I Tried the Under-$100 Skincare Line the Kardashians and Megan Fox Vouch For

A fun fact about me: While I very much enjoy the star-studded sightings that occur regularly here in L.A. (I've spotted everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Jonah Hill at my nearest grocery store), I'm significantly giddier when I get to meet one-on-one with the experts who enhance our fave celeb's god-given beauty—whether its an A-list makeup artist, facialist, or, most recently, the cosmetic dermatologist for Hollywood's elite, Simon Ourian, MD. (And yes, if the name sounds familiar, you've likely already met him via episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.)

Although Ourian caters to some of the most recognized faces in the industry (the Kardashians and Jenners, Megan Fox, Sofía Vergara, Jasmine Tookes, Olivia Culpo… the list goes on) and his cosmetic services are justifiably pricey, I was intrigued to find out that his just-launched line of skincare, MDO Skin, is surprisingly affordable, with every individual product, excluding the kits, sliding in at the under-$100 mark. What's more, his elite clientele use and swear by the line. Obviously, I needed to learn more, right?

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a definite pinch-me moment, I had the opportunity to meet with Ourian himself at his stunning clinic, Epione Beverly Hills, where he A) introduced me to his innovative in-clinic treatments (he uniquely approaches each client with the eye of an artist and the mindset of a scientist) and B) walked me through his line while providing context as to why he created his own collection in the first place. In a nutshell, he wanted to be able to provide his clients with high-quality products they (and he!) could trust to maintain and enhance their skin from the comfort of their own homes. Ourian explained to me that he believes everyone is born with beautiful skin, and his goal with MDO is to enhance the natural beauty that's already there. 

"MDO is committed to providing solutions for specific skincare concerns," the brand details on its website. "We enable anyone to achieve professional results safely and easily in the comfort of their own homes, with the ultimate goal of enhancing natural beauty. Results and client satisfaction lies at the core of MDO and Simon Ourian M.D.'s philosophy."

My one and only question was could products so affordably priced within a sea of ultra-expensive alternatives actually grant the noticeable and immediate results they're touted to? After weeks and weeks of testing, I can say yes with a capital Y, and my 100% unfiltered before and after photos below serve as undeniable proof.

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

As you can see from the photos above, using the MDO products drastically improved practically every aspect of my skin—instantly and long-term (the ultimate jackpot when it comes to worthwhile skincare investments if you ask me!). Not only did a few stubborn zits and acne scars improve, but my dark circles lessened, my dark spots and pigmentation practically disappeared, and my skin looked and felt brighter, healthier, and more hydrated and even. Honestly, I wasn't expecting the difference to be this major, and I'm still kind of in shock! Whenever I discover anything this good as a product-jaded editor, I just have to share the magic, so keep scrolling to find out which products I used, loved the most, and have become irreplaceable mainstays within my routine. 

My Favorite MDO Skin Products, Ranked

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Shop More MDO Skin Products & Sets

Up next, Even My Thriftiest Friends Splurge on These 38 Beauty Items

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.