Product Review: Origins 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin

 

The story of this product relates to brows and personal maintenance -- it is the God-sent hero in shining armour (or a white tube, in this case) that every damsel or squire needs in times of distress.

Girls (and guys) maintain their brows many ways, I'm sure. I can't lie, I don't really have much of an idea of what these many ways are, but everyone has their method. For me, personally, I like to use a decent pair of tweezers, but eventually they get to the point where I need to get to the salon and ask the beautician to apply some hot wax to those pesky caterpillars! My own laziness in actually getting  to the salon (or, sometimes, my lack of funding) means that I don't do it too often, but there's always one thing that will get me there quicker than an Energizer Bunny -- my top lip.

Yes, unfortunately my body likes to remind me that Maltese genes = very dark hair, and that usually means a top lip that starts to look more and more like a tash the longer I leave it. Conchita Wurst can rock her gorgeous facial hair, but me? Hahaha-- no. Off to the salon I go.

But any girl or guy who goes to get waxed irregularly (or has just started) will be able to tell you that even though you start out looking camera-ready, within a couple of days it makes your skin go nuts. It freaks out and produces way too much oil, and you're left with an angry rash-like, perhaps even cystic breakout that is definitely not what you want to show up in photos. Of course, it becomes less and less severe the more you wax, but... it has to be done relatively consistently.

That's where this product comes into my story.

I bought this last month and talked about it in my last Myer haul post. I'd used it a couple of times but probably not enough to really say that it made an impression.

It sure as heck made an impression this time!

Two days after my visit to the salon, I broke out along my eyebrows and along my top lip. Sometimes it clears up quickly but I'm not usually that lucky, so I was determined to truly put this product to the test.

The product is thick but it comes out of the tube easily. It has a somewhat creamy feel to it and it applies smoothly. I obviously use more than this to cover the whole of my face but it does spread a good deal. It doesn't exactly come off your hand cleanly, but that's hardly surprising -- that could just be another Padawan side effect!

Let's take a look at my application routine.



Not your typical "Before" shot, but this is where it starts! If your hair is short, a headband will be handy to keep it out of your eyes -- I'd recommend a wide fabric one, which you can just get from the $2 shop. If your hair is worthy of a mermaid, you'll need to tie it back.

Not like this.

Like this!

Your next step is, obviously, to take off your makeup. I like to use the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to take off my eye makeup, and then I use a very gently foam cleanser -- Mecca Cosmetica's Clean Slate Triple Action Makeup Remover is my pick, as it gets all the makeup off the first time. It's not my all-time favourite, but the one I normally use is also an exfoliant and I didn't want to risk the possibility that it and the mask together might be too much for my skin.

A clean slate!

If you're being finicky and are looking for my "so-called gross breakout rash thing", you won't see it. These photos were taken tonight for demo purposes! Anyway, next you want to squeeze the product onto your fingers and smear it all over your face. It can take a couple of minutes, especially if you're not used to wearing a mask. It'd be really cool if there were some applicator-type thing, but as there isn't, your fingers will just have to do the trick.

Oh my.

Once it's on, it's gotta stay on for ten minutes. I find that the mask has what I think is a very mild eucalyptus scent, which I have to say is rather pleasing. It also starts to feel slightly warm and tingly on your skin after a while -- I'm not sure if this will cause a problem for people with sensitive skin.

Notice how I've almost literally covered my whole face with this stuff. I had broken out along the top and bottom of my brows, so I had been careful to place the mask over it without getting it too close to my eyes. I'd also broken out along my top lip and where the bridge of my nose meets my actual nose (gross, I know), so I smeared it in every nook and cranny there, too.

Taking ridiculous photos is one of many ways I waste ten minutes.

So what to do for the ten minutes? Do whatever you like! Study for your exams. Take silly photos. Hide behind a door and jump out in front of your brother to make him scream like a 5-year-old! The choice is up to you.

After the mask has made my skin look like a white Silurian, I take a hot, damp face washer and rub it off. It's pretty easy to do, and I like to use a cloth that's slightly old and rougher, to make sure it's gently taking off those ickity-ick dead skin cells.

Ta-daaah!

And the end result is: a clean face! The mask didn't leave my skin feeling dry at all and although I was tempted to put on a little moisturiser, I decided to hold off and see how it went. Within half an hour, my skin was soft and smooth again -- and the next morning, I could see some definite improvements in my acne! I used an exfoliating face scrub on it that night, used the mask again the night after and, I'm proud to say, it cleared it right up!

I'm really happy with how well this product works. Of course, if your acne has come to a head, it won't make it disappear -- nothing really does that -- but it definitely prevented anything nasty from getting worse. To see if it was just luck, I tested the mask out on my brother too -- not on his whole face, mind, just on his chin, where there was an unfortunately unfortunate pimple that had been there for the better part of a week with no apparent intention of leaving (gross, I know, but I feel it only praises the product further to stress the gravity of the situation). By the time he got up the next day (we're talkin' midday, for my brother), it had come to a head and he was able to get rid of it!

I really feel like this is a product that really works on problem skin, even with the $34 price tag. It will be a repurchase for me in the future, and it just makes me generally excited to try more of Origin's products!

Padawan Product Rating: A

Which products have you tried by Origins?

Sarah xo