Sandra‘s Closet

Across the land of Provence, people will tell you that l’Aigo es d’Or (Water is gold). Inspired by the freshness of the fountains of Provence, L’OCCITANE has created its very first collection of Eaux de Cologne.

Three rippling fragrances bring a splash of timeless freshness to those warm, sunny days. First, there’s EAU UNIVERSELLE, a zesty scent that owes its name to its unisex nature. Next, EAU RAVISSANTE, with its flo­ral, feminine, sparkling notes. And finally, EAU CAPTI­VANTE, destined for men, with its aromatic and stimula­ting tones. These three olfactory worlds together form Eaux de Provence, a new tradition from L’OCCITANE.

EAU UNIVERSELLE
If freshness were a match made in heaven, it would be the zest of two juicy citrus fruits.

Type: For men or women
Mood: With its refreshing accord of bergamot and grapefruit, this sunny, invigorating Eau de Cologne is a beautifully timeless scent.

Family: Citrus

Top notes: Bergamot, grapefruit
Heart notes: Petit grain, geranium
Base notes: Woody notes, musk

EAU RAVISSANTE
If freshness were a woman, it would be both mischievous and graceful.

Type: For women
Mood: The sensual softness of flower petals combined with the sparkling freshness of citrus fruits, to give this Eau de Cologne a mischievous, almost beguiling air.

Family: Floral

Top notes: Bergamot, pink pepper
Heart notes: Damascena rose, freesia
Base notes: Musk, amber notes

EAU CAPTIVANTE
If freshness were a colour, it would be the green of the aromatic plants of Provence.

Type: For men
Mood: A cologne with a very Provençal feel, which combines aromatic notes with the invigorating radiance of bergamot and lime zests. A wonderfully fresh bouquet!

Family: Aromatic

Top notes: Bergamot, lime
Heart notes: Mint, basil
Base notes: Lavender, woody notes

Eau Universelle, Eau Ravissante and Eau Captivante, CHF 42.- (50ml) and CHF 75.- (300ml)
In stores now. All three bottles together look so beautiful on display, don’t they?

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht and Stills: Courtesy of L’Occitane

This week, I drove all the way (approximately 1000km) from Salt Lake City to Yosemite all through the state of Nevada. Before leaving Utah, just before the city of Wendover, I passed the Bonneville Salt Flats, one of the most unique natural features in the world. The area is a densely-packed salt pan, the largest of many salt flats located west of the Great Salt Lake. Some of you might know it because of the land speed records at the “Bonneville Speedway”.

It looks like a frozen lake bed covered with snow. No vegetation grows in that area. The Salt Flats were formed when ancient lake Lake Bonneville dried up. The lake was huge, filling much of the Great Basin. It eventually shrank below its outlet and so its water became salty. As water continued to evaporate, salt deposits were left in many areas. The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of Lake Bonneville. The scenery is truly impressive.

My look: Long royal blue dress by Forever21 ($9.95 on sale), flats by Zara, daisy necklace by Dior Haute Joaillerie and my souvenir cowboy hat from Wyoming.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

“I’m renowned for my love of a high collar and I wanted to create a true collector’s item,” says Karl Lagerfeld of his jewel-encrusted collar.

Fusing “the masculine with the feminine and uniting the world of fine jewelry and high fashion”, the designer’s spectacular collar is an extraordinary collector’s piece. Handcrafted from black suede, sparkling with pavé black diamonds and a single emerald- cut stone, produced exclusively for the Vogue UK jewelry editor Carol Woolton-curated Brilliant exhibition at Masterpiece, London, the capital’s luxury art and design fair, it will be on display from June 28th – July 4th. The piece will be accompanied by a hand-signed sketch from Mr Lagerfeld himself.

A percentage of profits from the sale will be donated to children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

This collar will be available for shipping from 7th July.
TO SHOP, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

The iconic glamour of Valentino and the rock-chic attitude of creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli are a match made in fashion heaven, and these leather and suede ankle boots are my latest obsession from the storied fashion house.

A beautiful silhouette toughened with pyramid studs, these shoes are an elegant way to add city edge to polished looks. Valentino’s rockstuds have been a must for fashionistas since quite a while, have a look at a previous post by clicking here.
Now you just have to choose if you prefer them in black or powder.

Studded suede and leather ankle boots in black by Valentino

Studded suede and leather ankle boots in powder by Valentino

LoL, Sandra

« The strength of the sea and the brightness of the sky are the elements that I am drawn towards the most when in Pantelleria and that inspired me Acqua di Gio. For Acqua di Giò Essenza, I wanted to create a concentrate of power and sensuality. »

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani has always loved the Mediterranean, and drew his inspiration from the rock-strewn landscape of Pantelleria to create Acqua di Giò in 1996. A fresh, sensual blend that has become a classic men’s fragrance. An irresistible combination of sea’ salty accents, sparkling citrusy notes, musk and woody cedar, this exceptional scent embodies masculinity in harmony with nature, a fragrance of escape and sensuality.

Today Acqua di Giò Essenza opens a new chapter with an Eau de Parfum, a new interpretation of Acqua di Giò, more intense, composed by Alberto Morillas.

Top notes: Cascalone, Sicilian bergamot essence and grapefruit zest.
Heart notes: Paradisone, jasmine absolute from Grasse, basil and sage.
Base notes: Patchouli,  Atlas cedar, vetiver from Haiti, ambrox, animalic ambergris and clary sage.

The result is an incomparable sensuality, the tantalizing lure of the skin.

The bottle shares the same architectural lines as the Acqua di Giò bottle, with the addition of light and technology. An engraved silver-plated plaque embraces the base of the glass like a mirror, to give the fragrance an even greater dazzle. In a click, the new magnetic cap bearing the Armani logo, opens and closes the bottle with a simple, sensual gesture.

The campaign was shot by Bruce Weber starring Simon Nessman.

LoL, Sandra

Next stop: Salt Lake City, Utah.
The state’s capital is first and foremost known as home of the Mormon’s headquarter. The influence of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) can be felt everywhere. The city was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young and his Mormon followers, who extensively irrigated and cultivated the arid valley. It is such a clean and neat place that has a lot of beautiful old buildings. I was there Sunday and it was all closed due to the religious tradition.

Mormons self-identify as Christian, though some of their beliefs differ from mainstream Christianity. Between 1852 and 1890 many Mormons openly practiced plural marriage, a form of religious polygamy, which is not allowed anymore. Today, it is practiced only by fundamentalist groups that have broken with the LDS Church.

My look to explore the city: Lace top and denim skirt by Stella McCartney, small Marcie hobo bag in Skylight blue by Chloé, Audrey wayfarer sunglasses by Céline and embellished thong sandals by Prada.
On my nails: Fly (turquoise) with one layer of Save me (hologram silver glitter), both from the Nicki Menaj by OPI collection.

Let me take you on a tour through the city and enjoy some photos of my outfit.

LoL, Sandra

View from the top: The skyline of Salt Lake City in front of the mountains.

Salt Lake City is very close to the Great Salt Lake which you can see in the back.

Utah State Capitol

In the back: Temple Square in Downtown Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Temple is one of the most iconic images of the LDS Church.

Assembly Hall

Mormon Tabernacle, home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, that is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir.

Shopping Mall: City Creek Center

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Each year, the CHANEL Métiers d’Art fashion show celebrates the exceptional talent of these Houses, pairing their know-how with a legendary destination.

PARIS – BOMBAY showcases a specific vision of India. Immense chandeliers and can­delabras bathe an opulent banquet table in light. The scent of jasmine floats through the air. Surreal princesses from an idealised empire or authentic Parisian women combine the lavishness of the Maharajas and the timeless codes of the House of CHANEL. Refined jewelry pieces clip back sumptuous hairstyles and black-shadowed eyes take on a catlike appearance.

Indian beauties know how to enhance their noble almond-shaped eyes, which they accen­tuate with kohl and dark eyeshadows. Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, intensifies the proportions of this iconic makeup to give it a universal character.Eyes succumb to the boldness and mystery of a black eyeshadow in all its nuances with ILLUSION D’OMBRE Mirifique. Graphic makeup with saturated colour blocks stretches out from the corner of the eye to express strength and femininity. The rest of the face fo­cuses on gold and light.

The exclusive creation of the collection is a precious, evanescent golden powder to dab onto cheekbones and eyelids in scintillating touches. In its classic black-lacquered case, ROUTE DES INDES DE CHANEL recreates an embossed motif of a rare fabric, a piece of bronze brocade from an Indian-influenced collection created by Ga­brielle Chanel in the 1960s. A stroke of blush structures the face and warms the translucent complexion with the hint of an elegant and sunny earth tone. Lips remain natural, enhanced by the luster of luminous beige shimmering with gold.

On nails, an original nail polish mixing pale gold and silver recalls the traditional festival of lights, for which it was named: Diwali.

All products will be available in July.

ROUTE DES INDES DE CHANEL An ultra-luminous and scintillating golden powder, CHF 85.-
(Limited Edition)

LE VERNIS Diwali A vintage gold with silvery metallic reflections, CHF 38.-
(Limited Edition)

ROUGE COCO SHINE 437 Empreinte A natural beige with iridescent golden shimmers, CHF 46.-

JOUES CONTRASTE 03 Brume d’or A bronze brown with subtle gold sparkles, CHF 60.-

ILLUSION D’OMBRE 85 Mirifique Every nuance of black, CHF 47.-

LE CRAYON KHÔL 61 Noir, CHF 32.-

INIMITABLE INTENSE 10 Noir, CHF 47.-

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

As promised earlier, here is a detailed post about my look that I wore at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Cut out panel dress (on sale) and openwork parka, both from Givenchy’s Resort 2012 collection, lime green leather pumps by Prada, brown Pandora bag by Givenchy, brass eagle and cross earrings (on sale) by Emilio Pucci, wide cuff by Stella McCartney and cat eye glitter acetate and metal sunglasses by Miu Miu.
The cowboy hat is a souvenir from Wyoming.

Hope that you like it! Off to new adventures…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Blake Lively is the face of Gucci’s new upcoming fragrance Gucci Première, named after the Italian house’s haute couture line. This is the “Gossip Girl” regular’s first scent campaign, though she posed for Chanel last year.

The scent is meant to evoke Old Hollywood and so does the short movie for the campaign shot by director Nicolas Winding Refn. “She is a girl of extraordinary beauty and she’s a girl who loves fashion. She has great taste in clothes. Although she’s young, she’s also very determined, and I liked this spirit. She knows how to be a diva in the right sense, with an aspirational glamour,” said Gucci’s Creative Director Frida Giannini.

Lively was the perfect choice to transport that glam retro-Hollywood look, don’t you think? The perfume will be launched worldwide Mid July.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of Gucci

At the moment, I am doing a crazy road trip through the US. I have so much to show you but for lack of time and internet connection, I am far behind posting. Today was an amazing day that ended pretty badly and I am thankful that I am still in one piece. But see for yourself…

I left this morning the city of Lusk, Wyoming driving all the way up to South Dakota. Those two states have got a real cowboy feel to them. I love this old school western charm and of course, I had to buy me a cowboy hat on the way.

I drove around 130 miles through the middle of nowhere, vast land areas without any population, totally flat. The whole ride, I thought that this could be a region where tornados could take place.

My first stop was Mount Rushmore National Memorial that I had been wanting to see for a long time. The colossal portraits of four famous presidents of the United States: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt in the Black Hills of South Dakota are pretty impressive.

Please stay tuned for a post about my look that I shot at this outstanding location.

My second stop was the Custer State Park where the Needles Highway and other roads offer idyllic scenic drives. It encompasses an abundance of wildlife.

So when I thought that it couldn’t get more thrilling than having a real bear in front of my car, I was completely mistaken.

On my way back to Wyoming, the sky started to darken and I could see lightnings. Then, it all happened very fast. The wind got stronger and the rain heavier. All of a sudden, the radio announcer issued a warning that a severe thunderstorm was approaching and that people should look for shelter. For me it was too late. I was surrounded by miles and miles of flat land. All of a sudden, the sky dumped golf-ball-sized hail with 70mph winds. I stopped the car and threw myself on the floor. It was so scary. The hail made a horrible noise and broke the windows of the car. The glass went all over me. I was so scared that this would become a twister but fortunately, it didn’t go that far. Nevertheless, the car is completely destroyed and looks from the outside as if I had been in a fight with Terminator.

Right after the storm had passed, I saw a rainbow through my destroyed rear window.

No more windows left…

… and glass all over.

Do you see the damage of the roof? Can you imagine the size of the hail that leaves such marks?! It is impressive how strong the forces of nature truly are and that there is a point where you are at their mercy. Thank God that all went well!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht