Review: Origins Skincare Must Haves

I'm thinking of 2013 as the year of skincare. I'm tired of trying to fix my skin with makeup. I want to find products that really help my skin and restore it to what it should be. I've never been blessed with perfect, or even semi-perfect, skin. I began to have horrible acne in about 7th grade. I tried just about every gel, cream, or antibiotic available until being put on birth control around 15 or so. The birth control definitely helped clear my face since the cause of my acne is hormonal. I am currently still taking birth control and spironolactone to control my breakouts. My birth control is $82 a month and the spironolactone is thankfully only $5. I am very hesitant to stop taking my birth control or even switch to the generic version because whenever I have tried one of the options my face has erupted in horrible breakouts and took months to clear up again.

At the moment I only have a few active breakout spots. Normally, my skin is clear of whiteheads or cystic bumps, but acne scarring and hyperpigmentation makes my face look as though it is broken out. I have combination skin that goes from dry to very oily throughout the day. 

I am currently experimenting with new products from La Roche-Posay, as well as the Origins Skincare Must Haves kit which I purchased from Sephora.com for $55 ($86 value). This is my first time ever using Origins and I am pleasantly surprised. Here are my thoughts on the five products included in this kit.  

According to Sephora, this kit has and will do the following:

What it is:
An exclusive set of five must-have Origins favorites for a bright, fresh complexion. 

What it is formulated to do:
Give your skin a refreshing boost with this collection of energizing, skin-loving essentials. The moisturizer gives skin a zing of antioxidants, while hydrating and protecting from environmental damage. The face wash carefully balances skin’s dry and oily spots for a finish that feels comfortably clean and never tight, pulled, or parched. The dermabrasion formula promises age-smoothing exfoliation without irritation, leaving you kissed with cooling aloe. The serum reduces wrinkle length and depth—especially in stubborn furrows across your forehead and around the mouth. The eye cream instantly reduces dark circles and brightens rapidly for an alert, wide-awake look. 

This set contains:
- 0.5 oz Plantscription™ Anti-Aging Serum 
- 0.17 oz GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream 
- 1 oz Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash 
- 1 oz Modern Friction™ Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion 
- 1.7 oz VitaZing™ SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates 
- Phthalates 

Size of products: I read quite a few reviews that were criticizing the size of the products. I think the size of each product will last you enough time to decide whether you enjoy the product or not. The only full-size item is the VitaZing moisturizer.

Product(s) review(s):

• Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum: This serum is supposed to "help boost cell turnover to restore smoothness, radiance, and clarity, along with helping to rebuild natural collagen and elastin fibers to make skin stronger and more resilient." I am 23 years old, so thankfully I haven't noticed any problem with aging yet. I can't say if this product works or not because I don't know what to compare it to. I will admit I haven't been that diligent using it. I probably reach for it 3-4 times a week after my La Roche-Posay serum and before my moisturizer. It does sink in within seconds and makes my skin feel moisturized without the greasy aftermath than many products leave. 
• GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream: This eye cream is supposed to reduce under eye dark circled and puffiness. This is much too shimmery and illuminating me for. It reminded me of Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl highlighter! I didn't notice any reductions of my bags while using this. I will be keeping it as a face or body highlighter.
• Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash- This is my favorite product of the bunch. This gentle face wash is meant to help balance the oily and dry parts of the face. It has a minty smell that is refreshing in the morning and foams up like crazy when I use it with my Clarisonic Mia. You only need a pea size amount of this stuff, so I have a feeling it will last a while. I haven't tested it to remove makeup (I use a gentle face wash before to do that) but it does leave my face feeling very clean without drying it out.  I will definitely repurchase this in a full size bottle when I run out of my sample.
• Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion: Another stand out product! This exfoliant used rice starch and a creamy wash to rid the face of dry skin without being too harsh. The secret to using this product is to apply it to dry skin. After working it in, you add a bit of water to help the cream lather. After you rinse it off your skin will be smooth and moisturized. A little bit of this goes a long way, just like the cleanser, so I think this is a good alternative to rough scrubs if you have sensitive or reactive skin. 
• VitaZing SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer: This tinted moisturizer could be a hit or miss depending on your skin color and type. On my very pale days the tint tends to lean a bit too orange for my liking. However, I always use a foundation over it so that eliminates the problem. The color works great when I use a bit of sunless tanner, though. The consistency of the moisturizer is light, so if you have very dry skin I don't think this will help you too much. If I apply too much, more than a dime size, it makes my skin get oily by the middle of the day. I'm not sure if I would repurchase this or not. I think if you have clear, normal skin this moisturizer would be a great substitute for a light foundation with paired with concealer and powder.

** None of these products have broken me out in the three months I have tried them.

Price: I think the $55 price tag is reasonable since you are receiving a full size VitaZing which retails at $35 and four deluxe samples of the other products. 

Would I repurchase: I am definitely repurchasing the Checks and Balances face wash and probably the Modern Friction exfoliant. I would not repurchase the eye cream or anti-aging serum. I'm on the fence with the VitaZing moisturizer. I'm going to see how it does in the warmer months and decide once I run out of it.

Do you have any skincare recommendations for me? Please let me know in or link your own skincare posts  in the comment section!

February 2013 Favorites

My beauty favorites for February are short and sweet just like the month was. Between traveling and lots of studying I used the same products every day. Here are some things that I discovered this month or that really stood out to me.

Skin and body: I've really enjoyed using Origin's Checks and Balances face wash and Modern Friction face scrub. I received these items with three others in a sample kit from Sephora. The face wash is labeled as "frothy" which is right on point. I use it with my Clarisonic Mia and this stuff foams like crazy. It has a minty smell which is nice in the morning especially when I'm sleepy. My skin hasn't broken out since using this and it removes all my makeup. Plus, a little bit goes a long way. I will definitely purchase a full size bottle once I use my sample up. The Modern Friction scrub is interesting to use. I apply a quarter size amount to my dry face using my dry finger tips. Then after about 30 seconds-1 minute I wet my fingers and scrub some more before rinsing with water. It has the perfect amount of roughness and gentleness. I like to actually feel a scrub but I want it to be gentle enough not to turn my face red. This definitely does the trick.

I also discovered a new razor that I received from BzzAgent. The Schick Hydro Silk for women has 5 blades and a water activated moisturizing serum strip that keeps my legs super smooth without breaking out in razor bumps. 99% of the time I will choose a men's razor over women's but this one did just as good as my favorite men's razors!

I found the Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Brush Couture 4 piece Brush Set at my local Target. I love Sonia Kashuk brushes, especially the ones with limited edition prints. This set comes with a duo fiber brush, large eyeshadow brush, crease brush, and angled liner brush. My favorite brushes in the set are definitely the duo fiber which I use for bronzer and the liner brush which I use for cream liner and my brows. The best part? The $12.99 price tag!

My best friend passed along her ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium because it was too dark for her. The $3 gem has a wax and powder that are so simple to use. I normally just use the wax to fill in my brows but if I have extra time I put some of the powder over it.

I also rediscovered my favorite cream blush: MAC's Blushcreme in Brit Wit. This is the original formula that MAC no longer sells. I use my Real Technique's Stippling Brush to grab a TINY bit of this pigmented cream and swirl in on the apples of my cheeks to my hairline. The color is a dusty mauve that is extremely pigmented and smooth.

What were your February favorites?