Origins Never A Dull Moment Skin-brightening Face Cleanser Review

Whilst on the hunt for a new facial cleanser to try out, I stumbled upon the Never A Dull Moment Skin-brightening cleanser from Origins. This is an easily foaming cleanser with Papaya extract that really softens the skin - so much so that I didn't really feel the absolute need to moisturise after use as my skin was super soft and suitably hydrated. It leaves my skin feeling thoroughly cleansed, easily removes make-up, and definately gives my skin that brightness boost it has been longing for on a 5am start to the day! It smells lovely - fresh and fruity but not overly zingy - and a little product goes a long way (with a price tag of £17.00 for 150mls this is most definately a positive). I would 100% repurchase this product!

Haul: What I had for Christmas...

Hey everyone,

Well, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to point out that this is a waaayyyy overdue blog post. Nevertheless, the recent snowy weather has made me feel a little festive, and as I had some really lovely gifts for Christmas I thought that I would share them with you...

This is obviously the You beauty advent calendar in collaboration with She Said Beauty, and I am quite aware that it is a strange item to receive as a gift for Christmas in view of that fact that it is supposed to be opened in the run up to the big day. However, the full price of this product was around £60 which (even though it is said to contain over £200 worth of products) I felt was a little pricey for an advent calendar. Mid-way through December I received an email notifying me that this had now been reduced to half the price, and the addict in me snapped it up (on behalf of my mother, who then wrapped it up to be opened on Christmas Day). Anyhow, now that you know the story behind it, I will just say that I am really pleased to have got my sticky mitts on this item, and am even more pleased that I got it for half the price as there are a few items that don't really tickle my pickle - like the fousty AS London candle! I would definately suggest holding out next year (if you can) and buy this product at half the price. Having said that, I am gutted that I missed out on the Ciate advent calendar, and would pre-order one now for this coming Christmas if I could!

One item that has been on my wish list for the longest time is the Ginger Burst Body Wash from Origins. I am in love with the Origins brand, and am yet to find an Origins product that I dislike. This little set is another gift from my lovely mother, and is the 'Ginger to go & stay' set, which includes a full and travel size product of the Incredible Spreadable Ginger Body Scrub,Ginger Burst Savoury Body Wash and the Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream. The clear toiletry bag was also include in the set, and as with all online Origins purchases, I received a bag of generously sized samples. All products in the gift set smell divine, and I cant wait to give them a whirl!

Another brand that has never yet let me down is Laura Mercier, and this gift set containing four mini hand creams is another gift from my mother. I have said a million times that, as part of my job, hand washing is essential. As a result, a good hand cream is also essential and these little beauties are the ideal size to keep in my pocket whilst I am busy at work. They all smell amazing, and I am sure that they will live up to my expectations.

Back in November, I went on an overnight trip to London with my family. I visited Liberty for the first time and my mother (again) bought me one of the much-raved-about Diptique candles. It was a tough choice, but I opted for the Patchouli scent, which smells quite musky with floral undertones. The Diptique products are a little on the pricey side, which is why I purchased one of the 'minis' - these still cost £20 for a 70g candle. My theory behind this is that I could see if they really are as amazing as everyone says without wanting to kick myself for spending an extortionate amount on a candle if they're not. I haven't tried it out yet though!

This lovely Burt's Bees gift set is from my sister. Hand creams/treatments, lip products and foot creams are always welcomed by me, so this was a lovely set to receive. I have only tried two Burt's bees products before, and was really impressed. I will definately keep you posted on my thoughts of these little beauties.

More hand cream! It appears that my family know how much I love the stuff!! I love any product that is Almond fragranced, and every item in this set floats my boat. I haven't tried any of these particular Body Shop products before though, so I am excited to try them out :-)

My auntie bought me this Small Wonders Soap & Glory gift set. All products are smaller versions of their full size, and would come in handy for travelling. I am really looking forward to trying out the body scrub and body butter, as I have heard great things about them.

And finally.... No Christmas would be complete for me if I didn't receive a large bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel from Lush. It is by far my most favourite of all the Lush shower products (I would go so far as to say my most favourite ever shower product), and lasts me ages. I also received the Christmas party gift set which contains a 100g Northern Lights Soap and a Party Popper Bath Ballistic. Both of these products aren't ones that I would have chosen myself, but that's not to say that I don't like them. Sometimes it is good to receive items like this, as you are introduced to new products that can rapidly become a favourite. They both smell amazing, and I will definately be putting them to use!

So that's it for my Christmas Beauty Gift haul - I hope that you like everything and wont hold it against me too much that most of these sets probably wont be available to purchase again for another 10 months :-(

Claire

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Empties Sept/Oct 2012

Timotei Pure Shampoo & Conditioner (Normal/Greasy Hair)

The Timotei Pure range are new(ish) hair care products that are free from parabens, colourants and silicone's. This particular shampoo & conditioner is infused with green tea, and has a light, fresh scent that really stays after the hair is dried. The shampoo lathers well, and the conditioner is lightweight but rinses well and leaves the hair feeling de-tangled, glossy and in great condition. I also found that I didn't really need to use a dry shampoo the day after washing my hair as it wasn't as 'greasy' as it normally can be. So, a big thumbs up for this combo!!

Original Source Cranberry Daily Scrub

For use simply as an everyday scrub, I wouldn't say that this is the best product on the market as the grains are few and far between, so I popped a little on a shower pouff and used as a simple shower wash instead. Not exactly how it is advertised for use, but it worked well all the same and I didn't feel like I had wasted my money. On a positive note, it smells deliciously sweet, lathers well, and left my skin feeling soft. It was a great bargain for a pound.

Aussie Take The Heat Leave in Spray

I have used this product after every hair wash over that past six months or so. It combs through the hair well, and it has moderately helped to protect my hair. It smells good too. Would I purchase this product again? Hmm... its good but it is not the greatest heat protectant spray available, so more than likely I wouldn't.

Boots Extracts Almond Body Scrub

I loved the smell of this product, and it left my skin feeling great. Although it does say it is a gentle exfoliating scrub, it just didn't have enough 'scrub' to it for me, and for a cost of £7.95 for 400ml I think there are better products out there.

Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter

I am a big fan of any of the Body Shop Body Butters, and this particular one is no exception. Made with Community Trade cocoa butter, it did a great job of moisturising my dry skin. All of the Body Butters are a bit on the pricey side, but they always smell great, apply easily, and dry quickly. This little 50ml size is also ideal for travel, as the larger size butters are quite bulky. 

Origins A Perfect World Moisturiser

This little tube was good for a weeks worth of testing, and I have to say that I was really impressed with it. Aside from the smell, which I wasn't overly keen on, my skin felt really soft and moisturised after using this product. It provided a great base for my foundation, allowing it to blend easily. A full size 50ml jar is £33.00, and I think it is a product worth splashing out on.

Flora by Gucci

I love almost all of the Gucci fragrances, and this one is by far one of my favourite scents of all time. As the name suggests, this perfume has a light, floral scent, but without being too sickly-sweet. I would repurchase it again and again, and am really unhappy that this bottle is empty :-(

L'Occitane Precious Night Cream

Oh, how I am falling in love with the L'Occitane range. This particular product claims to reinforce regeneration of the skin, visibly correct deep wrinkles and improve skin firmness. It works overnight, and is just such an amazing product. The smell is a bit iffy, but it is such a rich, indulgent moisturiser that I wouldn't hesitate to spend £49 on a 50ml jar. I don't know how well it would work on deep wrinkles, but my skin absolutely loved it.

L'Occitane Rose 4 Reines Body Milk

As body moisturisers go, a body milk is not something I would have ever considered purchasing. This was before trying out this generous sample. It is enriched with grape seed, and I applied it to my legs, tummy and arms after having a bath. My skin not only smelled amazing, but was left feeling super soft and more than adequately moisturised. I have to say that I was quite shocked after using this product, as I didn't expect any body milk to be this good - they always just seemed too watery in consistency to do any worthwhile moisturising. It has super fast absorption, and the scent is one of a beautiful vintage rose product that your gran would be proud of. A full 250ml bottle retails at £18.50.

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner

These are products formulated with a natural origin vegetable complex of 5 essential oils. The shampoo aids repair of dry, damaged, colour-treated or chemically-treated hair. The conditioner strengthens, regenerates, nourishes and helps to restore capillary fibres. It also claims to detangle, soften and add lustre to hair. I loved both of these products. After use, my hair felt thicker, glossier and healthier, and in much better condition that it had done for a long time. The shampoo is £14 for 300mls, and the conditioner is £14 for 250mls - not exactly a bargain, but I guess sometimes you get what you pay for. And I would definitely purchase these at full price.

 

I hope you like my empties - what products have you used up lately?

 

Claire

 

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Origins Superstar Giveaway

I feel as though I have been bigging up Origins quite alot in my blog of late, but this is just going to be a small entry to let you all know about a great offer they have on at the moment in the way of their 'Superstar Giveaway'.

With any skincare purchase, you can choose 3 free deluxe samples. There are 10 samples to choose from, and these include the famous VitaZing Moisturiser, Modern Friction Dermabrasion and GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. This offer is available Online and in-store, however, although the Online offer is available now, the offer in-store is not available until 20th September. The offer ends both in-store and Online 4th October 2012.

 

Additionally, with orders of £30 or more, you can receive a free cleanser duo ~ a 30ml A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser and a 15ml Mega Mushroom Face Cleanser ~ as well as free delivery! Simply add the code CLOCK at checkout.

I have had my eye on the Night-A-Mins moisturiser for a while and, with all of these deluxe samples up for grabs, now seems like the right time to make a purchase.

Will you also be taking advantage of this offer?

Claire

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Origins Product Reviews

A little while back I made my first ever set of purchases from Origins. I had perused many of their products during several trips to my local John Lewis Department Store, where my sister and I love to spend a long browsing/testing session on a Friday evening - we find this is the quietest time of the week, where there are shoppers more in the way of stragglers than crowds, and pestering shop assistants are nowhere to be seen. Bliss!

Back at the end of June, I did a blog post on which products I purchased during this little online splurge, and this is going to be a little review of my thoughts on these items...

'Brightening Musts' - this gift set contains 3 products, which is a much more cost effective was of purchasing the Vitazing Moisturiser (my most wanted Origins product) as the whole set costs £26 - a pound cheaper than purchasing the Vitazing Moisturiser alone. I spent a little while pondering as to whether this 'kit' was right for me as it is meant for those with younger skin, but thought I would give it a go anyway. It is still available on the Origins website under the 'Gifts' sale tab.

Vitazing Moisturiser ~ This is the big purchase, and the item I had been lusting over for the longest time. It is a tinted moisturiser that contains mangosteen, an ingredient rich in antioxidants to give the skin a refreshing 'zing'. It is also a 'one-shade-suits-all' kind of product, and the colour of the product develops on application to blend with your skin colour. On first use, my husband commented that I looked like I had been "airbrushed" - this can only be a good thing... Right?! My skin was flawless and super healthy looking. As a moisturiser, I think that this product is perfect for summer, but personally I am going to need something a bit more moisturising during the harsh winter months, when my skin tends to get quite dry and irritated. After prolonged use as a light-coverage substitute for foundation, I have found that Vitazing is a little greasy, and even on my dry/normal skin it brought me out in spots during the first two weeks or so of use. I'm 30, I don't really get spots now, but thankfully this has calmed down and I assume the breakout happened during that initial period because my skin was just getting used to a different product. This little mishap aside, I would highly recommend Vitazing to anyone looking for a natural glow with light coverage.

GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream - This is a 5ml sample pot (the full 15ml size retails at £21), which claims to brighten dark circles and depuff. I used this after cleansing each morning, and though I don't suffer with puffy eyes (so cant comment on how this cream helps to depuff) I do have dark circles, especially after nights with lack of sleep, and this eye cream definitely helped to reduce them. However, it is not very moisturising, and as someone who suffers with dry skin during the winter months, this cream is not going to be enough on its own as a moisturiser for me. Unfortunately, I dont think I would re-purchase this product based simply on its cost-effectiveness.   

Modern Friction (Natures Gentle Dermabrasion) ~ Back in 2008, this product won 'Best Facial Scrub' in the Daily Mail Beauty Awards. I only have this product in my possession because it came as part of the Brightening Musts set, and all I can say is Wowzers!! I was really surprised to find a face scrub that is so rich and creamy as well as containing a good amount of scrub particles - I find that normally scrubs are either very creamy with minimal scrub, or too much scrub and not enough cream. This is the perfect mix. It feels so luxurious on the skin, and when rinsed off my skin felt soft, smooth, and properly exfoliated. I am quite a harsh critic, I do not easily describe a product as 'Amazing' or 'Fantastic', so please believe me when I say that this product really is Amazing!! You cannot truly believe how good this product is until you try it out for yourself . However, the downside is that this is a little pricey at £31 for 125 mls, but it is advised to be used 2-3 times a week, and a little goes a long way. So, like me,  maybe you can purchase the 30ml tube as part of the Brightening musts set? Or put it on your Christmas wish list?

Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment ~ This is a 15ml sample that came free with purchases of over £40. I have said before that, as part of my job, I wash my hands over and over each day. This causes me to have dry, chapped hands that are sometimes also very sore, and so a good hand cream is essential. This particular hand cream is easily one of my favourites. It smells lovely, is just the right consistency, absorbs well without being greasy and does its job well. I love! love! love! this product, and although the full 75ml size is £18 I can definitely see myself purchasing this product again in the future.

Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask ~ This product smells faintly of oranges, and is meant to be used twice a week (or as desired) at bedtime by massaging onto clean skin and using a tissue to remove the excess. It has a very silky feel to it, but the effects reflect this as my skin in the morning is soft and silky-smooth. It absorbs quickly and is very moisturising. I had the sample free with purchase, but a full size 100ml tube is £20. I feel a bit in limbo as to whether I would purchase the full size product as although it does its job well, I wasn't particularly 'Wowed' by it.

A Perfect World - This was another sample free with purchase. It is an Antioxidant moisturiser that contains White Tea, which is known for its anti-ageing properties. Despite the slightly iffy scent, I am loving this moisturiser! It has a very silky feel to it, that leaves a silky film on the skin for hours after application. I found it deeply moisturising, despite a small breakout of spots after the first few uses. I liken it to the Clarins Hydraquench Moisturiser, which is my favourite moisturiser ever. Would I pay £33.00 for the full 50ml pot? Probably :-)

Gloomaway Body Wash/Bubble Bath - I intended to purchase the Ginger Burst body wash, which is highly popular, and consequently out of stock online. Instead, I opted for the Gloomaway Grapefruit combined Body Wash & Bubble Bath. This product is fantastic! Although it is a bit pricey at £18 for 250ml, a small amount on a shower pouff gives a copious lather, which lasts for an all-over body wash. It smells lovely, and left my skin feeling super soft and moisturised. Although I do feel that £18 is excessive for a shower gel, I wouldn't think twice about purchasing this product again.

FYI - A Great Deal on Beauty!!

Hey peeps,

I have just been doing some late-night browsing and have come across a great deal that I thought you would all like to know about!! On the Origins website, you can get free standard delivery and some great free travel size samples with orders over £40.

I have just taken advantage of this offer and treated myself to some little purchases, and I am super happy with a sneaky little side-find that I came across whilst browsing their website...

For a long while now I have been wanting to try the Origins Vitazing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, but have always given it a miss when faced with the £26 price tag. However, under the gifts sale section on the homepage I discovered the 'Brightening Musts' Gift Set which contains a full size 50ml Vitazing Moisturiser, a 30ml Modern Friction dermabrasion and a 5ml GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. This little set is worth £40.20 but is on sale for £26 - which is the cost of the Vitazing Moisturiser alone - What a Bargain!!

I also ordered one of the Gloomaway Grapefruit body wash/bubble bath to tip my order over the £40 total and qualify for free delivery. I absolutely cant wait for my order to arrive!!!

Will you be taking advantage of this offer too?

Claire

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