Sandra‘s Closet

Ciaté offers amazing three-dimensional DIY manicures and the newest hit is the British brand’s Sequined Manicure. Just in time for the party season, when sequins are always appropriate if not essential, this nail trend seems just right.

Well… are you ready to try it out for yourself now?

I tried this fabulous mani set that features all the products you need to give your nails a glam-over. As you can see, it works very easily.

The only negative side effect is that the nails are very rough afterwards so that you have to be really careful when putting on your tights or going through your hair. To take it off, you will need a nail polish remover with acetone and plan some time.

Ciaté Sequined Manicure Kits are available in 3 colour blends and retail for £15 each, available for example at Selfridges in the UK or Sephora in the US.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

YSL Holiday look 2012, “Northern Lights”, is probably of the most wanted Christmas makeup collections with its beautiful colour palette inspired by the northern lights.

Lloyd Simmonds, Creative Makeup Director of YSL Beauty, says about the collection: “During my childhood I was fascinated by the northern lights – also known as Aurora borealis – with its incredible vitality and color, which can never forget in life. They inspired me to this collection with exceptionally bright colours, laced with violet and midnight-blue hues and dotted with pearl highlights like a grand night sky! “

My favourite products are from left to right:
PURE CHROMATICS Collector’s Palette Arctic Night (Limited Edition) – CHF 79.00
(It comes with this super-cute sequined pochette.)
LA LACQUE COUTURE Top Coat N°33 Première Neige (Limited Edition) – CHF 38.00
(For an irresistible frosty finish on your nails, reminiscent of the moonshine.)
GOLDEN GLOSS N°55 Bleu Artique & N°56 Rose Polaire (Limited Edition) – CHF 46.00
(Two scintillating sheer lip glosses that can be worn on bare lips or over your favourite lipstick.)

I absolutely adore the combination of LA LACQUE COUTURE N° 18 Bleu Majorelle (from YSL’s summer look 2012) with the Limited Edition Top Coat N°33 Première Neige. Hope that you will like it, too. The collection is in stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of YSL Beauty and © Sandra Bauknecht

Today is the 2nd of December, time to open the second door of our Advent calendar and to reveal the secret why I went to Greece with Hermès. It is something for perfume aficionados and beauty lovers:

Jour d’Hermès, the French house’s new women’s fragrance, will hit the shelves on February 15, 2013. Great news is that it is available exclusively now in all Hermès boutiques. Such a fantastic, very selective gift for Christmas. The scent is like the dawn, luminous, sensual, floral and very feminine. In the beginning of next year, I will tell you all about the trip to Delphi and give some more information on the new scent.

LoL, Sandra

Still: Courtesy of Hermès

During the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich 2012, I went backstage several times. I love watching hair and make-up artists at work as you can always learn so much. Paul Mitchell and Marionnaud belonged to the main sponsors of the event. I spotted some great products that I am now completely addicted to and of course, I am sharing them with you.

Me having fun at work.

Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer by Smashbox
Let me introduce you to the first primer dedicated to the delicate skin under the eyes! The brand’s signature silky primer texture keeps your concealer looking fresh and never cakey or settled into fine lines so that your eyes will always look well-rested. 
Available in Switzerland for CHF 33.- exclusively at Marionnaud.

Germany’s Next Topmodel 2012 winner Luisa Hartema‘s hairdo was done with products by Paul Mitchell. Scroll down to see what you will definitely need to get the perfect blow-dry.

Hydromist Blow-Out Spray™
High-performance volumizers prepare hair for a flawless blow-dry. The weightless formula boosts volume, hydrates dry strands and delivers a clean, long-lasting hold while protecting hair from damage.

Shine Spray™
This finishing spray with a light mist adds brilliance and luminous shine to any style while protecting your hair.

Styling Treatment Oil™
The idea of oiling up your hair might sound weird, but rubbing a little of this lightweight formula between your palms and then over strands before blow-drying or ironing adds a beautiful gloss and tames frizz.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

For Christmas 2012, Guerlain launches a gorgeous little trio of options for La Petite Robe Noire, the brand’s freshly re-worked fragrance. Three alternative “little black dresses” are featured on limited-edition bottles, named Ma Petite Robe Noire.

Simply choose which of the three dresses matches your or your gift recipient’s taste and have the bottle calligraphed with your name, initials or a secret message. The perfect fusion for a perfume-loving fashionista!

The complementary calligraphy session will be available in Zurich at Jelmoli only on the following dates: Friday 30st of November and Saturday 1st of December, 2012.

If you like to read my review of Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire, please click here for my thoughts on this yummy fragrance and check out this post to get an idea how cute a personalized bottle can be.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Guerlain

Let me introduce you to the world’s 1st hair and scalp super serum, inspired by 24 years of stem cell research, INITIALISTE by Kérastase. It helps you to reveal hair that feels thicker, looks shinier and is more resistant to breakage*.

Since a couple of weeks, I have been using it now and am completely convinced. My hair feels thicker and smoother. Moreover, through the application, I achieve more volume at the roots.

Benefits
With INITIALISTE, revealing a more beautiful hair fibre is now possible.

– HAIR FEELS THICKER
Hair thickness feels boosted and is lusciously soft

– HAIR LOOKS SHINIER
Hair has a lustrous-looking shine

– HAIR IS MORE RESISTANT
Hair is more resistant – up to 93% less breakage*
(*Breakage to brushing. Instrumental test: classic shampoo and Initialiste vs. classic shampoo alone).

Application
INITIALISTE can be applied directly to the scalp after washing and towel drying the hair. Leave-in treatment: 2 pipettes for fine hair and 4 for normal to thick hair. After applying, delicately massage the serum with the tips of your fingers to evenly distribute the serum over the whole scalp.

Technology
The unique knowledge of L’Oréal Advanced Research combined with the mastery of plant-based biotechnology has inspired Kerastase’s revolutionary formulation INITIALISTE, enriched with Vegetal Plant cells.

After a rigorous selection process that examined different kinds of plants, researchers focused their efforts on the native plant cells of the Malus Domestica, a variety of apple.; the extracts of which were infused in INITIALISTE’s Complexe Régénérateur®.

INITIALISTE is available for € 42.00 / CHF 56.00 (60ml). (In Switzerland in January 2013).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Kérastase

New, prodigious and powerful, Helena Rubinstein‘s latest couture treatment, LIFE PEARL CELLULAR ESSENCE, distinguishes itself for the precious and rare active agents of black pearls from Tahiti for an extreme anti-age effect. The Helena Rubinstein Laboratories have learned the secret of the black pearl, giving rise, layer after layer, to ultimate perfection in terms of radiance, surface, form and density.

Smooth and very nourishing is this new serum which is designed to recreate skin as perfect as a pure pearl. Inspired by this jewel of nature, it reveals the complexion’s pearlescent brightness and its even appearance is restored. The skin relief is more even, the wrinkles are polished and the face’s contours are visibly reshaped.

Over time, the skin progressively loses its capacity to meet its basic needs. I have used LIFE PEARL CELLULAR ESSENCE only for a few weeks and find its restoring effect already outstanding. Its floral green scent of bergamot, iris and vetiver makes its application a true sensory pleasure.

A precious serum – a jewel of technology that will be available in Switzerland in the beginning of December 2012 for CHF 560.00 (40ml) at Jelmoli Zurich, Globus Geneva and Manor Lugano.

LoL, Sandra

For the past 150 years the House of Roger&Gallet has been celebrating the magic of Christmas and has shared the joy of giving with fragrance connoisseurs from all over the world.

To celebrate its anniversary year, Roger&Gallet is introducing a collection of colourful and festive Christmas box sets. And I have some very good news for my Swiss based readers, 15 OF YOU CAN WIN ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL GIFT BOXES EACH. All you have to do is send me an e-mail to with the header “Roger&Gallet Christmas” and your postal address.

Contestants MUST live in Switzerland. All entries must be received until November 30, 2012. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this contest. By entering this contest, entrants accept and agree to be bound by these official rules.

GIFT SET FLEUR D`OSMANTHUS
For her. A cascade of appetising floral notes, with citrus fruit and wood transport you into a Chinese Garden of Eden, in quest of the rare and mysterious flower of happiness. The bunch contains a heart of mandarin, grapefruit and benzoin essential oils.

GIFT SET ROSE
For her. Nepalese roses, sparkling mandarin and peonies combined with the mysteries of amber and the velvet of almond milk lead you to a magical walk through the splendour of the palaces of Bengal and their delectable gardens.

GIFT SET BOIS D‘ORANGE
For both him and her. The essence of mandarin meets the soft, green accents of basil-verbena: an original blend with an orange theme and a base of musky notes of clear amber and woody depths of palissander and Atlas cedar take you to an olfactive journey into the Andalucian gardens of the Alhambra in Grenada under the orange trees of the Generalife Palace.

This year, Roger&Gallet’s eaux parfumées (100ml) are accompanied by a delightful duo: a shower gel (50ml) and body milk (50ml), to add extra magic to your gifts. Also available in the following scents: CÉDRAT, THÉ VERT, GINGEMBRE.

PRICE: CHF 59.60 each

GIFT SET 4 SAVON
The four soaps in this box set are delicately wrapped in “sun-shaped” pleated silk paper, in colours reflecting their fragrances: Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne, Bois d’Orange, Citron and Rose. Roger&Gallet soaps are produced using the traditional “cauldron” method and perfumed to the heart.

PRICE: CHF 27.40

All gift sets are available in pharmacies now.
Don’t forget to enter the contest! Good luck!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Roger&Gallet

If summer fashion was flavoured with the saccharine sweet – pastels, lace and frills aplenty – prepare to turn to the dark side this winter. Gone for a few weeks are pretty soft shades and in their place come the bold primaries. Cue bright red – the colour of the season and a classic show-stopper – looks best on coats and lips. Invest in vibrant outerwear that will transform every outfit from now to wow!

From left to right: Rac wool-blend coat by Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and wool-felt coat by Alexander McQueen.

The painfully beautiful Jasmin Rouge Collection by Tom Ford.

One of my favourite scents, Jasmin Rouge, is now available in a new 100ml size for CHF 380.-.
And for the holiday season, Tom Ford launches 4 new lipsticks in different shades of red: “Narcotic Rouge”, “Reckless”, “Diabolique” and “Slander” (CHF 62.- each).
Please Santa, pack them all!

To all my US readers, Happy Thanksgiving!

LoL, Sandra

Jo Malone is always a great option for Christmas gifts, and this year, the brand offers some limited edition sets along with some fun products.The influence of the ’20s and ’30s has been seen in almost every make-up collection for this holiday season and Jo Malone’s Christmas collection is no exception. Let’s have a closer look at this Art Deco-styled range.

Cologne Intense CHF 320.00
DARK AMBER & GINGER LILY 200ml
(One of my favourite scents by Jo Malone comes now in a larger size.)

Scent Surround™ Diffuser CHF 86.00
PINE & EUCALYPTUS 165ml
(Let your house smell like a freshly cut Christmas tree.)

Christmas Cracker CHF 50.00
POMEGRANATE NOIR BODY & HAND WASH 15ml
LIME BASIL & MANDARIN COLOGNE 9ml
ORANGE BLOSSOM BODY CREAM 15ml
(I am so in love with this cute product. What a cute idea to surprise your guest with such a special cracker on the table.)

Tea Trousseau CHF 795.00
ASSAM & GRAPEFRUIT COLOGNE 100ml
EARL GREY & CUCUMBER COLOGNE 100ml
SWEET LEMON COLOGNE 100ml
PARMA VIOLETS TEA DELUXE CANDLE 400g
SWEET ALMOND & MACAROON DELUXE CANDLE 400g
(This to-die-for box is including some of the most amazing fragrances and beautifully scented candles. Anybody looking for a gift for me…?)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone