The founder and creative director of iconic beauty brand Kjær Weis talks about her essential life enhancers to get the ultimate glow
Welcome to our new bi-monthly series "Take five" featuring inspiring Scandinavian tastemakers on the five life-enhancing items, habits or encounters that help guarantee a balanced, joy-filled life.
Founded in 2010 by Kirsten Kjær Weis, a Danish-born makeup artist living in New York City with a trailblazing ambition to do beauty differently, Kjær Weis was one of the first companies to introduce certified organic makeup in beautiful refillable packaging to the luxury beauty industry.
As an in-demand makeup artist, Weis had found that people were sacrificing the health of their skin by using irritating, synthetic makeup. After eight years of research, she created her own products with the ambition that they would feel like wearing a face cream by allowing the skin to breathe and letting its natural beauty come through.
Understanding makeup not as a tool to cover or change but to enhance an appearance, Kjær Weis is known for its signature no-makeup style. This refreshing approach to makeup was deeply rooted in the brand's founder from a young age. “I didn’t wear anything. My mom’s idea of getting ready to go out was moisturiser and a little bit of lipstick,” says Weis.
When asked about her favourite product from the brand, Weis points not to one of the sought-after cream blushes or lipsticks, but to a face oil: “If I had to pick only one product from the Kjær Weis line, The Beautiful Oil would be it. This blend of organic oils infused with our unique ingredient, The Root of Light, has transformed my skin and has become my constant companion for happy and healthy-looking skin.”
Below, Kirsten Kjær Weis shares five more hero ingredients for a thoroughly nourished, dewy existence.
Getting lost in a book (or four)
Whether you are the reader who rips through two books every week or the one still slogging through that bestseller your friend recommended months ago, books allow you to feel connected with others and part of something bigger than yourself. In Weis' case, reading is a fixture in life. “I love reading and always have three to four books on the go,” she says. “It's impossible to pick just one to focus on. Learning and gaining information whilst being swept away through storytelling makes a huge difference.” Research shows that reading takes your mind away from worrying too much, so books can be pocket mood managers, too.
Immersing in nature
JRR Tolkien said “Not all those who wander are lost” and wandering amidst nature can be powerful enough to help you rewind and relax. As Weis grew up on a farm in Denmark, being surrounded by lush greenery has become central for her. “All I wanted to do was go to the city, but there was always this subconscious love of nature with me. As I grew older and had been living in cities, it dawned on me that growing up on a farm had a bigger effect than I thought,” she says. “Nature feeds me. Being close to the calming magic it provides, experiencing its natural order and seasonal beauty is a daily messenger of joy in my life and I am grateful for the balance it creates next to a busy work life.”
Eye-catching objects that meld form with function
Known for their standout packaging, Kjær Weis products feel luxurious inside and out. Just having an ecologically and health-conscious product was not enough – so Weis teamed up with award-winning creative director Marc Atlan to create an architecturally stunning bold, metal compact similar to jewellery boxes that can be easily refilled. In her personal life, Weis lives by the same principles, even when it comes to drinking tea. “I love coffee but unfortunately my body doesn't! Having this beautifully designed teapot from Skagerak upgrades the whole experience of tea drinking and makes the move away from coffee an easier switch. Beauty matters, design matters.”
Nurturing body and soul with organic produce
“I think at the time when I was growing up, everything we did was organic. Everything we ate came out of our own garden. It was second nature.” No wonder Weis believes in the power of organic food. “Beauty starts on the inside and for me, that very much includes the quality of what we eat; the potency, life force, flavour of the products we ingest. For me, organic, pure, and vibrant vegetables are invaluable and make a huge difference in my life.”
A piece of Denmark in her New York home
Staying true to her roots, Weis is a connoisseur of Danish design. Designer Børge Mogensen drew much of his inspiration from traditional chairs of other cultures and combined these influences with his simplistic, function-driven handwriting – just as Weis married Scandinavia and NYC in her eponymous beauty brand. As such, she made sure to add a Danish furniture icon to her home in Big Apple: “I fell in love with The Spanish Chair by Børge Mogensen when I first laid eyes on it in my twenties and promised myself if I ever had the possibility I would invest in a pair – and eventually I did. Its form, material and functionality come together so perfectly; it puts a smile on my face every day.”