Origins

The store is temporarily on the second floor near Macy’s since they are doing renovations on the old location in The Collection. This temporary location is not much to look, since it’s well. temporary. However, all of the same products are still offered. There’s a great deal going on now where you get 3 deluxe size products — not full size but still pretty big! You get to choose from a couple different moisturizers, cleansers, scrubs, etc. I bought some great turmeric lip balm by Dr. Weil for Origins. Also got Make a Difference Plus + moisturizer which is ah-​mazing. My skin is normally very sensitive and can become allergic/​itchy if there are harsh fragrances. this isn’t the case with this moisturizer and it’s awesome with great ingredients. I also purchased No Puffery which is a cooling eye treatment mask, also really nice for tired puffy eyes. Everything else I got as deluxe samples which you can see in the picture I’ll post here too :)

I currently use Origins products for my face and have been to the Harvard Square store several times, so I came in knowing the store layout and knowing exactly what I wanted to get — two travel size cleansers. I am someone who uses product in very small amounts and also have beauty brand ADD, so I stuck to the travel Perfect World for me and decided to get a travel Checks and Balances for my boyfriend to try.
At first I couldn’t find the Perfect World one because the glass jar filled with identical white tubes had a Precipitation lotion one on top. So I ask a salesperson for help, and she disdainfully plucks a tube out without saying a word or acknowledging the misplaced product — even though I went so far as to apologize for not digging through the, once again, IDENTICAL white tubes. At this point I already felt uncomfortable with her attitude and just wanted to get out. I go to pay and the same girl goes to the register, looks at what I have and flatly says, «Did you get these because you’re traveling, is that it?» with those exact last three words. While half of me wants to tell her, «I’m getting them because I want to», I just nod and smile as again, I REALLY just want to leave at that point. «You do know the bigger size is only $ 23.50, and this is $ 12?» like she was accusing me of doing something wrong. Had she been just a little bit nicer I might have gone for it, but I frankly didn’t want to give her the sale (let me add that I am someone who was once talked into a $ 200+ sale at a Saks Chanel counter, I still remember how nice that lady was to this day). If I continue to use Origins products in the future, I most certainly won’t be coming back to this particular store.

Origins is EL’s pseudo natural brand, designed for people who want an understated look while not compromising on the effectiveness of the products. Origins offer skincare and colour cosmetics. The company has a standing offer of a «free» facial for anyone who walks in. Highly recommend the «Modern Friction» facial scrub, weird texture but very effective. Prices are $ 1 – 4 more than what Clinique would would charge for the equivalent product.