090. Full Face of Kjaer Weis
$200 and a Year Later…
Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a bi-weekly newsletter on all things slow: beauty, fashion, living. Links in this newsletter may include affiliate links or discount referrals. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below or shop through my links! No pressure but thank you if you do.
Last June, after much research and asking for gift cards on birthday wishlists, I decided to buy a full-face of Kjaer Weis. Here’s a brand that is always on my radar. They were the first (to my memory) luxury green beauty makeup brand. Since its launch, their iconic packaging and cream blushes have been widely loved and adored. Of course, they’ve come out with several new products since and have finally rounded out the brand to encapsulate a line for a complete face. I’ve had the chance to really sit with these and iron out my likes and dislikes and what I think a year later.
*Editor’s Note: For once, luck has been on my newsletter schedule’s side. The following is precisely on target since today is the start of the Kjaer Weis Friends & Family Spring Sale: offering 25% off!
Also, this is an incredibly long newsletter, and I apologize. There’s just so much to talk about! I recommend viewing this in a browser (just click the title) or in the Substack app for a seamless experience. You can also zoom in on photos in the app!
Exterior & Interior
Let’s start with some exterior observations. What I appreciate most from Kjaer Weis is the brand design’s consistency. Typography, layout, and color palette have stayed largely the same since their launch, and that’s a sign of great design. Design that lasts: classic, timeless. And this speaks perfectly towards the namesake brand of Kirsten Kjaer Weis (founder and makeup artist) and what it hopes to represent.
At first blush, it holds a clear message and mood. It’s luxury, high-end, sophisticated, meant to be both displayed and passed along as heirlooms. The choice of the red box is not overlooked, as it immediately harkens to the famous Cartier red box. The hues within the line are reminiscent of Chanel tweed suits: collections of soft, feminine, rosy, muted, earth tones.
Despite being the first luxury brand in green beauty, Kjaer Weis touts another first: luxury refillable makeup. Sustainability has always been a brand pillar for them. The compacts and lipstick holders take on two forms: 1. The “Iconic” edition is their signature metal encasings, 2. Their “Red” edition; recyclable and compostable red paper packaging in the same vein as their red boxes. Even their stark white refill packaging has a heft and density to it. Thanks to their paper pulp texture, they feel substantial and tactile in hand. As for their bottles and tubes, those are only available as Iconic editions or refills. For example, their skincare and lip glosses have the signature Iconic metal cap with the monogram logo.
Here’s the itemized shopping list:
Cream Foundation Refill in Like Porcelain $46
Matte, Naturally, Liquid Lipstick Iconic in Enthralling $30
Lengthening Mascara Iconic $30
FeatherTouch Brow Gel Iconic in Deep Brown $30
Flush & Glow Duo Refill in Inner Light $32
Lipstick Refill in Honor $30
Quadrant Red in Wanderer $0 (retails $41)*
Total: $198
*The Quadrant Red edition was a gift from my dear friend, Andie! That’s why it’s “$0,” but it retails for $41.
The pans and tubes of color are as exquisite as their red box homes. Especially with the pan refills, there’s a beauty in their simplicity. The line offers many shades, hues, and textures, and throughout the years, I’ve swatched in-store and ordered samples. Kjaer Weis seems a particularly difficult brand to get a sense of what you’ll love through samples alone. For one, some of the items are just difficult to decant, like powders. The other is that sometimes the shops that offer samples decant a version that has obviously been sitting around for a while or the completely wrong shade. Thus, I will go for the refill option first when purchasing a full-size. The pans are magnetic and fit perfectly into my large Z palette.
Color & Performance
Cream Foundation Refill in Like Porcelain
($46 refill, .28floz | 8.2ml)
I truly have a love and hate relationship with this foundation. The love is for the texture. It’s one of the few cream foundations that actually dry down, becoming a lovely satin to matte finish depending on your underlying skincare. And the coverage! It can be medium to full coverage if I build it up strategically. But the hate part is the dealbreaker: it looks drying and clings to dry patches I didn’t know I even had. Every time, no matter how well my skin’s prepped, it just doesn’t mesh well with my particular skin texture.
I’ve tried mixing it with a drop of facial oil, and while this does help and makes it an excellent under-eye concealer, it fundamentally changes the finish turning it from satin-matte to dewy. Which then requires me to powder, which defeats its beautiful no-setting-powder-needed prowess.
Though the swatch reads peachy-pink, it turns too pink on my face. The depth is perfect; if only it had an olive undertone. I imagine if the shade were a spot-on match, I’d make it work into a love-only relationship. But the fact that I said “I’d make it work” means it is simply too finicky for my swipe-and-go preference when it comes to makeup. I really wanted to love this foundation because I love anything matte, especially creams that dry down. Plus, if we’re talking packaging, what would be more beautiful than getting the Iconic compact for this or the Collector’s Kit palette? Repurchase? N
Invisible Touch Concealer Refill in F120
($30 refill, .14floz | 4ml)
I purchased this after the initial full-face shopping trip but wanted to include an update since mentioning both this and the above in Newsletter 083. I have concluded that this just isn’t for me. I love the delicate scent, packaging, and doe-foot, but the formula and finish are where it trips me up. It’s easily detectable and difficult to control, showing either too much pigment (cakey) or no pigment (coverage) at all. That plus the absence of a color match. What is perhaps most frustrating is that across all three complexion ranges, the shades do not correspond with one another. Both the Cream Foundation and Concealers offer 16 shades. However, the concealer line seems to be darker than the Cream Foundation. And from what I’ve heard, also darker than their Liquid Foundation. Repurchase? N
Having tried both the Cream Foundation and Concealer, I imagine all the reviews saying their Invisible Touch Foundation is the best are warranted. Maybe someday I’ll try it, but since finding a shade match is so difficult with this brand, I’m afraid of disappointment yet again. Plus, I hear that one is heavily fragranced, and so it doesn’t sound quite right for me either.
Flush & Glow Duo Refill in Inner Light
($32 refill, .123floz | 3.5ml)
It’s no secret that Kjaer Weis’ bestseller is their Cream Blush. But since I never gave their highlighters a shot, I thought I’d opt for the Flush & Glow. It’s described as a “moonlit sheer shimmer and deep sunlit bronze glow.” The glow (highlighter) half is in Radiance, and the blush half is in Desired Glow (one I had wanted to try for a long while). This duo was nothing I had suspected: it’s a hit, but not in the ways you’d expect.
I can see why everyone loves the cream blush formula. It’s ultra-creamy, not greasy, unbelievably easy to blend, and dries down. But aside from that, the hues themselves are wonderful. They have it all: pop, fresh, natural, sultry. However, Desired Glow was a bit underwhelming on the cheeks. It’s much sheerer than how it looks in the pan, and it takes a lot of product to build it up. In this case, I don’t know how successful it would be on someone with medium to deep skin. The other downside is that it fades extremely quickly, and I’m not sure why. I don’t remember the shade Precious and Reverence fading as quickly (I love both of these by the way), so this may not be happening across the entire board, only with specific shades.
Back when Kjaer Weis launched this formula, it was something new to the market. But since then, there has been an avalanche of new cream blushes, and I think there are better ones out there now in formula, consistency, and price.
As for the Radiance Cream Glow, it didn’t have a fair chance, to begin with, as I’m not a cheek highlighter person. However, here’s where this duo wins over my heart. This particular Flush & Glow makes the most flattering eye look.
On the eyes is where both of these shades truly shine. For some reason, the staying power of the cream blush is also much better on the eyes! The Radiance highlighter turns into its beautifully nuanced moonlit taupe shimmer. And with a bit of Desired Glow on the outer corners for warmth and definition, the duo looks effortlessly chic. And I mean effortless. No brushes are needed; fingers will do just fine in 15 seconds flat. Radiance is also a beautiful eye topper as well. It’s not high-shine metallic, and the glitters are pretty fine, giving any underlying eyeshadow a soft sheen and shimmer. But I think this is too much product just to use for the eyes, especially for the price and its 12-month PAO. Repurchase? N
Lipstick Refill in Honor
($30 refill, .15floz | 4.5ml)
Honor is that editorial, muted, pastel nude pink. It’s what’s intrigued me for years and stuck in my mind every time I thought of purchasing a Kjaer Weis lipstick. However, the formula is appalling. And what I find most unforgivable is that they’ve since launched other lipstick formulas that are creamy, wearable, and much better than the original (from reviews I’ve read).
This is the toughest lipstick ever. It’s very dry and crumbly that even swatching it will pull and tug hard. So imagine the disaster when you’re trying to apply it to the lips. Yes, lip balm helps tremendously, but it’s just too difficult and uncomfortable a formula to manipulate, let alone wear.
It’s also just not the color for me, which is absolutely fine. In fact, the Iconic packaging is from another dear friend, Trish, who originally passed it along to me in the shade, Believe. What’s more interesting is that Believe is in the same formula and was much smoother and creamier compared to Honor. Perhaps the texture and application issue is, again, dependent on the shade. And speaking of Believe, now that is a gorgeous color. It’s described as a warm, plum nude, and on me, it was a my-lips-but-better mauve. I should have purchased that shade’s refill or tried their Nude, Naturally range instead. You live, and you learn. Repurchase? N
Matte, Naturally Liquid Lipstick Iconic in Enthralling
($30, .12oz | 3.5ml)
I know we’ve started things off on a bit of a negative foot, but here’s where things turn exciting. This should look familiar if you read the recent Newsletter 086. I love Enthralling so much. Everything from the packaging to its multi-use capability to its exceptional hue. The reason I’m not too heartbroken over the Desired Glow cream blush is that I think this fills in that space nicely. The two hues are quite similar, and I much prefer the impactful pigment of the Matte, Naturally Liquid Lipstick formula and applicator. It also has an 18-month PAO, which is incredible and much appreciated knowing I’ll want to use every last drop.
I’ve explained all the pros and one con in Newsletter 086, so head there to read the full review! And if you want to know the bottom line: Repurchase? Y
FeatherTouch Brow Gel Iconic in Deep Brown
($30, .16floz | 5ml)
This is my type of brow gel. Sure, I love a feathery laminated brow look, but I don’t need something so defined. Instead, I choose a soft, natural brow with a bit of lift. This provides just that and is the perfect shade for my dark, black/grey brow hairs. I say grey because they’re so thin they appear more dark grey than black.
Deep Brown is the perfect shade for me. I’d call it a deep taupe cool-brown. They offer three other shades: Blonde, Warm Blonde, and Medium Brown. The brush is a larger cone with bristles ascending in a spiral. It’s easy to comb through brow hairs and for shaping them.
There is a bit of a learning curve due to its very liquid texture. Most brow gels tend to be waxy or thicker gels. This one truly is liquid in texture. If the tube topples over, it won’t run out, but as you can see from the swatch, it’s definitely thinner and looser than most. But I find that helps it look more natural on the brows. It creates a really subtle shadow effect making my brows look more filled in than they actually are.
I use this by combing down through the hairs first and then back up for the final shape and to set. If I’m looking for a fuller, more defined look, I’ll go in with my MOB Beauty M41 Cake Liner after with a fine-angled brush to fill in the sparser ends.
Does this have the best hold? No, it gives medium hold at best (however, the hold has great longevity). But is it comfortable to wear for 10 hours while not flaking? Absolutely. I’m about to finish my second tube of this and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. Repurchase? Y
Quadrant Red in Wanderer
($41, .17oz | 5g)
A huge thank you to my friend, Andie, for sending this to me! It was kismet as I didn’t have any examples of the Red edition packaging. And she knows me so well because out of the two Quadrants; I would have chosen this colorway!
I have always been a fan of Kjaer Weis eyeshadows. I purchased the Iconic edition of Grace back in 2017 and got through a large portion of the pan before its 12-month PAO. And admittedly, I kept using it well past that. Grace is one of my all-time favorite eyeshadow colors. Yes, it’s beautiful on the eyes as an all-over one-color look. But did you know that it doubles as an elegantly subtle and natural contour on fair skin? Just thinking about it brings back so much joy and nostalgia. So when I discovered that it was one of the shades in the Quadrant, I was extra excited to be reunited once more.
Wanderer:
“carries four essential neutrals that combine into a lifetime of looks. Soft, matte and satin shades inspired by earthy, luminous sand-dunes.”
Includes (top to bottom):
Angelic: Light pink
Grace: Light mocha
Wisdom: Mauve brown
Charmed: Versatile beige
Now, take the above swatches with a grain of salt. These shadows vary a bit in texture. Grace and Wisdom are very hard in the pan, but Angelic and Charmed are on the softer side. Angelic crumbled a bit along the top in transit in its original Refill packaging, which was disappointing. But luckily, it hasn’t crumbled disastrously…yet.
As you can see from the swatches, these look extremely light, and I did really press and swipe my finger into these. But that’s also the point of this quad. It’s supposed to be soft, neutral, barely there.
I love all of these shades on the eyes. They indeed are earthy and sand-dune-like. They create such a soft, ethereal look, especially when paired with some added shimmer from Radiance. In many ways, this is a perfect eyeshadow palette for me. Any shade is gorgeous on its own, but they harmonize beautifully when layered. For work, I lay down a wash of Angelic all over the lid, then Charmed on the outer upper lashline as a whisper wing. Then I use a pencil brush with Grace along the lower lashline. I’ll go in with Wisdom if I want to define the upper lashline a bit more.
However, I do wish there was just a darker shade that could be used as a liner. Wisdom, which I would categorize as the deepest in this quad, is still very light even when built up or used wet. It would be a flawless eyeshadow palette if it swapped Wisdom with a deeper shade to add depth or use as an eyeliner. And so, if that’s what you’re looking for in the palette, the sister colorway in Spellbound may be the better choice.
Another con is the size and layout. I understand completely why they went for the circle pan and linear shadow lineup. All of their eye products come in the circle format (the original powder eyeshadow and their newer cream eyeshadows). Not to mention their other powder items such as the translucent powder, bronzers, and highlighters. The linear lineup also separates them a bit from other brands like lilah b.’s circle eyeshadow quads or other square quad palettes. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to use these shadows in any other way than for the eyes with small eye brushes. You have to be careful with larger blender eye brushes as you could easily pick up a shade that’s above or below the one you’re going for.
For this reason, it may have been better for them to choose either their lip tint or cream blush pans shape and size instead. If it were the lip tint, they could use the horizontal rectangle and split it into four, so there’s slightly more room for a brush without cross-color contamination. Or, like the Flush & Glow, have it split into a quad cross diagonally. Because yes, I did want to use Grace as a face contour, but it’s impossible to get a face brush in there.
Aside from these two minor issues, I still think this is a great palette for the number of shadows, quality, and price (refill is $36). Especially if you’re new to Kjaer Weis eyeshadows, these Quadrants are a great way to try several shades at an affordable price! One final note is on the choice of the compact. I would choose the Iconic edition for the powder just because Angelic crumbled a bit. It makes the compact messy, and the fine powder clings deep within the textured red paper, making it difficult to clean as a quick wipe won’t do it. I’ve since moved the refill pan into my Z palette instead. The Red edition packaging may be better for the cream formulations that stay within the pan; food for thought. Repurchase? N (I would rather purchase a full-size shadow.)
Lengthening Mascara Iconic
($30, .19oz | 5.4g)
I’m currently finishing up another mascara, so I don’t have a photo of this one. But rest assured, I have the Iconic edition and refill ready to go. I have gone through tubes and tubes of this. I’m confident in saying that it’s my favorite mascara. There are several reasons I return to this over and over: the look it provides, the wand, the scent, and how lovely it looks no matter where it sits.
I wasn’t wearing mascara for a bit, but this was the one I reached for once I started again. It was also my favorite for the Tender Forms Beauty 2021 Index.
Mascara is incredibly personal, so this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. This is more of a lash tint than a mascara. It’s incredibly natural-looking, but that’s what I love about it. I like how my lashes look without mascara, but on days where I just want a bit more definition, this provides that length, lift, and doesn’t smudge. Repurchase? Y
The Good & The Bad
The Kjaer Weis look is sophisticated, soft, chic, natural, and earthy. It’s not high-pigment or loud, but the winners are classic, reliable, a joy to use, and to display. While the brand is hit or miss for me, I remain very loyal to what I love from them, like their Matte, Naturally, Liquid Lipstick in Enthralling, Lengthening Mascara, FeatherTouch Brow Gel, and Grace Eyeshadow. And that’s got to stand for something, right?
I just wish there was more consistency in the formulations of the brand. Whether that means all shades of an item should perform in the same way or shades across complexion items should match for easy reference.
Out of the itemized list of seven products, I would repurchase three (four if you’re counting an eyeshadow single). That confirms my hit-or-miss record with this brand. The line is beautiful to behold, and when it’s good, it’s great. But I definitely recommend trying out the item first before committing to a full-size purchase, whether that be through a friend, in-store, or taking your chances with samples.
Bonus
Where & Why
Being one of the OG luxury green beauty brands, Kjaer Weis is available in a multitude of brick and mortar and online stores. Below are recommendations and past experiences of where I’ve purchased Kjaer Weis. (Listed in order of preference.)
Nordstrom (online): The majority of the above product links are from here, and that’s because this is where I purchase refills. It’s free shipping (no limit) and is great for when I need to purchase one single refill instead of overspending/overshopping. It arrives quickly with minimal and recyclable packaging. Plus, they have a rewards system (though not great) and sales!
Credo (in-store and online): The best place to try, swatch, and get samples is in a Credo store. These samples will be most reliable as you can see how fresh they are and that it’s in the correct item and shade. They have a great rewards program and free returns too. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop, this is your best bet to earn some reward points on the Iconic editions and refills. I don’t always shop here because: A. there’s no Credo store here in the PNW, and B. shipping takes a long time to the West Coast. However, I appreciate that their Kjaer Weis stock shipped neatly and safely packed.
The Detox Market (online): One of the few places where I can order Kjaer Weis samples (great if you don’t live near stores to sample in person). In the past, I have received either incorrect shades or products that felt a bit old/maybe expired: hit or miss. But they have an excellent rewards program, so it’s another great place to rack up points if you’re investing in the Iconic refillable system.
Beautylish (online): Has a great selection of Kjaer Weis items, including new releases. They also have ultra-fast shipping, no matter which coast you’re on. Every order is packed neatly and arrives safely.
Kjaer Weis (online): The brand doesn’t have the best track record with shipping. For a while, shipping was so delayed for all customers, but when I made some of the above purchases last year, they arrived in a speedy timeframe. I don’t order often enough to know if it’s now okay or if there are still delays. Another off-putting point was that it was haphazardly packed. It was sent in a generic cardboard box and loosely “wrapped” with kraft paper (it was more crumpled together). For a luxury brand, I would expect more when ordering directly from them. The white paper refill I purchased also was a bit bent (so much so the back perforation had slightly come undone) and had red scuffing from the red boxes. Not a huge deal, but when you’re factoring in the price and luxury branding, it’s a disappointment and definitely brings down that “special” factor. It clearly made a lasting impression because I still remember this a year later.
Beautyhabit (online): The majority of their Kjaer Weis stock is currently on sale. It could be that the items are nearing their expiration, or the shop is moving to no longer stock the line. The amount of items they have is also very limited. But you do get free samples with every Beautyhabit order, and I’ve received good samples in the past.
Thanks so much for reading! If you’ve made it all the way here, treat yourself to a nice coffee, tea, fancy kombucha, or cocktail. You deserve it! I’d love to hear if you’ve tried Kjaer Weis. Are you a long-time fan or someone yet to try them? You can leave a comment or reply to this email to chat one-on-one.
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you June 5!
I love the breakdown of your perspective on Kjaer Weis. My favorite from them are the cream foundations, the lip tint and the skin tint. I am interested in the liquid lip product but did not have a shade that catches my eyes. I appreciate you going over the details about the packaging and experience too! I gushed to you about KW Beautiful Tint but at the same time, I am actually pretty disappointed that customers are not able to get the typical beautiful hefty luxe packaging for that skin tint like the rest.