Sephora Lash Plumper Review ✩✩✩

I've been using this for quite a few weeks now and I think it retails at about €10.
I got it in brown to use it as a daytime mascara, and it's honestly not fantastic.
It doesn't get lumpy even after several weeks which is good, although when I first used it, it was almost too smooth and not very "plumping", it actually got better with time. It starts to flake and fall out after a few hours, maybe a little longer if I use an eyelash primer, and depending on the weather and how much time I spend inside or outside. It can sometimes make my eyes quite dry, though it does not irritate my eyes really. I found that in the first few weeks it stayed on just fine, but as it gets dryer it gets flakier.
The brush is nice, it's quite big with a lot of bristles though it can make my lashes quite clumped together.
It's not great but it's not terrible. I've been using it almost every day for some weeks, although now that it's quite a bit dryer it flakes more and I may discard it one of these days...
It's fine for an affordable, day-time mascara.

Much Love,

Kristine Storm xx

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Care Mascara Review ✩✩✩✩

So I've been using this mascara for several months now and can't remember how much I paid for it but I think it retails at about €10.
I got it in black, although I would have preferred it in brown(which is available), but living in Spain they tend to only carry the darker and most used colors for the cheaper brands, and so I had no choice but to get the black, ah well -_-
This does not irritate my eyes at all. It's not really ultra volumizing as the packaging claims but is perfect as an everyday mascara. It also claims to be regenerating and nourishing which I can't say I saw a difference in at all, but it doesn't dry out my lashes.
The brush is very nice, it's quite short so you get a lot of control, and it's got a lot of bristles for an even application and it helps separate your lashes.
The only bad thing about this is that it doesn't stay on all day. By the evening it starts to flake and fall out. In all fairness it's not a waterproof mascara and although the fallout is annoying, even if I get some in my eye it doesn't even hurt that much.
A recommended product.

Much Love,

Kristine Storm xx

Quick tips for sensitive eyes

There are a few things you can do to avoid or reduce getting sore/dry eyes from eye-makeup.
Firstly you obviously have to make sure the products you're using are not bad for your eyes or cause a bad reaction in your skin/eyes, but things like fallout and dryness can ruin a night out and make you blink like Nicki Minaj all day :P

• Prime your eyes using a primer like Urban Decays eyeshadow primer or a cream shadow. This will make your eyeshadow stick better to your lids and not fall out/fly away. It can also keep your eyes moisturized.
• Dampen your eye-makeup tools. This will make your eyeshadow stay on the brush better and not fly away and into your eyes.
• Moisturize your eyes, especially your undereyes. A powerful concealer/face powder, even though it's used underneath your eyes, can be very drying for your eyes.
• Make sure you close your eyes when applying powder/blusher
• Saline Solution - if you do get something in your eyes, you can rinse it out and refresh your eyes with saline solution. Don't use it too often as it won't have the same salt balance as your eyes and it may make it worse and be almost "addictive".
• Sleep well!
• Drink lots of water!

I hope this helps!

Much Love,

Kristine Storm xx

How to watch out for harmful chemicals in products for sensitive skin

There are some obvious ingredients to look for in skin products and make up. Just because it says "sensitive skin" on the packaging, does not necessarily mean it doesn't contain any irritants or bad chemicals.

The obvious ones:

• Perfume/Fragrance - These can be hard to spot as they'll try to hide it in the middle of all the other ingredients, but just about anything that says "Parfum/Perfume/Fragrance" is likely to cause a skin reaction, or dry out your skin. Synthetic fragrances can contain 200 different ingredients, but they've just summarized it into one word.
• Alcohol - This goes hand in hand with perfume. If it contains perfume, chances are it also contains alcohol. Although this is going to probably keep the product disinfected and also kill bacteria on your skin, you dont really want it in your skin products as it can be very drying. It is often used to fool you into thinking skin creams are "absorbing" quickly, when really they're just evaporating quickly.
• Mineral oil/Petroliatum/Paraffinum Liquidum - It sounds fancy and is misleading as minerals sounds like something that would be good for your skin, and we're always told oil is good for dry skin. However, this is not the case for mineral oil. It is difficult for our skin to absorb, and it clogs the pores. Once the oil is absorbed, it is broken down in the liver, and absorbs fat-soluble vitamins in your body. Does that sound healthy? Petroliatum is petroleum jelly - vaseline - which has mineral oil as it main ingredient. It does not hydrate your skin, contradictory to common belief. It can prevent evaporation from your skin but essentially just creates a barrier between your skin and the air - it prevents your skin from breathing, and although it prevents moisture from getting out, it also prevents moisture getting INTO your skin. Manufacturers use it because it is very cheap - it is actually cheaper to sell it than to dispose of it.
• Anything with Sulphate/Aluminium - This can we worded in all kinds of ways and can be difficult to spot also. Anything sulphate is used to make shampoos and cleansers more foamy and can cause dryness, rashes and allergic reactions. Aluminium is used in deodorants to prevent perspiration. On your face it's going to clog your pores.
• Parabens - they can give you cancer. Particularly avoid them in deodorants as that is obviously close to your breasts and can give you breast cancer. I don't think I need to expand much on that :P

Check out this website for some other bad chemicals:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/toxic_cosmetics.cfm
This one has an awful layout but very good information:
http://www.healthy-communications.com/harmfulingredients1.html
I'm no scientist and I thought these were really useful so do have a looksie :)

Much Love,

Kristine Storm xx

How To GET and FAKE Smaller Pores Tips ^_^

You are going to need:

• A mud mask
• A blackhead extractor/Tissue
• Spoons/Ice cubes
• A matte foundation/powder
• Primer

To GET smaller pores:
So the best way to appear to have smaller pores, is to HAVE smaller pores :) The way I do it, is firstly by using a mud mask. The one I use is Etré dead sea mud mask. The downside to this one is that it's quite fragrant - but considering it only stays on for about ten minutes, doesn't go close to the eyes, and when it's dry I can actually SEE the oil spots where my blackheads tend to appear being absorbed into the mud - I think it's worth it.

I apologize for these awkward closeups :P but it shows how the mud mask works:

Those little dark spots are oil spots where my blackheads will no longer be after rinsing off the mud mask :)

When the mud mask isn't enough, I use an extractor. I use this whenever I have a lot of visible blackheads around my blackhead prone areas, after cleansing my face. You use it by simply pressing the little metal ring over your blackheads. It works better if you rinse your face with warm water or use steam for about ten minutes first.

Another great way of extracting is the old fashioned tissue-on-fingers-and-squeeze method. This will get the blackheads from deeper down your pores, but it takes more time and can be very drying and make you sore. I usually get redness and flaky skin for at least 3 days after doing it this way :S

To really tense and tighten your pores, we gon' chill dem out :P You can use spoons or an ice cube. I prefer the ice cube, it lasts longer and doesn't use up my spoons :P I run the ice over mainly my nose, chin, and brow, until it's melted. This is REALLY very refreshing ^_^ It's also anti-ageing since you're causing your muscles to contract and encouraging blood flow to your skin when your skin warms itself again.

Remember to also moisturise afterwards. You might want to let your skin 'breathe' for a little while before putting anything on your face again.
Tea and plenty of water will also help your skin :)

To FAKE smaller pores:
This is very simple. A matte base will dull any lighting on your face creating the appearance of an even, smooth skin. There are also primers that will help fill them in, such as Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone by Mac Cosmetics, and a good long lasting concealer will help a lot :)

Much Love,

Kristine Storm xx

Yes To Carrots Eye Contour Cream Review ☆☆

So my undereyes get extremely dry, and I have fine lines, probably from wearing like three layers of makeup every day for a year or two between about 13-14 years of age. Whenever I wear makeup I feel like it's getting worse, and my concealer always creases really badly. I wanted something to return the moisture and act as a smoothing primer for foundation/concealer. I bought this from sephora for about €15. It's free of parabens, petrolium and SLS. Regrettably, it DOES contain perfume. Why they decided to put perfume in this is beyond me. It's a lovely, creamy consistency (which is why I bought it when I tried the tester), however it makes my eyes very red and runny, and I didn't notice a huge difference hydration-wise. When my sister tried it, and she used a lot, she had to go rinse it off after a few minutes because her eyes were not enjoying it. Not a recommended product.

Much Love,

Kristine Storm xx