Sandra‘s Closet

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and I have put together a Valentine’s gift guide for you with small tokens, grand gestures and everything in-between. Gentlemen, have a closer look and delight your loved one! Wrap up something special and wow your Valentine.

And Ladies, I recommend sending a not-so-subtle hint! In case you are single, why not treating yourself to a fabulous gift?!

Swatch’s numbered limited edition Valentine’s Day collection:
CATCH MY HEART GZ264S and LOVELY MINE GZ265S, each CHF 60.- (in Swatch stores only)

You can’t go wrong with Ladurée’s special edition macarons for Valentine’s Day. Starting February 10th, you’ll be able to buy the grapefruit-flavored treats in a special pink-and-blue box.

What about this cute little bag by s.Oliver? €15.95

Sigg’s famous drinking bottles come in a Valentine’s Limited Edition. A great surprise for your little girl.
Valentines Special / Art. Nr. 8341.70 / 1.0 L / CHF 27.-
Dear Deer / Art. 8322.40 / 0.6 L / CHF 25.-

Alternatively you can surprise your boyfriend in a cool shirt by New Yorker, CHF 16.95.

What about a little game on Valentine’s Day? Agent Provocateur’s Charades is just perfect for the occasion, CHF 60.-.

Write a love letter with Montblanc’s Bohème white gold fountain pen with a red heart-shaped ruby (CHF 23.100.-)…

…preferably with Montblanc’s Love Ink in red (CHF 13.40).

Needless to say, famous fashion houses have jumped on the Valentine’s trend and have come up with many gift ideas, such as Gucci that offers a whole collection of little goodies.

I love this Miu Miu handbag (CHF 990.-) and the matching bracelets (CHF 290.- each).

How cute is this pocket mirror by Louis Vuitton?
Available now for €240.-.

Prada’s adorable key chain with the little Kara bear trick will surely break some hearts (CHF 190.-).

Give a little love… your iPad will thank you for such a sweet cover (CHF 290.- each)! And spending money might be even more fun with Prada’s heart-print wallet (CHF 450.-).

Chanel offers a more subtle colour palette for their Valentine’s collection.
I am so in love with this cuff, please be mine!

LoL, Sandra

Gentlemen, stores are still open today. This is your last chance to get a wonderful surprise for your beloved one. You cannot go wrong with a wonderful piece of jewelry.

For the generous budget, Bucherer has created the Haute Joaillerie collection which consists of four amazing one-of-a-kind necklaces. At least, it is a feast for the eyes! One can always dream…

Pendant with necklace in 18k white gold with 6 fantasy-cut tanzanites (total 129.91 ct) and 179 brilliants (total 4.52 ct),
CHF 148.000.- / € 135.000.-

Pendant with necklace in 18k white gold with 8 fantasy-cut Paraiba- tourmalines (total 127.11 ct), 234 brilliants (total 2.15 ct) and 35 rose-cut diamonds (total 4.17 ct)
CHF 218.000.- / € 195.000.-

Pendant with necklace in 18k white gold with 6 fantasy-cut tsavoliths (total 1o9.76 ct) and 174 brilliants (total 4.39 ct),
CHF 144.000.- / € 110.000.-

Pendant with necklace in 18k rose gold with 10 fantasy-cut rubellites (total 135.34 ct) and 241 brilliants (total 7.11 ct),
CHF 68.000.- / € 62.000.-

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bucherer

Are you looking for a last minute gift? Have a look at Louis Vuitton’s Christmas 2011 collection. You will find plenty of possibilities in different price ranges, from traditional leather goods to high end jewelry pieces.

Welcome to the Louis Vuitton Circus!

My personal favourite is Louis Vuitton’s new release of small leather goods decorated with authentic vintage advertising illustrations from Louis Vuitton’s archives, so-called “Les Illustrés” collection.

The new limited edition collection is available on Monogram, Damier, Damier Graphite and Damier Azur canvas. The lining comes in beautiful sorbet colours, such as lilac, rose and mint green.

Mini Pochette Les Illustrés
£190 / € 210

Les Illustrés Key Holders
£140 / €155

Les Illustrés Key Holders
£140 / €155

Small Ring Agenda Cover Les Illustrés
£ 225 / €245

Small Ring Agenda Cover Les Illustrés
£ 225 / €245

Zippy Wallet Les Illustrés
£460 / €500

Zippy Wallet Les Illustrés
£460 / €500

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Say happy holidays your way with a gift of personalized M&M’s.

Available at My M&M’S®, this service gives you the opportunity to create your customized M&M’S by choosing your initials and by adding your own personalized message on the candies. The newest  feature allows you to even print logos or faces from a digital photo. What a perfect personalized favor idea!

You can choose from many different colors of M&M’S to match your party theme. Add in faces of your beloved ones along with your own messages and you have a treat your guests will love. Plus, it creates a great conversation piece at the guest table.

Needless to say, those M&M’s are wonderful all year long, the perfect little goodies for a wedding, a baby shower or your birthday party.

Almost to cute to eat them…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via My M&M’S® and Designerscouch.org

I love hair oils as they give your hair shine and make it smooth.
Used on wet hair, you can let it dry naturally or style it with heat. Moreover, I like to add a daily dose on my hair-ends for extra shine.

A great gift for you or for a girlfriend is this Kérastase Elixir Ultime Limited Edition by accessory icon Yazbukey.

Yazbukey is the brainchild of Yaz, an Ottoman princess whose family once ruled in Egypt, Yazbukey has worked with the likes of Chanel, Ladurée and Zac Posen to create unique pieces of an aesthetic design.

For Kérastase Elixir Ultime, Yazbukey reflects on the precious and sensual nature of the orient through a geometric pattern adorning the bottle and outer packaging. She was inspired by the Moucharabieh, an Arabic latticework, which is something in between wooden windows or doors and a screen.

Limited Edition Elixir Ultime by Yazbukey, 150ml, CHF 49.-

Here’s Schwarzkopf’s take on the hair oil trend, the BC Oil Miracle range. Two things stand out about this immediately: the company has launched two different versions, one for thick, unruly hair and a lighter one for fine hair that doesn’t overburden it. The perfect final step to your care routine.

BC Oil Miracle Finishing Treatment, 100ml, CHF 35.90
BC Oil Light Finishing Treatment, 100ml, CHF 35.90

My personal favourite is Nashi Argan Oil which is a blend of precious natural elements of organic origin (certified Argan Oil and Linseed Oil). It is suitable for all hair types, providing your hair with amazing shine and manageability.

Nashi Argan Oil, 100ml, CHF 59
(available at perfecthair.ch for CHF 47.20 at the moment)

The godfather of hair oils: Moroccanoil Treatment is a unique serum with instant absorption into hair to create a beautiful shine and long term conditioning.

Moroccanoil Treatment, 100ml, CHF 74
(available at perfecthair.ch for CHF 68 at the moment)

LoL, Sandra

Accessorize your wall or your desk with a gorgeous fashion calendar for 2012. Choose from fashion illustrations, fashion photography, shoes and purses. There is something for every taste!

The Shopaholic’s Desk Calendar: Bo Derek once said, “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.”

The Shopaholic’s Daily Calendar 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar offers lots of ideas, presenting readers with top shopping sites on the Web as well as tips on shopping anywhere from the mall to the flea market, from a designer boutique to eBay. Add in advice from celebrity stylists, quotes and tips from designers, ways to be a smarter shopper, and the latest in shopping technology, and this calendar belongs on every shopaholic’s to-buy list.

High Style Wall Calendar: Everyone is head-over-heels for shoes! High Style 2012 celebrates unforgettable heels from the Bata Shoe Museum, North America’s unique shoe museum. With spacious grids that include international holidays and moon phases along side some of the most outrageous styles ever, this twelve month calendar is overloaded with images of knockout shoes.

There are sections at the back of the calendar for emergency contact information and birthdays/anniversaries and a full-page 3-year at-a-glance. A must-have calendar for any shoe or fashion lover.

Handbags Gallery Desk Calendar: The calendar that makes handbag lovers swoon. Here are hundreds of distinctive purses, clutches, pochettes, totes, and satchels, every one beautifully photographed in full color.

Also available as Shoes Gallery Desk Calendar.

Vogue 2012 Wall Calendar celebrates women with the joie de vivre of late 1920s vintage covers from legendary illustrators such as William Bolin, Garcia Benito, and Georges Lepape.

Vogue epitomizes style, glamour, and everything that keeps the fashion world beautiful and exciting, making Vogue 2012 Wall Calendar the perfect gift for any fashionista, design fan, or vintage-style lover.

Barbie Wall Calendar: The 2012 Barbie™ calendar presents beautiful Barbie® dolls modeling stylish designs by Robert Best, showcasing his elegant haute couture creations.

Featuring elegant daywear and stunning evening gowns, this Barbie™ collection is a dream-come-true for any girl of any age!

LoL, Sandra

Learn your fashion math: Dieu + Or = Dior!
‎”This agile genius of our times whose magical name contains Dieu (God) and or (gold)”.
- Jean Cocteau.

Get inspired by Dior’s golden Christmas 2011 and enter the enchanting world of sparkling nail polishes and matching lipsticks. A wonderful gift and a treat for yourself!

These are my two favourites below:
Le Vernis Gold 221 Or Divin, CHF 37 (photo left)
Le Rouge Or 217 Or Etoilé, CHF 48 (photo right)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Christian Dior

This year, Pomellato’s Nudo Ring celebrates its 10th anniversary. For the ad campaign, the Italian jeweler is again teaming with Tilda Swinton.

I have been loving the sleek jewels from the beginning. You can wear only one or stack them up to two or three, playing with the colours.
For its anniversary, Pomellato presents a bigger, stronger version of its iconic piece, featuring gems in bold tones, including London blue topaz, Madera quartz, amethyst, lemon quartz, along with a limited edition in olivine and mandarin garnet.

Rings in rose gold and white gold with blue London topaz, Madeira quartz, amethyst, prasiolite and lemon quartz, £ 2.020

Nudo in amethyst.

Nudo in blue topaz. New Nudo in madeira quartz.

Nudo in madeira quartz, blue London topaz. New Nudo in amethyst.

New Nudo in lemon quartz, peridot. Nudo in lemon quartz.

Nudo in madeira quartz. New Nudo in tangerine garnet, madeira quartz.

Rings in rose gold and white gold with peridot and tangerine garnet, price on request

Good news for my Zurich based readers, we have our own Pomellato store since last week at Weinplatz 10.

Dear Santa, please bring me one or two or three… such a wonderful gift!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Pomellato

Are you looking for the perfect little gift for your mum, your grandma or even your mother-in-law? Have a look at Estée Lauder’s limited edition solid perfume and powder compacts that come each year in different designs.

Here in Switzerland the complete new collection will be available.

1 Powder Compact LOVE, CHF 95
2 Powder Compact JEWELED PINK RIBBON, CHF 95
3 Powder Compact PROSPERITY, CHF 95
4 Solid Perfume Compact YOUTH-DEW PROSPERITY, CHF 160
5 Powder Compact PEACE, CHF 180
6 Solid Perfume Compact PLEASURES HAPPINESS BY JAY STRONGWATER, CHF 480
7 Compact Powder YEAR OF THE DRAGON, CHF 105
8 Compact Powder LUCK, CHF 150
9 Solid Perfume Compact BEAUTIFUL LOVE, CHF 160
10 Solid Perfume Compact BEAUTIFUL LUCK BY JAY STRONGWATER, CHF 515

Around the world, collectors crave for the new miniature must-haves. 1981’s “Cinnebar Imperial Princess” has today a collector’s value of $8000!

“Cinnebar Imperial Princess”, 1981, Photo:©Swisslady

If you are interested, please have a look at solidperfume.com, a collector’s website completely dedicated to Estée Lauder’s solid perfume compacts.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Estée Lauder

This revolutionary magnetic nail lacquer by nails inc. London used to create stunning 3D nail art designs in chic metallic shades is a lovely gift for a nail polish devotee or for yourself to wow during X-mas time.

Choose from three magnetic polishes named after iconic London attractions: Trafalgar Square (chrome), Houses of Parliament (purple), and Whitehall Teal (teal). I am using Houses of Parliament in the pictures.

This unique formula has been specially developed with metallic particles to create a pattern on the nail using magnetic forces. As the magnet is held over the nail, the iron powder in the formulation gravitates toward the magnet forming the pattern secretly hidden in the magnet for an astonishing finish. The magnet is included in the cap of the nail polish.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Those nail polishes are available at  Sephora. For a tutorial, I recommend this video:

Now it is time to marvel about the amazing nail designs that you have created!

LoL, Sandra