Results of My Kiehls Skin Care Kit

 Kiehls, Oily Skin, Oily Skin woes, product review, results, skin care, skin care kit  2 Responses »
Nov 012011
 

A couple of months ago I did a post on my new skin care kit by Kiehls that’s for Oily Skin.  Here are my thoughts about how it worked for me.

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit
I was able to notice that my skin wasn’t as oily as it would be if I didn’t use anything to help control the oil.   Did it stop me from being oily? Of course not.  It certainly worked better than most products I’ve used in the past.  I also feel it had extra help because I used my Clarisonic with it.  The Clarisonic makes everything work better for me.  
I really liked the toner because it didn’t burn but it still felt effective.  This was my favorite out of the three products.  The cleanser was okay.  Still not as good as my Coastal Scents African Black Soap, but pretty good.  I liked that it was a liquid but it would be even better if it was in a pump.  I was quite pleased that after using the cleanser, my skin didn’t feel tight and uncomfortable but still clean.  It didn’t seem to  remove make up though, so unfortunately I still had to use either my Ponds wipes or my Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser first.   The lotion was my least favorite product.  It’s not terrible and I wouldn’t say it’s not a good product, I just didn’t care of the texture.  It was a bit thicker than what I’m used to.  I also didn’t like that it didn’t have any SPF so this means I have to add yet another product to my skin care routine or use foundation with an spf. *sigh* I prefer moisturizers that are a gel-like texture not a lotion.  Due to the thickness, I only used a very small amount.  
I also didn’t like the fact that the 3 products weren’t equal in size.  The lotion was significantly larger than the cleanser, and the much smaller toner.  This means that I have a whole lot of lotion left, no toner left, and if I squeeze the tube and roll it I can get a couple of drops of the cleanser. 
With all of this being said, I guess I should answer two more questions.  
1.)  Would I buy this kit again?  No.  But I would get the toner.
2.) Would I recommend this kit? Sure.  It’s worth a try.  Most people aren’t as oily as me so for people who have normal to oily combination skin or dry and oily combination skin, this may be perfect for you.  
So in conclusion, overall it wasn’t a bad kit but I’m going back to my old faithful Coastal Scents African Black Soap.  I’ve been using a Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner in the meantime.  It’s okay but I wouldn’t buy it again.  I don’t NEED moisturizer but because I didn’t like the texture of the Kiehls lotion in this kit, I stopped using it and went back to using the Dr. Denese Daily Mattifying Cream with SPF 30.  It’s the best I’ve ever used.  

Kiehls New Oily Skin Care System

 expensive products, Kiehls, lip balms, masks, Oily Skin, Oily Skin woes, skin care  3 Responses »
Aug 232011
 

I’m always on the hunt for cosmetics that will help reduce my oiliness.  I went to Kiehls with my mom for my birthday, 6/26/11, to see if they had any new products to offer me.  The last time I went to the Kiehls store, I remembered seeing products for Acne, but not for just regular oily skin (This is a common problem I run into. I don’t know why companies don’t realize that just because you’re oily doesn’t equate acne).  I ended up buying a masque and lip balm.  Well this time, it just so happened that Kielhs had just launched a new line of skin care for oily skin. They had starter kits available for $24.50! This is amazing because Kiehls tends to be on the more expensive side.  Of course I was a bit weary because I’ve heard for years that this product will really help keep you matte, or that product will control the sebaceous gland, blah, blah, blah.  The guy working there was very thorough in explaining how the products worked and said they guaranteed results so if I tried it and wasn’t satisfied, I could bring it back. So I figured, cool!  I absolutely love my masque and my lip balm so there was a strong possibility that I’d like this new skin care system as well.

Below is info about my new skin care system.  It’s taken from the Kiehls website.  I’m guessing this kit has gotten pretty popular because the site is currently out of stock.  They do have the regular sizes though.  Kiehls is currently allowing free shipping with purchases over $35 and free samples with purchases over $50.  If you’re interested in purchasing this system, you may want to go ahead and get the regular sizes since they’re offering the special promos. :-)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit

3 Steps to No-Shine Moisture. Step up to 24hour No-Shine with Kiehl’s portable Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit that includes 3 steps to healthier skin.


Step 1: Cleanse with Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser – Compliments of Kiehl’s! Our quick-lathering cleansing foam removes oil and impurities resulting in a shine-free finish.
Step 2: Tone with Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner – Compliments of Kiehl’s! pH-balanced toner visibly reduces excess oil and maintains proper moisture levels.
Step 3: Moisturize with Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion – This 24-hour lightweight hydrating lotion rebalances oily skin and seals in moisture.

So it’s designed in a 3 step system, similar to Clinique.  There’s a Cleanser, a Toner, and a Moisturizer.
While listening to the guy explain the products in detail, I got a bit worried because he stated it works to hydrate the skin and hold it’s moisture throughout the day.  That kind of talk is usually geared towards people with drier skin.  He reassured me though that with this updated technology, it holds in moisture to help balance the skin without being greasy. Balance is what I want and what I hope to achieve…some day.

It’s taken me a while to review this because I still had some M.A.C. Lightful products I wanted to finish first.  I used this for the first time yesterday morning.  I think this kit is a month’s supply. At the end of Sept. I will give my full review.  I wanted to at least let you know that I was trying something new.  I will say that so far I’m highly impressed!!!  I was not a greasy monster yesterday and that was just from one use. Woo Hoo! Could it be that I’ve FINALLY found the perfect skin care system? Oh God please let it be.  The only major con is that the moisturizer doesn’t have SPF so I have to use a separate one or wear a foundation with it. That means an added step to the morning routine. :-(

I mentioned that I really loved the masque that I purchased from Kiehls.  Here it is below. This was taken from the Kiehls website.
Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque

Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque

Our Rare Earth masque helps purify and detoxify skin while minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores. Formulated with Amazonian White Clay to gently draw out oil, dirt and toxins that can clog pores. The addition of Oatmeal and Aloe Vera will help soothe, hydrate and protect sensitive skin.

It retails for $23 for 5 oz.  Kiehls has an entire Rare Earth line.  I only opted for the masque  I use it about 2x/wk.

I tend to prefer masques over scrubs because they tend to be more gentle and can still be used when you have break-outs.  Scrubs are not good to use if you have pimples because the beads will just spread the bacteria to the rest of your face.  You’d want to use a non-manual exfoliator such as a masque instead. #Royalbeautytip :-)

This is the lip balm that I purchased along with the masque.  Below that is the lip balm I purchased with my new skin care starter kit.
Lip Balm #1

Lip Balm #1

A Kiehl’s classic and #1 bestseller, soothing lips since 1969.

•Temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked lips.
•Helps protect lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather.
•Formulated with soothing emollients Squalane, Lanolin and Sweet Almond Oil as well as Vitamins A and E.

It retails for $7. It would be the best I’ve ever used if…it had a better applicator.  It has a flat screw top that’s uncomfortable and messy to apply from the tube.  I started using it with a lip brush, but I’d prefer to just be able to squeeze it out and apply it directly to my lips.  As a result, I wanted to try another one so I purchased this one below.
Lip Balm SPF 15

Lip Balm SPF 15

Temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked lips. Helps protect lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. SPF15 sunscreen provides UVA and UVB protection.

It retails for $9.50 and has the nice slanted applicator. I haven’t used this yet because I wanted to finish some other lip balms that I have.  On a good note, both of these are fragrance free.  They do have other lip balms that are tinted and have flavors and scents to them.  I don’t like those.

Another great thing I found out after talking to the guy in the store (wish I would’ve gotten his name, he was really good) was that they have a recycling program.  After 3 empties, you get a free lip balm.  That’s better than M.A.C.!  I think after six, you get a discount on a purchase, I just don’t remember what it was.

Have any of you used Kiehl’s products before?  What are your thoughts?

*The images and descriptions were taken from Kiehl’s website*