Kjaer Weis On Organic Makeup and Simple Makeup tips

Kirsten Kjær Weis is a true pioneer in the organic and luxury makeup category. We chatted with the Denmark native, now based in New York, about the path that led her to a career in makeup artistry, the launch of her eponymous makeup and skincare line and her game-changing attitudes about beauty. 

You are definitely a pioneer in the luxury natural beauty world from a formula and packaging perspective. How long did it take from the first spark of an idea to the actual launch of your beauty brand, Kjær Weis? 

I had always dreamt of having my own business ever since I was a little child—I  just didn’t know what that looked like. I thought it would be something in the design field, like interiors, but I ended up landing in a makeup school in Paris, a little by accident. I grew up on a farm in Denmark and I didn’t wear makeup or know much about it, but this ultimately became my path and led me to work as a makeup artist for over twenty years. My “aha!” moment came when I saw the reaction on the models’ skin after a long day of shooting. On a typical shoot you change the makeup two to three times—by the end of the day their skin was wrecked. I decided to develop my line when I came to the realization that natural products couldn’t match the performance of what was currently on the market. 

Your packaging, from the red cartons to the mirrored and refillable compacts, is nothing short of exquisite. It’s like opening little presents. What served as the inspiration? 

Before landing on the current package, I kept going back and forth through all of the prototypes submitted—they were nice, but they didn’t feel right.  I always envisioned my brand to be super luxurious, sustainable, reusable and to stay away from incorporating plastic. For a very long time I admired the design work of Marc Atlan, especially the Comme des Garçons perfume bottles he created. I knew I had to contact him—I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t. I ended up cold- emailing him and telling him what it was I was trying to achieve. He emailed me back, said the project sounded interesting and wanted to meet. We did and the rest is history. Working with him has been phenomenal. He designed the branding, the logo and I credit him for finding the metal we use in our packaging—although it isn’t recyclable, it is refillable. In terms of the color, I wanted a signature shade. I hadn’t picked red, but rather an obscure lemony-lime shade reminiscent of clay.  Marc said it should be red. On the inside, the silver compact is a bit futuristic, but it is packaged inside of a classic carton—it is the perfect blend of design.  

What do you believe are some of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to natural and organic makeup? 

There is a stigma that natural products do not perform well and also confusion on why it is in a pretty package, since natural beauty had never converged with luxury before. It’s not an unfair stigma though, because when I was working with natural makeup in the field the formulas were chalky, didn’t blend well and the colors and textures were stuck in the ‘80s—they just weren’t up to speed.  

The magic that had happened with conventional makeup a few years back was that textures became very glowy. François Nars was at the forefront of this and it served as a massive turning point for me and how I applied makeup on models. Personally speaking, Nars transformed a full-coverage industry to one where you could start to actually see the skin. Unfortunately, many of the glow-enhancing products on the market today are pumped with silicones, making them not too oily, or too dry, but perfect—they have a “slip” to them. We have worked very hard and overcome hurdles to replicate that same consistency with natural materials like oils, waxes, and butters.  

Note: Get the look by applying the Kjær Weis Highlighter in Ravishing to the high points of the face.

Your makeup style always has a dreamy quality. How do you stay inspired for both your brand and your creativity as a makeup artist? 

It’s important to get out and about and away from your computer. I’ll go up to McNally Jackson and flip through magazines or get out into nature. I love seeing what’s happening at MoMa, because I love art like Matisse, Jenny Saville and Marlene Dumas—I especially love watercolor and texture. I also head to the Garment District. I love how it is so old-school and dusty. I get to travel to Europe quite a bit, about every two to three months, because we have a warehouse in Denmark and everything is produced in Northern Italy. 

Tell us more about your newest launch, The Beautiful Oil. Do you see the brand expanding into additional skincare products as a natural progression from color? 

It felt like it is a natural progression, since I have always been a massive lover of oils. The most important thing in any makeup look is the skin, and it is the perfect partner to our buildable foundations. It’s formulated with jojoba oil, almond oil, rosehip oil, and olive oil—all are certified organic. It works on a phenomenal number of skin conditions, especially with the addition of the Dioscorea Batatas Root Extract, an ancient root from the yam family that has been used in Chinese culture for many years. Rudolf Steiner, the 20th-century philosopher, believed that if you planted the potato during the new moon, the potency was much higher than if you planted it at another time. He discovered that this particular yam had an enormous amount of healing properties and holds an etheric light, which speaks to energy vibrations and frequency. We have been able to find a way to harvest it and infuse it into our oil. Compared to most on the market, it is a big bottle, but you only need to apply 5 to 6 generous drops to your face and neck. It also has an incredible fragrance.  

What are three makeup tips that everyone can benefit from? 

If you only have five minutes, you easily can get a glowy look. It is best to have the skin be as prepped as possible. I think staring with an oil is great. Add a minimal amount of foundation—you don’t have to cover the entire face, just apply where needed. Next, add blush to the apples of the cheeks—it is a great way to make you look more awake. Then curl your eye lashes, add a coat of mascara, a dab of lip tint, and you are good to go. If you have a little more time, groom the brows. This frames the face and makes you look even more polished. 

How do you define beauty?

Over the years I have gotten to work with many beautiful girls. Some were lovely, others were not as pleasant, so I think beauty is defined by a kind heart. With kindness, you can’t help but be drawn to someone like that. For example, take someone like Christy Turlington Burns, someone who is so beautiful on the outside and the inside. Being kind immediately makes you a beautiful person.

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