The Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector blurs imperfections while treating them.

I have some soft spot for Kiehl's products. They have fairly good stuff ranging from facial to haircare and baby products, and the first time they came to Malaysia, I thought they scored top marks in the service of their beauty consultants. I used many of their products before to treat acne and congestion while I super love their shampoos as they work at a fraction of the price compared to those luxury salon brands. So, when the folks at Kiehl's asked me if I was interested to test out their new Micro-Blur Skin Perfector, it was an offer I couldn't resist.

As stated clearly on its packaging, it is supposed to blur out imperfections so that skin looks perfect. At least, that was how I expected it based on its name :)

With Lipo Hydroxy Acid, Bark and Lentil Extracts, the product claims to smooth skin while reducing the appearance of pores over time.

According to Kiehl's, the common global issue of women everywhere is pores. And that, caught my attention because I do have enlarged pores on my cheeks and at times, the pores on my forehead becomes visible like nobody's business.

Regardless of age, a lot of women are unhappy about the appearance of open pores and most likely, these women are either in the mature age or that they have oily skin. In most cases, it's both. 

"Pores and imperfections become more prominent as skin is exposed to daily aggressors throughout the day, resulting in a rough and uneven texture. With these customer needs in mind, Kiehl’s chemists created an innovative new solution that instantly smoothes skin, providing a ‘soft-focus,’ more uniform appearance while delivering lasting skin-perfecting benefits," said the brand in a statement.

Frankly, I've tried many products aimed at blurring imperfections and they are usually meant to be used as a primer, before putting on concealer/foundation. I've not come across one that also acts as skincare. I was intrigued at the claim that with consistent use, the product will improve skin texture and quality, over time. 

I must say I love the packaging. Kiehl's packaging is always minimalistic but with the feel of quality. The Micro-Blur Skin Perfector comes in 30ml plastic squeezable tube which is so cute and small. I especially like the snap on cap which is very convenient to use as the tube is so small, you can just flip it open with your thumb while you squeeze out the product and snap it close. Hence, retaining its freshness and minimising the risk of oxidation as you can snap the product close immediately.

As you can see, the product comes out jelly like with a slight tint. Not to worry though as the tint seem to disappear the moment you apply the product. Notice my wrinkly slightly-aging skin.

And this is a photo without filter. Notice how the lines on the part of my hand which I've applied the product, are totally blurred almost to a perfectly smooth texture? I say, this product is awesome.

Of course, with any products that claim to "blur" out lines or pores, one must wonder if it contains heavy traces of silicone. And lo and behold... the product does. It is packed with all sorts of silicones and Dimethicone appears as the number 1, top of the chart, ingredient. Sigh. I was wary of it but for the love of curiosity of all things beauty and in the name of Kiehl's, I relented. I must try it because this product is applied as the last step of your skincare regime.

As I was cautious of the silicone contents, I first used it only under makeup. Right after application, the skin feels so fresh and cool. The product actually contain some kind of cooling properties and the skin feels revived almost instantly. I quite like that cool feeling.

The product is meant to be applied last which means that if you're using sunblock or BB cream, it is supposed to be applied after those layers. It is formulated to be used during the day but it can also be used at night. For me, since it contains silicones, I preferred not to pack pore-clogging factors before bed so that I can wake up with a fresh looking skin. But, I did try it out for 3 nights because pore-clogging ingredients would usually show me negative reactions within 3 days. I guess I had high hopes for the LHA (Lipo Hydroxy Acid) content that's supposed to give skin gentle exfoliation. Well, let's just say, silicone is not really my best friend.

Their clinical tests show very good results to the consumers, where more than 85% saw improvements in their skin tone, texture and less oiliness. I wouldn't really discount those results because I know a lot of women who can tolerate silicone products. For me, my skin is just selective - I can tolerate silicone in SPF, primers and foundations as they act as a barrier of protection for my skin on top of the many layers of toner, serum and moisturiser. 

The product is light-weight and water-based so you hardly feel anything. In fact, though it contains heavy traces of silicone, I didn't feel like the skin was suffocating. The skin truly appreciate that cool feeling it provides and that feeling lasts quite a bit. I haven't really seen improvements in the appearance of pores (I've been using it for the recommended 4 weeks) but I did notice some improvements in my skin texture. However, I am also using some awesome products currently and this product may have helped contribute to the improvements when combined. I also did notice that immediate "blurring" effect upon application and didn't make my skin dry after removing it at the end of the day.

The Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector retails at RM110 for the 30ml tube. 

Were you aware of this new product from Kiehl's? 

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free range to help treat oiliness effectively

I guess many of you have already heard of the recent findings on oily skin which said that the best way to treat it is to hydrate the skin.

I used to have super oily skin that shines forever. I've had my fair share of over-scrubbing and cleansing that left my skin dehydrated with large open pores. As much as we'd want to eliminate excess surface oil, we'd want to keep the skin hydrated so that the oil glands do not produce more oil when it senses that the surface of the skin feels dry.

Kiehl's, through its Ultra Facial Oil-Free range claims to be able to give you good-looking skin and help with any oily skin problems. Its lightweight formula helps to balance and freshen skin, controls shine and reduces oil on the skin surface the right way.

Eye Care Galore! - From Kiehl's to L'oreal to Decleor to Melvita to Clinique to Dior and Kiehl's again.

Now how many of you have fallen for empty promises of expensive eye products? And how many of you have been searching for the right eye cream but fall short of hope as you've spent so much on one product and you have to finish it because you have spent so much for it?

I, for one, has always been searching for the right eye product. I found the best one in Estee Lauder's Uncircle and Unline but they both got discontinued probably more than a decade ago. They both actually work! From then on, my experience with eye creams have always failed me. A lot of them probably moisturise/hydrate the area but does not treat. Hence, you only get to feel moist but doesn't do their job to eliminate fine lines or reduce dark circles, whichever they are supposed to do. So, this is a post on those products I still own and I will let you know which one feels like I have finally (after years of searching) hit the jackpot!

 

L-R: Kiehl's Line-Reducing Eye-Brightening Concentrate; L'oreal White Perfect; Dior Hydra Life Youth Essential Hydrating Eye Cream; Decleor Hydra Floral; Melvita Eye Contour Gel; Clinique All About Eyes and Kiehl's Abyssine Eye Cream.

I shall arrange them from my least favourite to my ultimate favourite. Therefore, if you want to know which one I think is good and you don't have much time to read this entire post, just scroll down towards the end of the page ;)

Kiehl's BABY

About a month ago, my 2-year old Jada developed some skin reaction. We weren't sure what caused it because for one, we have not changed her diet and secondly, we didn't change the washing detergent that we've always used for her clothes. But her body remained reddish, spotty and she would stand against the door or the edge of our sofa so that she could scratch her back, just like how a bear would scratch their back against a tree - cute, right? However, as a mom, I just couldn't stand to see her that way.

From my numerous visits to Kiehl's before, I would always make sure to bring home samples of their baby products. When we tried on the body shampoo and lotion sample, we were surprised to find how silky smooth her skin looked and felt. Therefore, I have always told myself that if I get a little 'gatal' one day to splurge on body products for her, I would definitely go for those Kiehl's baby products. And the timing couldn't have been so apt.

But, you know how it is... just when you have this urge to splurge, the products weren't available. The body lotion is out at the BSC and Isetan KLCC outlets. Apparently, it has been sold out everywhere for about a month.

Lucky me, at a rare visit to 1 Utama after a birthday celebration with my eldest and treasured friends, I passed by the Kiehl's outlet and thought I should just ask if they do have the products. Walah... they still have some stocks left :D

I kid you not... these liquid work like a gem, especially if you have babies with extremely delicate skin.

And the best part was, I got a 15% discount for the items as they had a one-day-only Mothers' Day promotion only at the 1 Utama outlet that weekend. How cool is that?

FYI, they also have other gift sets for babies but I didn't think I should spend 70bucks on the diaper cream because the RM20++ Bepanthen works wonders already. So, these would do for now.

Have you tried any of the Kiehl's Baby products before or bought for friends? Do you like it?

Kiehl's - A Favourite Beauty Destination.

Apart from my usual favourite online shopping 'destinations' for beauty products, my other favourite destination for beauty stash would definitely be Kiehl's.

I love my visits to Kiehl's, especially the ones at Isetan KLCC and the independent store in BSC. Do not go to 1Utama if you're a first time with Kiehl's because the SA's can be very blur, don't really know their products well or they do not converse that well in English. I've gone there twice and it was quite frustrating.

I think my first discovery with Kiehl's was when I visited the one in Isetan KLCC. I only bought one item but came home with about 4 different types of products in 5ml sachets. And they lasted long enough for me to discover how well the products work on my skin/hair. From then on, I've always dropped by to purchase good stuff from them and come home with even more samples :)

As I've hardly gone to KLCC, my recent stash would come from BSC. Their SA's there are really helpful and very friendly. They're quite experienced and knowledgeable as well because they seem to be able to point out the problems I have and the right solutions for me.

Sometimes I would go there without buying but only because I would bring another friend for them to discover Kiehl's products and services. I think I haven't gone there that constant enough but the SA's have probably recognised me due to some of the difficult questions I'd pose to them for my problematic skin.

Not all their products work well with me but they have always been very helpful in letting me try samples to see if they work. My last visit to the outlet was a pleasant surprise to me as they let me have 50ml samples of body lotion and face moisturiser because I couldn't make it to their last Christmas party.

I seriously like Kiehl's approach to getting customers - their generosity in giving out samples. I mean, when you go there to buy something, they would ask you if you would like to try any of their products. Although this approach may be open for abuse by those people who take advantage of getting freebies without buying, I on the other hand, wouldn't mind purchasing the items after trying them out because they work. I am always on the lookout for stuff that works and I find that their price range is also quite reasonable compared to many others in the market. Best of all, the samples that supplement the items you buy will help you a great deal when you travel.

I think their best move was when they handed out to me samples of their Tea Tree Oil shampoo which I swear by it til now. Oh, and also their clay mask. I've replenished them both more than once already - they last long and they work really well for me.

But what I love most must be the small stick in the picture above... it's a Baby Lip Balm - totally delicate enough and safe for babies - my lips have always been dry since young - it's in my genes. So with that, my precious princess has also been plagued by very dry lips... so much so that my husband and I have caught her peeling her lips before she sleeps. It can be frustrating seeing her lip bleed from her natural habit (I say it 'natural' because I do that too hehe...) and for a 2-year old, it is hard to stop that habit.

With the Kiehl's Baby Lip Balm, she not only enjoys wearing it because she always asks for her 'lipstick' - she will pucker up when I put it on her and put her lips together the way I always do whenever I put on my lippie ;P - but with consistent wear, her lips have healed tremendously too.

Have you discovered any products from Kiehl's that you like?

Kiehl's Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

Apologies for not updating sooner. There have been just way too many stuff going on that I have been a little slacking in the updating department.

Anyways, a good buy, this is something that totally caught me by surprise. One, because it has never been a famous brand for hair care and two, the samples I got before my actual purchase was actually more inferior than the actual product. However, the results from using the sample was quite good and I am so glad that I actually made that purchase albeit it being a little bit steep.

Yes, this is a fabulous product. Well, at least to me, that is…

It started when I was simply checking out Kiehl’s counter in Isetan KLCC since I’ve been reading many positive reviews on not just their products but their commendable value-added service where they give away samples pretty freely for you to try. So, for just buying a reasonably priced highly-praised (in the blogworld) whitening scrub, I received a few skincare samples and the SA even threw in 2 sachets of shampoo and conditioner (each!) that I could use 4 times. Impressive, right?

I guess when a beauty brand is confident enough to provide 5ml samples FOC without any conditions, they are pretty sure that you’ll come back. And what a wonderful marketing tactic because it worked for me.

The SA, Joe, pointed out how oily my scalp looked and recommended me the Tea Tree Oil Shampoo from Kiehl’s. And, to counteract against the dry ends of my highly sensitised colour treated hair, he suggested for me to try the Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing conditioner.

The shampoo didn’t lather much from the sachet I got but it did leave my hair squeaky clean. It was so good that my hair didn't go limp by the end of the next day the way it usually would and I could even cheat and wash my hair on the 3rd day at times. I didn’t quite like the scent of the olive conditioner but since it worked so well together with the tea tree oil shampoo, I thought it was time to replace my depleting stock of Kerastase Chroma Protect series.

Yes, I was given a good shock when I wanted to make the purchase because it cost RM75 for a 250ml bottle while the conditioner cost RM70. I wasn’t that concerned about the conditioner as I could always stretch its usage but for a shampoo that didn’t lather much, I was afraid I would use it up too quickly. But... since I already had that intention to buy, I quickly grabbed them and later realised that it was a timely purchase and a very smart move too. Always trust what your heart tells ya ☺

The shampoo actually lathered well and was even better than the sample. And my usually limpy dull hair looked almost like a lion’s mane (a tamed lion's mane hehe...) after each wash. I love it! The best part is, on my recent visit to my hairstylist for a colour touch-up, I was damned surprised to not only see my hair shining pretty healthily under the bright salon lighting (which would always make my hair look super frizzy apart from it being oily-limpy) but my hairstylist was even more surprised to see my pretty healthy hair condition albeit moi not visiting her for those necessary moisturising treatments since the last 6 months. Good, eh?

a tamed lion's mane that falls freely, looks and feels healthy, light yet full of body :)

That purchase was made in December 2009 and I still have probably 4-5 more washes. Pretty lasting, don’t you think? And the fact that I've saved a lot from the regular hair treatment visits to the salon, I say this calls for a repeat purchase. So, for that, and moi not revealing to my hairstylist that I’ve betrayed a salon brand hair products, I went and bought a much larger stock, which cost RM115 for a 500ml bottle.

this would probably last me another year :)