I’ve always had a healthy skepticism about luxury beauty. As a beauty editor with years of experience, I can still count the number of luxury brands I love on one hand. While many offer some benefits, I don’t always feel like they’re enough to justify the exorbitant price tag. But in this case, I can confidently say that aesthetician-beloved brand Auteur is worth the money.
I became interested in the brand because several of my favorite celebrity estheticians have spoken about how much they love it. When someone like Melanie Grant (Victoria Beckham’s esthetician!) talks about loving something, I lean in and listen. “As an esthetician, I appreciate Auteur’s thoughtful approach to skin health,” she says. “Auteur’s formulas offer effective solutions for a variety of skin concerns, allowing me to customize treatments that deliver real results for my clients. At the same time, the product line is streamlined; there are no overlaps or unnecessary SKUs. The products embody a balance between science and luxury, delivering formulas rich in high-performance ingredients that visibly improve, while also providing an uplifting sensory experience upon application.”
I know luxury skincare isn’t realistic for everyone, but if you have the budget and want to get serious about skincare, these products are definitely ones you’ll want to get your hands on. Needless to say, I knew I had to try this brand for myself and see if it lives up to its reputation. Read on for all my thoughts.
(Image courtesy of @shawnasimonee)
Before using Auteur.
The photo above is a baseline of how my skin looked last month before I started using these products: I also had one other product to test around the same time as this review, but I primarily used the Auteur line for about 3 weeks.
(Image courtesy of @shawnasimonee)
My skin after 3 weeks of using Auteur.
The key ingredients in these products, such as niacinamide, have definitely helped improve my acne scars, but I can’t really credit this product alone – I also use Medik8’s Crystal Retinal, which has really helped with my dark spots, but this product also makes my skin look brighter overall, healthier, and more hydrated for longer.
Read my full review of the product below:
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Definitive Renewal Serum
First, let me talk about the packaging. It’s so chic and luxurious, and that’s what drew me to the brand (top-notch marketing if you ask me). The brand has just launched their highly active Definitive Renewal Serum, a peptide-rich product that boosts cell function. It targets collagen production and helps keep skin hydrated all day with a variety of ingredients including growth factor complexes, antioxidants, glycerin, oxygen, hyaluronic acid, and colloidal gold. Yes, you read that right – real liquid gold! The formula is designed to address fine lines, dehydration, and loss of elasticity.
I was a bit skeptical at first, worried that these formulas might be a bit too thick for my skin (I’ve suffered from breakouts in the past), but this product provided just the right amount of hydration without making it feel oily or greasy. After just a few days of application, I noticed that my skin was noticeably firmer and more hydrated. As my skin tends to dry out quite easily, the fine lines I worry about most are laugh lines, but I’ve already seen improvement after just a few weeks of use. The other brightening and hydrating ingredients also give my skin a serious glow.
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The definitive hyaluronic activator serum
I used Definitive Hyaluronic Activator Serum as my morning serum and Definitive Renewal Serum as my night serum. This serum is very light and absorbs easily into the skin. The sophisticated makeup enhances the skin’s ability to produce its own hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a necessary ingredient to keep skin plump, hydrated, and wrinkle-free. Since my skin is quite dry, this serum is truly a gift from the skincare gods. My skin absorbs this serum every morning and again, it’s so light that it almost feels like I’m not wearing anything. It also contains peptides and growth factors that speed up the regeneration process and support the production of new collagen. For those who suffer from redness and inflammation like me, this formula also contains super soothing allantoin (one of my favorite skincare ingredients) to calm the skin.
Grant recommends this serum to anyone who, like me, suffers from breakouts. “This serum is packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides and botanicals that intensely hydrate skin without clogging pores,” she says. “Moisturizing is also important for acne-prone skin, as dry skin can overproduce oil, which can further clog pores. This product calms and soothes the skin, increasing collagen and promoting a healthy barrier function.”
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Definitive Cleansing Complex
Previously, I used cleansers high in active exfoliants like BHA and AHA, but I found my skin was too sensitive for them. This brand’s gentle gel cleanser is perfect. It contains gentle surfactants, powerful botanical complexes, and stem cells to leave skin clean without stripping it. I sometimes use it at night in combination with their Definitive Enzyme Cleanser as a double cleanse, and my skin feels so soft afterwards.
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The definitive enzyme cleanser
This is one of my favorite products. It’s super gentle, yet super exfoliating. I’m normally a big fan of mandelic acid, which is a great AHA for sensitive skin, but Auteur’s exfoliant has active enzymes in addition to the AHA, so it’s even more powerful. It also helps reduce pigmentation and dark spots if you’re struggling with them.
Grant is also a big fan of this cleanser. “This cleanser is great for deep cleansing without damaging the skin,” she explains. “It contains enzymes that gently exfoliate and remove dead surface cells and debris, helping to unclog pores and prevent breakouts. I especially love this cleanser because it helps reduce clogged pores.”
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The definitive repair cream
As someone who has suffered from breakouts in the past and is still healing my skin, I was a little worried that this cream would be too thick for me, but it ended up being one of my favorite products from the brand. Although it does have some oil and shea butter in it, the texture of the cream is very light and doesn’t make my skin feel oily or heavy. I was pleasantly surprised and it felt great to use, especially since it contains so many highly active, skin-beneficial ingredients. The amino acids, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid hydrate and nourish the skin and strengthen a weakened barrier.
Since my skin’s barrier function is compromised and needs support, this cream has become the perfect one for me. The antioxidants lift the pigment and protect the skin from environmental stressors. The only downside to this cream is that it contains fragrance. I know some people like a little bit of fragrance for their senses, but I don’t like synthetic fragrances in my skincare at all, so if you have fragrance allergies, you should be careful. It’s a shame considering this brand has a lot of fragrance-free products. I hope the brand will consider making a fragrance-free version because the scent is a little too strong and lingers in my opinion. Without the fragrance, it would be a perfect cream for me!
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Definitive optimization mask
I love using this mask as part of my weekly routine. I use it on Wednesdays and Sundays to boost hydration. It contains exfoliants like glycolic acid, lactic acid, phytic acid and willow bark extract, but for me it didn’t sting or burn at all and was mainly used to deeply hydrate my skin. It’s designed to strengthen the skin’s barrier by regulating sebum production and helping retain moisture.
After using this at night, I always wake up with calmer, more radiant skin that not only looks but feels healthier.
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The definitive eye cream
I’ve never really understood why an eye cream would be one of the most expensive products in the brand’s range, but here’s why: this product uses microencapsulated peptide technology that promotes healthy collagen production and stimulates fibroblast activity in the skin, breathing new life into the eye area.
My under-eye bags can get pretty bad (especially if I don’t get a solid 8 hours of sleep) and this cream has definitely helped brighten that area. This cream is especially great for anyone looking to smooth out crow’s feet and fine lines in that area. It’s incredibly rich and greatly improves the hydration and elasticity of the skin in that area. It’s one of the most expensive products from the brand but, like all of their products, it’s well worth it given all the fast-acting active ingredients in each formula.
“I love their Definitive Eye Cream because it plumps, hydrates, and brightens while eliminating the look of dark circles under my eyes. The formula is concentrated with peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid for both immediate and long-term results. It’s my favorite cream to use on my own skin and recommend to many of my clients.” — Grant
