Last Friday my cousin organised for us to
have a facial at Origins in Boots, Brighton. Origins skincare provide facials
using their products, and if you’ve never been before you get your first facial
free! Who could ever pass up a free facial? I sure didn’t, and I loved the fact
Origins skincare is from plant-based ingredients so it’s not filled with harsh
chemicals (although I’m still torn as to whether I should switch since I love
Body Shop for using fair trade products and not testing on animals).
The way it works (as would be the same with any facial) is the person asks you about your skin – whether you have redness, are prone to pimples, oily/dry skin, etc – and also about your skincare regime (although our lady didn’t get us to go too much in to detail, just asked how often we exfoliated). Then after reading over your skin problems, they choose from a variety of products to help you with your skin. Now I’m quite lucky with my skin as I hardly ever get any pimples (only usually when I’m stressing out to the max, or leaning my hand on my chin which obviously causes dirt to get in my pores – I never learn though), the only real issue I have with my skin is it’s a little dry sometimes and I get red so easily. I don’t even need to use blush because literally anything can trigger my skin to go red: the heat, embarrassment, laughter, stress, anger, alcohol (especially red wine, my dad always likes it when I drink red wine because I have only 2 glasses and my cheeks go rosy red). Anyways back to the facial now, so the lady used the following products for my facial: face cleanser, treatment lotion (toner), face lotion, face serum, SPF15 moisturiser, eye cream, face mask, face scrub.
It took half an hour and this is how she did my facial (in case anyone feels like doing a DIY at home with their own products): Firstly she cleaned my face with the cleanser THEN used the scrub (now I have never been told to wash my face with cleanser BEFORE exfoliating, usually I just clean my face with water, but this lady told me you should clean it properly to get rid of any dirt inside pores, is the truth or a con? I don’t know…). After the scrub came the toner which supposedly “brings back the skins’ pH balance” (I never knew this either, again is it fact or fiction?), then the lady used the face mask which you’re meant to leave on for 30 minutes, but I only got 10 minutes and apparently this “would be good enough”. After the mask she washed it off, used the cleanser AGAIN and the toner “to bring back the pH balance”, then used face lotion for moisturising but then also used a face serum “to reduce the redness”, and on top of this used another moisturiser “because it has SPF” (in my opinion I don’t think it really would be good for the skin to use this many moisturisers/serums, why not just one which has all 3 components: moisturiser, redness reducer, SPF). To finish off, she used an eye cream to help reduce the look of tiredness and puffiness, and dusted my face off with some powder. She also used some product I have no idea about (she didn’t write it on my form like the other products! Now I will never know!!) that she made me sniff 3 times in big breaths and then rubbed it (it was cream I think) just below my cheekbone. It was for calming, I think it was peppermint and lavender among the ingredients. Whatever it was, it was amazing, it kept tingling all day and made both my cousin and I feel really fresh.
Even though those products were used quite ridiculously, we actually looked amazing. My cousin and I looked so fresh! It’s like we had completely new, untouched skin and we felt paranoid walking around the streets in the city air knowing this new fresh skin would be tainted by the pollution in the air.
It couldn’t last forever though, and I had to put make-up that night so I ruined my freshness, but my skin did still feel really soft and smooth and glowing and radiant the following day, so obviously something was done right by Origins.
The way it works (as would be the same with any facial) is the person asks you about your skin – whether you have redness, are prone to pimples, oily/dry skin, etc – and also about your skincare regime (although our lady didn’t get us to go too much in to detail, just asked how often we exfoliated). Then after reading over your skin problems, they choose from a variety of products to help you with your skin. Now I’m quite lucky with my skin as I hardly ever get any pimples (only usually when I’m stressing out to the max, or leaning my hand on my chin which obviously causes dirt to get in my pores – I never learn though), the only real issue I have with my skin is it’s a little dry sometimes and I get red so easily. I don’t even need to use blush because literally anything can trigger my skin to go red: the heat, embarrassment, laughter, stress, anger, alcohol (especially red wine, my dad always likes it when I drink red wine because I have only 2 glasses and my cheeks go rosy red). Anyways back to the facial now, so the lady used the following products for my facial: face cleanser, treatment lotion (toner), face lotion, face serum, SPF15 moisturiser, eye cream, face mask, face scrub.
It took half an hour and this is how she did my facial (in case anyone feels like doing a DIY at home with their own products): Firstly she cleaned my face with the cleanser THEN used the scrub (now I have never been told to wash my face with cleanser BEFORE exfoliating, usually I just clean my face with water, but this lady told me you should clean it properly to get rid of any dirt inside pores, is the truth or a con? I don’t know…). After the scrub came the toner which supposedly “brings back the skins’ pH balance” (I never knew this either, again is it fact or fiction?), then the lady used the face mask which you’re meant to leave on for 30 minutes, but I only got 10 minutes and apparently this “would be good enough”. After the mask she washed it off, used the cleanser AGAIN and the toner “to bring back the pH balance”, then used face lotion for moisturising but then also used a face serum “to reduce the redness”, and on top of this used another moisturiser “because it has SPF” (in my opinion I don’t think it really would be good for the skin to use this many moisturisers/serums, why not just one which has all 3 components: moisturiser, redness reducer, SPF). To finish off, she used an eye cream to help reduce the look of tiredness and puffiness, and dusted my face off with some powder. She also used some product I have no idea about (she didn’t write it on my form like the other products! Now I will never know!!) that she made me sniff 3 times in big breaths and then rubbed it (it was cream I think) just below my cheekbone. It was for calming, I think it was peppermint and lavender among the ingredients. Whatever it was, it was amazing, it kept tingling all day and made both my cousin and I feel really fresh.
Even though those products were used quite ridiculously, we actually looked amazing. My cousin and I looked so fresh! It’s like we had completely new, untouched skin and we felt paranoid walking around the streets in the city air knowing this new fresh skin would be tainted by the pollution in the air.
It couldn’t last forever though, and I had to put make-up that night so I ruined my freshness, but my skin did still feel really soft and smooth and glowing and radiant the following day, so obviously something was done right by Origins.
However there is one product of Origins I would definitely buy and recommend to anyone. The eye cream, which is called GinZing eye, is worth investing in. I always have tired looking eyes as a result of working late in front of a screen doing university assignments and research, then having to get up earlier than my body would allow, yet this product literally reduced the bags under my eyes instantly. I have never seen a product work so well for what it is intended to do, so I was extremely impressed. You’re supposed to put it on day and night, but personally I think you can just use it once a day.
For my Aussie friends, if you’re interested in Origins, unfortunately it is only available in selected major cities – but I’m sure it can be found in Myer or David Jones in the likes of Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Note: if you do find Origins in Australia, I’m not sure the offer of a free facial is valid there, it might only be a Boots pharmacy deal here in the UK.
A very interesting read Natasha as us men don't appreciate how much time and effort most women go through, we are more than likely to consumed by our own importance in that I mean being self centered selfish bastards. One comment I did like and this gave me a giggle was your comment on when you have two glasses of red wine, I could at that moment of reading it picture your smiley face. Keep up the good work, love you loads. Dad.
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