Ladies, when getting up close and personal with your guy, there’s one thing far more important than good hair, sexy lingerie, or even pilated-buns - and that is smooth skin.

No guy wants to caress a rough, dry thigh - it’s an instant turn-off. And if you have a spur of the moment date coming up, you really don’t have time to go to your favorite spa and get a hydrating body wrap - Kiehl’s Superbly Restorative Argan Body Cleansing Oil is a great stop on your beauty regime.

It works itself into a milky treatment that cleanses and actually retexturizes body skin, and is naturally fragranced with oils of Sweet Orange, Patchouli, Eucalyptus, and Cedarwood.

You probably have heard about Argan Oil before. The oils of Morocco are always a hot topic when me and my beauty writer friends get together. It has been used for generations by Moroccan women to help restore elasticity, smoothness, and moisture levels to undernourished skin.

It’s also naturally rich in antioxidants, poly-unsaturated fatty acids, including Tocopherols (Vitamin E), and Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids, which are known for having restorative and protective properties on the skin. It has also been shown to help improve skin smoothness and suppleness.

So, give it a try - and tell me how date night ends up turning out!

Image: Kiehl’s

Kiehl’s recently emailed with exciting news: They were about to be the first prestige company to offer a mineral mascara!

I think just about every week, I hear from readers who are growing concerned with the ingredients in what they are putting on their face. (Not that I blame them!!!) Kiehl’s new Marvelous Mineral Mascara is super gentle—it’s Paraben-free and Fragrance-free, but also just happens to leave lashes looking shiny and sexy!

It’s made with Acacia Senegal, which is super-glossifying, and also has Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera - all stuff I can pronounce!

Image: Kiehls

Valentine’s Day is only two weeks away, and Kiehl’s Since 1851 just introduced a number of alternatives to the traditional flowers/chocolates scenario.

Why not a box of nourishing lip glosses, or sweetly flavored lip balm?

Lip Gloss/Lip Balm Sets

For soothing color, choose between a Bright & Warm Set or a Neutral & Cool Set of Lip Glosses, each featuring one brand-new shade. For nourishing moisture without the color, try Scented Lip Balm #1 Trio of the three newest Lip Balm #1 scents: Mango, Coconut, and Vanilla. Each set is packaged in a special Kiehl’s heart box, just for the holiday.

LIP GLOSS SET #1

$29.00

Bright & Warm Set includes:

• NEW SHADE!!! Lights on Broadway

• French Rose

• Downtown Peach

LIP GLOSS SET #2

$29.00

Neutral & Cool Set includes:

• NEW SHADE!!! Mahvelous Mauve

• Icy Everest

• Pink Rider

SCENTED LIP BALM TRIO

$25.50

• Lip Balm #1 Mango

• Lip Balm #1 Coconut

• Lip Balm #1 Vanilla

Image: Kiehl’s

Yeah baby.  My two favorite subjects, neatly rolled up into one.  Brad Pitt and Beauty. 

Kiehl’s has announced today that they are partnering with the one and only Brad Pitt, and not to ensure super level sales (but they will no doubt have those), but to raise money for a common cause.  100% of the sales from Kiehl’s Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser will benefit JPF Eco Systems, a foundation created by both Kiehl’s and Brad Pitt to benefit global environmental initiatives that “minimize impact on the environment through thoughtful design.”  If you are a crazy mad Pitt fan like me, you will know that two of Brad’s greatest passions are design and eco consciousness – so good on both of them. 

If you don’t keep up with the beauty news, you might never know of Brad’’s involvement.  He won’t be featured in the advertising and no sexy Brad images on the bottle (*pout*) - but, the writing on the bottle is his.  Good enough.  Watch for the cleanser to be out sometime in October.

As you might remember, I am a fairly new fan of Kiehl’s, but am becoming more devoted the more of their products I try.  I am still crazy in love with the Olive Oil Restorative Hair Treatment.  Crazy. 

Image: Kiehl’s

Happy May Day!  We have two big things going on this month - first, and most important to your health - it is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.  Second, and also relatively important to your health, is Mother’s Day.  Yeah!  I will get into a lot more about Skin Cancer Awareness later on, but I have Mothers Day on my mind at the moment.  Sadly, I usually ask for tech stuff for Mother’s Day (and will likely do the same this year, along with a “day off”  - yeah right), but I really have this on the brain, hardcore:

This is Kiehl’s Gardenia collection - a limited time only collection.  Why *oh why* did I not get this when I was at Kiehl’s last month?  Probably because it wasn’t there yet.  Gardenia is, bar none, my very favorite fragrance.  My gardenia bush outside is covered in buds, and I salivate every time I look at it.  I can hardly wait for the flowers to open - the smell is simply to-die-for.  Ok ok, back to the products.

There are three new products in Kiehl’s line, Gardenia Hand & Body Lotion ($19.50), Gardenia Liquid Body Cleanser ($15.50) and Gardenia candle (I am *so* getting this - $28).  I really don’t have to say more about this - it is Kiehl’s, and a great product (can you say, 1851??), with an amazing scent.  What else do you need?   Ah, gift wrap.  If you are lucky enough to be near a Kiehl’s store, they will help you with that too.  I have seen the operation, it is lovely, organized and they will take GOOD care of you back there in the gift department.  Let me know if you get this - I am dying to know how great it smells.  Meanwhile, I’m ordering a candle (or 5) - don’t forget this is limited edition and will likely sell out before long.   I can buy myself Mother’s Day gifts, right? 

Image: used with permission from Kiehl’s

I haven’t talked about it much, as I really (really!) don’t like to rant too much around here, but Kiehl’s hasn’t been on my favorite list for a long time due only to a bad customer service/web site user problem I had 2 Christmases ago.  I just sort of wrote them off after that, despite my bestest girlfriend being a huge fan and constantly talking them up. 

So when in NYC with Glam last week, our first stop of the day was at the Kiehl’s flagship store in the East Village.  Wow, what an experience that was.  First of all, the history.  We were treated to a video about the history of Kiehl’s - that store has been in the same spot since 1851, its beginnings were as an apothecary, and that has led to what Kiehl’s is now - a wonderful source of effective hair, skin and body products.  1851 - that, my friends, is a mighty long time.  You don’t last that long without a wonderful product and a commitment to serving your customers.  That, to me, is reason enough to give Kiehl’s a try. 

We watched the video, then were given a tour of the (huge!) store and the opportunity to ask any questions on our mind.  So I left Kiehl’s with a few goodies, and a whole pile of samples.  I haven’t yet gotten into some of the things I bought, but here they all are:

Abyssine Cream SPF 23 - An anti-aging cream containing alga and antioxidants and a broad spectrum UVA/UVB inhibitor.  Yeah. This is a rich feeling, non greasy cream that leaves your face immediately feeling soft - I love this.

Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - I adore this product too (so does Lianne).  This is a great solution to a quick outing, or if you want to just smooth things out a little bit but don’t need to put your full face on.  SPF 15 too - sooooo important!  This just takes the teeniest amount - this 2.5 oz bottle is going to last me a really, really long time.

Read more about my trip and Kiehl’s after the jump…

All images copyright 2008 Christina Jones

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I received an email today inquiring about Neutrogena’s Light Sesame Body Lotion, and I hadn’t thought about that product in such a long time. Neutrogena always does lotion right - and this one is no exception, but it has been difficult to impossible to find in local stores of late. The reader with the question was looking for a comparable item, and to my knowledge, there really isn’t one. Kiehls makes one that is similarly textured, but the price is so much higher. There are other lotions with sesame oil, but none with the light consistancy of this one. If you know of one, please leave the info in the comments, I would love to know about it, and I bet others sure would too!

Luckily, you can still find this product in quite a few destinations, at Drugstore.com, Amazon.com (they have it in a 32 oz bottle) and Ulta.com. You will pay somewhere between $5-$6 for an 8oz bottle, and it is no doubt well worth it!