Sandra‘s Closet

«Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.» – Mark Twain

January is my birthday month and I love having my big day. My friends keep wondering why I don’t fear turning one year older. Personally speaking, aging is a gift not everyone gets to receive in life. Happiness is a mental and emotional state of being; it comes as a result of the choices we make. It’s all about attitude, perspective, and what we make age mean to us. We all are what we believe. If nobody sees how old you really are, how can you be afraid of aging?!

Time is the most precious asset we’ve got. It means life, and it’s never coming back. So use it wisely. Invest in yourself, in your wellbeing, treat your body as your precious vehicle that gets your everywhere you want to go. I have always invested in me-time and taken care of my skin. My skincare routine is precious to me.

My favorite product line is with no doubt GENAISSANCE DE LA MER™. This ultimate time-transcending collection accelerates skin’s renewal and means total transformation. It is exceptionally crafted with the potent Crystal Miracle Broth™, which is the purest expression of LA MER’s legendary Miracle Broth™ elixir. It infuses your skin with the healing energies of the sea, transporting it to a more ageless dimension. For me, it is an elevated ageless ritual that turns back time all day long and deeply into the night.

The Infused Lotion
The velvety primer softens, nourishes, and begins the power of Genaissance de la Mer™.

The Serum Essence
This silken serum measurably reduces the look of lines and wrinkles and boots skin’s elasticity.

The Eye & Expression Cream
The ultra-sumptuous cream visibly fades fine lines and dark circles with plumping, healing hydration.

The Concentrated Night Balm
This ampoule-strength treatment gives skin a firmer feel and helps visibly reverse lines and wrinkles while you sleep.

The Concentrated Night Balm is such a game changer for the skincare routine. Each evening before sleep, I apply it with the moon-shaped applicator to scoop a small amount and apply the product to the face and neck, gently smoothing into the skin. My morning and evening routines are always followed by the application of my favorite moisturizer, the iconic The Moisturizing Cream. Don’t forget to warm up the product between your fingertips before applying it.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GENAISSANCE DE LA MER™, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

«Growing older is inescapable; aging is optional.»

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise! ©lamer #GenaissancedelaMer #LoveLaMer #CrystalMiracleBroth

My grandmother used to wear a rare rose fragrance. For me, this floral smell is reminiscent of my childhood and beautiful moments. Therefore, I was absolutely curious to discover Tom Ford’s three new rose fragrances: Rose D’Amalfi, Rose De Chine and Rose De Russie that complement the existing Rose Prick scent to create a Private Rose Garden Collection. Each one is a very beautiful scent, you will have to see for yourself which one suits you best.

TOM FORD ROSE PRICK

«FLESH…PETALS…THORNS. ROSE PRICK IS A WILD BOUQUET OF BEAUTIFUL BREEDS, A TRILOGY OF ROSE DE MAI, TURKISH AND BULGARIAN ROSE. SHARP AND PRISTINE, THE PIERCING PRICKLES OF THE STEMS HOOK ONTO EACH OTHER, BONDING THEIR BLOOMS IN PINK PERFECTION.» – TOM FORD

This wild bouquet of rose breeds is inspired by Tom Ford‘s private rose garden. This wild bouquet of precious rose breeds is so lovely it hurts. A rose by any other name wouldn’t be Tom Ford.  Rose Prick is contained in a matte, opaque, rose-pink bottle. Capped with a matte-black metal inset, the 50 mL flacon has the sleek, architectural look of a chess piece, adding monumental beauty to any vanity.

TOM FORD ROSE  PRICK NOTES
Audacious – Floral Chypre
Top notes: Sichuan pepper, turmeric
Heart notes: May Rose, Turkish Rose, Bulgarian Rose
Base notes: Patchouli, Tonka Bean, Caramel, Vanilla, Musk

TOM FORD ROSE D’AMALFI

«INFUSED WITH ITALIAN BERGAMOT, ROSE D’AMALFI IS AN INTIMATE AND SENSUOUS SCENT.» – TOM FORD

Tom Ford Rose D’Amalfi is the closest of the three new Tom Ford Private Rose Garden Collection fragrances to that of Tom Ford Rose Prick. An intimate, discreetly sensual rose kissed by Italian bergamot, it merges babies roses with sunlit heliotrope, evoking skin-on-skin warmth. It is packed full of freshly cut roses, coated in a candied powdery-pink sweetness.

TOM FORD ROSE D’AMALFI NOTES
Intimate – Floral Musky
Top Notes: Pink Pepper, Indian Mandarin, Bergamot
Middle Notes: Rose
Base Notes: Almond, Heliotrope

TOM FORD ROSE DE CHINE

«ROSE DE CHINE HAS AN UNTAMED, DECADENT QUALITY. CONTRASTED WITH CHINESE PEONIES, IT INTOXICATES.» – TOM FORD

This fragrance contrasts vibrant Chinese peony, my favorite flower, with the smoky carnality of cysts absolute and myrrh. It has a  fresh floral opening with a rose heart and a delicate amber base. For me this is the softest rose fragrance in the collection.

TOM FORD ROSE DE CHINE NOTES
Decadent – Floral Amber
Top Notes: Chinese peony
Middle Notes: Rose
Base Notes: Labdanum, Myrrh

TOM FORD ROSE DE RUSSIE

«ROSE DE RUSSIE BLENDS THE ESSENCE OF RUSSIAN BLACK LEATHER WITH INTENSE FLORALS, FOR AN OPULENT, DRAMATIC SCENT.» – TOM FORD

An opulent, darkly dramatic rose, Rose De Russie conjures an extravagant bloom seduced by white pepper, woods and dark-as-midnight Russian leather. This is the most masculine scent in the collection, a gorgeous smoky leather fragrance with a lively rose heart.

TOM FORD ROSE DE RUSSIE NOTES
Opulent – Floral Leather
Top Notes: White Pepper
Middle Notes: Rose
Base Notes: Woody Notes, Leather

TO SHOP TOM FORD BEAUTY ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Tom Ford Beauty and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Sephora is one of the best places to find amazing gifts to spoil all of your beauty-loving friends. When I went to the Sephora press day, I narrowed down the best skin-care, makeup, hair, and fragrance sets, so you can cross all of your beauty-obsessed friends and relatives off your list in the last minute.

In fact, there’s so much holiday goodness that it can be a little overwhelming to start from scratch. So I did the hard work for you and compiled the most affordable and breathtaking options.

Happy Holidays!

LoL, Sandra

Sephora Collection Palette Blockbuster – CHF 39.90
88 shades: 60 eyeshadows, 6 face powders (2 highlighters, 2 blushs and 2 bronzer), 16 lip glosses, 3 eyebrow powders and 3 cream eyeliners.

Nars Explicit Content Climax – Duo De Mascaras – CHF 45.90
A makeup set featuring two full-sized Climax Mascaras in attractive packaging.

Drunk Elephant Drunk Break Weekend Edition Holiday Kit – CHF 88.90
This is a complete facial routine featuring a pro-quality AHA/BHA mask.

Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Jet Set – CHF 50.90
Featuring the award-winning, cult favorite Brazilian Bum Bum Cream that is a must for all beauty lovers.

Fresh Cleanse & Moisturize Set – CHF 28.90
Your skin care prep essentials in one set.

Too Faced Better Than Sex – Ornament – CHF 19.90
Trim your tree with a limited-edition holiday ornament with a travel size version of the #1-selling prestige mascara in America! Makes the perfect gift!

Pumpkin Spice Second Slice Eye Palette – CHF 57.90
Capture all the sexy colors of fall with our phis palette, made of 18 fragrant, warm and spicy shades.

Kenzoki Youth Flow Set – CHF 49.90
The perfect mix of global anti-ageing action and feel-good formula.​

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Makeup can be one of the best ways to treat yourself or a loved one for the holidays. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are also the perfect occasion to dress up and try some festive makeup looks! Bobbi Brown released an amazing  limited edition Holiday 2022 collection that I don’t want you to miss, and not only because of its gorgeous packaging.  The collection features two palettes, a highlighting powder, lipsticks and some great gift sets. Let’s have a closer look as I tried it for you.

«Tis the season to sparkle and shine. You’re invited to get all decked out and go out on the town. Spark holiday spirit with brilliant beauty gifts and be your brightest self all season long.»

LUXE EYE & CHEEK PALETTES
The stars of the collection that feature artist-curated shades that light up eyes with rich metallic, matte and sparkle finishes for multidimensional color and brighten cheeks all day with a luminous, luxurious sheen.
Incandescent Glow (my choice) – Copper Glow
CHF 92

HIGHLIGHTING POWDER
Glow all in this holiday season with this bestselling highlighter that glides onto skin for radiant, pearl-illumination. It illuminates lids and cheeks with an enchanting gleam.
Pink Glow
CHF 69

LUXE LIP COLOR
Statement lips. Luxe Lip Color delivers creamy, hydrating, full-coverage color at its most Luxe and all decked-out in a limited-edition holiday design.
Metro Red – Neutral Rose (my choice) – Claret
CHF 52

This season, Bobbi Brown offers also many different holiday gift sets, sparkle makeup sets, skincare gift sets and more.

My three favorites are from top to bottom:
EXTRA INDULGENCE SKINCARE SET
This limited-edition set gives dry, parched skin extra indulgence with a double dose of (giftable) hydration to last through the season, featuring a full-size Extra Repair Eye Cream intense, full-size Extra Repair Moisture Cream Intense, and a limited-edition Makeup Bag.
CHF 198

BEST OF BOBBI BROWN ULTIMATE GIFT SET
This limited-edition 9-piece set of Bobbi Brown bestsellers offers everything you need to make it through the holidays—and come out glowing. The set is tucked in a giftable travel bag—perfect for creating celebratory beauty looks at home or on-the-go, wherever the holidays take you.
CHF 155

MINI CRUSHED LIP TRIO
These 2 limited-edition, holiday-ready lip sets are the perfect stocking stuffers for lipstick lovers everywhere.
CHF 42

The collection is available at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Counters and at www.bobbibrown.ch.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography and © Bobbi Brown
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

True luxury should last forever … Personally speaking, being able to show your true authentic self is the highest form of luxury for me. Since an early age, I have followed that motto and I have always believed in investing into things to treasure for decades to come. Quality over quantity is the key. Luxury, like happiness, is the blurry notion of something good that happens. Everything you see on SANDRA’S CLOSET is part of this journey.

When it comes to perfumery, I am a huge fan of KILIAN PARIS. Twisting traditional French luxury with his own audacious take, Kilian Hennessy has created his contemporary vision of perfumery. With long-lasting accords that recall luxury fragrances of former eras, the House is uncompromising when it comes to the quality of the ingredients.

On top, Kilian Hennessy established a practice in tune with our times: a favorite perfume is bought only once and refilled for life.

With sustainability in mind, insisting on well-crafted design with timeless style, a KILIAN Paris flacon is perpetually refillable, making it an everlasting collector’s piece. Styled after elegant, sophisticated barware, they are beautiful scented objects of desire to last a lifetime. To the brand’s Founder, the words ‘disposable’ and ‘luxury’ are incommensurable. Luxury should live with us and go beyond us, like an object our great-grandchildren might find and cherish as part of their heritage.

«To me, a true luxury product must have in its DNA the capacity to be passed on from generation to generation. True luxury should last forever!» – Kilian Hennessy

HOW TO REFILL YOUR FLACON

1. Unscrew the cap and carefully remove the atomizer from the original Kilian Paris perfume bottle.

2. Turn upside down the refill and insert its end into the cavity of the original perfume bottle.

3. Rotate the refill bottle clockwise until the liquid starts fillin up the original perfume bottle.

4. Rotate the refill bottle counterclockwise to extract it from the perfume bottle cavity.

5. Tighten the original perfume bottle with the original cap.

While less waste and a lighter carbon imprint are the result of doing things a little bit differently from the start, KILIAN Paris understands that the gesture is small relative to what remains to be done and the future evolutions of the beauty industry in view. Sustainability, especially in the context of KILIAN Paris’s unique approach to packaging already in place, is an area where the brand seeks constant self-revision and improvement.

A KILIAN Paris perfume addiction is declared once and refillable always, making the brand an «eco-luxury» native, a small but significant gesture in leading luxury back to its lasting nature.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Sanjeev Velmurugan
The photos were taken at the KILIAN PARIS counter at Jelmoli Zurich.
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

The Bavarian fragrance house LENGLING MUNICH, launched by Ursula and Christian Lengling in 2014, presents a new perfume with the catching name WHAT ABOUT ME. After the opening of their first flagship store in the heart of Munich at Frauenplatz 10 this year, the founding couple is once again focusing on the creation of a unisex luxurious perfume full of exciting contrasts. Inspiration for the intense and sensual unisex scent is neither the past nor the future, but what really counts: your own life now, the preciousness of the moment and the awareness of transience.

«We defy all odds and celebrate vibrancy with powerfully fruity ume notes and a fresh gin accord. At the same time, we surrender to our hidden longings with subtle melancholy… A very intimate perfume – self-confident and mysterious.»
Ursula Lengling, Creative Director.

LENG-Note: Joy of Life – Ume, Juniper, Pepper, Bergamot, Tangerine
LING-Note: Desires – Sandalwood, Iso E Super, Geranium, Patchouli, Musk

WHAT ABOUT ME is available as perfume in the end of November 2022 for CHF 245.00 for 50ml in selected stores, such as Perfumery Osswald in Zurich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Lengling Munich
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Recently, I followed YSL Beauty‘s invitation to a decadent dinner party that took place at Die Giesserei Oerlikon in Zurich. The YSL Beauty team transformed this amazing location into the most instagrammable spots with different areas all dedicated to the Maison’s iconic products, from the famous Libre scent, to make-up and skincare. After the dinner, we went downstairs to the underground club where we danced all night long.

The dress code said «all black with a touch of decadence» and needless to say, I went for a head-to-toe Saint Laurent outfit. All details of my look will be coming up shortly. Stay tuned and in the meantime enjoy the impressions of this fun night.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography #indulgeingold #yslbeauty
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

You know the Christmas season is around the corner when brands start to show up with their festive collections. This season, I was invited by MAC Cosmetics for the launch of Bubbles & Bows at Kraftwerk in Zurich. The evening was such a great success with lots of magical surprises from a drag queen’s live act to dancers performing in big plastic bubbles.

As the name and packaging suggests, the MAC Cosmetics Bubbles & Bows party kits and limited edition make-up are festive and fun – and very sparkly, too. The collection is not only a perfect holiday gift, but also a treat for yourself. With everything you need to create a custom going-out look this winter, from glowy eye creations and signature fluttery lashes, to bold festive lip shades, the magic will be all yours thanks to the legendary cosmetic brand. In stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
#MACHoliday #MACBubblesAndBows @MACCosmeticsSwitzerland
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Have you ever asked yourself why beach hair is always the best? Beach hair is essentially the opposite of dull, lifeless hair. The salty water makes it look fuller and feel thicker. It’s got volume, texture, and definition while being artfully suspended in perfect form without any effort whatsoever.

Do you dream of getting to enjoy the best hair day you’ve had in months also at home. So pay attention island-hoppers and champagne-poppers: get beach-to-bombshell hair – tousled, touchable waves with sun-kissed shine – without the salty stiffness. I have two products you will love from ORIBE. To shop click on the highlighted product description.

APRÈS BEACH WAVE AND SHINE SPRAY  

The moisturizing glamour spray uses rich extracts and exotic oils for lush repair and sultry texture. It creates shine, separation, and beachy waves.

DRY TEXTURIZING SPRAY

Bigger, better, full-on glamorous hair. This invisible dry hair spray builds in incredible volume and sultry texture. Zeolite crystallines absorb oil at the roots, leaving you with just-styled hair for days (and nights).

Both come in travel sizes. In Zurich available at Charles Aellen Company.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht – Taken at the Ritz-Carlton Fair Islands resort.
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Who doesn’t like to have a beautiful natural pout? DIOR has two products that I absolutely adore. Easy to apply, they immediately protect and enhance the lips while providing deep nourishment. The best is that they lastingly bring out your natural lips color thanks to their color reviver technology that adapts to the pH of lips to reveal a custom glow for up to six hours. The formula saturates the lips with nutrients, and revitalizes them immediately and day after day, lips are more beautiful, even bare, after 5 days of application.

I always start the application with the iconic DIOR ADDICT LIP GLOW in 006 Berry. Featuring cherry oil, shea butter, and sunflower waxes, it offers both custom color and lip care.

Afterwards, as a top coat for volumizing shine, I apply the DIOR ADDICT LIP GLOW OIL in 006 Berry that instantly nourishes, protects, softens and revitalizes the lips. Its non-greasy, non-sticky oil texture pushes the boundaries of shine and creates a smoothing film that shapes the lips with an almost magnifying mirror-shine effect. Multi-use, it can also be worn equally well on its own, or as a primer under lipstick.

Both products are available in a couture case and in several shades to suit all skin tones. I love the berry hue as it makes teeth appear much whiter thanks to its bluish undertone.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. I bought the products myself. However, we may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!