we ♥ Kiehl’s

I’ve enjoyed Kiehl’s skincare for many years now. I picked up a number of their holiday sets as gifts recently and it made me realize what a solid position they occupy in my arsenal; many of the products are in my current routine and I don’t hesitate to recommend them. A brand that uses excellent natural ingredients to create no-fuss, reliable products, Kiehl’s rarely misses for me. They are not the most exciting products in most cases but still, there they are, again and again. There are many other skincare brands I use and enjoy, and it takes a lot to stand out to me beyond one or two products, especially in multiple skincare categories, but Kiehl’s does this easily. Their formulas also avoid parabens, mineral oil, alcohol, and silicones, which I appreciate.

Kiehl's skincare

At the moment I am really enjoying their:

Ultra Facial Toner – a fairly viscous, milky lotion, this is really satisfying to put on dry skin. It has just enough texture to be easy to apply with your hands (without running through your fingers) and is a great step after cleansing and before a treatment or serum. It’s hard to explain, but you know how sometimes you put on a moisturizer and it doesn’t seem to really do anything? This isn’t like that. I also really like their Clearly Corrective toner, and I plan to try the Rare Earth one stat.

Midnight Recovery Eye – A pleasant eye cream that absorbs promptly and invisibly, and feels nourishing. I don’t have dark circle issues, really, and to a certain extent I don’t know how much an eye cream could help me if I did, but I do believe in moisturizing the skin, and it seems logical to use creams formulated for the delicate area around the eye (though it’s hard to know what to believe as far as whether or not their various promises can be trusted – I seem to sort of arbitrarily believe or disbelieve on a case by case basis). The most compelling reason for using an eye cream for me is that it ensures that I moisturize that area carefully and consciously. Also, I like the act of it. I’m not that fussy about eye creams but I do like to use one morning and night, and I really like this one.

Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser – I love this cleanser. Love. It has a light clay/cream texture that provides extremely gentle but distinct exfoliation. Smells earthy in that wonderful way clay does, and leaves my skin feeling like I’ve just done a mini-mask. The tube in the photo is nearly empty and I will be repurchasing. I also really like the Rare Earth Cleansing Masque when I am in a proper mask mood, a thick yet creamy clay that goes on super smooth.

Super Multi-Corrective Cream – This is a new one for me and my current night cream. It has a slightly unfortunate scent of oversteeped herbal tea you don’t want to drink but that doesn’t linger, and I really like the consistency, a somewhat transparent, glossy cream (teetering on the edge of being gel-like) that absorbs into the skin quickly and effortlessly. Actually the texture/behavior reminds me a lot of the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation moisturizer that it is replacing on my vanity, which maybe I liked a tiny bit more? It’s a bit too early to say. Evidently it is firming and “correcting” my wrinkles as well… We’ll see about that, but it is moisturizing nicely, which is the job at hand. I am not remotely loyal to moisturizers.

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details: what’s in my makeup bag?

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I really like finding out what is in people’s bags and makeup bags–it can be so telling, and so instructive–so I’m going to show you the current contents of mine.

I carry my various cosmetic bits in this great Korean pencil case, which is partially obscured by the Visine but which reads ‘things I like to do?’, which things include, ‘listening to pop music?’, ‘shaping up myself?’, ‘fulfill my dreams?’, ‘making a good shape?’.

Compact and thought-provoking.

The things in the bag are not as relevant as the categories of the things: sunscreen, lip balm, lip tint and/or lipstick, eye cream, moisturizer…the items rotate but the categories are consistently represented.

What’s inside:

Maybelline Color Whisper in Cherry on Top – a bright pop of pink, effortless to apply, fairly moisturizing formula. Also doubles as a cheek tint. I think these and the Revlon Balmstains are my favorite of the sheer tints every brand seems to have come out with recently. Actually there would usually be a Revlon Balmstain in my bag…but it has proven that it cannot be trusted (the cap fell off). [I used to carry eyeliners but they have been likewise banished. Anyone making an eyeliner with a screw cap yet?]

Ole Henriksen Vitamin C sunscreen – trying to ingest, apply, and generally incorporate more Vitamin C. I just throw in whatever sunscreen samples I have on hand, but this is a particularly nice one.

e.l.f. Nourishing Cuticle Pen – amazing use of $1. I love this thing. I have several strategically placed throughout my environment.

Visine – for dry eyes or for taking down redness in the face.

nail clippers – these have proven useful in so many non-cosmetic circumstances, I always carry some in my bag.

Kiehl’s Lip Balm – OK, not great, but OK, and can double as an all-purpose ointment when needed.

Clinique Even Better dark spot corrector – what is this even doing in here? I don’t think this is working as well as the other products I have for the purpose, but…I’ll use up the sample.

Caudelie Premier Cru eye cream – really nice! Too expensive to tempt me in the full size, but nice.

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate oil (decanted) – I put this on intensely dry patches of skin as needed, when moisturizer won’t cut it.

Kiss My Face ginger & mango lip balm, Nivea Olive Oil & Lemon lip balm – love them, as I’ve mentioned. Maybe it seems like there are a lot of lip balms here…that is true. I cannot argue with that.

MAC lipstick in Hug Me – a lovely pink nude that is my most worn MAC lipstick.

Oh, usually there is a hair tie and a hair pin in there as well.

Not much, right? You are wondering maybe where is the mascara, where the concealer? Where is all the makeup?

I make temporary additions if some event calls for them but really there is nothing that needs solving in the mid-day life of my face that cannot be solved with these items.