Toronto Uncovered

Archive for the ‘Gifts’ Category

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.

In recent years, the faux-vintage indie scene appears to have taken our city by storm.  I cite the replacement of many funky Queen Street shops, specifically between Spadina and University, with chain stores like H&M and Urban Outfitters as my evidence. Don’t get me wrong, I like both those stores but I miss the authentic vintage ambiance of “Old Queen”. Yard sales and flea markets are rare in urban cities, which is a shame because in a world where we’ve become so tech and trend obsessed sometimes a little nostalgic taste of the past can be good for the soul.

Fortunately, St. Lawrence Market is our metropolis’s retro oasis and its located right downtown at Front and Jarvis. It’s all too easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of contemporary city life and take for granted many of life’s simple pleasures. Get back down to earth by visiting St. Lawrence as soon as you can and might I specifically suggest you do so on the weekend. After an eventful Friday and Saturday a friend and I spent our lazy Sunday browsing the St. Lawrence indoor and outdoor flea market (Sunday Antique Market).  We came upon many marvels such as antique furniture, funky glassware, rare vinyl, retro albeit fully functional turntables, vintage clothes, watches and jewelry and so much more.


Personally, I was delighted upon the discovery of a box of plush toys that took me right back to my childhood. Finding Care Bears was amazing but I was blown away to stumble upon a My Pet Monster with the cuffs intact. Another great benefit about the flea market is that the vendors are informative without being pushy. They’re also incredibly friendly and funny people to talk to so it’s a great place to go especially if you’re a social butterfly and/or new to the city.

Keep an eye out for celebrity sightings such as Colonel Sanders and Aunt Jemima. Alright, so actually they were just a couple of quirky figurines that we noticed were for sale and as tacky as they were it was still delightfully amusing to discover them amongst the sea of memorabilia.

The flea market will appeal to those of you looking for a bargain or a treasure hunt and, with some vendors selling old stamps and coins, it’s also a collector’s paradise.

I usually refuse to set foot in a mall during the pre-Christmas craziness. I’m not huge on malls to begin with, and I really don’t have the tolerance to withstand the crazy crowds. Since I am also not prepared enough to start my shopping early, I rely on the thousands of online stores, ready to ship my parcels with the click of a button.

There is only one problem with this method: I’m not supporting my local vendors. This year, my mission is to incorporate more vendors from the GTA who also have online stores.  Below are some I have found so far:

Duration of Ownership: 2.5 hours. Chocolate Lover? Check. Human? Check.

Neslo Chocolates: Neslo is owned and operated  by two cousins who hand make every batch of delicious, high quality Belgian chocolate. They experiment with unconventional flavours like Banana Brandy, Salted Caramel and Strawberry Wasabi. These chocolates are melt in your mouth. If you don’t finish the box in the first couple of hours  not only are you not a chocolate lover, you may not be human either.  These are a perfect gift for anyone in your life, just make sure you pick up a box or two for yourself while you’re at it.

You cant get much cooler than having a Star Wars and Computer combo!

Orange Fish: This online-only store caters to the knick-knack lover. Products range from characterized USB keys, to belt buckles, to artisan undies and magnets. I particularly love their cuff links, many of which are made out of  pieces of real items like hockey pucks, working compasses,  footballs and Madison Square Gardens flooring.  Everything on OrangeFish.ca is unique in either creation or design and range in price from as little as 4 or 5 dollars through to around 200. Their items would be great stocking  stuffers or Secret Santa gifts.

Warning: Owners may also experiment with copping a feel

Clothing Brand Experiment (CBE for short): CBE hoodies are a Toronto based company offering some funky and colourful hoodies for men and women. The hooded sweatshirt was the first “experiment” CBE went after.  Their goal was to make a locally produced, hooded sweatshirt with all the features they loved. Looks like they did a pretty decent job and don’t have to charge their clients an arm and a leg. Check out their online store – good gift for anyone hoping to stay warm this winter in style.

Simply splendid and simply de-lic-ious (num num num num num)

Simply Splendid: OK, so this one you cant order online, however, you can just pick up the phone and place your order that way. And since you can still accomplish this from the comfort of your couch, it still counts. Simply splendid owner and baker extraordinaire, Marilyn Mirabelli, specializes in making the most delicious shortbread cookies I have ever tasted. I have tried her vanilla and chilli chocolate which were both good enough to make me go back for seconds, but the real show stopper was her curry flavoured shortbread. I know it sounds kind of weird but its amazing. Her teas and cookies can be purchased separately or as sets. Definitely a good gift for any sweet tooth in your life. She will also come to your house and put on a full British-style Victorian Afternoon Tea.  A great gift idea for moms, grandparents, Brits and any cookie lover in your life.

Where have you been doing your online shopping this year? Any great Toronto vendors to share?