Kiehl's motorcycles into Palm Springs, O.C., L.A. for amfAR

If you see a group of motorcyclists roaring past you in Southern California this weekend, don't automatically assume it's the Hell's Angels or someone associated with the West Coast Choppers.

It's just as likely to be a bunch of executives from skin-care company Kiehl's and their supporters, taking part in a five-day ride led by Kiehl's USA President Chris Salgardo to raise awareness of amfAR's work fighting HIV and AIDS. The Kiehl's Desert Run for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS research, started Thursday in Las Vegas and is scheduled to makes stops Saturday in Palm Springs and Sunday in Costa Mesa before hitting L.A. This is the first year for the desert run, which is an extension of Kiehl's annual LifeRide for amfAR, which has raised more than $200,000 for the cause. Kiehl's will present amfAR with a $25,000 check during the Desert Run.

Kiehl's customers will also be able to help by purchasing Kiehl's Limited Edition Desert Run Set, an assortment of travel-size products pictured above that is available at stores or www.kiehls.com. Kiehl's will donate $25,000 from sales of the Desert Run Set to amfAR.

Here's where you can meet up with the cyclists (and check out the products):

Saturday: Kiehl's at Saks Fifth Avenue, Palm Springs; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday: Kiehl's at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, noon; Kiehl's at the Grove, Los Angeles, 3 p.m.; Kiehl's on Robertson, Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m.

You might also see them cycling around Santa Monica on Monday ... but that's for a private celebration.

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-- Susan Denley

Photo credit: Kiehl's

[Updated] Michael C. Hall, Chloë Sevigny and Kiehl's team up for clean water in honor of Earth Day

Partygoers piled into Kiehl's in Santa Monica Thursday for an early celebration of Earth Day with Michael C. Hall of "Dexter" and Chloë Sevigny of "Big Love" at a benefit for the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global coalition of nearly 200 organizations that work to protect local waterways from pollution.

In honor of the occasion, which falls each year on April 22, Kiehl's U.S.A. President Chris Salgardo handed over a check for $100,000 to Liz Crosson of Santa Monica Baykeeper, the alliance's Los Angeles affiliate. Organizers said the check represented 100% of net proceeds from a new limited edition of Kiehl's cleansing face mask, labeled for Hall and Sevigny.

“Growing up on Long Island Sound, I saw first-hand the garbage rolling up on the beach,” said Sevigny. “Now when I’m in Connecticut, I still go with my mother to pick up trash from the beach.”

Hall, a North Carolina native, said he spent time on the beaches too. "It instilled in me an appreciation of the environment,” he said. “When Kiehl’s approached me about the Waterkeeper Alliance, it was a no brainer for me to join in.”

"We're very fortunate at Kiehl's," Salgardo said. "We've always had a lot of good friends who have been very generous to us."

With DJ Paul Sevigny -- Chloë's brother -- providing the tunes, guests perused the boutique's skin and hair care products and mingled. Among attendees were Sam Trammell of "True Blood," with his wife Missy Yager, Mario Lopez of "Saved by the Bell," Stephanie Pratt and Kristin Cavallari of "The Hills," Tricia Helfer of "Battlestar Galactica," Giuliana Rancic of "Fashion Police," Robert Buckley of "Flirting with Forty," Matthew Rhys of "Brothers & Sisters," and Gilles Marini, Season 8 runner-up on "Dancing With the Stars" and also of "Brothers & Sisters."

-- Ellen Olivier

[Updated April 14, 3:29 p.m. A prior version of this post misspelled the name of "Battlestar Galactica" as "Battlestar Gallactica."]

Photo: Michael C. Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Santa Monica Baykeeper's Liz Crosson and Kiehl's U.S.A. President Chris Salgardo attend the launch of Kiehl's "Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque" on Thursday in Santa Monica. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez /Getty Images.

Test drive: Kiehl's Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler

As Botox-like face freezers and Juvederm-esque fillers become more popular, skin-care companies are increasingly borrowing lingo from the procedures, no doubt hoping that terms such as "filler" and "freeze" will inspire notions of extreme change.

So when we heard about Kiehl's Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler, which debuts at Kiehl's stores and counters Friday, we were skeptical regarding any "filling" effects it might possess.

And after a week of rubbing the glue-like potion onto our nascent, thirtysomething wrinkles, we're still not convinced that "filler" is the right word to use for this product — "smoother" would be more precise.

But we are convinced that this little white tube is definitely worth its $39 price tag.

Encased in a super-glue-style tube (the long, pointed cap even vaguely gives a "drywall" feeling), the product promises to "instantly fill lines and wrinkles, while minimizing the depth of facial lines over time."

And the glue-iness doesn't end there. Packed with sodium hyaluronate "filling spheres," the product creates a barrier over wrinkles (this is the "filling") that, when dry (in about 20 seconds) feels like you coated the area with a thin layer of Elmer's Glue; it's matte, smooth and almost plasticky to the touch.

The effect is not unlike a makeup primer — which smooths out bumps and lumps — but feels like it's less transitory. This barrier is staying put, making it a great base for makeup.

But the product's more marked effects happen over time. Via fragmented hyaluronic acid — a gentle skin slougher — the elixir did slightly soften the look of our impending crow's feet and smile lines (aka the dreaded parentheses) within a week's time.

And there were no needles involved. Which, for us, always seals the deal.

Kiehl's Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler is available Friday online and at Kiehl’s Since 1851 stores: 1516 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 255-0055; and The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, (323) 965-0569.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Kiehl's Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler. Credit: Kiehl's

Kiehl's Creme de Corps comes wrapped in a Jeff Koons design

Creme de Corps, the classic, uber-hydrating moisturizer from Kiehl's, is getting a pretty new package for the holidays. 

The skincare and beauty company has launched its second collaboration with artist Jeff Koons — a limited-edition Creme de Corps holiday collection featuring artwork from Koons' "Tulips" painting.

And like the first collaboration with Koons, which in the spring raised money for the Rainforest Alliance, the newly packaged products boast a charitable mission.

All of the worldwide profits from the collection — up to $200,000 — will benefit the Koons Family Institute, an initiative of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.   

The special collection also includes the newest addition to the line's products — the Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter, an ultra-light body treatment with shea butter, squalane jojoba butter and beta carotene.

Prices for the collection range from $27 to $70 at Kiehl's stores and kiehls.com.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: The Creme de Corps collection with a Jeff Koons-designed label. Credit: Kiehl's

Kiehl's and celebrity supporters to cruise the California coast for a good cause

 

Not often do motorcycles and face moisturizer co-mingle for a good cause, but apparently the Kiehl’s Life Ride is tapping both to raise money for amfAR, the foundation for AIDS research.

Peter Fonda, musician Josh Homme, President of Kiehl’s U.S.A. Chris Salgardo, along with 20 other celebrities, custom motorcycle builders and all-around bike enthusiasts will cruise on motorcycles down the coast of California, starting in San Francisco and ending in San Diego. Several stops will be made at various Kiehl’s stores during the six-day ride where the riders will present donations to amfAR.

The ride hits the Santa Monica store Tuesday, Aug. 3, where shoppers will get a 15% discount.

To drum up more money for the charity, Kiehl’s has released a bottle of its SPF 15 Ultra Facial Moisturizer, which instead of the plain old black, white and red label is festooned with an orange and blue one illustrated with flames and of course, a motorcycle. Contents inside the bottle remain the same, but 100% of sales from the limited edition lotion will also benefit amfAR.

Rev up your engines and ride on over to Montana Avenue for a good cause. Or in my case, press the power button and glide very quietly in a Prius to be a part of the festivities.

Kiehl’s, 1516 Montana Ave. Santa Monica

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Kiehl’s limited edition SPF 15 Ultra Facial Moisturizer benefiting amfAR/Kiehl's

Earth Day shopping events

Starting today and through May 10, recycle old bluejeans at any Rock & Republic store, either in the Robertson Boulevard flagship or Camarillo and Cabazon outlets, and receive 20% off a new pair. The donated jeans will go to the "Cotton: From Blue to Green" campaign and recycled into home insulation used in rebuilding communities.

105 S. Robertson, Los Angeles. (310) 285-0486. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Mini Social, an online sample sale for children and babies, is donating a portion of sales to Fair Trade USA through Friday. Check on the website for green mommy advice from celebrities including Liya Kebede, Leslie Mann, Keisha Whitaker, Rhea Durham Wahlberg, Karolina Kurkova and Marisol Nichols.

Kiehl's hosts the first of many animal adoption events on Robertson Boulevard

If you'd moseyed into the Kiehl's store on Robertson Boulevard on Saturday afternoon, you would have been greeted by wagging tails and high-pitched mews.

The boutique teamed with Voice for the Animals Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Monica that rescues and advocates for animals, for a pet adoption event featuring a gaggle of adorable dogs and cats. 

Kiehl's stores have hosted the occasional pet adoption event in the past, but is now gearing up to do so regularly. Saturday's event was the first of many to come, said store manager Patti Mastrangelo.

Kiehl's partners with amfAR for World AIDS Day

Worlds AIDS Day is today and Kiehl’s has reprised its partnership with amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, with Hand Care for a Cure, a limited-edition version of its Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. For every tube sold of the $12.50 hand lotion, Kiehl’s will donate 100% of net proceeds to amfAR, which for 24 years has been dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through raising funds ($290 million) for research grants.

-- Max Padilla

Deals under $49: Kiehl's Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection

Açaí, the Brazilian berry, touted as an antioxidant-laden superfood, is plopped in smoothies, tonics and -- now -- skin care.

The Amazonian purple fruit lands on high-end beauty counters as the main ingredient in Kiehl’s new Açaí Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection.

If eaten, Açaí, which comes from a palm tree, has 10 to 30 times the antioxidants found in red wine and grapes, which include Vitamins A, C, E, Beta Carotene, Carotenids, Polyphenols. Flavinoids and Anthrocyanins. The berry also contains healthful monosaturated fats (similar to those found in olive oil) along with amino acids.

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Kiehls' new Rare Earth collection will close your pores

                                                      

This warm weather is the worst for anyone with large pores and oily skin. You can’t powder over them or slap some foundation across the t-zone area. Those gaping pores just sit there collecting more grime and dirt from the L.A. atmosphere. 

Thankfully, Kiehls just launched a line it calls Rare Earth dedicated to shrinking those suckers. I’ve tried the line and have to say: What pores? My skin is matte and smooth without being taut and dry.

The Amazonian white clay absorbs oils and makes pores disappear. I found the cleanser to work double duty as an exfoliator and makeup remover and the mask is a good thing to do once a week, especially while the weather remains really warm and balmy.

-- Melissa Magsaysay