Lately, there has been a lot of excitement in the green beauty world about this newly launched mascara. The reasons are: it is made by Kjaer Weis, it is almost 100% organic, and it comes in a gorgeous, chic packaging.
Kjaer Weis – Kristin Kjaer Weis is a New York based makeup artist with more than 20 years of experience, and is the creator of the makeup line. She is truly committed to create makeup products that perform well, that are made with high quality ingredients, and that also come in a modernly designed, functional packaging.
Almost 100% Organic – 99.8% of the ingredients of this mascara are sourced from organic farming and some of the ingredients are actually nourishing to the lashes. Kjaer Weis makeup is Certified Organic by the CCPB, the Italian organic certifying authority. In order to obtain the certification, the products must contain at least 95% percent organic ingredients. Kjaer Weis products do not contain: parabens, silicones, petrochemical emulsifiers, synthetic colors, or fragrances. This is the complete list of the mascara’s ingredients:
glucose, aqua (water), lavandula angustifolia (lavander) flower water*, mica, cetyl babassuate, theobroma grandiflorum seed butter*, cera alba*, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil*, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax*, glyceryl caprylate, hectorite, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, glycerin, chondrus crispus (carrageenen) extract, plantago lanceolata leaf extract*, canola oil, rosa damascena flower oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, ci 77891,ci 77499, silver oxide, citronellol**, geraniol**.
*Certified Organic **Naturally contained in the used essential oil
Packaging – Kjaer Weis makes the most charming, luxurious packaging. This mascara comes in an elegant metal tube with the classic KW logo. After 3 months of use, the original container can be refilled with a new tube of mascara (the original container is a metallic sleeve). I am very impressed with how well the packaging is designed. This tube is compact, it can stand on its own, and it won’t roll over your counter because it has one flat side. Oh, and doesn’t it look fabulous?
My Thoughts – First of all, this mascara is truly gentle to sensitive eyes. I would highly recommend it to people with sensitive eyes and allergies. It has no offensive smell, but instead a light rose scent. I have not experienced any discomfort/irritation, and that makes it my perfect every day mascara (UPDATE: this is still my go-to mascara in 2015!). Initially the formula feels wet, but surprisingly for a mascara with a “wet” formula, once it dries it holds the curl beautifully. I think that this is a great mascara if you are looking for definition, some thickening and lengthening. However, you should not expect a volumizing “dolly” effect. The product coats the lashes using the tube-technology rather than just paint them, so as the mascara dries each lash is wrapped with product, and no product is going to melt off until you cleanse your face. For that reason, even though I have been using it in a very warm and humid climate, I have never experienced smudging or flaking. The mascara tube is quite small, but it comes with a skinny brush that is actually pretty long and reaches all my lashes. Considering that this is a truly natural mascara, I am very impressed with the results, and I think that it is a fantastic option for well-defined, natural looking lashes.
Tip for straight, short lashes. Curl your lashes with your favorite eyelash curler (I use Shiseido). Apply two coats of mascara, but do not wait until the first coat dries to apply the second one. Make sure all lashes are well coated with product. Let the mascara dry for a few minutes (do the rest of your makeup in the meanwhile). Once the mascara feels/looks like it has dried, curl your lashes again with a more gentle squeeze, to prevent the tubes from moving. Your curl should last all-day-long.
The only shade of mascara available is black, and can be purchased at The Detox Market. The original mascara tube retails for $38, while the refill can be purchased for $24 here–and yes, you can buy the refill-only instead of the tube. It does not look as fancy, but gets the job done ;)