Sandra‘s Closet

My dearest readers, today, I have the most amazing contest for you: win a spa weekend for two with SISLEY and great news is that the lucky winner can choose the destination.

Two options are available, which are both absolutely amazing, Le Richmond Geneva or the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

With email at your fingertips, nonstop group texting, and around-the-clock social media delights and distractions, actually making the time to unwind is overly important. Take your loved one on a weekend trip that will boost your energy level, get your glow back and will leave you with some beautiful memories.

Personally speaking, friends are often asking me how I can keep up with my level of stress, the constant travels and permanent social media activities. My key is taking some time off in between. So I went for a great spa weekend to the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz which is one of the destinations you can choose from.

Taking a break from everyday life at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

Being just four miles from the Tamina Gorge, where the physician and alchemist Paracelsus documented the healing powers of the Bad Ragaz spring water in the 16th century, the Grand Resort is comprised of two hotels: Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites and Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz. It continues this tradition of health and wellness with its 12,800-square-meter spa, one of the largest in Europe. The sprawling complex features ten spring-water-filled indoor and outdoor pools, three sauna and steambath zones, Asian treatment suites and a private spa.

If you are looking for regeneration from the inside out, this place sets you on the right path. The best? Some amazing treatments by SISLEY.

Some of my Sisley favorites…

As you know, I am addicted to some of the beauty brand’s products, such as the So Intense Mascara, the Black Rose Cream Mask and the Sisleÿa Global Anti-Age Cream among many other. Launched in 1976 by Hubert d’Ornano, the private skin care and fragrance company is still owned by the family. The company’s production, administration, and research laboratories are located in France. Sisley high end products are primarily manufactured in its ultra-modern factory in Blois, located in the Loir-et-Cher department.

Relaxed and happy after the Sisley treatments at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

To participate in the contest and discover all the details, click HERE please.
The deadline for the raffle is January 6, 2017.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today’s outfit post comes with hugs and kisses from Gstaad. I wore this gown to the ASW Foundation Gala Dinner last weekend at the Gstaad Palace. It is such a great piece, comfortable and great for dancing, something that can be difficult with a long dress in general.

My look: Ruffled lace-paneled metallic silk-blend gown and Sarabande embellished satin-trimmed lace bra top, both by Alexander McQueen, cutout leather platform pumps by Saint Laurent, vintage baguette bag by Christian Dior and earrings by Prada.

LoL, Sandra

 Photos: © David Biedert

Last weekend, I was in Gstaad for the seventh edition of the famous ASMALLWORLD Winter Weekend. The three days in the snow (in this year’s case no snow) of the private international travel and social club has become known as one of the most fun events of the year.

Guests from all over the world come to the chic Swiss winter getaway for great fun, parties, dancing, fondue and philanthropy.

With ASW Chairman Patrick Liotard-Vogt

The weekend kicked off with the Chairman’s Apéro in the Gstaad Palace lobby, which is personally speaking the best one in the world. The night continued with a special theme: «La Nuit des Tsars», Russian glamour at its best. Caviar and vodka were served and we partied late at the hotel’s night club GreenGo.

Beautiful table setting for the «La Nuit des Tsars».

Beluga noble Russian vodka…

… pairing yummy Kaviari caviar – a culinary delight.

Dancing to the fabulous sounds…

of the Phly Boyz.

Saturday was all about indulging in the mountain scenery with a lift ride to the Wasserngrat restaurant where we all enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and an après-ski inspired lunch with wine and fondue. A live performance of the Phly Boyzs who already had entertained us the night before made sure we move and would fit in our gowns for the ASW Foundation Gala Dinner at Gstaad Palace’s «Salle Baccarat».

Fondue lunch at Wasserngrat from above.

An afternoon full of laughter…

… and fun!

To raise money for the good cause, guests were eager to buy raffles tickets as the prizes were truly tempting, from limited edition diamond watches by Parmigiani to weekend getaways at some of the most luxurious spots in Switzerland. Later, we partied far into the smallest hours to the sounds of the live band Hot’n’Cold.

Amazing raffle prizes by Parmigiani for the lucky winners. 

Having fun at the after party.

The next morning, we all embraced the memories of the weekend during brunch and everyone agreed that this weekend was the best one so far of all editions. Oh my Gstaad! Cannot wait to be back next year…

In the meantime enjoy many more photos below and stay tuned for the outfit posts coming up soon!

Gorgeous Ljuba Manz with me

Maya El Assali and Martin Tobler Parmigiani Switzerland

Guests enjoying the Patoro cigars.

Angela Boffa, Monique and Thomas Hollinger framed by the Phly Boyz.

The Chairman’s Apéro

Derek Tanner and Alexander Manz.

Remee Jackman with Mathilde Goehler, my humble self and Patrick Liotard-Vogt.

Dr. Pablo Schneider, Patoro Cigars and Dominique Martin

CEO Asmallworld Jan Luescher

Lucy Tallo, Katja Grauwiler with Sabina Hanselmann-Diethelm (editor in chief Style Magazine and Bolero) and her husband David Hanselmann.

Designer Luca Rubinacci with his girlfriend on the way to lunch.

Love is in the air: Remee Jackman and his gorgeous girlfriend Mathilde Goehler

Luca Rubinacci with Patrick Liotard-Vogt

Noelle Frautschi, Maya El Assali and Sabina Hanselmann-Diethelm

Gorgeous couple: Dr. Pablo Schneider with Noelle Frautschi

Beautiful ambiance for the ASW Foundation Gala Dinner.

With Mathilde Goehler at the cocktail.

Princess Lilly zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Ljuba Manz drawing a prize.

Sarah and Daniel Klein

Having fun at the after party with Lisa Lotz and Iman Grailsamer.

What a fun weekend! Bravo ASMALLWORLD!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert

Beaumarchais lived here, fabulous parties took place here, and great names have stayed here. Yet for more than half a century, the Hôtel Amelot de Bisseuil, also known as Hôtel des Ambassadeurs de Hollande, has been left slumbering in the heart of Le Marais. This winter a part of this unique building, recognised as one of the most beautiful in Paris, will come to life again and open its doors to the public once more. It is here that CHANEL has chosen to install a double ephemeral boutique.

The Hôtel Amelot de Bisseuil is classified as a National Heritage Site, and its high doors carved with two gargoyle heads and the coat of arms belonging to the family that acquired the townhouse in the 17th century, give one a hint of its impressive stature that lies within. These doors open onto the Cour d’Honneur, surrounded by two buildings, where one immediately senses a breath of magic and of mystery in the air. At the entrance four sundials have kept their polychrome in spite of the years gone by.

The two ephemeral boutiques break from the traditional codes of CHANEL. Each space has been left in its untouched state: exposed stone walls are bare having been simply adorned with facades of transparent glass, giving pride of place to the history of this hôtel particulier which over the centuries has been witness to so many lives. The floor, with it’s worn appearance, is made from resin to resemble Corten steel. This desire for purity also offers a glimpse of the immense renovation in progress of these buildings and those hidden in the rear courtyard.

Within this minimalist environment only the black linear clothes rails and the wooden console tables mounted on glass supports, emerge here and there. In the first building, on the left, the ready-to-wear collections and the accessories are presented over a single floor of 127m².

A second space, consisting of just 37m², and made to look like the studio of a great artist, is housed in the building on the right. In complete respect for the mineral and almost archaeological atmosphere of this setting, once again, nothing has been changed, adorned, reconstituted or hidden. Here, only authenticity, miraculously preserved over the ages, prevails. Pierced with a window, this boutique brings together the CHANEL shoes.

Like a stroll through time and history it reminds us that a piece by CHANEL is anchored in modernity and the air du temps, yet is also transmitted from one generation to the next. The Hôtel Amelot de Bisseuil is one of its most beautiful showcases yet.

CHANEL Ephemeral Boutique
47 rue Vieille du Temple
75004 Paris
+33 1 40 09 59 60
Open from now to the end of May 2017
From Monday to Sunday 11am to 7pm

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Olivier Saillant © Chanel

The fashion world is moving fast and sometimes labels that have been around for many years become all of a sudden absolutely trendy. It takes the right designer to lead the brand to new heights just like Alessandro Michele did with Gucci. Now, there is another fashion house that you should include in your wish list: LOEWE. Founded in 1846, Loewe started life as a cooperative of leather artisans in Madrid, before German entrepreneur Enrique Loewe Roessberg took over the workshop and consolidated it under his name in 1872. The Spanish label introduced its first ready-to-wear collection in 1965, bringing fashion to the centre of the brand.

In 2013 Jonathan Anderson took over the helm at Loewe and transformed the Spanish house slowly but constantly into one of the most talked-about labels this season.

Raquel Zimmermann starred in Loewe’s S/S 2016 ad campaign.

Under Anderson’s creative direction, the label has had its logo and emblem rebranded by Parisian art duo M/M (Paris), Steven Meisel-lensed ad campaigns have been rolled out and the clothes and bags are quickly garnering must-have status among the style set. When it comes to taking a label steeped in heritage and making it relevant today, Anderson has the Midas touch.

A statement bag that you should get: Loewe‘s Joyce embellished leather shoulder bag.

A modern legacy: LOEWE Boutique Bilbao designed by architect Javier Carvajal, 1960.

An authority in leather goods for over 160 years, Loewe, under the creative vision of Anderson, continues to design classic handbags using cutting-edge techniques. With a keen interest in interiors and architecture, Javier Carvajal (the architect responsible for the modernist Loewe stores in the 1950s and 1960s) is another key inspiration.

The new must-have bag for the S/S 2017 season? Loewe‘s Puzzle leather shoulder bag.
For Anderson’s first bag style, the Puzzle, more than 40 fragments of super-soft leather have been sliced and repositioned.

«I set out to find a new way of building a bag, fundamentally questioning its structure. It was about deconstructing a conventional bag to create a flat object with a tri-dimensional function» – Jonathan Anderson.

I love it! It is definitely on my shopping list…

You can shop a great selection of LOEWE at NET-A-PORTER, LUISAVIAROMA, MATCHESFASHION and MYTHERESA.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Loewe

Many of my girlfriends have been asking me for advice about the right mascara. Personally speaking, it depends on my eye makeup. If I go for a nude look, I tend to wear a light not too clumpy mascara. If I want to achieve a smokey eye, I like something more dramatic. But bying a whole collection of different mascaras can be quite expensive therefore I was immediately taken by EYEKO’S MASCARA WARDROBE. It offers all you need to achieve every lash look – from smudge-proof definition and dramatic volume, to sleek length for a reasonable price.

Black Magic Mascara is enriched with Keratin and Shea Butter and will create an elegant curl with serious staying power.
Skinny Brush Mascara‘s slim wand has dispersed bristles to capture and coat even the shortest of hairs.
Fat Brush Mascara is perfect if you love bold, thicker body and length.
Sport Waterproof Mascara‘s smudge-proof formula withstands even the most high-intensity workouts.
Eye Do Mascara delivers a falsie effect.
Rock Out & Lash Out Mascara has a gel finish for superior hold and impact.

Housed in a smart black presentation box, this set which is filled with six of the brand’s best-selling styles will make a perfect gift for yourself or a discerning friend.

TO SHOP EYEKO’S MASCARA WARDROBE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Eyeko

The packaging of five of Jo Malone‘s most beloved soaps will be redesign by British artist Michael Angove in the beginning of 2017.

A passion for pattern: Michael Angove

Exhaling pure cuteness, those beauty must-haves make the perfect hostess gift when you are invited for a dinner.

Lime Basil Mandarin 100g
English Pear & Freesia 100g
Blackberry & Bay 100g
Red Roses 100g
Pomegranate Noir 100g

The limited edition soaps will be available from February 2017 for CHF 23.00 each. In Switzerland at Globus Geneva, Globus Lucerne and Jelmoli Zurich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

This post is actually a little teaser. The photos were taken recently at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz where I was with Sisley to prepare a very special surprise for you. Stay tuned next week as an amazing contest will be coming up.

This outfit has become one of my favourites for fall. I have been in love with Mary Katrantzou‘s designs from her first season and have been collecting her must-have pieces since then.

My look: Oliver jacquard and plissé-tulle coat and Charm butterfly embroidered tulle dress, both by Mary Katrantzou, bow-embellished patent-leather pumps by Saint Laurent and cable shopper small patent-leather bag by Balenciaga.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Nespresso‘s limited edition festive collection for 2016 is absolutely divine, sending me as a caffeine addict into a coffee shopping frenzy. It is a sweet treat with no calories!

Each flavoured espresso results from the sweet marriage of Livanto’s balance and roundness with different ingredients that are all inspired the rich coffee house traditions and elegance of Vienna, each with a comforting and indulgent aroma that is set to delight the coffee lover in your life.

Variations Sachertorte – Austrian Sachertorte, a glazed chocolate cake containing a thin layer of sweet apricot jam.

Variations Apfelstrudel – Variations Apfelstrudel is inspired by the classic layered puff pastry dessert which contains a sweet apple filling delicately spiced with cinnamon.

Variations Linzer Torte – Nespresso pays homage to the popular Austrian Linzer Torte: a tasty redcurrant tart topped with a recognizable lattice design.

All three Variations coffees have an intensity level of six (on a scale up to 12) and will be available for a limited period during the festive season in a box of 10 capsules for CHF 5.70.

If you are still looking for the perfect coffee cup to enjoy this sophisticated treat of caffeine, I recommend this beautiful Lustre set.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Nespresso

Last Thursday, I flew to Munich for a very interesting press conference with Neutrogena. After I landed back in Zurich at 10pm, I went straight to a friend’s cocktail party. I knew I wouldn’t have time to change, therefore I planned my outfit precisely. Metallics are always a great way to work day and night, adding the right shimmer especially in artificial light.

My look: Black long shearling coat by Prada, metallic lace-trimmed cotton-blend cardigan and ruffled crinkled silk-chiffon blouse, both by Gucci,  appliquéd leather and lace skirt by Jason Wu, large classic flap bag in caviar leather by Chanel, Spring Garden brocade knee boots by Valentino and diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht