Kiehl's In Pune!

Yay! Kiehl's is finally in my city! This 162-year-old skincare brand from New York started off as an old-world apothecary and has now graduated into a full-line skincare company that has products for the face, hair, body, men, babies and even dogs and horses! With a cutout of lady liberty to greet you, bare brick walls covered in neon lights and a jolly lab coat clad skeleton called Mr. Bones, when you walk up to Kiehl’s new store Pune's Phoenix MarketCity mall, your first impression won’t be that of a serious skincare store. However, you'll be surprised once you see their product line. 

I was always aware of Kiehl’s as I had read rave reviews of a bunch of their products and even visited their store in Delhi a few years ago, but all I had ever used was their acclaimed lip balm. But now, after I visited the store in Pune on their opening day, I was glad to know more about the brand and was pleasantly surprised by their product range and history thanks to their friendly and knowledgeable staff.

How it works is that they give everyone who walks into their stores a complimentary skincare consultation and free samples that are appropriate for their skin for them to try out the products before they buy them as they believe in advocating their brand through true customer testimonials and by sheer word-of-mouth. This always works for them thanks to their scientific and efficacious formulations that have always delivered fantastic results. The Kiehl’s Commitment is healthier, clearer, younger-looking skin and they definitely live up to their motto.

You won’t find any sleekly packaged products on the shelves but simple containers that hark back to Kiehl’s pharmacological heritage. In fact, many of this brand’s most popular products like the Calendula Toner or Creme de Corps are all formulations that haven’t changed since they were created.

Kiehl’s is a very democratic brand and their positioning is 'accessible luxury'. When you walk into the store, you'll end up meeting conversational and friendly staff. The neon sign above lady liberty says 'Life, Liberty and Samples’ and they ply you with them. It’s a practice that began in the original East Village pharmacy and continues till date. Even if you come into the store and don’t buy anything they will always send you away with samples.

Kiehl’s has never advertised and does not believe in fancy packaging – the bottles have a simple design and are made of recycled materials. Kiehl’s also has an impressive Recycle and Reward system, the first of which I've seen in India, where the customer gets complimentary products when he/she brings back a certain number of empty bottles back for recycling.

Their product ranges include body care, hair care, skin care, dermatologist solutions and specific collections for men and children. If you’re new to the brand and not sure where to begin, there’s a helpful Customer Favorites stand near the entrance featuring Kiehl’s best-selling products specific to each region. This includes Vogue India Beauty Awards 2012 winner for Best Serum - Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate.

As I entered, I was greeted with a big smile and was told all about the brand and given a consultation about my skin type as I discussed my issues ( not too many thankfully, I guess my binge eating compensates for my party girl lifestyle ) and was given a bunch of samples to try to see their results on my skin before I make a purchase. Amazing concept, right? Am totally coveting their midnight recovery concentrate! 

That's me with Mr. Bones both above and below since I can't judge which photo I look better in. Might as well share both haha!

I was also lucky to meet two fellow bloggers at the event and we had a great time gossiping and chatting. Can't wait to catch up with them again! 

  

They had an assortment of cute lil delicious cupcakes in a bunch of flavors. And as you know, fashion blogger + cupcake = #PerfectCombination. And in case of me, I'm a huge cupcake hoarder (I hoard them in my tummy and thanks to this habit, my tummy is on a mission to convert itself to a muffin top) so this was perfect! 

I was elated to receive a goody bag from them with a bunch of samples and an adorable jar with a fruit and some herbal teas as they believe in healthy living from both the inside and the outside! I totally agree with that! Check it out below.

Having tested a lot of the products in the store according to my skin type, I was more than happy to receive testers of the same in my goody bag so that I could try them out and decide whether to purchase them or not. I think this is a fantastic concept by a brand where you let your products speak for themselves instead of a trial and error method. 

I've already started using some of the products and already have a couple of them on my wish list. Oh, and I must mention that for those of you looking out for a nice gift for the men in your life (dads, brothers, boyfriends, besties), Kiehl's also has an impressive range of men's products. I've always felt that finding gifts for men is rather difficult so decided to share this fact with you girls as they are always in need of shaving products and secretly love a nice face wash :) 

So if you're looking for fantastic skincare that delivers great results, make sure to visit Kiehls. They have stores over the world so you can check out their official website here to find your nearest store. 

Do you use any of Kiehl's products? If yes, let me know what your favorite is, in your comments below.