Sandra‘s Closet

Spring is around the corner, my favorite season. Time to wake up your outer beauty and to get ready to party. Green is the color of nature and health representing growth and nature. It is said to have healing powers – so get ready for the blooming season… with those tips:

WAKE UP YOUR SENSES

Champagne Grand Brut Edition Miami by Perrier-Jouët
Nothing beats a glass of bubbly – it always puts me in a good mood. I am very proud to announce that I am one of the ten founding members of the Artistic Society by Perrier-Jouët. Soon, I can tell you more about this secret club!
CHF 55.00 (75cl)

WAKE UP YOUR SKIN

Energie De Vie Exfoliating Mask by Lancôme
«Energie de Vie» means vitality in English. This is exactly what our skin needs after the cold winter months. Reduce the appearance of pores and reveal softer, healthy-looking skin with this exfoliating mask. I use it daily as a cure.
CHF 85.00 (75ml)

EGF Serum by Bioeffect
This amazing serum restores your skin’s natural glow and youthful appearance. It contains EGF, a cellular activator natural to human skin, which stimulates the skin’s ability to renew itself. My personal must in the spring season. To be used in the evening. You just need 2-4 drops, great for traveling.
CHF 198.00 (15ml)

Super Acid X-Treme Hangover Mask by Rodial
A triple action rub off clay mask to deeply cleanse, exfoliate and restore a radiant looking complexion. Use it once a week for best results in addition to the daily mask.
CHF 69.00 (75ml)

Pro Spa Skincare Hand & Feet Intensive Callus Smoothing Balm by OPI
Last year, OPI launched the first & only professional salon skincare line that brings the quality & efficiency of facial skincare to premium products developed specifically for hands & feet. And here is one of my personal favorites that I use every night. This softening foot and heel treatment balm helps restore dry, callused soles to relieve severe dryness that you get during the cold winter months. For perfect spring feet!
CHF 35.90 (118ml)

WAKE UP YOUR NOSE – THE  MOST BEAUTIFUL SCENTS FOR SPRING

Elements of Man Strength by Ermenegildo Zegna
Such a yummy fragrance for men that gets spring fever for sure. It fuses the tenacity of tobacco leaves with rich gourmand notes. Drips of golden honey and ripe apricot highlight the intensity of agar wood. Deep smoke penetrates the intricate chainmaille of woven pine needles, encasing a core of burnt musk.
CHF 250.00 (50ml)

Valentino Donna Rosa Verde by Valentino
A new fresh scent that is lovely for the first spring days. A radiant composition that combines green rose, mate tea, bergamot, ginger and magnolia. Contemporary and sophisticated.
CHF 174.00 (125ml) – available in Switzerland from April 2, 2018

Aura by Mugler
The latest fragrance launch by Mugler (not Thierry Mugler anymore) Aura might become another iconic fragrance of the brand. After the first spritz, it has really got me by being different, unexpected. Something I would love to wear on a spring evening. By reinventing the Oriental Green family, Mugler has signed  a new olfactory experience for the brand. The mix of ingredients is unheard of: rhubarb leaf, orange flower (new distillation process), vanilla pod bourbon and Firmenich Wolfwood® (Firmenich exclusive).
CHF 109.00 (50ml)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Tom Ford goes green with the launch of four new scents (in Switzerland only three will be launched) in the designer’s sophisticated Private Blend Les Extraits Verts line.

Seventies style isn’t just trending down the runways this fall season, it’s also coming to your grooming cabinet. Those daring and intoxicating interpretations of perfumery’s classic ‘green‘ note are the perfect companions in rainy weather as they are reminiscent of beautiful spring days. All four of the chypre fragrances are unisex. Personally speaking, I like Vert Bohème and Vert de Fleur for women, the other two are definitely very masculine.

Vert d’Encens
Sophisticated, aromatic and wild, Vert d’Encens is inspired by the rugged Mediterranean coastlines of Corsica. Smoky incense, pine resin and fir balsam evoke the dense forest and rugged peaks, while delectable heliotrope and woods heighten the grand atmosphere of sea and shadow.

Vert de Bois 
Unique, deep and provocative, Vert des Bois represents a new evolution for green scents, introducing provocative woods at their most expressive. Poplar bud extract acts as an inventive ingredient in modern perfumery. This extract from the unopened buds is further driven by spiked ouzo, evoking the deepest thicket of snow-laden forest.

Vert Bohème
Bright, ethereal, fresh, and entirely divine, Vert Bohème sparkles like a jewel in the sun. It is Tom Ford’s most free-spirited fragrance interpretation with Sicilian mandarin and magnolia that both are exuding bohemian feminity. Moreover, it is exquisitely enhanced with Gustavia, also known as the tree of heaven, known for its spectacular single blossoms that last for just one day.

Vert de Fleur
Pleasant, exuberant and sophisticated, Vert de Fleur is a glamourous scent with a modern flourish of iris and hyacinth. A bouquet of floral accords is complemented with classic notes of galbanum and vetiver for a fragrance that evokes 70s glamour with a contemporary allure (not available in Switzerland). SHOP VERT DE FLEUR EXCLUSIVELY AT HARRODS.

In stores now for CHF 250.00 (50ml) and CHF 660.00 (250ml).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Tom Ford

 Leopard, tiered skirts, shearling, and more – the new pre-fall 2016 collections are starting to hit the shelves. Most summer trends are here to stay, look for lingerie dresses, lace and fabulous pleated skirts to update your wardrobe. Have fun!

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 1: LEOPARD
Giambattista Valli – Stella McCartney – Alexander Wang

Leopard is never truly out, but this season it comes roaring back like crazy.

Get the trend now: Leopard-matelassé coat by Lanvin

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 2: SHEARLING
Burberry – Carven – Paco Rabanne

The cozy outerwear continues its dominance in trim and is a must for this fall.

Get the trend now: Shearling vest by Donna Karan New York

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 3: MODERN FUR
Fendi – Valentino – Lanvin

Dream pieces that are to die for. Look for flora and fauna motifs on fur coats and jackets to get the ultimate style upgrade.

Get the look now: Bambi floral-print faux fur jacket by Shrimps

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 4: POWER SUITS
Tibi – Prabal Gurung – Bottega Veneta

Let’s take it from the boys. Pantsuits come in all varieties, better then ever.

Get the trend now: Silk-trimmed wool-twill blazer and pants by Gucci

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 5: KELLY GREEN
Sally LaPointe – Delpozo – Emporio Armani

This eye-catching hue is defintely nothing for the shy, but Kermit would surely love it.

Get the look now: Floral-lace mini dress by Dolce & Gabbana

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 6: PLEATED SKIRT
Gucci – 3.1 Phillip Lim – Max Mara

The right choice for this season’s party dressing: the pleated skirt stays in full force.

Get the look now: Pleated silk-blend jacquard midi skirt by Gucci

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 7: BLACK LACE
Michael Kors Collection – Chanel – Elie Saab

Feminine, sophisticated, well-placed lace is taking center stage this pre-fall among fashion lovers.

Get the look now: Lace-paneled crepe top by Elie Saab

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 8: SLIP DRESS
Sonia Rykiel – Givenchy – Altuzarra

The slip dress has made its appearance on the streets this summer and will stay for the next months enjoying its full potential outside of the bedroom.

Get the trend now: Lace-trimmed silk-georgette dress by Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini

Pre-Fall 2016 TREND 10: TIERED DRESSES
Giorgio Armani – Gucci – Oscar de la Renta

The multi-layered dress that has been introduced this summer is about to become a mainstay in our closets.

Get the trend now: Cutout tiered jersey midi dress by Proenza Schouler

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Let me introduce you to AMAZINGREEN, the new unisex fragrance from Comme des Garçons, a blast of green energy fusing together green notes and gunpowder, organic and mineral for the ultimate freshness and depth.

AMAZINGREEN
Exhilaration unleashed

The scent of gunpowder in an explosion of smoke and flint, clashes with the green energy of the jungle and the effervescence of spices. 
Top notes of verdant, natural wild leaves, settle with an elemental heart of flint and coriander to finish with a smoky explosion of gunpowder and white musk.

Top notes: Palm tree leaves, green pepper, dew mist and jungle leaves
Heart notes: Ivy leaves, orris roots, coriander seeds and silex
Base notes: Gunpowder accord, vetiver, smoke and white musk

Available as Eau de Parfum 50ml and 100ml.

If you like to win a bottle of AMAZINGREEN, join the contest hosted on Statigram. How does the lush exuberance of nature inspire you? Take a photo using Instagram that illustrates your interpretation of AMAZINGREEN and upload it with the #amazingreen hashtag.

The Top 10 Instagrams which best evoke the blast of green energy that defines AMAZINGREEN will win an a fragrance. The contest is open from today and will end on September 28th.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Comme des Garçons, © Sandra Bauknecht and via Instagram

For Talbot Runhof‘s  F/W 2012 collection, the designer duo seeked inspiration from the 1998 movie Great Expectations starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anne Bancroft, the latter of whom, impressed the most with her masterful performance of Nora Dinsmoor.

“Deserted on her wedding day as a young woman. Her garden still decorated and waiting in vain, in anticipation of a celebration. Covered in a verdant mélange of foliage, a daily affirmation of her life, her sadness, her passion, swirling through the decaying rooms of her home to her hymn of hope: Bésame mucho. She (Anne Bancroft as Nora Dinsmoor) was the inspiration for our F/W 2012 collection!“

Talbot Runhof is the German red carpet label worn by A-listers all over the world. Famous celebrities such as Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry have been spotted in their elegant and feminine designs. Today, their creations are sold in the best stores worldwide, among them Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

The success story started in 1991 when Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof met in Munich. Discovering their mutual passion for fashion they decided to join forces and began designing collections together under the label All about Eve. In the year 2000 the brand was renamed Talbot Runhof. They both share interesting and unusual backgrounds:

Johnny with me backstage before the show

Johnny Talbot, born 1964 in Nashville Tennessee, USA, studied electrical engineering and worked as systems manager for the U.S. government before he decided to become a fashion designer.

Adrian giving an interview before the show

Adrian Runhof, born 1963 in Mainz, Germany, studied business administration after growing up in a family of fashion producers and retailers and worked every since in the fashion business.

Before the show, I went backstage, so please enjoy the photos.

The collection is all about green: From ivy to oak, from acorn to gingko, birch to maple. Colour nuances of chartreuse to olive, emerald to evergreen, turquoise to jade, moss to bronze.

Famous MAC makeup artist Romero Jennings at work creating the feminine, elegant makeup look in a gorgeous green colour palette.

Me front row at the show

Among my favourites are the stretch suede skin tight leggings and the evening gowns of net lace, hologram sequins combined with layers of chiffon. Leaf applications adorn necklines, tops and dresses. Tweed appears soft and luxurious.

Accessories include booties, booty sandals, platform pumps, or peep-toes of tweed and of printed satin. Matching baguette clutches of velvet, tweed, printed satin embroidered with metallic borders, leaf motives, patchwork belts of matt shiny nappa.

And now enjoy the show! Talbot Runhof have fulfilled the great expectations, haven’t they?!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

My Gucci adventure started on Wednesday with the F/W 2012 show in Milan. Just one word. Amazing! Frida Giannini created a dark glamour, opulent looks that were sensual and sophisticated at once, recalling the Victorian era mixed with a certain vampire allure. She even used masculine accents such as oversized shoulders and military-style coats and capes. Her very dark vision might be a welcome change after all the vibrant colour-blocking of the last seasons.

„This is modern-day romanticism. A dramatic sensuality, a dark glamour. With subtle tones of provocative intellect.“

– Frida Giannini

The materials were rich. Opulent brocade, devoré velvet and floral prints on jacquard fabrics plus beautiful 3-D embroideries on the long flowing evening gowns. Exotic animal prints on silk looked great on the runway. My favourite were the pieces that were made completely out of beautiful shimmering dark green feathers.

Colours are dark, black paired with green in different shades, plum tones and burgundy.

The accessories had a lot of equestrian references. The new Stirrup bag, roomy as well as classy, has a revisited metallic spur closure (mark it on your F/W 2012 wish list, a season’s must).

Footwear is either flat (those crocodile boots, OMG!) and masculine or slipper-like with a sharp high heel.

I am a big Gucci fan and this collection has just made me love it even a little bit more…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci