REVIEW: ORIGINS SKIN CARE

Having a good skin care routine is a basic beauty rule, but there is nothing basic about finding the right products to suit you. It can be overwhelmingly confusing and very costly. Like many, I have sat for hours reading reviews about skin care and spent hundreds of pounds on products that haven’t worked or reacted badly with my skin.

I am nearing my late twenties now (I’m holding onto my mid-twenties status as long as I can!) and I’m starting to notice changes to my complexion and level of sensitivity. I have also noticed an occasional heat and redness to my skin, which is probably due to an underlying issue, but can be easily irritated by the types of products that I am using. I sometimes struggle to find the perfect skin care partner. If only there were a ‘match.com’ for skin care! I’m a makeup artist, not a skin specialist, but I know that natural organic oils and ingredients are much more beneficial compared to a combination of synthetic oils and nasty chemicals that can cause irritation and more damage. Origins has been on my radar for a while, mostly because their products are completely natural and made up of essential oils, but also because family, friends and clients all rave about them.

I have been using Origins skin care products for about a week now and can honestly say that I have noticed a massive difference already! Speaking with Origins consultant, Kylie, was great. She was so helpful and I was really impressed with her level of skin care knowledge, as well as being able to tell me every detail about my recommended products. I really felt that she listened, understood and could explain why each product would benefit my skin. She has totally enlightened me and put my faith back in good quality skin care that does what it says it’s going to do. I decided to go for a cleanser, toner and day moisturizer and have also been testing a small sample of skin relief serum.

The Products:

For the full list of products and ingredients please visit www.origins.com

Cleanser – Check and Balances

This is a creamy face wash that leaves skin feeling super clean and fresh. Ingredients include lavender, chamomile and spearmint. This face wash smells beautiful and leaves a really nice finish to my skin. It never feels dry or tight and a little goes a long way. It’s not a bad makeup remover, but I wouldn’t recommend it for removing eye makeup as it really stings!

Treatment Tonic (Toner) – A Perfect World Moisturizing Lotion

Age-defense treatment lotion with White Tea. Oil free and alcohol free. I love that this toner or ‘treatment Tonic’ is alcohol and oil free! Some products that I have used in the past contain so much alcohol that I fear walking near an open flame after application! Toners are great for restoring the PH balance back to your skin after cleansing, but sometime I find them really drying. I was nervous to use this product, as I have not had the best experience with previous toners, but I am really pleased with how refreshed I feel after using it. My skin feels plump without any extreme tightness and smells like a luxury spa treatment.

Serum – Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Face Serum ‘Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief’

This is my A* product! As I said before, my skin can sometimes get quite red, heated and easily irritated, but not anymore! This product has been a savior. Applied before moisturizer, it is so soothing and genuinely calms my skin. Unfortunately, this was not the cheapest item on my shopping list… I was nervous to spend so much money on a product that I wasn’t even sure would work, so Kylie kindly gave me a small sample to try out. I am so impressed with it that I don’t think I could be without it now! It is an expensive item, but my skin is definitely worth the investment.

Moisturiser – Starting Over Oil Free Moisturiser

This is an ‘age-erasing’ moisturizer… I would like to be clear that I don’t actually have wrinkles or lines, but I am noticing changes in my skin and it’s better to prevent than try to reduce. It’s a really nice, light  moisturizer that absorbs into the skin quickly, without leaving an oily residue behind. It’s also sits really nice underneath foundation and doesn’t cause any slippage. A change in moisturizer usually causes a break out for me, but I have had none what so ever with this one, so happy days!

About Origins:

 ‘We manufacture using a combination of renewable resources, wind energy and earth-friendly practices.’ Truly sustainable beauty! :)

Obviously, some of these products might not be the best for you, so make sure you have a good chat with one of their consultants and don’t be afraid to ask for samples!

HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS: BOBBI BROWN SPF 15 LIP BALM

I could not live without a lip conditioner. I use it religiously and feel lost without it. One year I made the terrible mistake of using quite a greasy lip balm on holiday, without an SPF and burnt my lips a treat! It was so awful… From that day onwards, I have always made sure that my lip balm has an SPF! It’s surprising to find that there are only a hand full of high end brands that have an SPF in their lip products.

If you are looking for a lip colour, tinted lip conditioner or lip balm visit L’Oreal, Benefit, Laura Mercier, Stila, MAC, YSL, Bobbi Brown and Clinique (even though the girl at the counter said that non of their products have any protection, I later found that their High Impact Lip Colour has SPF 15!). I find that some cheaper brands leave my lips looking white and aren’t very conditioning at all. Obviously, if you are surfing, skiing, mountain climbing etc you will need a high factor to stay protected, but I’m mostly talking about chilling on beaches, walking around markets and exploring towns/villages/cities.

One of my fav SPF 15 Lip balms is from Bobbi Brown. It comes in a fancy little silver tin, with screw top and smells like melons. It’s quite rich in texture, which I love and leaves lips conditioned for the best part of the day. It’s translucent in colour, but leaves a nice shine on the lips without feeling greasy.

It’s currently priced at £14 and is definitely a worthwhile holiday investment. Check out Bobbi Brown's website for up to date deals and offers http://www.bobbibrown.co.uk. They regularly offer free samples with orders over £50 and ship for free on orders of £35 or more.

GORILLA WARFARE! WAXING HINTS & TIPS

Miss Laura Jones is my go to lady for all my holistic, relaxing and de-fuzzing needs! She is absolutely excellent and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to go near my sensitive areas, with super hot wax, other than her! I’m sure you will find her hints and tips about waxing beneficial.

Hello. I’m Laura and I have been asked by the lovely Miss Szerencses to make a guest contribution on the subject of waxing.  I am predominantly a Massage and Holistic Therapist, but have been practicing Beauty Therapy for almost 10 years now.  And this time of year, year after year, there is a massive boom in waxing. 

With holidays and the possibility of a British summer, comes the baring of bits that are generally kept under wraps for 10 months of the year!  Legs, underarms, bikini lines..  Even the boys get involved, male waxing almost doubles as the summer months approach.  Now, for those of you who have never been waxed or are nervously considering it, let me just say that I cannot recommend it enough. I’m probably biased, but hear me out.. 

It is uncomfortable, there are no two ways about it..  But the results speak for themselves.  The short-term benefits are obviously smooth, hair-free skin for a few weeks.  In the long-term however, the hairs grow back much finer and the hair follicles can eventually become damaged resulting much softer, sparser regrowth. No stubble!  This is especially noticeable on areas where the hairs are coarser, such as bikini lines and underarms.  Also, no more razor burns, cuts, nicks, shaving rashes or reactions to the nasty chemicals used in depilatory creams (hair removal cream!)..  Bliss!

If you are thinking about getting your first wax, if you have an annual wax just before you go on holiday, or even if you are a regular waxee, here are some of my hints and tips to get the most out of your treatment..

Firstly, scrub.  Scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub..  scrub. Try SOAP & GLORY THE BREAKFAST SCRUB with an exfoliating glove. It's an oat, shea butter and sugar body smoother and it smells delicious! This is sooo important, both before and after your wax. A day or two before your wax, you want to give the area a good scrub. Ideally you want to use a sugar scrub or other exfoliating product but mitts or shower puffs also work.  For best results, apply your product to dry skin, buff or massage gently in circular motions before you get in the shower and then rinse off.  This will remove any dead cells from the surface of the skin and lift the hairs, allowing them to pop out easier when you are waxed.  Afterwards, for the first 12-24 hours, you want to avoid and hot showers or baths, sunbeds/sunbathing, spray tans, perfumed lotions or potions etc as the skin will be sensitised and the pores will be open.  Your therapist should give you concise after-care advice following your treatment. A few days later, when the skin has calmed down, give it a gentle srcub and repeat this a couple of times a week.  This will really help you to avoid the dreaded ingrown hairs!

Secondly, if you can take the pain of a wax once, it is totally worth doing it again.  Often people are disappointed by the results of their first wax or if they only have one wax a year because of the quick regrowth.  Now, this isn’t anything to do with the wax or the therapist but is down to the hairs and their pesky growth cycle.

As hairs drop out, there is already a new one waiting to take its place.  Grrr.  It therefore takes a few waxes to get all the hairs at the same stage in the growth cycle, which is when you will really start seeing results.  For example, if you are going on a 2 week holiday and want to ensure you are smoothie smooth for the duration, I would recommend trying to fit in a couple of waxes before you go away.  Either that or get into a routine over the winter so growing the hairs isn’t an issue, then by the time summer comes you will be good to go!

Thirdly, if you are worried about it hurting, take a couple of paracetamols or anti-inflammatories about an hour before your appointment.  This will take the edge off and will help calm down any sore or inflamed skin afterwards.  And mostly, relax.  Worrying will self-consciously tense the muscles and grip the hairs, making it sting more.  And you can be safe in the knowledge that it does get better, as the hairs weaken and give up more easily, it gets much less painful.  Honest!

And finally, make sure you get the right length.  If the hairs are too long, it will pull and therefore be more painful.  Too short and it is impossible to remove them without the aid of a magnifying glass, some good tweezers and an hour of plucking.  The ideal length is between 5mm and 1cm. 

Follow these steps and you will be well on your way to hair-free happiness!

PIZ BUIN TAN & PROTECT TAN ACCELERATING OIL SPRAY

I have always been a big fan of Piz Buin and their sun care products. They smell lovely and I always feel safe in the sun, knowing that I am well protected. I am not going to pretend that I am anti-sunbathing, because I love having a tan and it certainly helps me feel more confident in shorts! Sun exposure has lots of benefits. It also helps our skin produce vitamin D and in general makes us feel good (especially if includes a cider in hand!). If you would like more information about sun exposure and the effects it can have on your skin, visit BUPA Sun Care. 

I think what most people forget is that while having a tan can make us feel great when we are in our short, shorts; it also has long lasting and extremely damaging effects!  It can cause premature aging, i.e wrinkles and sagging, as well as red raw, burnt and blistered skin! I shudder and cringe when I see people with fluorescent pink backs, still walking around in the sun! Are you people crazy?? Put some sun cream on or a t-shirt or something!

OK, back to the product in hand! This product is great. The spray bottle makes it quick to apply and the oil itself absorbs into the skin really easily. I have always liked to use oil for the glowing effect it leaves on the skin and for how easy it is to apply. You don't get any white streak and your not rubbing it in for what seems like forever. You can even mix it with an illuminating cream or golden pigment for extra glow (if you add pigment to the oil, make sure you give it a good shake before you spray)! The Piz Buin Tan & Protect range includes melitane, which enhances the production of the body’s natural tanning pigments. It doesn’t have self tanner in it, so there is no fear of tangerine patches! You should tan faster, which means that all you tanning junkies out there don’t need to bake yourselves all day long!

Personally, I always tend to go with a high factor. From experience, I feel like using a stronger factor is going to protect my skin really well, while still giving me a deep, long lasting tan.


I think Boots currently have a lot of Piz Buin sun care products at half price, which is a bargain! It's usually £17.99 and they have it for £8.99! If your looking to buy a couple of products then I think I saw Sainsbury's have them on offer as buy on get one free. Which obviously works out about the same if you buy 2 of the same product, but I'll let you work out which deal is best for the purse!

PRIMERS: YSL TOP SECRETS FLASH RADIANCE SKINCARE VS MAC PREP + PRIME SKIN BASE VISAGE

Primers and Fillers are essential for a flawless and long lasting finish. There are some great products out there that can help correct, refine and balance your skin, providing a perfect base for your foundation. Fillers are particularly great for covering unwanted lines, scaring and large pores.

I recently purchased Yve Saint Laurent’s Top Secrets Flash Radiance after reading great reviews online. I’m not convinced on the brush applicator as it’s not particularly hygienic. I suppose if I were to use it on myself the brush would be useful, but I tend to apply primers with my fingers to really massage and push it into my skin. I’d much prefer if the product was maybe in a tube with a brush attachment option, as I find it quite difficult to judge how much product I am squeezing through the brush. I have had the odd occasion where I have squeezed out way more than required, with no way of putting it back!

http://www.yslbeautyus.com/

What is great about the primer is that the smallest bit goes along way and at approx £38 a tube, it is not something you want to run out of quickly! Overall, I don’t have too many bad things to say about it other than the brush and price. The light reflecting particles and caffeine really give the skin a boost and helps erase signs of fatigue. It feels like velvet to touch and goes on silky smooth. I tend to get a little oily throughout the day, but since using this primer I have found that it has really helped control this. My clients really love this product and always comment about how lovely it smells! It’s quite strongly fragranced, which isn’t to everyone’s taste, but personally I really like it and have had no complaints so far.    

I'm still unsure if I would purchase this again, largely due to the price. MAC have a very similar product available in their Prep + Prime range and is at a much more reasonable price of £18.50 (at time of post). The packaging of this product is great too and makes life really easy on shoots! One quick pump is usually enough for the whole face.

www.maccosmetics.co.uk