Monday, March 25, 2013

TaUt by Leonard Engelman skin care review

I've been pretty happy with my very simple skin routine lately, but in the name of skin care science, I've been trying a line of skin care for the last couple of weeks called TaUT by Leonard Engelman. For those of you who don't know him, Leonard Engelman is a world famous makeup artist who has made-up some of the most beautiful women in the world, including Cher, Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julian Moore and the list goes on and on...

From the website, this is how the line is described....
"Immediate is the word that best sets apart and describes the performance of these products. Some companies say “use our products for thirty days and see a difference.” In film, we can’t wait thirty days for a promise. We need immediate results. Why should you wait! Use TaUT products and immediately see and feel the difference.

Simple best describes the TaUT Skin Care regimen. Each product has been developed to accomplish a specific function, while working hand and hand with the other products.

Lifting and tighten the skin for a more youthful and healthier appearance is the desire of everyone. Today that can be accomplished through the TaUT Two Step System. A few minutes can remove years.

Sensitive and problem skin becomes smoother and healthier in appearance. Whether teenage or adult, see beautiful clear results. Experience for yourself why so many stars and celebrities use TaUT by Leonard Engelman."
My skin is definitely sensitive AND problematic, so that last paragraph especially caught my eye. I contacted Mr. Engelman and he agreed to send me some products to try and review. He sent a lovely assortment of products and I was so excited to open the box and reveal everything! Here's a shot of what was in the box:



Here's what was included:

  •  Liquid Facial Cleanser 8 oz. 
  • Organic Scrub 4.5 oz
  • Perfectly Taut Facial Masque - Premix
  • Perfectly Taut Facial Masque - Powder
  • Aloe Vera Gel Treatment 8 oz
  • Moisture Intense Therapy 2oz
  • Perfect Brow Control .5 oz
  • The Art of Makeup….Simply Beautiful (DVD) 
The one thing I was impressed about in the beginning was the very short ingredients list on all the products. This is always a good sign to me when assessing any new products.  I've looked up most of the ingredients on the Cosmetics Ingredients Database (Found Here) and although it contains some ingredients that are found on the irritant scale for some, they're very common ingredients like surfactants, emollients and preservatives that don't bother most people and are found in many skin care products. Getting to the products themselves, here's an overview of the products and my impression of each.

• Liquid Facial Cleanser  / $18.95 for 8oz
Website description: A gentle PH balanced formulation that will help your skin look and feel healthy.

 My thoughts: This is a liquid cleanser without "gelling" components. It feels curiously like a micellar-type cleanser, though it foams a little. A few drops is all you need to cleanse your entire face. It cleans extremely well and left my skin with NO irritation, dryness or redness whatsoever. There is a strong-ish floral fragrance that may bother some, but thankfully, it didn't upset my skin at all. I actually look forward to smelling it now! As little as you use, I can see this bottle lasting for a very long time, making the price point very attractive to me. Leonard informed me that, because of its mildness, many celebrities like to use this on their children as well as themselves.

• Organic Face & Body Scrub / $23.95 for 4.5oz
Website description: Beaded volcanic pumice, aloe vera, and vitamins A, D, and E, smoothes the skin to a polished look and feel. Exfoliates dead skin cells and assists in the renewal process revealing fresher young cells.

My thoughts: This does exfoliate well, but I find it a tad irritating for my face. I, however, have extremely sensitive skin that doesn't appreciate most scrubs. Those with normal skin will love this. It has no fragrance and is non-drying. I have found it to be an excellent body scrub, so I will definitely use it up!

• Aloe Vera Gel Treatment  / $13.95 for 8oz
Website description: Using a natural gel derived from the aloe vera plant, this formulation soothes the skin while continuing the tautness. As a thin application dries, you both see and feel that tautness. Excellent for relief from sunburn or irritation. Fragrance free.
My thoughts: Immediately relieves the skin of redness and feels amazing. I apply a very thin layer under moisturizer and it makes everything else just glide on. This is one of my favorite TaUt products! Very simple and effective ingredients! It's a real treat to use this.

 • Moisture Intense Therapy / $21.95 for 2oz
Website description: Moisture Intense Therapy brings immediate moisture and hydration to the skin. Skin becomes softer to touch and soon lines and wrinkles become diminished. Hyaluronic Acid retains 500 times its weight in water. Sea Kelp Extract creates almost immediate hydration and skin protection. Glycerin and NaPCA retard water loss. For all skin types. Excellent for dry skin. Apply in the morning. Excellent in the evening for additional moisture protection while you sleep. Fragrance free.

My thoughts: I really don't like the smell of this moisturizer. It has no masking fragrance, which I usually really appreciate in a product, but this smell is just so overwhelming and raw to me. Thankfully, the smell does dissipate with time. It feels light, yet is extremely moisturizing and feels great on the skin, though I suspect it's a bit too much for my combo/oily skin. I've been wearing it at night, but feel that it's too heavy for daytime use.  As with all TaUt products, you use VERY little, so this will last a long time.

• Perfectly Taut Facial Masque 
There are two versions of this. One is a jar of powder that contains approximately 24 uses and costs  $44.95. The other is a pre-mix that contains approximately 8 applications and is $29.95.
Website description: The secret to the look of healthy, beautiful skin is the tone and tautness of youth. TaUT Perfectly Taut Facial Masque helps give the skin the appearance of restored elasticity while softening and refining lines and wrinkles. Reduce puffiness and lines while adding a healthy tone to the skin.


My thoughts: The day I received this, I used the powder version. It's a lot of fun to make and use and the feeling of the mask is so odd! It gets VERY tight and certainly does make your pores appear smaller and your skin look much tighter and smoother. The effect lasts quite a while as well. I can see myself using this at least once a week as a personal "spa" treatment. As for which formulation you choose to get, I think it's mostly a choice of personal preference. Both are very effective, but if you're not the type who likes "do-it-yourself" beauty masks, I would definitely recommend getting the pre-mix.


• Perfect Brow Control / $10.95 for .5 fl oz
Website description: Separate, control and groom brows to stay all day.

 My thoughts: This stuff is heavy duty! Once you brush it through your brows, they do NOT budge the entire day! They also give the brows a bit of a nice, healthy-looking shine. I can see this one bottle lasting YEARS. That's the thing I'm most impressed about with TaUt products. You use such a small amount of everything!


• The Art of Makeup…Simply Beautiful (DVD)
/ $29.95
Website description: Leonard Engelman has made-up some of the most beautiful women in the entertainment industry including Cher, Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Debra Winger, Juliann Moore and many more. Now let him show you “simply” how to apply makeup to visually shape and sculpt the face, cheeks, eyes, and mouth. See why so many professional makeup artists already have this in their library. See why Engelman says “Makeup should be simply beautiful”. (DVD instructional time, 56 minutes)

My thoughts: I ended up taking 4 PAGES of notes when I watched this. It's so full of useful information. Even though the clothing and decor are a bit dated, the amount of Mr. Engelman's knowledge of the art of makeup is so vast that it will still be relevant a hundred years from now! There are so many "A-ha!" moments in this video that you won't believe you didn't know some of this stuff before. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the world of makeup, so I was surprised that I learned so much! Here is an overview of what is covered in the video:

  • Leonard Engelman's experience as a Makeup Artist
  • Explanation of all the TaUt skin care products and what they do as well as a simple explanation of how the skin works and why it reacts the way it does
  • Foundation Application
  • Cream Blush Application
  • Concealer Application
  • Setting with powder
  • Techniques for deep-set eyes
  • Contouring.Shading with Powder
  • Shaping the eyebrows
  • Eyeshadow application
  • Eyeliner tips and tricks
  • Using an eyelash curler
  • Mascara application
  • Using lip pencil and correcting uneven lips
  • Lipstick application
  • Powder blush application
  • Blending techniques
  • Tips to match your face and neck
All in all, the TaUt by Leonard Engelman skin care line is definitely worth looking into, especially if you want products that offer immediate results! To learn more about Leonard Engelman or purchase his products, simply visit TaUt Skin Care.

1 comment:

  1. Have used these products in the past and really like the results. They last a long time, especially the facial cleanser. I use about three drops every face washing. I don't know why I stopped using them but I plan on starting again by ordering them today.

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