A few months ago I had the pleasure of going to the Origins counter in Boots, Merry Hill, and booking some time with the gorgeous Origins Consultant Chloe - seen smiling above. For those of you wondering why it's taken me this long to write about an encounter so long ago, my reasoning is simple: until I've tried and tested something over time, I am in no position to give you guys my honest opinion based on packaging alone. You'd be better off reading the product description if that were the case! This will be the precedent set for all beauty reviews on this blog. We choose the products we wish to buy and review - and we're both pretty honest in our criticism.
But to Origins! Since our encounter, I'm happy to say I've purchased and made regular use of one of their best selling masks - and I have been delighted with the results. But we'll come to that part later :)
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW - SERIOUSLY:
1. NATURAL
First things first - for all of you organic souls out there, Origins is where it's at, or rather where you ought to be. The brand, owned by Estée Lauder, prides itself on its natural and wholesome products, which means NO PARABENS, Pure Oils & Cruelty-free Honey. Yummy.
2. FREE FACIAL ALERT!!! FREE - FACIAL - ALERT.
That's right, this has got to be Merry Hill's best kept secret?! Surely?? Pop into boots and book your facial pronto. Should we ignore the fact the slight downside that it IS in the middle of boots, it's incredibly relaxing and your skin will thank you for it. Did I mention it's FREE?! The products Chloe used on my face left my skin singing for a couple of days, my face smelt edible and I used the power of imagination to convince myself I could hear waves lapping against the shore. Not a grown man scuffling nearby to get a closer look at Chloe's mad skillz.
3. THE RANGES
At Origins they cater for every kind of skin. There are too many to name here, but I've presented a few niche areas you ought to know about:
- The Brightening Range: Pretty self evident..
- The Dr Weil. Mega-Mushroom Range: For all of you beautiful people with incredibly sensitive skin, I know it's a nightmare. Pop in, grab a sample and see if this might just do the trick for you guys?
- A Perfect World: Fight pollution, fight toxins - look after your face and prevent those lines and dark spots.
- Checks and Balances: Aside from being a good play on political vocab, this is designed to placate Combination Skin - coincidentally, the bane of my life.
- Starting Over: For all my 20 something friends convinced they can spot the first signs of ageing, I present to you, the my-first-wrinkle range. Yes, I know I sound unconvinced but you can only really laugh at me when my skin starts to sag ok?
- GinZing: WILDLY popular, smells divine, and is said to be a shot of coffee for tired skin. Whilst I don't know if this is the espresso to my peau, do try the moisturiser - it's actually excellent.
4. GINGER SOUFFLÉ
I have no words. Just go and try the whipped body cream. OMG. If you come back and say for one moment you weren't tempted to taste it we both know you're fibbing.
5. ORIGINS DO MAKE UP
This isn't very widely advertised, nor can I say that I've tried it but their lippys looked pretty tempting and creamy. I'll give it a go and report back team.
Product Review:
Clear Improvement - Active Charcoal Mask
I came home with this. I appreciate Origins skin care can be quite expensive en masse and decided to come home with a mask, if I use it once a week and reap some crazy rewards, I can just about justify the expense! Luckily for me, at the time they were doing travel size mini's of 50ml as opposed to 100ml, ranging from £8-£13. These do not seem to be available anymore, and I'm not entirely sure whether this is a permanent fixture or because it's not holiday season right now?
But like I said, I snapped up the above Clear Improvement active charcoal mask. My verdict? Basically, I love it. I've used it once a week for a couple of months on my T zone and across my cheeks - all the areas I'm prone to getting clogged pores. This totally strips my pores of any dirt that may be festering there (what a gross image - sorry) and is a thorough cleanser by all stretch of the imagination. I WOULD recommend however, to only use this in areas you really need it. As I have combination skin, this is far too drying on my dry patches. It would merely end in disaster. During my facial with Chloe she actually used their best selling mask - the Drink Up 10 Minute Mask to hydrate my skin in these areas, and I'm dead set on getting my hands on the 'Drink Up Intensive Overnight' miracle mask, which has rave reviews to prove it. I figure I ought to provide my entire face with some weekly TLC after all?
SO a final word of advice:
1. Go and get your free facial. I mean it. Take your ipod and blast some Moby if you have to.
2. Try the products, let them sink in and give them a good whiff. Ask for a sample of your favourite and see if this investment IS for you.
3. I highly recommend the origin face masks. They're known for them, and coming in at about £22/£23 per 100ml, they ought to last you. I personally think your pennies and gorgeous face is worth this spot of weekly indulgence.
Have any of you tried Origins? What did you guys think??
Lots of love,
Khyati
xxx
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