. 

Some images of the halls, getting ready for the day.

Siberika girls, all nice and neat, ready for the crowds.

The exhibition consisted of two halls, one of them was filled with skincare, makeup, nail stuff, beauty salon equipment and health goodies, the other was dedicated mostly to haircare, but also had some cheap blingy jewellery, tights, gloves and such things. As always on these kind of events, there were lots of special shows, lots of great deals and discounts and a vast number of greedy-faced women lurking around :) 

Peggy Sage had a rather small booth...

...bur rather good deals on some items (these eyeshadows cost 10 euros originally).

Apart from that, these two exhibitions were very different. Firstly, there were less companies present at Ilu Sõnum/Beauty Word in the beginning of October, but overall Baltic Beauty seemed a bit smaller, as the stalls and boothes were not as big and fancy as they were in Estonian exhibition. I'd even say they were rather on the small side mostly, causing a lot of elbowing and toe-stepping, as by Saturday afternoon the event became very crowded. I spent a good 4 or five hours browsing on Saturday, after that I was too tired for any sensible decisions. I went back for some final pictures and purchases on Sunday morning (the advantages of a press pass, don't ask :P).

Pure Elements, natural cosmetics from Germany.

Da Vinci brushes.

Secondly, although Tallinn and Riga are only some 300 kms apart, shopping experience at Baltic Beauty was totally different from shopping in Ilu Sõnum/Beauty Word. There were so many brands, both professional and consumer products, that are not sold in Estonia. 

Inglot

Make Up For Ever

Kryolan

SLA Professional Cosmetics

There were very many salesmen and women, who couldn't speak any English, only Latvian and Russian. Let's just say that my vocabulary that consists of some very basic Latvian words like 'sveiki', 'labas dienas' and 'saldejums' was not nearly enough. At least I could understand one word 'akcija' very well :) Card payment opportunities were rare too.

There were also a lot less natural products and mineral makeup offered than in Estonian exhibition and only a few things from local Latvian beauty brands. In that sense, situation seemed a bit better in Estonia. 

Latvian bath salts and soaps.  

Riga souvenir soap.

Thirdly, it was funny that so much space was taken up by haircare, hair styling and hairdressing tools companies. It was probably due to the fact that there was International Hairstyling Festival going on during the fair. And again, many haircare brands – oh dear, probably most of them! – were completely unfamiliar to me and I guess they are not sold in Estonia. 

Farouk, at least that's in Estonia too.

Must be some very precious hair stuff :)

Salons24.eu from Estonia had as good deals as in Estonian trade fair...

... but less products were available. 

All in all, the trip to Riga for Baltic Beauty was tiring, but completely worthwhile. I had amazing time there and needless to say, bought quite lot of stuff :P I shall share some more exeptional moments from the trade fair in my next post, so be sure to check back! 

Yours Truly,
Tolmu Rull 

Just a random beautiful model.

For my lovely Estonian ladies: 

Riiaga seoses meenub mulle alati üks vana laul Vennaskonnalt: Riia, mu arm (kuula näiteks siin). Seekordse armastuse põhjuseks oli lätlaste suurim ilumess Baltic Beauty, mis toimus 2.-4. novembrini ehk siis eelmisel nädalavahetusel Kipsala messikeskuses. Ma polnud varem Baltic Beauty'l käinud, aga meie oma Ilu Sõnumist erines see nagu öö ja päev, nii korralduse kui ka pakutavate kaupade poolest. Väga palju ruumi oli pühendatud kõikvõimalikule juuksekraamile, müüdi brände, mida Eestis ei ole ja pakuti ka siinmail täiesti tundmatuid teenuseid.

Üldiselt julgen seda messi soovitada, kel võimalik, käigu järgmisel aastal ära. Arvestada tuleb aga, et kaardimaksetega sealmaal eriti ei arveldata ja kui vene või läti keele oskus puudub või on nigel, siis tuleb käte-jalgade abil asju ajada :)

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

My biggest beauty buy ever. Hint: it's HUGE

As I hinted in the comments of my last post about beauty shopping abroad, I managed to take a little trip again. This time it was a roadtrip to Poland. In spite of the fact that it took place during European Football Championships 2012, I didn't go to Poland for football, but purely for fun and pleasure. And some shopping of course :P

One of the main advantages of a road trip is the opportunity to fit in loads and loads of luggage and boy, did I exploit that! I did a fair share of shopping, including my biggest beauty buy ever, not in terms of items bought but in terms of measures and kilograms.

Look, how small my huge cat looks compared to it!

Can you already guess, what it is?

It's three-storey PRO make-up artist's train case from Inglot! Inglot is a cosmetics company of Polish origin. It makes professional cosmetics & beauty accessories and as verified by many beauty bloggers, the quality is comparable to MAC or Make Up Store. (Of course I did a little Inglot make-up haul too, but I'll tell all about that in a separate post.)

A new family member perhaps?

When I first laid my eyes on the train case, I thought, wow, it's huge! I was just about to move on, when my hubby wondered about the price of it, as he knew I've had my eyes on a certain train case from Sephora for a while already.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I heard the price from the sales assistant. 353 PLN – that's roughly around 85 euros or 102 USD. A steal! Buy it, my husband said in a decisive voice. Buy it!

Nooooo, I said. It seemed simply obscene to buy it, because I'm not any MUA who does the faces of rich and famous people and needs to move sh.tloads of make-up items around. It seemed TOO big.

Backside with pull-out handle.

The male SA started seductively to open all the compartments and pulling out all the trays. It's only around 100 euros, he said. No, I said. No! So we left the store.

On wheels and all set for travel :P

Outside, my hubby became the voice of reason. Come on, I know you, he said. If you don't buy it, you'll gonna regret it later. And the rest of family will never hear the end of it. (Have I mentioned he in not a big fan of beauty buys, because he seems to think our home is badly contaminated with nail polish, make-up and all other things beauty already. In my humble opinion, it most certainly is not.)

I opened my wallet that had exactly 353 PLN in it. I took it as a sign from destiny and the biggest train case I've ever laid my eyes on became mine :)

The top part of the case.

I haven't regretted buying it since. In fact, I can still barely believe my luck. The pull-along case is made of made of sturdy plastic with metal edges and covered with synthetic leather-like material that is easy to clean inside. 

Famous Naked palette, a small part of my Polish haul and the keys inside the top part.

It divides into three separate parts. The upper part contains four trays, that can be pulled out and a middle compartment. It has to be lifted off to get to the middle section with two fold-out trays. The lower part has two roomy boxes in it. Upper and lower compartments can be locked so no one could steal your valuables.

With the top part off.

The case is roughly the size of an IKEA Helmer unit or airline hand baggage suitcase and I plan to use it as an organizer and beauty storage in my bedroom. It is most certainly the biggest (and heaviest, it weighs 12,5 kgs) beauty item I've ever bought and currently the one I'm most happy about. I bought it from Inglot boutique in Zlote Tarasy shopping centre in the heart of Warszawa, Poland.

Lower compartment and some of my Inglot haul. 

Do you like my new beauty storage solution? Wanna go to Poland too?

Yours Truly,

Tolmu Rull

Lihtsalt võrdluseks asetasin kohvrile mõned iluvidinad.

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

Naasin paar päeva tagasi just Poolast. Kuigi seal oli just jalgpalli-MM täies hoos, see mulle huvi ei pakkunud, aga Poola hiigelsuured ostukeskused küll. Nii sündiski minu suurim ja raskeim iluost: kolmekorruseline Ingloti kosmeetikakohver, mis maksis ainult 85 euro ringis. Loomulikult pole ma mingi maailma mööda ringi kärutav tippmodell või meigikunstnik, kel vaja kilode kaupa meigiasju kaasas kanda. Umbes lennuki käsipagasisse mahtuvast kohvrist saab minu magamistoas meigi, küünelakkide, pintslite ja muude ilutarvikute hoidja. Juba selle vaatamine teeb mind igal hommikul ärgates õnnelikuks ja ma loodan, et nii jääbki :)

Kuidas teile mu suurim (ja raskeim!) iluost meeldib?

Siiralt teie,

Tolmu Rull

Shopping abroad: little Drogas aka Latvian Superdrug haul & mini reviews

Doing my travel beauty products overview I discovered an old picture of a little haul from Riga.

In Latvia and Lithuania, there is a drugstore chain called Drogas, that is the Baltic version of UK's infamous Superdrug chain. As Superdrug, Drogas carries everything from lipsticks to underwear, only with slightly different brands and less discounts. (In some countries the store operates under the name Watson's, but all these stores belong to same international business group, budding business geniuses can find out more here.)

So I did a small haul there, and picked up Superdrug Cranberry and Pomegranate Shower Gel (1.49 LVL or 2.20 euros) & Body Butter (1.99 LVL or 2.85 euros). These smell divinely of pomegranate juice, are both quite moisturising and the body butter sinks into my skin much faster than The Body Shop body butters. The negative side is these contain SLS and paraffinum liquidum, but this does not bother me so much.

I also bought Watson's tweezers (0.99 LVL or 1.40 euros) that are OK, although I expected them to be sharper and double sharpener (0.89 LVL or 1.30 euros) that works super well. The pink crackle polish (1.79 LVL or 2.55 euros) was one I had missing from my Flormar crackle polishes line, review here.

My last purchase that time was InterVion natural fibre hair brush (2.59 LVL 3.70), that became my favourite fast. It detangles and smoothes hair in a second.

I also oggled Essence stand and might or might not gone back to make further aquantance with it :P

What can I say? Next time I'm in Latvia, I'll definitely drop by. As far as I know, the biggest and best Drogas store in Riga is in the Alfa shopping centre on Brivibas iela.

Have you been to Drogas? Do you have it (or Superdrug) at your country? Would you like to hear more about my beauty shopping abroad experiences?

Yours Truly,
Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian ladies:

UK Superdrug'idest võime siin maailmanurgas vaid unistada, kuid Lätis ja Leedus on olemas Superdrug'iga samasse ärigruppi kuuluv poekett, mis kannab koledat baltipärast nime Drogas.

Ennevanasti oli Eestis sama (kosmeetika)pood Watson'si nime all, aga nüüd kahjuks enam mitte.

Muidugi ei müüda seal sama laia kaubavalikut, mis Superdrug'is, aga üht-teist põnevat siiski leiab. Näiteks on Läti Drogase poed Eestile lähim koht, kus müüakse blogimaailmas kuulsat Essence kosmeetikat. Mind paelusid ka Watsonsi kaubamärgi all pakutavad superodavad (ja täitsa kvaliteetsed!) ilutarvikud. Kindlasti lähen Drogas'e poodi veel.

Kas teie olete Drogas'esse sattunud? Huvitab teid üldse lugeda väljaspool Eestit shoppamisest?

Siiralt teie,
Tolmu Rull