Gruner + Jahr Spa Awards in Baden-Baden

A weekend of beauty! For the 23rd time the Gruner + Jahr SPA AWARDS (formerly GALA SPA AWARDS) were awarded in the end of March in Baden-Baden at the beautiful Brenner’s Park Hotel that is part of the Oetker Collection. My avid readers might remember my time to unwind at Villa Stéphanie, their «House of Wellbeing» next door. For me, it was an absolute pleasure to be back at one of my favorite places to detox and relax. I enjoyed the warm temperatures in the garden next to the blossoming cherry blossom trees after a wonderful facial and massage before getting ready for the night.

How beautiful is Brenner’s Park Hotel’s pool when you see the cherry blossom trees blossoming outside?!

The Gruner + Jahr SPA AWARDS are among the most important international beauty and spa awards. In addition to winners in six categories, two outstanding personalities are awarded the «Beauty Idol» and the «Special Prize». Personally speaking, I have a close relationship to Gruner + Jahr as my first job after my studies was at German Marie Claire magazine that belonged 50% to the  publishing house.

Spoiled upon arrival in the room…

Over 200 invited guests from the cosmetics industry, well-known representatives of the luxury hotel industry, from culture and show business gathered at the Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, among them Franziska Knuppe, Eva Padberg, Motsi Mabuse, Joachim Llambi, and Verona Pooth. Scroll through the best moments of the weekend, the bright winners and the glamorous looks of the evening that was hosted by Barbara Schöneberger, who is truly one of the most entertaining women I know.

Model Miranda Kerr is Beauty Idol 2019
The «Beauty Idol» was awarded to Miranda Kerr, the famous Australian «Victoria’s Secret» angel. Miranda is known not only as a top model, but also as an entrepreneur. Together with her mother Therese Kerr, she runs a beauty brand for sustainable natural cosmetics under the label «KORA Organics» (TO SHOP KORA ORGANICS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.icon). In addition, Miranda Kerr, a certified health coach and practicing buddhist, has dedicated herself to the topic of empowerment: In 2010, she published her first book «Treasure Yourself», followed by «Empower Yourself» in 2013. Despite her success, Miranda Kerr is very much down to earth and announced that she is pregnant with baby number three that night. For this inspirational personality, the jury honored her this year as «Beauty Idol» in 2019.

To read a previous interview I did with Miranda about her travel tips for Australia, click here please.

Special Prize for Günther Bonin
This year, the «Special Prize» went to environmental protector Günther Bonin, who set up the organization «One Earth – One Ocean». Together with his team of experts and volunteers, he developed the concept for a «maritime garbage collection». This special coastal waste collection catamaran, the so-called «SeeKuh», fishes floating plastic parts on the water surface with the help of a net. It uses solar energy and can pick up two tons of garbage per trip, which can then be recycled ashore. In addition to cleaning up the waters and seas, Günther Bonin wants to provide information in the long term, so that not so much garbage gets into the environment. The jury thanked Günther Bonin for his special commitment with the «Special Prize».

All other award winners at a glance:


Category «Luxury Concepts»: ShiseidoFuture Solution LX / Intensive Firming Contour Serum

Category «Innovation Concepts»: ForeoForeo Ufo

Category «Cult Concepts»: NiveaQ10 Series

Category «Organic Concepts»: Dr. HauschkaRegeneration Day Cream 

Category «Medical & Health Concepts»: Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & SpaSpa Nescens, Switzerland

Category «Spa Concepts»: – Corinthia Hotel LondonESPA Life at Corinthia, United Kingdom

From left to right: Award winners Thomas Kochs (ESPA Life at Corinthia), Hans-Peter Veit (Victoria Jungfrau Frau Hotel & Spa), Maren Speckmann-Munz and Nicoline Woehrle (Dr. Hauschke), Kerstin Unger (Nivea), beauty idol Miranda Kerr, Editor-in-chief Gala Anne Meyer-Minnemann, host Barbara Schoeneberger, winners Günther Bonin, Johannes Scheer (Shiseido Group Germany) and Audrey de Saint Priest (Foreo) with their awards.

Switzerland in the house: with my dear Alana Netzer.

Barbara Schöneberger and CEO Oetker Collection Frank Marrenbach on stage.

A true beauty idol: Miranda Kerr

Eva Padberg with me

Anne Meyer-Minnemann and Cathy Hummels

Franjo and Verena Pooth

GNTM juror and celebrity make-up artist Armin Morbach with me

Franziska Knuppe

Always fun times with Princess Lilly Sayn-Wittgenstein

Let’s Dance: Motsi Mabuse, Joachim Llambi and Victoria Swarovski

The night culminated in a fun after party… thank God we had lots of beauty products in our room to look fresh the next day.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of GALA, © Axel Kirchhof/Gala, the respective locations and © Sandra Bauknecht

Interview with Joyful Miranda Kerr

Interview with Joyful Miranda Kerr-Sandra Bauknecht

Joy is a state of mind, where everything seems possible and nothing is too daunting. When I met Miranda Kerr in Zurich to interview her at the Dolder Grand hotel for the September issue of L’Officiel Switzerland, I was immediately taken by her effusive positivity and joie de vivre. She was in the Swiss city as the face for ESCADA‘s newest scent Joyful.

Smile at the world, and the world smiles back. Miranda’s outlook on life and blend of natural sophistication, confidence and spontaneity make her the perfect ambassador for the fragrance. She approaches life with positivity, spontaneity and confidence.

Born and raised in Australia (click here for her travel insider about her home country), Miranda studied nutrition and health psychology after her high school graduation. Before her fourteenth birthday, she entered a magazine contest and began modeling for various clothing brands, runways, and print advertisements. The Victoria Secret model who’s famous for her feline eyes and cute dimples relocated to New York City in 2004. She was married to actor Orlando Bloom from 2010- 2013, the father of her three-year-old son Flynn.

Sandra Bauknecht-Miranda Kerr-3

I met her in the evening after a long day of shooting on the lake of Zurich. She was still full of energy and answered my questions always with a smile.

Many successful and extremely beautiful women come from Australia. Tell us a little how it was to grow up there?
I had an incredible experience growing up on my grandparent’s farm where I raced motorbikes and rode horses. My grandmother had a very big wippping willow tree,  in which we were playing flying fox and constructing houses. My grandpa used to collect gemstones and he placed them around the bottom of this tree. Still today, I have this admiration for cut amethysts and raw stones.

Do you go back often?
Yes, I go back a lot, the next time in three weeks.

VS_miranda-kerr-runway

You are an inspiring woman, a mother, a business woman and a famous model. How do you manage both parts of your life successfully? What is your secret to success?
I am prioritizing my time and I am having a good team around me which is very important as you would know with your job as well. You need to be surrounded by people who support your ideas and help you along the way, who know for what you stand for, who know your values, and who know if they have to bring something to the table to you or not. But of course you have to have the final sign off.

Regarding my son, it is hard. I make sure that for instance that when I come back home after crazy travels times, I book myself out so that I have five days of ‘one on one’ with him, that I am able to dedicate my time completely to him. During this quality time, I turn off the phone, we have playdates, we paint, we draw, we go to the park or play in the garden in the back of my home.

Miranda-Kerr-Baby-Flynn

How would a perfect day for you look like? What would you do?
I would be at the beach with my son, swimming in the ocean, building a sand castle with him and laughing. I love to take my shoes off and enjoy nature and my kid.

You have your own organic skin care line KORA. What is your philosophy behind?
I have been looking for a certified organic skin care line. I have been in the industry for such a long time and I wasn’t able to find one that I liked that would deliver the desired results. So I spoke to a chemist and said this is what I would like to achieve. Can you help me with this? She has a really great lab in Australia. So she started sending me samples. The key ingredients I insisted on including were my favourites. First of all noni, which has over 170 vitamins and minerals. I used to drink it every day so why not putting it in my skin care line. The others ones are green tea extract and rose hip oil.

KORA

What are your bestselling products?
Our bestselling products are the Luxurious Rosehip Oil and the Enriched Body Lotion. We have products for different skin types, for example a three-step process for acne, dermatitis or dry skin. We keep it very simple. It is very important to cleanse, tone and moisturize morning and night. And then if people can afford it, there are other products you can add on, like the exfoliator two, three times a week, the eye gel cream which is very soothing as well as the lip balm.
(
TO SHOP KORA Organics by Miranda Kerr, PLEASE CLICK HERE.icon)

What is your secret for your great skin?
Yes, I have a daily beauty routine (cleanse, tone, moisturize) that I always follow, no matter how tired I am. Consistency is the key when it comes to your skin.

Miranda Pregnant

How did you get your amazing body back after your pregnancy?
Find what exercise it is you really enjoy doing. For me, it is yoga, pilates, resistance training, things, that I can do easily at home while my son is right there with me. Even a little trampoline rebounder is a great way to get your lymphatic system going. Sometimes I just put the music on and dance around the house. Or I even do plank position and stay for the duration of one song. There are so many great exercises that you can do at home or while travelling. Go for a walk, a stroll through the park.

I don’t go to a studio, but sometimes I have a personal trainer come or watch a DVD. It is good to mix it up. But most of the time, I am exercising by myself.

Miranda eating

What do you eat in general? Do you follow a special diet?
I studied nutrition in New York. I am a certified health coach. So learning that knowledge is something that helps me in daily life. I know what to eat to function at your best. I can make healthy choices but I also believe in the fact that it is important not to deprive yourself. So if you have appetite for something, have it. Otherwise it is human nature to end up craving for it. Just have a little bit of it. I believe in 80% healthy and 20% indulgable.

Do you have a favourite dish?
It despends on the day. I love food and to cook. I love to eat yummy delicious organic food but I cannot always. It is difficult when I am travelling. So I try to make the healthiest choices possible but I am not always too hard on me, especially when I having a full work schedule.

Do you remember the first time you connected with a fragrance? Is there a smell that reminds you of your childhood?
My mum had a collection of fragances. She didn’t wear just one. I remember that one of her favourite things to do was putting fragrance on. She taught me to spray her clothes. That way when you walk through the room, it will be like your natural scent. You make it your scent.

Miranda Kerr for Joyful

You are now the face of the new Escada scent Joyful? Why did you choose to front this fragrance?
Escada approached me and told me that they were coming out with a fragrance called Joyful. They said that the key ingredients were peony, magnolia and sandalwood and I thought that this was crazy because peonies are my favorite flowers. They are so delicate, so beautiful, feminine, they seem so pure. I love sandalwood so I thought it was a great alignement, a great fit. When I smelled it, I felt, it was right.

Miranda Kerr  Laughing Photography-2560x1600

What does being joyful means to you? When is Miranda joyful?
I like to think that my heart is naturally very joyful and being with my son brings it out more than anything else that I have ever experienced. The simple things like enjoying the sunset, enjoying nature, taking my shoes off and putting my feet in the grass, having a fresh cut bouquet of flowers, lighting a candle and having a bath, having a laugh with friends, those things make me very happy.

On what occasion would you wear Escada Joyful?
It is a very lightweight, happy fragrance, not overpowering, like a fresh bouquet of flowers, very feminine, something that every girl wants. It works for all occasions.

New York and Australia, how do they smell like for you?
Growing up in Australia, I think of the smell of fresh rain, the smell of Christmas, because we have those Christmas beetles and they were really strong in the countryside where I grew up. Christmas was always so special. We went to my grandparents house, had a barbecue with all the family being together and then we went to my uncle’s house to swim in his big pool.

NYC has so many different smells, depending on where you are in the city. I love the smell of Central Park. There is so much energy in NY. It has ist own heartbeat that you even smell, a mixture of so many scents.
But the air here in zurich is unbeatable.

Miranda Kerr in three words.
Fun, content and joyful.

Thank you, Miranda, for this lovely interview!

Joyful 1

Inspired by the moment of joy one feels when receiving a beautiful bouquet of fresh-cut flowers, ESCADA JOYFUL reveals a beautiful, fresh pink peony, surrounded by dewy white florals, awakening an inner feminine happiness and is available as Eau de Parfum 30ml (CHF 79.00), 50ml (CHF 112.00) and 75ml (CHF 147.00), Body Lotion 150ml (CHF 50.00) and Shower Gel 150ml (CHF 45.00).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Escada, Miranda Kerr and © Sandra Bauknecht

Miranda Kerr: Australia

Miranda Kerr-Australia

Supermodel and beauty entrepreneur MIRANDA KERR shared her travel tips for Australia with us. The country where she was born and raised. Surrounded by farmland and wilderness in the small town of Gunnedah, NSW, her love for nature and organic living became an intrinsic part of her life from a very young age.

Your favourite city?
I love SYDNEY. It has everything, beach, harbor and the convenience of a city. It only takes a 20 minutes drive to get to the beach from the city centre.

Your favourite hotel?
The QUALIA RESORT up north. A remote, private and beautiful place to stay on a private island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Whitsunday Blvd, Hamilton Island QLD 4803, Australia +61 7 4948 9222

Your favourite restaurant?
The BOATHOUSE ON BLACKWATTLE BAY in Sydney, yummy food in good atmosphere.
123 Ferry Rd Glebe NSW, Australia +61 2 9518 9011

Your favourite sightseeing spot?
The BONDI TO BRONTE BEACH WALK – it is a wonderful way to see a litte bit of the coast line and experiencing great energy.

Your favourite park?
WOLSELEY PARK IN GUNNEDAH. The park I used to play in as a kid. It brings back a lot of childhood memories. Gunnedah NSW 2380, Australia

Your favourite beach?
SHELLY BEACH AT MANLY – A lovely sheltered cove and one of Sydney’s best aquatic reserves. It is so beautiful there. You can see the harbour from the beach.
Shelly Beach Drive, Manly, NSW, Australia 2095

Your favourite shop?
NATURAL PROGRESSION – A cute natural health and beauty shop located on Bondi Beach.
81 Gould Street, Bondi Beach, NSW, 2026, Australia +61 2 9130 2080

Your must-have accessory?
A SUN HAT to protect the skin, a must when visiting Australia.

Your favourite song?
LAND DOWN UNDER” by Australian new wave rock group Men at Work. The lyrics are about an Australian traveller circling the globe, proud of his nationality.

Your favorite holiday book?
My favourite book is “SHANTARAM” by Gregory David Roberts, such a captivating story.

Your favourite scent?
JOYFUL BY ESCADA. It encourages positivity and confidence to see the bright part of life and I am happy to be its face.

The smell of Australia?
I think of the SMELL OF FRESH RAIN, the SMELL OF CHRISTMAS, because we have those Christmas beetles that are really strong in the countryside where I grew up.

Thank you, Miranda, for sharing your insider scoop on Australia with us.

LoL, Sandra

KORA Organics by Miranda Kerr

Miranda Kerr KORA OrganicsSandra Bauknecht and Miranda Kerr

Yesterday I had the pleasure to interview supermodel Miranda Kerr for a very interesting project that will be revealed soon in L’Officiel Switzerland (and of course on Sandra’s Closet). Having the chance to talk to her, I was totally curious to find out more about her amazing skin care line KORA ORGANICS by Miranda Kerr iconthat I adore. The twenty-one-piece lineup of face and body essentials is as eco-luxe as it gets.

Being a green goddess and organic-devotee from Down Under, Miranda set up her skincare brand because she couldn’t find pure natural beauty products that delivered high performance results. She explained it to me: “I have been looking for a certified organic skin care line for myself. As I have been working in the industry for a while, I decided to launch one on my own and spoke to a great lab in Australia. I chose the key ingredients. First of all noni, which has over 17o vitamins and minerals. I used to drink it every day and so I thought why not putting it in my skin care line. Other key ingredients are green tea extract and rosehip oil.”

KORA

Her bestselling products are the Luxurious Rosehip Oil and the Enriched Body Lotion.
TO SHOP KORA Organics by Miranda Kerr, PLEASE CLICK HERE.icon
Try the line, I can absolutely recommend it!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of KORA Organics by Miranda Kerr and © Sandra Bauknecht