My hair is very stubbornly straight. And since hair genes are the same across the body (as my fellow straight-haired roommate and I realized in a “duh” moment one late night last year), my eyelashes are also very stubbornly straight. So because of that and the way how my eyelids do an opposite double fold, I have a hard time getting an open-eyed effect with mascara. Even with conventional mascara, my eyelashes would uncurl themselves midday.
But do you see that curl up there*? That’s one reason I love Kjaer Weis’s mascara. It holds a curl quite well with a little bit of droop with double-curling, except for very humid days, and it’s a lost cause on rainy days (blame it on science).
Another reason I love it is for the brush, which easily coats every lash with definition and volume during application since it is so small and precise. It never smudges, never gets clumpy, unless I’m getting close to the 3-month mark, at which point it’s time to refresh the mascara anyways. The packaging is beautiful and a bit pricy at first for $38, but the refill system is both responsible and affordable for $24 (there’s only 3-months worth of formula in each container to avoid bacteria). Switching to a refill is also very easy–I myself am on my first refill.
It washes off very easily, whether with an oil cleanser, tears, or that moment when you put in your contacts after mascara application (don’t do it). Talking about contacts, it’s non-irritating. Unless you knock the wand into your eye, then it’s going to hurt (don’t do this either).
It doesn’t hurt that 99.8% of the ingredients are sourced from organic farming, a few of which are castor seed oil (the star of “this will make your eyebrows and eyelashes thicker overnight!”), jojoba oil (similar to human sebum and moisturizing), and rose oil, which gives this mascara its slight rose scent which is refreshing, not overpowering or irritating at all.
- Curl lashes
- Apply mascara by combing on top and on bottom of lashes (trick from the blush store for extra volume). At this point, the formula droops my lashes back into their typically straight state, but this has happened with all mascaras I have used, conventional to green, so I mostly blame it on my very stubborn straight hair genes (I am so jealous of curly hair genes).
- Wait 5-10 minutes (do other makeup, make breakfast, pick clothes)
- Curl lashes again and bam! Hello eyes!
In summary, if my repurchase hasn’t clued you in, I really love this mascara. It’s impossible for my eyelashes to have a crazy dramatic look, so I am not the one to tell you if that is possible with this mascara. However, I love the ingredients, I love the refill concept, and I love how it makes my lashes look.
Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts?
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* • organically grown *naturally contained in the used essential oils
(from Kjaer Weis)
*”And what is with that hair? It’s out of control!” I know, I know. It’s fabulous.
Hi Jade
Was reading through your skincare tag and I wonder if Halcyon or Honey Mud is better in terms of being one's everyday facial cleanser? I recently ran out of my cleanser and I have been relying on raw honey as my second cleanse. Would love to hear your thoughts.
P.S I've got to try the Kjaer Weis Mascara. I face the same problem of having stick-straight Asian lashes too 🙁 Sigh.
Hi Jen! Thanks for reading! Yes, you definitely need to try this mascara with a great eyelash curler. Stick-straight Asian lashes won't stand a chance 🙂
How have you been liking the raw honey? Honey Mud is based on honey, plus clays and various essential oils, so if your skin has been getting along with honey, Honey Mud will be like raw honey but better. Antibacterial, anti-acne, and smells like chocolate. If you're not too sure, (like me–I tried washing with honey and liked it, but my skin wasn't entirely healing from breakouts), Halcyon is really lovely. It's very gentle with floral waters yet very cleansing. The pump is also very nice and sanitary, vs. the pot that the Honey Mud comes in.
Both can remove light makeup (though I still prefer removing makeup separately) and have a similar, gentle, foamy effect when they come in contact with water. Both also leave my face feeling very soft and happy. In terms of price point, Halycon is a better deal at $52 for 100ml vs. Honey Mud at $80 for 100ml.
I think perhaps if you're looking towards the more gentle route, Halycon. If you are looking for a bit of indulgence and a little more fire, Honey Mud. Let me know which one you go with!
Great review, and really funny to boot 🙂
I love this mascara as well (and I'm part of the stick-straight Asian lash club too), and I find that it does hold a curl better than other clean and non-clean mascaras I've tried, though for some reason the lashes on my left eye always seem to curl more than the right… but yes! Great formula, thickens my lashes, doesn't flake or clump, and I like that it looks natural — I hate that goopy-lashed look. I've also tried Ilia's mascara (the older formula with phenoxy-whatsit), and though I liked that too, I prefer Kjaer Weis, mainly because it holds a curl and the Ilia doesn't, at least for me.
– mabel
Hi Mabel! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Ha! I know what you mean! Some days, I curl one eye better than the other or the curl stays on one better than the other. I've been curious about trying Ilia's mascara since they've reformulated without phenoxy-thatword. I've heard it's a bit smudgy though, and that's something I totally do not miss with the Kjaer Weis, so I'm hesitating. Though I've also heard Alima Pure is quite nice (but also potentially smudgy), but I'm giving one to my sis for Christmas and having her trial it for me 😛
I love this mascara too. It is thickening and lengthening. Laura
Thank you for your review! 🙂 The finish on this mascara look amazing! (I have thin, droopy lashes too :()
I've been searching high and low for a mascara for my oily lids. Would you say this mascara smudges easily?
Thank you Tiff! High five for lash twins! I don't have very oily lids, but I am a pretty sweaty person in general and I never found this mascara to smudge.