Love it: Kiehl's new Apothecary Preparations

The iconic Kiehl’s brand launched in New Zealand way back in 2010 at Smith & Caughey’s Queen Street and since then has grown with the opening of counters in Newmarket, Christchurch and Wellington. It’s such an iconic brand that it had long been crying out for a place to spread its wings and celebrate its New York origins when its flagship store in Britomart’s Atrium on Takutai opened its doors in 2013, providing a true feast for the senses for all those lucky enough to stop by. The boutique’s authentic brick wall, vibrant gallery of historic images and neon artwork all pay homage to Kiehl’s rich history, and Kiehl’s resident “Mr. Bones” is also there as a nod to the brand’s pharmaceutical heritage. Unique to the Britomart boutique is an inviting consultation space where store patrons can unwind and discuss their skincare needs, which leads me to their latest offering - Kiehl's Apothecary Preparations.

As if there wasn't already enough to love about Kiehl's, the brand is getting back to its roots with Apothecary Preparations, a completely personalised approach to skin care that is going to make you frequent your closest Kiehl's location more than ever.

Back in the early days of the company, Kiehl's was known for their personalised skin and hair remedies for customers, using high concentrations of natural ingredients blended with pharmaceutical actives that took place in the brand's flagship store all the way up until the 1980's. By the time I had made my own beauty freak’s pilgrimage to the store ten years ago, the service had come to an end. That is set to change however, with the launch this month of the legendary brand’s new Apothecary initiative, which offers customers the opportunity to meet with a representative who can walk them through a personalised consultation to address their specific skin concerns. This will help each clever Kiehl's staffer determine which two Targeted Complexes are best suited for combating key issues your skin may be facing, like redness, rough texture, wrinkles, and large pores. Once this has been determined, the Targeted Complexes will be mixed with a Skin Strengthening Concentrate to create a small sample for the customer to feel, ensuring that it's exactly what they're looking for.

From there, if the mix is right a box is made for the customer of three components. I love that the service includes beautiful finishing touches like personalised labels that are issued for each bottle, with the trio then packaged and sent home with the customer to mix up at prior to their first application. All very bespoke and authentic feeling, and thus far the combo I have been using has elicited great results. You just apply your very own blend like a serum before moisturiser, and it is definitely compatible with most.

Inspired by 165 years of apothecary expertise, Kiehl’s Apothecary Preparations are destined to be a winner, and are available in store this coming Monday for $158.