Not even torrential rains and the flooded streets that resulted in the city held in a gridlock could dampen the mood this side of The Island. All roads led to The Gallery of the top shelf wing of Ayala Center Cebu for the grand opening of Khiel’s New York. From 1851 in the Big Apple’s East Village to 2007’s arrival in Manila, the purveyors of the world’s finest skincare finally has its very own boutique on The Island!
Fashion Central was decked out in brownstone and set to a backdrop of the New York skyline with guests dressed in their downtown best bobbing to beats by DJ Karl Chua. A vintage Chevrolet Camaro stood out among the packing crate product displays to complete the concrete jungle look. With quite an impressive cocktail spread, downtown New York was by no means shabby with a Make-Your-Own-Bagel Hatch by Salt By JM, a buffet of bites by Café Laguna and an open bar with spiked specialty drinks “made with Kiehl’s ingredients.”
The bagels in plain, poppy seed and oat variants suffered from standing too long on display with the crowd coming in very late for the event scheduled at five. The classic butter, peanut butter, blueberry & strawberry jams and plain cream cheese spreads, pretty good as they were, took the blah backseat to the cream cheeses flavored with Caramelized Onion & Raisin, Bacon & Cheddar and my personal favorite, Jalapeno. The unusual combo of onion and raisin played off the pungent and the sweet against the natural tartness of the cream cheese. And who doesn’t love bacon? That saline crunch and the slightly sharp bite from the cheddar cut through the heavy cream. The infusion of jalapeno in cream cheese made for a weighted, whole-mouth heat.
Lightly-toasted white bread squares topped with what I would say was a chili con carne and a two-cabbage slaw made up the Beef Sliders.
Tater Pops wrapped in bacon had me teetering over my carb limits, thankfully served only in pairs per cup. I had three. Erm, cups.
Beef Tacos were generally avoided out of the prospect of making a mess. The secret was in the methodical and strategic biting into the semi-soft shell with prodigious use of napkins. Boy, did a lot of people miss out. Not quite packed with the usual taco filling to be a meal but substantial enough on its own. Well, okay, maybe two.
Mini-Frankfurters in buns announced themselves with the intense smell of sauerkraut. Frankfurters, versus the flavored flour-stick hotdogs, pack on as much real meat flavor as the actual content. Those served we’re pretty filling for minis and quite excellent if one can get past the fermented scent.
Bite-sized Blueberry Cheesecake rounds made for a sweet ending. Small enough to pop whole in one’s mouth, the light, real cream cheese base topped with a piped cream ring, blueberry preserve and a caramel disc, went in and down pretty easy that it took much willpower to hold myself back from having seconds.
It was hard to pin down which of the food ingredients in the aforementioned figured into Kiehl’s product formulations but the drinks couldn’t have been more obvious.
Vitamin C played the lead character in the “Tale of the Pear” — a youthful, sweet whisky with lemon juice, sage syrup and soaked pear slices. With the inclusion of similar natural extracts, Kiehl’s Dermatologist Solutions: Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream gives one all-day, even skin tone coverage, effective UV protection & hydration.
“Sunset at Times Square” was in fresh orange juice, vodka and lemon wedges for a lively Vitamin C infusion. You’d feel the power of age-reducing Vitamin C on those unwanted lines on your face with the help of Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate formulated with a high concentration of 10.5% Pure Vitamin C , stimulating the skin’s natural processes of exfoliation, neutralizing free radicals in your skin and stimulating the skin’s ability to produce collagen.
Further into the dark, blue curacao and strawberry monin sweeten the harsh gin fizzed out with Sprite in a potion called “Midnight Magic in East Village”. Just as magical, one is promised to wake up to younger-looking skin with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. With its ingredients – the Anhydrous Squalane, night-blooming Evening Primrose, therapeutic Lavender, Coriander and Rose Hip Seed Oils, and other nourishing oils, the Midnight Recovery Concentrate is your elixir to the restoration of youthful skin in the morning.
Historically starting out with botanicals and homeopathic treatments in the 1800s and combined over the years with modern technology, Kiehl’s product ingredients are chosen and formulations have been developed for maximum efficacy with no unnecessary aesthetic compromises, all of which are the basis of many of the preparations they still offer today.
Kiehl’s-Cebu is located at the 1st floor of Phase 2, Ayala Center, Cebu.
Much of the content above, about Kiehl’s and its products, has been judiciously paraphrased from official press info. There is no intent to publish erroneous information and this blog is open to correction.
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KIEHL’S FINALLY ARRIVES AT THE QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH
From its humble beginnings as an old-world apothecary in the Big Apple’s East Village, Kiehl’s New York has remained true to its commitment of being the purveyors of the world’s finest skincare. From 1851 in NYC to 2007’s grand arrival on Manila soil, the skincare brand finally has something in store for its Cebuano market: its very own boutique in the Queen City of the South!
163 years has passed, yet Kiehl’s has stayed true to its commitment of excellent quality – not to mention expanding its product range that’s suitable for everyone. And when we say everyone, we mean it: the brand’s got hair formulations; body treatments; a whole line dedicated to men; and in some markets, entire shelves catering to the babies and pets in your life!
Today, Kiehl’s wants to talk to more of its customers and share the stories that the brand has formed throughout the world. As the story goes, Kiehl’s has no rules: it’s skincare that simply works. It offers one-of-a-kind solutions answering everyone’s one-of-a-kind needs. Its unique and extensive background represents a blend of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal, and medicinal knowledge developed throughout several generations.
The skincare brand has won numerous awards throughout its colourful journey – not to mention a whole lot of hearts along the way too. Its other core commitment, after all, has always been about giving back to the communities they’re rooted in. From supporting Keep A Child Alive in Africa, to Cottolengo Filipino here in the Philippines, Kiehl’s newest venture is no exception. This August, the brand is set to cater to more Filipinos as it opens its newest outlet at the New Expansion of Ayala Center Cebu.
The Kiehl’s family cannot wait to share the wonderful surprises we’ve got to offer. As our founding father once told us, “Love what you do, put your heart into it, and you will be rewarded.” This month, experience the skincare brand that has loved every step of the way of its rich history, as it takes its latest one on Philippine shores. A very warm welcome awaits you, from our hearts to yours.
Kiehl’s has finally opened its first boutique in the Queen City of the South! Catch us at the 1st floor of Phase 2, Ayala Center, Cebu.
For more information about Kiehl’s, visit http://www.kiehls.com, http://www.facebook.com/KiehlsPhilippines, via Instagram at @KiehlsPhilippines and via Twitter at @KiehlsPH.
–Official Press Release
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