March 9, 2010

Last week I talked about the Origins Youthtopia eye cream that I bought recently to replace the “more expensive” brand that I'd been buying. As luck would have it, I ran out of my moisturizer at about the same time I ran out of the eye cream. So, while I was at the Origins counter searching for the eye cream, I took a peek at their choices in moisturizers.

After looking over several options, I decided to try the Have a Nice Day Super-Charged moisture lotion. This is Origins description of Have a Nice Day.

Your skin hasn’t a care in the world when stimulating Ginkgo Extract, firming Birch Extract and nourishing Soybean Oil fortify it with everything it needs to face the day in a positive way. Origins potent blend of UV protectors, including nature’s own Titanium Dioxide, defray the rays. Vitamin E stops environmental no-goodniks. Skin runs smoothly sun up to sun down. And one whiff of the gung-ho Grapefruit aroma gives you a sense of can-do optimism.

At first I wasn't real crazy about the screw top lid on this container because I was used to having a pump, which just makes it a little quicker and easier to dispense, but now that I've gotten used to it, it's not a big deal and I think that there's probably going to be less waste. With a container like this, it'll be a lot easier to get every last little drop out of the bottle, which is not the case with the bottles that have the pump. (I never could figure out how to hack into the Chanel bottle.)

There are a few things I love about this product. First, I love that it has an SPF 15 just like the other brand. Even though SPF is not a lot of sun protection, at least I know that when I put this on every morning, I've got some sun protection.  If I'm knowingly going to be out in the sun, I'll put on a SPF 30 or 45 on top of this. I also love that when you apply this product, you get a whiff of the grapefruit aroma. I first fell in love with the grapefruit scent when I started using the Origins Gloom Away products. And, in my opinion, this product goes on just as smoothly and feels just as hydrating as the Chanel.

What I love most about Have a Nice Day is that it retails for $36.00 for a 1.7 oz. bottle versus the $86.00 that I was paying for the exact same size in the other brand. When you think about it, that's $100 savings for every two bottles I buy. That's huge!

Now if I could just find a more affordable “anti-cellulite” cream! 🙂

~LilSis

March 3, 2010

The last time I ran out of my Chanel eye cream, I decided it was time to try to find something comparable at a more reasonable price. Not to get into too much detail about the depressed economy and the effect that it's had on my personal spending, but these days, I think a lot of us are trying to trim the fat from the budget and $75.00 for eye cream is just too much of a splurge.

There was a time, not too long ago, when I would run out of all three of my favorite Chanel beauty products at the same time and I wouldn't think twice about running to Macy's to replace them.  Since I'm trying to be more “budget conscious”, I decided that there had to be something out there that's just as good with a smaller price tag. You know BigSis and I both love Origins and since I already use several of their other skin care products, I thought I'd check out their eye creams.

After looking over several choices, I decided to try the Youthtopia Firming Eye Cream. This is how Origins describes the Youthtopia:

If aging signs are staring you in the face, but you worry about harsh, sci-fi sounding chemicals in some treatments, discover Origins revolutionary approach to aging skin around the eyes. Youthtopia™ Firming eye cream with Rhodiola, the legendary Siberian herb linked with longevity, visibly de-ages, reduces puffiness and helps empower fragile eye skin to rebound from damaging stress. Your eye area looks firmer and more youthful with none of the potential wrinkles.

I've been using this eye cream for a little over a month now and I'm really happy with it. At $39.50, this product is much kinder on the wallet and I like it as much as the more expensive brand. I have to be careful with some night time eye creams because they tend to make my eyes puffy in the morning, but I haven't had that problem with the Youthtopia.

If you've got a favorite eye cream that's reasonably priced and gives great results, I'd love to hear from you. 🙂

~LilSis

February 11, 2010

Origins has a Valentine's Gift for You!

I received an email from Origins this morning about this offer so I had to share it with you. It just wouldn't be nice to keep it to myself; would it?

From February 11th – 14th, order any two products from Origins online or in any Origins store and you'll receive a free full-size lip gloss as a Valentine's Day gift from Origins.

Why wait til the 14th to get yourself a treat? Order now as supplies may be limited. And shipping is also free on any orders over $50.00. Sweet!

~LilSis

November 4, 2009

I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I don't like wasting a bunch of money trying out new beauty products unless something is highly recommended to me by someone who has actually used the product and has had proven results.

That's the main reason I buy my hair products at my hair salon instead of wasting money at the drug store. You can try out a new shampoo, conditioner or styling product and know that you like it before you buy it.

When I find a beauty product or a brand that works for me, I'm a very loyal customer! I'll stick with it for years, like I have with all these:

• Origins favorites
• Great Lash Mascara
• MAC eyeshadows
• Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant
• Prescriptives Traceless, which is now being discontinued! 🙁

But, one thing I CANNOT seem to find is a lipstick that stays on for more than half an hour!  I still buy MAC lipsticks and MAC glosses because I love the colors but I need something that will last!

A few weeks ago, before our trip to Vegas for BlogWorld, I popped in Ulta as a last ditch effort to try to find a long lasting lip product. I ended up walking out of the store with two new products.

Benetint Pocket Pal

After listening to the sales person at the Benefit counter rave about this product, I end up buying this Benetint pocket pal. This product receives great reviews on Sephora and the salesperson went on and on about it.

Benefit claims that this is the original and still the best lip tint and cheek tint available. This stuff didn't work for me and it wasn't cheap! I'm still trying to decide whether or not to return it to Ulta.

It was okay on the cheeks, but not that noticeable and not what I had intended on using it for when I bought it. It appears very dark red in the bottle and is a very thin liquid so it goes on more like a light pink, not red. The sales person told me that you can apply one coat, let it dry, apply another, and another, and keep repeating until you get the desired shade.

I probably tried it on four or five occasions when I applied three or more coats of the tint, then applied the gloss and within a very short time, all that was left was a slight tint remaining in all those little lines in your lips. (Not the look I was going for.)

Lorac 8 Hour Long-Wearing Lip Color

The second product I ended up buying was this Lorac 8 Hour Long-Wearing Lip Color and Ultra Glossy Top Coat.

I'm not as disappointed in this product as I am with the Benetint, but it's just okay. It goes on smoothly and I like the top coat that goes on with a brush instead of a sponge, but it did NOT last 8 hours on me.

So, back to square one!  I actually know women who have had lip liner and lip color tattooed on their lips! Ouch!! I don't think I'm willing to go to that extreme!

So, here's my plea for help!  If anyone reading this has found a great lipstick with some real staying power, please share it with us! Pretty, please? 🙂

~LilSis

October 7, 2009

I was originally going to call this post “The one beauty product that I can't live without”, but as it turns out, I actually have three. To qualify as a product that I absolutely cannot live without, it has to be one that I NEVER EVER go without using, not even for just one day. Here are my three.

Mabelline Great Lash Mascara

In number one position is my Mabelline Great Lash Mascara.  If I had to narrow it down to just one product, this would be it. I don't care if I don't have on another stitch of makeup, but I CANNOT leave my house without my mascara.

MAC Select Sheer/Loose Powder

And in second place is my MAC Select Sheer/Loose Powder. I should have gone to Macys days ago when I noticed that my powder was running low but I thought I could stretch it a few more days until I could make it over to the mall.  When I took the lid off of the container to try to get the last few flecks of powder from the bottom, it was already gone! I did have a little meltdown but I managed to survive until I could get to Macys later that day.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

And the third product that I can't go without for even one day is Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant.  I recently talked about how much I LOVE this deodorant.  I ran out a few weeks ago and had to use something else that morning before my walk and it was such a noticeable difference. I can't live without this deodorant!

By narrowing this list down to three, I had to be very choosy. If I wanted to make this a list of five, I would add Relastin Eye Silk and Borba Firming Diamond Shimmer Contour Creme to the list. Oh, and I really couldn't live without my Origins No Puffery. I probably should have made this a Top Ten list!

Are there one or two or ten products that you can't live without? I'd love to hear about yours!

~LilSis

September 16, 2009

In my post earlier today, I mentioned that the Free Skin Care Set was not available through online purchase. I even called Origins yesterday to verify it.  Maybe, they got a bunch of negative feedback from customers about it because I received a new email this morning with this offer:

Through Sept. 20th!

Plus, receive a FREE Skincare Starter Set with any moisturizer order!

Since this offer only last a few days, I think I'll place my order today since quantities are limited!

~LilSis

September 16, 2009

This offer starts today and lasts through October 3rd, but if you LOVE Origins like I do, you don't want to wait! Take advantage of this offer NOW!  Origins says quantities are limited so you don't want to miss out on this deal!

All you have to do is purchase any Origins moisturizer and you get one of these skincare sets for FREE! Each set includes your perfect cleanser, a clinically proven serum, and Origins best selling Modern Friction gentle dermabrasion.

I've used almost every one of these products and I love them all. Modern Friction is the only scrub that I use now and Checks and Balances and Never a Dull Moment are also a couple of my favorites. Each of these sets contain the “best of the best.”

I did call Origins Customer Service to verify that this offer is only good at the Origins stores and not applicable for online purchases. If you happen to have an Origins store nearby, I still think it's worth a quick trip to get these awesome products for free.

I'm not going to miss out on this offer!

~LilSis

April 23, 2009

While we're talking about tired, puffy eyes, I've got a little tip that I'd like to share with anyone who has ever felt this way.  Have you ever sat in front of your makeup mirror after finishing your makeup and realized that you still look really, really tired?  If you're lucky enough to answer no to that question, then read no further.

I hate to admit it, but it happens to me a lot more lately than it used to. (A little visit to a plastic surgeon would probably help in that area, but I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to talking about surgery so that's not an option at this point in time.)

If you were reading last week, you know that BigSis and I were on full-blown vacation rules. We had a great time, but it sure showed when I looked in the mirror the next morning.  One day we were all getting ready to go out and I had finished putting on my makeup but still felt like I looked extremely tired. So, I started rummaging through my makeup drawer and I found my bottle of Origins Halo Effect ($17).

I've had this product for some time now and have tried using it in several different ways but I was never happy with the results.  I've tried a dab above my eyebrows, which was supposed to make your brows look a little lifted, but I didn't like the shimmer in that area. I also tried it on the outside of my eyes, but unfortunately it just magnified the crows feet. (For those of you that don't have those yet, enjoy!)

For some reason, I started thinking about the MAC tutorial videos that BigSis discussed in this post. If you watch the video on the smokey eye, at the end, the makeup artist takes a small brush and applies a little light eyeshadow with a goldish reflective to the outside of the inner corner of the eye to create some light in that area. I decided that instead of shadow, I would try using the Halo Effect in the same way. I applied just a little with a pointed Q-tip and was very pleasantly surprised with the result.  I kept just one eye done and compared the two several times and even asked for SisMama and BigSis to give me their opinion. They both said they could tell a difference in the two eyes and I knew it was noticeable when BigSis said “Do mine!”

As I was looking at the Origins site just to make sure that they still carried the Halo effect, I noticed this Eye Brightening Color Stick.  They say that it “Makes your eyes wake up and come alive”.  So, now I'm wondering if I need to give that a try also. If anyone has ever tried this Color Stick, I would love to hear from you!

~LilSis

February 9, 2009

I finally made a much needed trip to the Origins counter the other day. I was completely out of a few of my favorites that I use on a daily basis:  Night-A- Mins, No Puffery, and Dr. Andrew Weil's Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Eye Serum. I talk about my love for these Origins products in this Sister Showdown: Moisturizers and in this Sister Showdown: Eye Creams.

I also purchased, for the first time, the Clear Improvement Mask that BigSis recommended earlier in this Sister Showdown: Exfoliating Products.

Origins Clear Improvement

I've used the mask once already and really love it! I don't know why I waited so long to buy it! My pores were screaming to be unclogged!

(I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get that initial breakout that you hear some women get when they first start using this type of product. I have an appointment with my very handsome dermatologist tomorrow and I'll be totally embarrassed if my skin is in the middle of a breakout when I go see him.)

It's been so dry here in CA lately, that my skin is dry, dry, dry and very dehydrated. So, before I left the counter, the sales person suggested that I try the Drink Up mask.

Origins Drink Up

I told her that I was pretty satisfied with my present hydrating mask and didn't want to purchase their mask right now. If you've been reading our blog, you might remember that I love the Bliss Triple Oxygen Hydrating Mask.  I love it so much that I never would have purchased this Origins Drink Up mask had the salesperson not sent me home with a sample. I've used it twice already and I absolutely LOVE it!

This ten minute mask is truly amazing! It feels silky and smooth and smells wonderful. The scent must come from the Apricot Kernel Oil. I love how Origins describes this mask:

When skin faces a marathon of dehydrating circumstances, fluid levels can run too low. The steady sips of moisture that sustain it under normal conditions simply don’t hold water. Smoothness evaporates. Skin feels tight and flaky. What it needs is a great big gulp. It’s all you can drink as nature’s cocktail of caretakers drown dry skin’s sorrows. Thirst-quenching Algae Extracts deliver an extra helping of hydration while emollient-rich Apricot Kernel Oil acts like a “fountain of youth”. Feel skin drink in the softness, lap up the luxury.

Dare I say it? I like this mask more than the Bliss mask! And, for the icing on a cake, the Origins Drink Up is $21.00, whereas, the Bliss mask is $52.00! Score!

Is your skin is in need of a great big gulp of moisture? If so, then Drink Up!

~LilSis

December 22, 2008

Is everyone finished with their Christmas shopping?  If not, you might want to take advantage of this great offer from Origins. I just received an email from Origins stating that they are offering a free upgrade on overnight shipping through tomorrow, December 23rd.  Enter the offer code free1day at checkout to take advantage of this offer from Origins!

Not only do I love, love, love Origins products for myself, but I've given a lot of Origins gifts to friends and family over the years. You just can't go wrong! They have such a wide price range, too. You can buy a great gift for under $30.00. Origins always has wonderful gift sets and you can even create a custom gift set.

Origins is also offering complimentary gift wrapping.  And one more thing, I received a separate email about another discount from Origins. You can receive 25% off all purchases at any Origins Retail Store (not in a dept. store) through December 24th if you just mention the email! Now, that's a bargain!

Happy Shopping!

~LilSis