On one of my many outings looking for makeup to buy with money I don't have, I happened along the Origins counter and thought "why not". I had my best friend with me, and figured that we could test foundations since we have different skin tones. That would be the best way to see if they offered colors to more than just one type of woman of color.

The Origins counter was great. I went to two of them. One at Macy's and another at a department store called Century 21. The sales people were nice and helpful, but not overly so. They have these great roundtables with their whole makeup line to play with. They had everything one would need to apply and take off makeup. Brushes, sponges, tissues, Q-tips, a garbage can (which you can never find when you need one at the makeup counter). There was even a makeup remover to wipe the colors from your hand or face. The sales people were helpful, but not overbearing. They would ask you if you needed help and then leave you alone.

I tried their Original Skin more coverage foundation ($15.00) in "Amber Skin" for me and "Bronze Skin" for my friend. The verdict; we have a winner! They matched our skins beautifully. I also tried the Pressed Makeup with you-control-it coverage in "cappuccino" which was actually too pink, but "Praline" was a much better match. All the makeup was oil free and felt good on the skin. There were shades available to suit just about everyone. So far, so good.

I also took a look at their lipsticks ($11.00) and lip pencils. I unfortunately was disappointed. Their shades just didn't do it for me. Their neutral colors were too light for me, and my friend and the darker ones were brighter than ones I would wear. My best friend agreed.

So what's the bottom line? The packaging was original, the prices very reasonable and the color selection good for foundations, but could be better for lips. I would invest in their products. I want to try their skin care as soon as I run out of the products I have at home. I tried tested their Salt Rub on my hand, and it felt a bit rough for me but smelled great. I am definitely going to come back and look at their skin care more closely. As long as they keep making the stuff, I'll be around to check it out!