Pampered

After a long week, there's nothing like kicking it back, relaxing, and getting pampered. And dealing with the thronging crowds at Downtown Crossing on a busy Boston Friday afternoon was totally worth the lap of luxury i stepped into for free at the Origins station at Filenes.

Let me back up: a few weeks ago, i had to go to the Clinique stand to pick up some more toner and get the free bag of goodies that goes along with it during their Gift Bonus time. I had some more time to kill, so i swung over to the Origins, which i LOVE, just to look around. I ended up getting a free facial and getting to know some of the women who work there a bit, and they told me about the free treatment that was happening April 1st. I made an appointment!

So i met Judy because she wanted to see me get all made up for free, and it turns out that some of their other 6:00's cancelled, so Judy got to have the treatment too! Step one, chair massage. Go to your happy place, relax, and let an expert work out some of your kinks. Step two, facial. Let me just say their products are amazing, and my skin gleamed when it was done. Not only that, but i was intensely aware of being able to feel my skin. Not just with my hands, but i felt like my skin was a living breathing organism that was able to feel on its own for the first time ever. Frankly, it was an incredible experience. Step three, make-up. They had this lovely make-up artist/Origins product specialist named Karen, and i loved her. (Actually, i loved all the women there and want to hang out with them. The lady who did my facial is a cosmetologist from Jamaica, and she just obviously loved doing what she was doing, and even though she'd been there for nine hours, she still had a smile on her face that was honest and she just loved making people feel good.) My make-up looks so incredible that i'm trying to go to bed, but i can't convince myself to wash it off because i don't want it to go away. Step four, hand warming lotion. It was so nice. Especially since my hands are in a constant state of chill.

So the experience wasn't completely free. Judy and I ended up getting our share of Origins products, which was, of course, the goal of the entire hoopla, but it was so worth it. I got the Perfect World Skin Guard, which is all white-tea based and loaded with anti-oxidents to help protect the skin from polution and that sort of thing... I had taken a sample of it home a couple weeks ago and decided it makes my skin so soft that i'd get it. I also got a bit of make-up. Judy, of course, insisted on treating me to half of what i purchased. Her reasoning was that if it weren't for me, she wouldn't' have had that whole wonderful pampering experience. And she wanted to. And even though we spent more than we might have wanted to, the whole spa experience you'd pay over $500 and walk away with nothing. This way, both sides benefited.

The other thing i like about Origins is the general product philosophy -- it's all natural oils and good for the environment AND your body, and the packaging materials are made out of recycled goods. And I must say, the products all SMELL INCREDIBLE. I mean, seriously. They smell so good. I was never under the impression that skin care products smelled good, but they proved me wrong. There is peppermint oil in their lip gloss! Who knows -- once i'm middle class, i might be able to support that endeavor a little more. It's nice to be pampered once in a while.