MLA Skincare: Review + Before/After

One of my favorite things about blogging is coming across new brands.  It’s actually a little bit like dating, very exciting at first, but you have to learn to not get too excited until you can see that things are working out.

So I was pumped when the MLA line came in the mail for me to try, but cautiously optimistic.  As you can tell from my skincare favorites list, it’s a tough list to crack into!  So I was very excited when after about a week I started to notice some great changes in my skin.

How I test skincare:  About a week to a week and a half before trying a new line I switch over to basic washing and basic moisturizers to “reset” my skin.  I take the before photos on the morning of a starting a new trial before any products go on my skin.  Then, if the testing has gone well and I’ve decided to use the product for the full 30 days, (which is how long you should try a product before deciding if it works for you, 30 days is a full skin cycle, but sometimes I stop sooner if my skin gets irritated or breaks out) then I take additional photos on day 30.   I try to get the background and lighting as similar as possible.  Then I have to immediately label the photos in my iPhoto or wonder forever “where did I put those skincare pics!?”  The struggle is real.

Then it’s testing time!  My favorite.  You would not believe what a science dork I was growing up.

My favorites from the MLA line are the Soothing Serum and the Power Cream.  The Soothing Serum retails for $85 for 1 oz and comes in a plastic container, so you can squeeze it down to the last drop.  The Power Cream retails for $125 for 1.7 oz and comes in a round jar that you scoop a bit out of.

The Soothing Serum is great if you have a lot of redness in your skin, as I do.  I put it on at night, let it sink in, then add the Power Cream on top.  In the morning, I found that I could use way less foundation, because my skin tone was much more even and less red.  I was pleasantly surprised how quickly this product worked in just one use.  I also like using it in the morning before makeup, to help with redness throughout the day.  But sleep with this serum on overnight and you will not believe your eyes come morning.

The Power Cream really impressed me because it’s this super thick, luxurious feeling cream…that sinks in immediately.  Like, right away.  There was absolutely no greasiness or heaviness at all.  I loved it at night so much that I tried it under my makeup for day.  Again, it sank right in and was a beautiful base for my makeup.  My skin looked dewy and young.  It didn’t cause my makeup to ball up or do anything funny.  It’s really hard to find a cream that is thick enough for my dry skin, but also doesn’t feel heavy or greasy.

The best part about the Power Cream was that after a full 30-day testing cycle my skin was noticeably glowing…and something else.  I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly.  My skin definitely looked firmer and brighter.  I finally realized the texture of my skin just looked YOUNG.  Which I know seems weird to say, but that’s the only way I can really describe it.  It seemed as if the Power Cream had just rolled the years back and my skin had the bounce and look that it did in my teens and early twenties.  That is no small feat.

Dr. Amerian also recommends the Multivitamin serum underneath the Power Cream for antioxident power.  Basically, it combats future skin damage.  I liked this product too, but because it contains Vitamin A, I found I could only use it a few times a week.  I have very sensitive skin and any more than that did cause my skin to burn slightly for about 30 seconds before it faded, which is my skin’s normal reaction to me using any sort of Vitamin A product.  If you have normal skin, you can layer this with the Soothing Serum and Power Cream without any issues morning and night.  Side note: it has the same luxe twist up packaging as the Tom Ford foundation, I don’t know why I love that so much.

Which brings up: having really sensitive skin, it can be kind of scary to try new products.  Anyone who has sensitive skin knows that burning feeling when a product is too strong.  The MLA products are all formulated for sensitive skin, so that they renew the skin without peeling it off.  (Obviously, know what’s best for your skin, and for me that’s the multivitamin only a few times a week.)  The Power Cream and Soothing Serum I can use until the cows come home.  They make my face feel like baby skin.  But I love that us sensitive skin ladies can have a crack at anti-aging skincare without having to deal with ingredients that cause breakouts or skin flaking off in weird layers.  I tried around 20 new skin creams this year that I couldn’t use more than a few days because of irritation that developed.

The products have a “normal” no-scent-scent, they just smell light, with no heavy perfumes.  They sink in immediately.  The serum is a traditional light serum texture and the Power Cream is much thicker.  An SPF can be added on top of the products.

Back to my analogy of trying new skincare is like dating.  Which is kind of a sad analogy because I realized as I was writing it that last year I probably tested 500 new products and went out on, like, two dates.  Yikes.  I definitely need to meet a nice guy soon.  Aaaanyways, I was so impressed with the MLA products that I emailed Dr. Mary Lee Amerian to send my compliments.  My version of sending my compliments to the chef.  She’s a very busy dermatologist based in Santa Monica.  One glance at her online booking calendar and I realized, this lady knows her stuff, and everyone in town knows it.  Her schedule was packed tight.  She graciously took the time to email me back to thank me and talk skin talk.  One of my favorite topics.

Overall, I recommend the Soothing Serum for anyone with redness in their skin.  I love how much less foundation and concealer I can use the morning after sleeping with this stuff on.  And the Power Cream is an all-around favorite.  I love the luxurious texture of it and how fast it absorbs.  Most importantly, I love how it makes my skin look.  I know these products might be on the pricier side for some budgets, I really do get that, but I also think that a product that works is worth more than five less expensive creams that don’t work and go to waste in the back of the beauty drawer.  And these products work.  More than a 9-5.  These guys work around the clock and are on call.  I test a TON of stuff and am rarely this impressed with a new brand or product line.  These get the Girl Get Glamorous stamp of approval.  Now onto figuring out how to have more than two dates this year…

Thank you for reading!  Please feel free to share this post and pin any of the pictures to Pinterest.  You can follow me on Instagram @girlgetglamorous.

*MLA kindly provided me with the samples of their products, with no obligation for a review.