vmac+cheese

I’ve always thought I was pretty in tune with my skin, but a few weeks ago, I had these red patches on my cheeks that I just couldn’t kick. I thought maybe I was dehydrated? Nope, drinking almost half a gallon of water a day for a few days did nothing. Lacking certain vitamins? Not it either — I took a multi as well as a skincare vitamin, but to no avail. Then, I read Molly’s post describing similar redness that was almost rash like, and it hit me: my poor cheeks were just totally dry.

I had been using the Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins I mentioned here, and while I liked it and it made other areas of my face look good, it wasn’t helping with the dry patches on my cheeks. So, on a whim, I picked up Weleda’s Skin Food, which I’ve heard raves about (even Victoria Beckham swears by it). The Skin Food is super thick, so much so that when  I first squeezed a little out, I was worried it was much too heavy for the face. Imagine my shock when after spreading it around, a minute later, it had all but soaked in. I’ve NEVER seen such a thick cream absorb so quickly. Your skin really does eat it up! Combined with the Origins, the redness in my cheeks has all but disappeared.

And on super dry nights, I’ve been going Skin Food, then Mychelle Deep Repair Cream, then the Origins. I sound like the skincare equivalent of a crazy bag lady, but hey, it’s working.

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Last week I finally tried a cheek stain I kept hearing about, but just hadn’t gotten around to testing. Honestly? I was kinda blown away by the results. It’s 100% natural, organic, had great, buildable coverage, lasted ALL day (even through a workout), and was the least expensive natural makeup product I’ve ever found.

Curious to learn what product managed all that? Well… (more…)

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Origins is one of those brands that I’ve used before and really liked, but for some reason, always seem to forget about. The first time I tried their products was in college, when a roommate used the Checks and Balances face wash and I secretly used to “borrow” it from her while in the shower (the good news is, you literally need a pea sized drop to get a great lather, so I don’t think she ever noticed). Eventually, I started purchasing their stuff myself, but I guess I stopped because it wasn’t in my college student budget.

Fast forward to this past week, when I stopped into Sephora to pick up some Tarte blush. There on the skincare shelves, I noticed the entire Origins line, and since their products are decently natural and I was in desperate need of more night cream, I decided to give it a shot. I picked up some Checks and Balances too for posterity’s sake.

The minute I got home and used both, I wondered why I’d ever called it quits with Origins. Great packaging. Fun, cheeky names to their products. And formulas without preservatives and fragrance that WORK. Holy schnikes — the High Potency Night-a-Mins cream is amazing! I woke up the next day with super hydrated, smooth skin. Could definitely tell a difference. It’s making me want to try all the other goodies they have in their skincare repertoire. And makeup too!

As for the face wash, it was like meeting an old friend. The smell is minty and fresh, and it created a rich, creamy lather just like I remembered.

Have you ever used Origins products? What did you think?

Filed under: Beauty | 7 Comments »