ProductWhores

Creme de la Creme

This wonderfully rich creme is perfect for people who have dry or sensitive skin.  There's a very faint scent to the lotion and a little goes a long way so the little bottle will actually last you a while. Great for use all over the body, I find that it's most effective if you use it right after you shower while your skin is still damp.    It does tend to leave a greasy residue right afterwards, and doesn't soak in quickly, so you'll have to be patient while allowing it to dry.  I recommend using it on your hands at work and then explaining to your boss why you can't type up those reports she wanted at that particular moment.   It also is a killer massage oil.  I would not recommend massaging at work, though, unless you have a ridiculously hot co-worker that's up for it.  Then, have at it.  I fully support you.

Kiehl's Not So Nurturing Body Washing Cream

I am a fan of Kiehl's because they give me free stuff - lots of free stuff and usually their products are great.  However, their Creme de Corps Nurturing Body Washing Cream left me lather-less, oddly greasy and downright sad.  If you're a fan of the Creme de Corps Body Cream you will be sorely disappointed by its sister body wash.  First off, there is absolutely no scent which may appeal to those with sensitive skin, but to me it left me thinking "well, what's the point, really?"  While it's very thick and squirts nicely onto a loofah (odd visual there) it doesn't lather at all.  They even put the phrase "lathers instantly" on the package (please tell me who tested that because clearly they don't understand what lather means*).  My skin was left with a strange film on it and doesn't feel any softer than it did before I covered it in this expensive wash.  Be smart and request a sample of this before you go shelling out the bucks for the big bottle.  Oh, and someone buy the testers at Kiehl's a dictionary.  *Lather "foam or froth made by a detergent, esp. soap, when stirred or rubbed in water, as by a brush used in shaving or by hands in washing." -dictionary.com   

Buy Me A Rose

Even though I'm completely loyal to my Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion, every once in awhile I use a new toner. But I'm still not adventurous enough to completely leave the Kiehl's family, which is why my other option is their Rosewater Facial Freshener-Toner. It's a little less harsh than the Blue Astringent, so sometimes I use it in the morning when I've convinced myself that my skin can't possibly be dirty since it's done nothing but sleep. (Of course, this being Los Angeles, I probably have a layer of smog on it at all times, but I'm just going to pretend that's not the case because it's too depressing). The Rosewater Facial Freshener comes in the cutest bottle with rose petals at the bottom. It just looks way prettier sitting on my shelf than most other toners, so along with getting off the smog, it makes my bathroom cuter. You've gotta love that. Also, Kiehl's doesn't test on animals, so if you buy this you can continue to look your dog in the eye. Plus, need I mention the free samples Kiehl's doles out like candy? Ah... free samples. The two best words in the beauty universe. Well, except for free products...

Just Add Milk

The other day I realized that I have a ridiculous amount of face scrubs. I mean, how many exfoliating products can one forehead handle? But asking me to choose between them would be like asking me to choose between my Joe's jeans and my Seven jeans. Or maybe my True Religion's. Possibly my Citizen of Humanity's. See? I can't even do it in writing, much less in reality. But lucky for me, face scrubs cost less than denim, so I can continue to keep adding to my product collection (relatively) guilt free. My latest acquisition is Kiehl's Milk, Honey and Almond Scrub. It's definitely more of what I consider a "special" product - one that I only use every two weeks or so, but that's only because it works so well, that's all that's necessary. It's much thicker than most of the scrubs I've bought before - it's almost solid, so when you scoop it out, you only need to use a tiny bit to get the job done. And it smells exactly like it sounds, like something you should be putting in the oven instead of on your face. I'm such a sucker for products that smell like food. Seriously, Sephora could probably sell me cheeseburger lotion if they just put it in a cute bottle and marketed it right. I also like that the almonds in this scrub are finely ground, so it does its job without making my face all scratchy. Plus, my face always feels really smooth and soft after I use it and I love products that do that. And there's nothing better than visiting a Kiehl's store because of all the free samples. I love, love, love free samples. You can try out something expensive that you don't want to invest in just yet, or go for the always awesome Blue Astringent in portable, vacation friendly little packages. So you're gonna go out and buy it, right? Okay, good. Now, let's get back to talking about that cheeseburger lotion idea...

The best kind of blue

You know how they say when you’re working out, you need to “feel the burn” to know that you’re getting results? Yeah, I don’t like that when I’m at the gym and I don’t like it in my toner either.

My pet peeve is when I’m using a toner is when it cleans so well that it feels like it’s stripping ALL the moisture out of my skin. Seriously, multi-million dollar companies, we don’t need to FEEL our skin peeling off to know that it’s working. We believe you. We really do.

Kiehl’s blue astringent herbal lotion strikes the perfect balance. It tingles just enough for you to feel like it’s getting all the dirt out, but not enough to make your eyes water like you’ve just missed the semi-annual shoe sale at Nordstrom’s. I have normal to oily skin and over the years, it’s been my go-to toner. I’ve tried dozens of others and not one of them has treated my skin as well. Plus, it’s one of the rare products that actually gets all your makeup off with one cotton square, so unless you’re Tammy Faye Baker, it’s an economical solution, too.

As a bonus, every Kiehl’s store I’ve ever shopped in has had amazing, helpful salespeople, who really want to see you get the products that work best for you. They understand the value of customer service – and we all know how rare that is. Plus, they LOVE to hand out samples to every customer. And not just one, I’m talking enough samples to see you through a spur of the moment trip to Paris with the fantastic boyfriend that you’re going to get with your glowing skin.

Their flagship store is in NYC, but they’ve expanded substantially in recent years, so check out their website to find a store near you.