Toronto Uncovered

Kiehl's Samples

I feel like Christopher Columbus. I’ve made an incredible discovery. Albeit  one that’s undoubtedly already been made, I’m going to take all the credit.  The discovery in question? Kiehl’s.

“What is Kiehl’s?” you ask? Why, I’ll tell you: At present Kiehl’s is one of Toronto’s best kept secrets, a supplier of “attainable luxury” personal care products, that has actually been in business for over 150 years. Kiehl’s was initially established as a homeopathic pharmacy, in other words an apothecary, which this reviewer thinks is the coolest history a product line could possibly have. It reminds me of the Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, but this has a happier ending.

Originating in New York, Kiehl’s presently has two locations here in Toronto: uptown and downtown (2518 Yonge Street near Yonge and Eglinton & 407 Queen Street West near Queen and Spadina). Lisa, the congenial Store Manager of their Yonge Street location, tells me Kiehl’s will be expanding.  After sampling some of their products I am not at all surprised.
It would’ve been neat to see the aesthetic evolution of Kiehl’s from pharmacy to retail shop. After visiting the latter(visiting the former would involve a time machine I’m not clever enough to build) my impression wasn’t of retail at all but of a dermatology clinic or high-end unisex spa minus the mani-pedi stations and those little rooms so many of us have been ushered into at one time or another for a little landscaping if you catch my drift.

The staff at the Kiehl’s location I visited are all incredibly good humored and down to earth. Their uniforms and bedside manner are reminiscent of seasoned estheticians. In fact, Shiloh, the Assistant Manager of the Yonge Street location, also teaches a cosmetics class at Humber. Many moons ago, I attended Humber for Fashion Arts and coincidentally took the same class as part of that program albeit with another instructor. It was the only class I actually liked and the required reading, “A Consumer’s Dictionary Of Cosmetic Ingredients” remains on my bookshelf for constant referral. The staff really knows their stuff, I realized, when I received an impromptu skincare consultation. Unexpected, but informative and fun!

Kiehl’s offers incredible products and matches it with my favourite brand of service: pampering. Not only do you get to test the products in-store but  staff will discus with you your skincare “goals” just the same as an esthetician would do and likewise will help you build a start-up a skincare regime. There’s zero reason to feel sheepish about your acne concerns or other such questions because as the staff will tell you: hey, we’ve all been there.

Then there are the samples. Lots of ‘em. Kiehl’s is not stingy with their samples like most retail beauty establishments and as an added frill you get to take them home in a cute, environmentally friendly bag. That’s not to say that Kiehl’s only caters to women, though. On the contrary, they have a ton of dude-friendly products. Actually, all of Kiehl’s products seem to me to have clinical or cleverly nondescript packaging so men who care about their skin don’t have to feel embarrassed about buying some “la di da” looking face wash or shampoo.

Prices are higher than drugstore merch but not as bank breaking as spa hawked products. Consumers too often forget that personal care is an investment and end up wasting money when they opt for those bargain drugstore does-nothing-but-smells-good type of products. I’m not advising you to sell your soul for a clear complexion or great hair, I’m simply reminding you that you get what you pay for. In this case, Kiehl’s seems to have found the appropriate middle ground with fair prices for effective products. I’ve only used their products for about a week now and have seen a big difference in my skin thanks to their “Ultra” line which feels like satin and makes my cheeks feel the same. Their “Stylist Series” for hair deserves an honorable mention as well, as do all of the samples I was given but being that I was given so many I think it’s just best for me to tell you to head on into Kiehl’s yourself and get your own consultation because I’m not sharing my swag.

Want to make those already generous samples last longer? Don’t tear them open. Instead, poke them with a pin. I learned that at Kiehl’s.

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