A few weeks ago, my favorite Australian beauty blogger reviewed a few skincare products by Michael Todd. I believe it was a cleanser and a face mask, and there might have been a third product. The comments on the blogpost were quite positive about Michael Todd products. Someone mentioned that they had bought it from a Groupon certificate.
That was the first time I heard about the brand. But organic skincare gets my attention. Because whatever you put on your skin gets absorbed, it is important to know what you’re putting on and at least be aware of what you’re choosing. I don’t always use organic products, but I do always read the ingredient list and most of the time, I think before I purchase…most of the time.
So a couple of weeks pass, and lo and behold, I noticed Michael Todd True Organics Anti-aging Face Lift on LivingSocial. The certificate was for $25, and the regular price of the product was $150. I have never paid over a hundred dollars for a skincare product or for a makeup product. I’m not in that league. Plus, there was an additional 10% off and I guess they rounded it off, and the certificate cost $22. I decided to go for it: organic, prestige brand, moisturizer, sounds good. I went to michaeltoddtrueorganics.com to order with my LS certificate, and I paid $5 for delivery, so $27 total. The product was delivered in a matter of days.
The box that it arrived in was substantial and color-coordinated with the jar.
On the inside of the box flap right above the jar, there was the ingredient list in big letters. That was quite a unique presentation! It gave the impression that they have nothing to hide in their ingredient list. In fact, the product has some very impressive ingredients including the snail secretion filtrate (turns out a number of beauty products contain this ingredient)!
One thing that I did notice about the ingredients was a circle on the jar that states that 70% of the ingredients are of organic origin. Frankly, I was expecting more than 70% of the ingredients to be organic. Oh well.
As you can see, Michael Todd Anti-aging Face Lift comes in a jar. Although I have been a lifelong fan of moisturizer in a jar, I’m beginning to drink the Kool-Aid and wonder why more brands don’t put their moisturizers in pumps to maintain the effectiveness of the ingredients. Some moisturizers are too thick for a pump, I get that. But not this one. It is surprisingly thin, almost soupy.
I applied a thin film on my face, neck and eyes (it says to put it around the eyes). I began to experience an almost immediate tightening. It felt a little weird, actually. And I didn’t see any lifting, unfortunately. Instead of a smooth, moisturized feeling to my skin, it felt a little rough (I’m not sure how to describe it.) Next, I put on my Lumene CC Cream.
It was a busy Saturday. I drove out to see an elderly friend, and ended up driving in heavy snowfall and I missed the exit, grrrr. I stayed longer than I planned to, hoping that the snow would stop. It didn’t, and I drove back in heavier, accumulated snow. Ugh. An hour or so later, we headed out to a nearby casual party. I probably should’ve washed my face and reapplied my makeup, but I didn’t think I needed to. We hung out at the party till after 10.
Around 11pm, I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was horrified that my makeup/CC cream actually broke on my face, especially under my eyes. OMG, I truly hope I didn’t look like that all through the party! At first, I blamed the CC cream, thinking that I had it on just too long (about 11 hours). But I often wear my Lumene CC cream for that length of time with no problem. Then I remembered what was different: my moisturizer. And I put the moisturizer under my eyes where there were white streaks and broken CC cream. FAIL!
Because I had such a negative reaction to this product, I thought I would look for some reviews from others who have tried it. The reviews on Amazon.com and MakeupAlley.com tended to be polarized, those who love it and who hate it. Several who had negative reactions mentioned the dryness, the rough or matte skin feel, and white streaks on their face. So I’m not alone! Those who liked it applied moisturizer on top of it (why do I need to do that?), learning how to apply it to minimize the white streaks, and using it for a while to see results (fewer fine lines, more lifted looking skin). Many of those who liked it the most were young, age 19-29. Not exactly an age group with wrinkles or sagging skin, lol.
So now I’m wondering what do I do with this stuff? I don’t trust wearing it with CC cream/foundation again. I could use it as a night cream, I guess, but I don’t really want/need that tightening feeling when I go to sleep. If I bought it at a store, I would certainly return it, but it didn’t come with a way to send it back. Unfortunately, I lost $27 on this one, but much better than losing $150.
What a disappointment. 🙁 I can’t recommend this product. It could just be me, but I don’t know who it would be right for. I disliked the tightening since it did not appear to visibly lift my skin. I disliked the rough feeling on my skin, and the lack of a moisturized feeling. I hated that it compromised my foundation and left me looking, well, terrible.
This week, I’ve tried using it as a night cream with argan oil or rose hip seed oil or another moisturizer on top of it to see if it does anything for my skin over time. Nevertheless, I still consider it a failure for me. I think it’s ridiculous to apply moisturizer over what I thought was a moisturizer. Eventually, I’ll toss it!
Michael Todd True Organics makes a broad line of skincare products. And it’s possible that they may be terrific. My review represents my opinion of only the one product I tried. I would still be open to trying others.
Michael Todd True Organics are sold on Amazon.com and on michaeltoddtrueorganics.com, if you’re curious. The product was made in the USA.
If you have tried this product and had a different reaction or better results, please let me know. If you had a similar experience, I’d like to know that too!
I bought this on LivingSocial as well about 1 yr ago to try it out since it’s $150 and I am also in the age group of 19-29 (28), although I don’t have sagging skin, I do have fine lines and I find it great. If this moisturizer is applied to heavily or left in an area for too long it can look cakey or build up if not fully rubbed into the skin. Remember this is also a Mask if you read thr instructions, try using it like that too because it leaves the face feeling refreshed. I’ve had epic fails with this on some days as well, but that’s when I am too in a rush, it’s all in how you apply it. I mix the cream with a little bit of my sunscreen in the daytime & at night time with with my Murad pore & line minimizing moisturizer since it’s a little bit for runny of a consistency. I don’t use this cream for wrinkles, I do have fine lines, but I do like to use creams to prevent since I am almost 30. I Mostly used this cream for post acne marks. It’s stated on the MTTO website this moisturizer is great for post acne marks or anyone suffering with Roscea. Well, it’s a bummer it didn’t work out for you, but there isn’t one product out there that made for everyone.
Thank you so much, Maria, for your comment. You’re right that there isn’t one product out there for everyone. I’m so glad that it worked for you!
I think they should change the name of this one, however. I have rosacea, and it didn’t help with that either. But I will try it as a masque! Perhaps that will save it for me. I would love to not have to throw it away 🙂
Hi Allison, I am sorry to read that Knu did not work for you. I am a 50++ woman and I absolute love the Knu line. I agree that the cream is quite drying, therefore I opt to use the Knu serum instead. The cream is intended to be worn as a ‘serum’ although it is not made clear in their directions. I switched from the cream to the serum as I find it absorbs nicely and I have no issues applying my foundation. I must state that when I was using the cream, I would use it only at night under my night cream, and this is because it just did not behave well with my foundation. I have been using Knu for approximately a year and I can honestly say that my face feels firmer and I have also noticed a vast improvement with my crows feet & neck lines. I use many of Michael Todd’s products and I am truly impressed. Other that the Knu line, all other products are reasonable in price, a nice shift for me as I was using Chanel products and I have to say that in my humble opinion Michael Todd certainly gives Chanel a run for their money in the skincare category.
Thanks for sharing, and keep up the great work!!
Nathalie
xoxo
Thank you, Nathalie, for your comment. I was hoping I’d hear from other Michael Todd users. I have been trying it, from time to time, as a serum along with an oil or a regular moisturizer. I find the ‘tightening’ feel sort of annoying at night, and I have so many other serums that I prefer already. I think however I’ll use it as a masque and see if that’ll work. I know not every product works for everyone. I think that my disappointment also was because I misunderstood what the product was from the marketing materials.
Hi Allison, I totally agree with you, not all products work the same, and we all have different needs…. heck if we all used the same products there would be a lot of companies out of business!!!! xoxoxoxo
They sure would, Nathalie! I think that different reactions and opinions about products is what makes blogging interesting! So happy that you weighed in on this. Hope I’ll hear from you again in the future <3
Absolutely, I love your blog as I can truly relate. I appreciate your honesty and maturity. I have a hard time reading advice on beauty and skincare from a 20 year old…. On another note, would you be able to send me the link of your blogger friend in Australia, I would really like to read her review on Knu. Thanks a million!! xoxoxoxo
Thanks again, Nathalie! Tine at BeautyholicsAnonymous.com did not review any of the KNU products, but a cleanser and a mask. Nevertheless, she’s an absolutely terrific and smart blogger so check out her blog. She’s a younger woman, but she really liked the MTTO products she tried which is why I jumped at the discount to try the AA Face Lift.
Thanks Allison, I just went on Tine’s site, very impressed with the content so I subscribed. Have a great eve!!! Hugs
Yay, you’ll enjoy it plus all those Aussie products that we don’t get here! Have a good evening, too, Nathalie! Hope it’s not snowing where you are, lol. Brrrrr here
Aw honey, what a bummer. This certainly sounds frustrating at best. Even those that seem to like this product agree that it can be a bit fussy which is just a hassle. We have enough to worry about without having to fuss with our products too. Thanks for sharing with us because the insight was definitely priceless. Sorry its such a conundrum for you my dear. I would love to hear if it works out as a mask for you mainly because I’d like to know if you get some use out of it. Thanks for sharing doll
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Thanks, Shalunya, for your sympathy! But you’re right, it’s a drag to have to figure out what to do with the darn thing, lol! I’ve had other products that haven’t worked out, but this one kinda bugged me because I felt like it didn’t do a good job at explaining its purpose or how to use it. Glad I didn’t pay the $150 🙂
It’s too bad this turned out so wrong for you! Strangely, I’ve encountered a few facial products with the first ingredient of Aloe and none of them worked out for me. I will definitely pass on this. Great review!
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Thanks, Tina. It was just such a strange product. I don’t know what it was meant to be. Thanks for sharing that tip about aloe as the primary ingredient. I wasn’t aware of that!
Hi Allison, before I talk about MTTO I just wanted to say thank you for this blog. so rare to find a beauty blogger in our age range and i for one am so appreciative of what you do on this blog. I discovered MTTO by reading a commenter on a beauty blog saying the Charcoal Detox Cleanser was the HG…so i decided to give it a try…it is great. Can rub it in my eyes gets every bit of eye makeup off so easily. So i kept buying their products little by little (I now have over 20) I also bought the Knu using LS for $25. B/c I’d had my eye on it and wished i could buy it but at 150 i just couldn’t justify it. but at the LS price it was literally a steal 🙂 At first it seemed strange but within a short time it became routine and addictive. I began Knu cream on 11/17 and as of today i see an incredible difference. I am almost finished with the jar and i recently bought the Knu serum through LS, can’t wait to see the difference. The Knu cream is a “serum” and it’s a facial treatment…it is not a moisturizer. therefore it works alone or with other serums and/or moisturizers on top of it. when i put Knu cream on I gently massage it in until all the white is gone and then i let it dry. then i add another type of serum (for dark spots) and a moisturizer (all my skincare products are now MTTO lol) I also have the Knu eye treatment and can see vast results. I’v told all my family about my discovery of MTTO and talk about it with such enthusiasm b/c it has changed my life. I wish Knu had worked for you. maybe with more info/knowledge of the products and little more attempts you too can see what “all the fuss is about” 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions about MTTO and i’ll be happy to give you my experience of the product(s). be well, Kim =^,^=
Thanks, Kim, for your email. Gosh MT should hire you, if you don’t work for them already! Seriously, I am so glad that you have had good results with the Michael Todd products that you have tried. As I mentioned in the review, the results seem split 50:50. Clearly, you understood how to best use the product. How did you know how to use it? For me, a failing of the product’s materials is that there was no information on how to use the product! I have such a complex skincare routine already, not sure I want to add another step. But that’s what’s so interesting is different products work for different women. Thanks again for your comment!
hi, me again, sorry I have the Intensive™ Organic Cream Eye Treatment…they just recently added Knu to this product and it costs 150!!! i’ll definitely keep a look out on LS for this 🙂
Kim, Groupon (I think it was Groupon) is offering a starter kit of MT products now for $25. You may have them already, but check ’em out!
I would luv to work for MTTO if they sold like MaryKay or Merle N. lol I just wanted to answer your question. I had to experiment with the Knu cream a lot to get it the way i felt comfortable using it. for instance i learned to use it sparingly and get it layered on quickly before it got too dry to spread. then i let it sink in before adding my next two layers. What motivated me to not give up was that I really wanted to know how in the world they could charge so much! I expected to see results for that price. I have seen results but sadly i’m not of the income bracket (i.e. Lisa Rinna) to afford it unless i can get it through LS or Groupon 🙂 I did see that offer you mentioned…i have most of those products…also very wonderful. Thank you for your time in responding Be well, Kim
Thanks so much for your comments, Kim, about your experiences! Frankly, I’ve been trying to get more commenting going on the blog, whether they agree with me or differ! I hope you’ll weigh in again in the future on anything that strikes your fancy 😉