This is by far the toughest review I ever need to type out. No, not because the product is bad or whatsoever but my skin is in a state where everything is a-okay for me. That explains the delay in posting up the review by July. I told myself today that no matter what, I got to tell you about Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash.

True story – everytime I step into a Kiehl’s store, I tend to stand in front of Calendula Herbal Toner for a very long time, grabbing the bottle, tilting the bottle upside down numerous times, admiring the floating Marigold flower petals. Did you know that the Marigold flower petals are all hand-picked and placed into each and every bottle by hand? It’s just so pretty. The prettiest and unique toner I’ve ever seen. It is also because of the iconic Calendula Herbal Toner that Kiehl’s came out with Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, a gentle and paraben-free face wash for normal to oily skin type, which makes a great pair to the toner.

Kiehl’s believe that the first step to achieving healthy-looking skin begins with gentle yet effective cleansing that protects the skin barrier. So their chemists developed a formula  that utilize two gentle surfactants to actively remove surface dirt and oil, while ensuring the skin barrier is protected.

For a face wash, this 230ml bottle is really a huge bottle. As I said before in my Cleanser 101 post, a bottle of foaming face wash usually last for quite a long time as you only need a tiny bit of product to lather into foams, sufficient to cleanse the whole face and neck. Typically foaming face wash comes in a creamier formula and texture. Well, not this one. You will be surprised when I tell you that Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash is actually in gel form. I know, I know. I said before that gel usually don’t lather that well comparing to foaming face wash. Now you get the best of both world – a gel foaming face wash that lathers well but doesn’t dry the skin.

The intelligent bottle comes with an On and Off cap. I do like the simplicity and the semi-clear bottle so that I can see how much I’ve used. To be honest, not much. I used it twice a day and yet I still have quite a full bottle. That’s what I like about Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash – cost saving.

Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash is in a clear, runny gel texture. Just look at the runaway gel that I have below . One pump is all I need for the whole face and neck. I like that the pump doesn’t dispense out too much product per pump. The amount is just right.

In real, it does lathers into much more foam than what I had below. I love the scent very much. It’s somehow soothing and calming for me. The face wash is made from carefully selected amino acid-based surfactant to deeply cleanse the skin with it’s gentle and yet rich foam. It also contain vegetable-based surfactant to helps to further boosts the product’s ability to sweep dirt and oil away. This is something that every combination to oily skin type would like for their cleanser. I like to use this cleanser when I feel my face is oilier than usual and I don’t want to further add stress to it with a creamier foaming face wash. Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash does the trick for me. It’s the most ideal face wash for double cleansing so far. It helped to clean my skin thoroughly while keeping my skin hydrated. There is a slight moist and bouncy feel on the skin right after rinsing. However, I don’t see that the cleanser is able to make my skin less oily. It doesn’t do any of that nor have my skin gone less oilier. In fact I find it to be a moist cleanser.

I review this based on my skin type, which is combination oily. Although majority of you find yourself in the same shoe as mine, I do understand that there are a handful of you that are with dry skin. So the question is, can dry skin type use this face wash? The answer is yes you can. Kiehl’s actually utilize Calendula Flower Extract for its soothing properties as well as Glycerin (my fav ingredient) to pull moisture from the air to help keeping the skin hydrated, soothe and nourished. This is not those drying type of cleanser albeit the foaming action.

Here are the ingredient list for Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash:
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/Tetrasodium EDTA, Nepeta Cataria oil, Lemon peel oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Geraniol, Methylisothiazolinone, Citral, Citronellol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid.

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash: A foaming gel cleanser for normal to oily skin type. Perfect for double cleansing as well appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

You know how most girls (and guys) are into editing their photos with all the beautifying effects using photo editing software or apps? Have you ever notice why your friends photo are blurry with soft focus-like effect? The secret is adding soft focus effect by blurring skin imperfection.

Kiehl’s recently came out with a brand new product – Micro-Blur Skin Imperfector and boy I was over the moon with this one. I don’t normally use a new product on my face without doing some research prior. However the product name itself hit me on the right spot and I find myself using the product within the next five minutes of receiving the parcel

I notice that pores is number 1 first world issue for most women, regardless if they have smooth skin or they have orange-like skin. Women just like to complain about their “large” pores. I have annoying friends with porcelain smooth flawless skin who is forever looking for a product to shrink their pores. Read between the line – porcelain smooth flawless skin. Whenever these girls start to complain about their pores (which doesn’t even exist on them), my inner self starts to shrink and I always see myself shrinking to a mouse size, you know…just like the movie Alice In Wonderland? I felt exactly like that. My statement is supported by research done by Kiehl’s whereas the finding proves that pores are a key skin issue for women regardless of age GLOBALLY.

Let’s focus back on girls who really suffer from large pores and imperfections. These skin issue will become more prominent as skin is exposed to daily aggressors throughout the day, resulting in a rough and uneven texture. Thank goodness Kiehl’s chemists notice that so they had a different mindset and created Micro-Blur Skin Perfector. It is an innovative new solution that instantly smoothes skin, providing a ‘soft-focus,’ more uniform appearance while delivering lasting skin-perfecting benefits.

I like that Micro-Blur Skin Perfector is well-packed in a small and compact tube. It’s small enough to carry in a wristlet and it doesn’t take up too much space on the vanity table. Kiehl’s maintain it’s clean and simple design just like every other Kiehl’s product. I especially love product that comes in white. I feel that white packaging for skin care gives me the confidence in terms of quality

Kiehl’s Micro-Blur Skin Perfector is designed to treat immediate and long-term skincare concerns with one product. Clinical studies done by Kiehl’s shows an immediate and visible improvement after application. Now, most product nowadays do claim immediate result after just one application. Some works on me, while some don’t. Remember earlier I was telling you that I was over the moon with this new product? That’s because I was shocked to see how smooth my skin was after applying Micro-Blur Skin Perfector. No joke. This doesn’t come from someone with flawless and poreless skin. It is not a secret that I do have real, visible large pores. If you’ve been reading my blog long enough you would have at least closed the review page down several time after seeing my bare naked face . Kiehl’s also said that the number and size of pores will be significantly reduced after only four weeks BUT since I haven’t been using the product for a full month and the fact that I do slack off every other day, I cannot comment much on this.

Micro-Blur Skin Perfector comes in a light beige cream consistency. It’s brilliant to have it in such color than the usual white. It’s not thick, not oily at all and it smooths out satin velvety, which reminds me of Benefit The POREfessional. Benefit one is more drying but this one is not. After all it is a water-based emulsion

The formula also contain light reflectors to visibly transform skin, creating a smooth, pristine complexion. It is infused with 3-key ingredients such as Lipo Hydroxy Acid (LHA) and Lentil Extract. Such ingredient and formula provides long-term results, helping to refine skin texture, diminish lines, and reduce the appearance of pores when used daily.

• Lipo Hydroxy Acid (LHA): An ingredient known to provide gentle exfoliation; used in this formula to leave skin radiant and smoother.
• Lentil Extract: Helps to strengthen and tighten pores when used in the formula, providing a nearly poreless appearance over time.
• Bark Extract: From the Guyana-native Bootlace Tree (Eperua Falcata), helps to smooth texture of the skin.

One thing I notice that once the product is smooths out, it gets lighter in color and somewhat matches my skin tone. I don’t have to worry that I’ll over-apply. I would say it is a cream that dries down velvety satin matte. Yes, matte! I usually will just use this product alone without any bit of makeup when I’m out for errands as it does give a tinted moisturizer finishing but matte to my skin.

The result on the back of my hand is amazing. To be honest I never expect THIS on my hand. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was going through all the photos yesterday on my notebook. As I said before, Kiehl’s Micro-Blur Skin Perfector gave a cast of velvety satin and matte layer on my skin. But I never expect that the product will also even out my skin tone and slightly brighten up the complexion. The fine lines on the back of my hand? Gone. Well, actually not completely gone . Skin imperfection is diffused and blurs away.

You’d think I’d get away with the review without any Before and After on my face eh?

Sooooo, I know my large pores is really horrible so bear with me lol. As you can see from below photo, the left side (your left) is more severe than the right side. Add all the acne scarring from my teenage years to the large pores and this is how it looks like. To show you what I meant by “soft focus effect”, I applied Micro-Blur Skin Perfector on the left side. I would normally avoid using that side for review because it is impossible to prove any product efficacy with that kind of scarring. Once again I ran into problem while taking the After photos. I couldn’t understand why all photo appears blur. After 15 minutes of trying, then only I realized. It wasn’t because my camera refuse to focus properly. It was focusing properly and every other part of my face appears sharp on the photo. It’s because the product that I applied on the left side of my face creates a blurry finishing to it, which is also referred as soft focus effect.

I’m using this as makeup base nowadays. Micro-Blur Skin Perfector is not necessary to be used by those who have skin imperfection. After all it is a skin care. It can be used as pore refiner, skin mattifier, makeup base, invisible foundation or even as wrinkle filler. It has to be used as the last step of skin care during the day over UV protection and it also can be used after a BB Cream. Surprisingly it can also be used at night. I don’t use this at night though as I’m not sure how I would feel having all my pores closed up like that although it is non-comedogenic and it will not clog pores. I just prefer my pores to breath when I sleep

Now that we’ve come to the end of the review, I can just end it with how much love I have for the product and that you should too try it out. But I’m not done yet. I was on the top of the world when this product worked so well on me and I can see myself running to Kiehl’s store to repurchase this, which I will as I’m already half way down the tube. Then I ran into a problem with the product…

… It produces water inside the tube. I think it was just two days after I started my new job that I notice that the product is very watery when I shake the tube. When I squeeze the content out, lots of water and the cream oozes out together, creating a mess on my hand. It was really odd and I couldn’t put my thoughts on it as it was fine for the first two weeks I had it. At first I am pretty sure the tube I had was a faulty one but after giving it some thoughts for the past one week, I suppose I can conclude on why my tube had so much water in it. Since I’m working means my room is not air-conditioned the whole day and the weather is rather hot beginning this May. All the heat ventilating in the room must have caused the product to produce water, afterall this is a water-based emulsion. I spent the night of last Thursday sitting in front of my vanity table with a few pieces of tissue paper and start squeezing the water out. It took me 4-pieces of tissue paper to soak up all the water. The next morning the tube waters up again so I repeated the process and again the next day and again on every morning. I really do wonder how much water can the product produce LOL.

Does the small water issue affect my love for Micro-Blur Skin Perfector? Not even a bit. It was just a glitch that was caused by the hot condition in my room. The issue was nothing that cannot be solved. The product still perform as good as it was before on me and it works just like what it was designed to be

Here is the full ingredient list.
Dimethicone, Aqua / Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Alcohol Denat., Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Boron Nitride Silica Silylate, Phenoxyethanol, Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Perlite, Magnesium Sulfate, Capryloyl, Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Menthyl Lactate, Lens Esculenta Seed Extract / Lentil Seed Extract, Bisabolol, Parfum / Fragrance, Dextrin, Dimethiconol, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Eperua Falcata Bark Extract, Farnesol, Limonene, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Aluminum Hydroxide. 

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post Kiehl’s Micro-Blur Skin Perfector: Latest breakthrough in skin care technology that gives imperfection skin a soft focus effect appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

The new Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream Intense Hydration is the intense version for one of Kiehl’s best seller, Ultra Facial Cream. This new version is for drier skin types with a revolutionary extra lightweight formula and proven results in just one week. Yes, in just 7 days you will feel the benefit of the cream . This new formulation provides improved 24 hour hydration and leaves skin looking visibly smoother. Instrumental results showed significant improvement in skin hydration and skin barrier protection in 100% of subjects. Clinical results demonstrated significant improvements on visible skin dryness in just 7 days. Ultra Facial Cream Intense Hydration uses a lightweight cream foundation to impart a moisturizing yet weightless feel to the skin.

Here’s one interesting fact about very dry skin condition by Dr. Adam Geyer, Kiehl’s Consulting Dermatologist that is worth reading

“Very dry skin, sometimes called xeroderma or asteatosis, is a common skin condition. It is characterized by a lack of the appropriate amount of water and lipids retained in the superficial layers of the skin.  Skin suffering from dehydration struggles to preserve optimal moisture reserves. What very dry skin needs is not simply any old heavy moisturizer – it needs an effective one that penetrates well and integrates into the stratum corneum to deliver moisture continuously throughout the day and night. Many products on the market are thick and occlusive and, even to those with the driest skin, can feel and look greasy, yet thy hydration they provide is limited and still requires reapplication throughout the day” shares Dr. Adam Geyer, Kiehl’s Consulting Dermatologist.  “What excites me most about this product is that it gives my patients and Kiehl’s customers with dry skin a solution — to moisturize intelligently and elegantly, not just to moisturize more.”

Kiehl’s chemists selected a potent combination of powerful skin hydrating ingredients and infused them into an advanced, feather-weight cream architecture to create Ultra Facial Cream Intense Hydration.

Enriched Hyaluronic Acid is a co-encapsulation of two complementary hydrating molecules. The formula helps to increase water capture in the outermost layer of the epidermis to help “fill in the cracks” where symptoms of dry skin are most visible.

• Hyaluronic Acid: This ingredient can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water and is a highly effective humectant that draws in moisture to keep skin hydrated.
• Biomimetic Hydrator: This biocompatible structure, similar to the structure of the phospholipids found in the human cellular membranes, helps seal in moisture. This hydrating ingredient is also known to be used in the medical world in soft eye lens technology to keep lenses hydrated, even in low humidity conditions.

Refined Apricot Oil, an ingredient highly compatible with skin, is a refined fruit oil that contains Omegas 3, 6, and 9 as well as essential fatty acids.  The formula, with Refined Apricot Oil, helps condition and soften the skin to reduce visible dryness and flakiness.

Beauty News is where information is extracted directly from press release as another form of way to showcase more latest or upcoming new products.

The post Beauty News: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream Intense Hydration, specifically for dry and very dry skin types in a new lightweight formula appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Kiehl’s is a brand that I have not put a foot in before. I did however went for 2012’s Save Our Rare Earth (SORE) event which was a big deal for me as (1) it was my first Kiehl’s event and (2) I support charity whenever I can. I bet you can already imagine the excitement in me when I was contacted once again by Kiehl’s Malaysia for an introduction session of their new anti-aging cream follow by a hi-tea session. What’s coincident is that I was beginning to wonder what’s the SORE activity this year as I remember they will have it on November every year. Are they going for tree planting again? Are they going to roam the muddy village while it rains? I’m excited already! :D. If it is, please please pleasseeee remind me not to bring un-supportive friend along lol!

So back to the magic cream – Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream.

I have stepped into Kiehl’s store numerous times before but this time I managed to take my sweet time with browsing and understanding the huge array of products. Actually the product range and type is still acceptable for me. Maybe because the product display is compact and neat so it gave me a perception of a huge array. Don’t worry, it’s not :D. It’s pretty easy and simple when it comes to Kiehl’s.

Super Multi-Corrective Cream is the new and latest addition to the Kiehl’s family. It was just launched early September and is currently available at all Kiehl’s store.

“A hard-working solution to correct multiple key signs of aging in just 2 weeks and double efficacy within 4 weeks”

You have to agree that aging is just another stage that all of us have to go through in life. How many of you correct aging flaw like coloring grey hair, exercising for a slender, youthful figure, complying to a healthier diet to prevent diseases and applying anti-aging skin care products for younger looking skin? I do. Well maybe not all but anti-aging skin care is a must-have for me and I started on anti-aging regime in my late 20s.

Instead of focusing and targeting just one signs of aging, the chemists at Kiehl’s came out with a solution for a multi-functional approach targeting multiple signs of aging. Super Multi-Corrective Cream comes with cutting edge formula and proprietary tri-active tecnnology that clinically simultaneously lift, firm, visibly redefined skin contours and re-texturize skin within 2 weeks and with double efficacy within 4 weeks.

When we are younger, the skin is younger too. Young skin takes just 6 hours to recover and repair itself when damaged. Aged skin on the other hand takes over 30 hours. This is because when we age, our cells also age together and become less resilient to internal and environmental aggressors. As a result, aging signs such as fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity and skin roughness begins to appear.

“Super Cream” – An Industry Achievement

The process of developing Super Multi-Corrective Cream began 17 months ago where Kiehl’s chemist work on determining which key ingredient would “work hard” when combined into one formula and at the same time visibly correct multiple key signs of aging such as skin contours, firmness, texture, elasticity and wrinkles. The result? Focus on three ingredients that have never been combined in a cream in history ever.

Chemist over the Kiehl’s lab successfully formulated this “Super Cream” by using three anti-aging ingredients that have never before been formulated together in a cream base. Ever. Never ever :D. This achievement is definitely one industry achievement.

Kiehl’s chemist were determined to formulate this multi-tasking innovation in a cream base formula for two reasons:-

• To ensure the delivery system of the three anti-aging ingredient could additionally offer nourishing, anti-aging benefits. A key factor in improvising skin barrier as well as texture.
• To act as a “harder working and multi-tasking” anti-aging solution that are easily fitted into a busy woman’s daily routine. An important for a busy hustle and bustle life in the society nowadays.

Beech Tree Extract

• This extract is known for it’s ability to improve skin firmness and improve plumpness as well as density visibly. It is a xylose based molecule, which is a sugar found abundantly in beech trees. These are known to stimulate production of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).

Jasmonic Acid

• One very mild, active but yet highly effective ingredient which is known for it’s ability to support the removal of epidermal and help to correct wrinkles, fine lines, loss of suppleness and elasticity visibly while gently smoothing and retexturizing skin’s surface.

Fragmented Hyaluronic Acid

• This ingredient is known for it’s reinforcement towards skin’s natural short and long term moisturization. It is also known to improve the skin’s elasticity and at the same time reducing the roughness on the skin and wrinkle appearance.

Based on what I gather, Kiehl’s suggest the combination usage of Powerful Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate Serum topped with Super Multi-Corrective Cream for that anti-aging prevention boost. One “Super Cream” itself is already this powerful, I can’t imagine the effect that this duo will give. Must be SUPER POWERFUL!

Super efficacy, clinically proven results within 2 weeks.

Each powerhouse anti-aging ingredients in Kiehl’s Tri-Active Technology are known for their distinct benefits. While the cream is extremely simple to use – just apply normally after serum, users can now swiftly and easily correct multiple key signs of aging in just 2 weeks and see double effect within 4 weeks of usage! This claim is proven by conducting a 4 weeks of clinical test on 117 women of multi-ethnic who are experiencing multiple signs of aging.

That was one interesting read on Kiehl’s latest Super Multi-Corrective Cream. Just so you might be interested, just recently Kiehl’s organized a ‘Feel The Power’ Lab Coat Design Competition. It is a part of Kiehl’s yearly charity drive initiative – Kiehl’s Gives.

Kiehl’s Gives is a philanthropic platform used by Kiehl’s families around the world to support Children, HIV & Environmental causes. In Malaysia, Kiehl’s champions the environmental causes by supporting Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam (YAWA) through the jointly organized Kiehl’s annual Eco-Camp. Themed ‘FEEL THE POWER’ this year, the camp will educate youth on how to preserve the environment through science.

This year 2013, Kiehl’s adds a new dimension to the campaign with “FEEL THE POWER” Lab Coat Design Competition that was opened to all colleges and universities nationwide. The objective of the campaign is to raise greater awareness through the talent of local students. This is an opportunity for Kiehl’s to empower students to hone their talents, and to utilize their talents for greater cause.

The nationwide submission saw the successful shortlisting of 7 student designs for the finals, sharing their views on environmental preservation through their lab coat designs.

Here are the finalist

So girls, do drop by Kiehl’s stores nationwide to check out this new “Super Cream”. Remember that Kiehl’s campaign is “Try Before You Buy” whereas you will get a 5-minutes consultation by Kiehl’s Customer Representatives (KCRs). After this 5-minutes consultation, KCR will customize your skin needs according to their products and you will get to bring home 5-complimentary samples to try before purchasing the full size. I will blog about this later on as it’s a good sampling initiative by a high end brand. I always said I will only buy after I try at home

The post NEW! Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream Correct Multiple Key Signs of Aging In Just 2 Weeks & 4 Weeks For Double The Effect! appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona