Kiehl’s were kind enough to invite me along recently to have a look around their Edinburgh store and find out a little more about the brand.

I've used Kiehl’s in the past, but mostly when I've been gifted some bits and bobs and Christmas and I've visited the concession in Glasgow's House of Fraser however although familiar with the brand I was really looking forward to finding out more.

 
The store itself is the largest in Europe and was opened in July 2012, bringing a little slice of New York to the chilly Edinburgh Streets.
All of  Kiehl’s staff are highly trained skincare experts and I met up with Lesley who talked me through the brand, conducted a skin test and showed me the types of products suited to my own skin type.

Kiehl’s was founded in 1851 by John Kiehl and was an old world apothecary and community pharmacy. The first store was in a place called "Pear Tree Corner" in New York's East village. It has since developed into a luxury cosmetics and skincare brand with stores in countries around the world.


In 1921 the company was taken over by Kiehl’s apprentice Irving Morse, the store was then taken over by Aaron Morse, Irving's son who transformed Kiehl’s into what we have today, Jami Morse Heidegger Aaron's daughter took over the store when her father passed away however his presence is still very much felt in the stores as they are full of photographs and even some of his prized Harley Davidson motorcycles. (this was to keep the men interested while their partners browsed the products)

Kiehl’s offers a huge range of products, which all use as many natural ingredients as possible, including, skin and haircare, cosmetics and male oriented products.
When I arrived at the store I was offered a consultation and a skin test to check my skin type and to make sure I was using the correct products for my type.
To do this, (don't worry you don't have to take off your makeup) two tests were done, the first involved applying two testing strips to my forehead and cheek in order to find out how dry/oily my skin was in both areas. Although my skin was fairly normal it turns out that I did suffer from slightly oily patches.

The second test is something you can do at home, this is to check the skin's hydration levels, basically you push your cheeks gently upwards and if you notice any small lines appearing it is a sign that you need to give your skin (and body) a drink. This test showed that I was fairly dehydrated and both of these tests allowed Lesley to select some products which could help with this.


I was shown products which would suit my skin, and Lesley advised me on the best way to use each of them to make them work for me. I'll go into the products in detail in a separate post however some of Kiehl’s bestsellers and products which I enjoyed using include the Midnight Recovery, Creme de Corps and Ultra Hydrating Facial Cream.


An interesting fact about Kiehl’s is they do not use regular advertising methods, instead they offer very generous samples of products and rely on word of mouth. They have become incredibly successful over the years so this certainly says something about the products.
Kiehl’s are also famed for their philanthropic activities including their work with AIDS research and prevention, children's and environmental charities.
Due to the huge demand for their product Kiehl's became part of the L'Oreal group in 2000, however has made sure that they still have the same ethics today as they did since 1815.


I was hugely impressed by the store and its decor, its fascinating to be able to view the history of a brand by just looking around the walls, Lesley was incredibly knowledgeable on the background of the brand and products which really gives me the confidence in the products.
They also have a sweet little book full of photographs and stories like the one pictured above, which gives you further information about the brand.
I'm also a fan of Mr. Bones the skeleton they have in every store and concession.


Kiehl’s Edinburgh store is located in the Assembly Rooms on George Street, which is a few minutes walk from both Edinburgh Princess Street and Edinburgh bus station.
If you visit the store and let them know have came along on my recommendation they have been very generous and will offer 10% off any purchases made that day.