Sandra‘s Closet

During the next days, I will show you the newest makeup looks for the Holiday 2011 season. The festive time of the year stands mostly for shimmering, dramatic colours. Giorgio Armani‘s Creative Makeup Director Linda Cantello has seeked inspiration from the ’30s. An inspiring era…which is setting the tone for the season. Pure lines, sophisticated colours, luxurious details… Art Deco in all its glory with one of its iconic materials: Madre Perla. Madre Perla inlaid in a precious case, heralding a must-have product. Madre Perla, too, in Linda Cantello’s colour inspiration, with subtle reflections and iridescent effects.

“Like a 1930s’ boudoir… A touch of lacquer and patinated metals add a sophisticated feel to satiny, pearlescent tones. Delicate shades reminiscent of the silk lingerie of the time.” (Linda Cantello)

FACE & EYES PALETTE
CHF 77.- (black lacquer case)

Inspired by Art Deco style, Giorgio Armani’s famous black case is decorated in real Madre Perla. Precision work done entirely by hand in the purest tradition of luxury craftsmanship. Inside are found three luminous, satiny powders in sand, champagne and aqua. Silky shadows that skilfully combine a featherlight texture with radiant colour. Blended over the eye area, the three shades sculpt and illuminate the eyes. Lightly dabbed onto the facial contours, the sand and champagne tones catch the light to increase the radiance of the complexion. The Face & Eye Palette is also available in Giorgio Armani’s iconic black lacquer case.

Eyes to Kill Gold Silver

EYES TO KILL EYESHADOWS
CHF 48.-

Giorgio Armani’s most spectacular shadow is revealed in a limited edition of three metallic shades subtly patinated: a gold, as an echo to antique gilt, a toned down silver plutonium, and an intermediate shade blending gold and silver. Thanks to Colorfil color matrix, these creamy, powder-free shadows adhere to the eyelid like a second skin, without ever fading or flaking.

Eyes to Kill Silver

Gloss Armani Pink

GLOSS D’ARMANI
CHF 41.-

A play of light and shade for the eyes… while the lips are adorned in vibrant lacquered shades. A real weave of colour, Gloss d’Armani offers comfortable, long-lasting hold, expressed in four limited edition shades: barely iridescent rosewood enhances the natural colour of the lips, while a velvety “amaranth” red and sienna intensely emphasise their shape. And an unexpected choice: a bold amethyst, which is vivid yet so translucent on application that it matches any skin tone.

Gloss Armani Purple

Gloss Armani Red

The beautiful collection will be available starting this month.
My must-have: Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow in Gold Silver.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani

Natalie Portman who’s now the face of Diorskin Forever, the latest foundation by Christian Dior, shows us what flawless complexion means. To achieve this “made to measure” – Haute Couture teint, Dior has introduced two new makeup products along with new lip shades to give your face the perfect radiance. Please scroll down for further details.

Dior Forever Fluid
Flawless Perfection – Fusion wear makeup – SPF 25

Diorskin Forever Fluid Foundation provides a new generation of fusional wear, fluid foundation. Its ultra-sensorial texture, bursting with made-to-measure perfecting skin care ingredients, melts into the skin for an absolutely perfect complexion that lasts all day long. The foundation blends seamlessly with the skin for a smoother, more even complexion day after day.

Price: CHF 68.50

Diorskin Forever Compact
Flawless Perfection – Fusion wear makeup – SPF 25

A true innovation, Dior has invented an exclusive manufacturing process to integrate a record quantity of skincare into a powder texture. For the first time, a powder complexion provides all the benefits of skincare in an ultra-soft and creamy texture. It melts into the skin like a cream for a velvety, non-powder finish and an ideal sensation of comfort throughout the day.

Price: CHF 80.50 (Refill CHf 59)

Rouge Dior and Forever – The Perfect Harmony
Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care Lip Blush

For the “Lip Blush” range, Dior has combined Diorskin Forever skin-coloured pigments with coloured pigments. The lipsticks match skin tone perfectly for an instantly beautiful makeup. This combination of complexion and lipstick provides a well-match and natural duo.

Price: CHF 48

For my Zurich based readers, I have some good news. Next week, from 17th-22nd of October three of Dior’s 12 international pro makeup artists are coming to Jelmoli to introduce the new products. This is your chance to get tips and a makeover from the international pros.

You can choose between two options:

■ An one hour makeover for CHF 60 (redeemable in products)

■ An one hour makeup lesson for CHF 120 (redeemable in products) in which the makeup pro applies the makeup to one half of the face and than explains to the customer how to create the look at home.

Book your personal makeup appointment for a Dior Haute Couture Makeup with an international pro by calling +41 44 220 40 65. For furter information on the makeup artists, please see below.

Jamie Coombes – UNITED KINGDOM

To design the outfit that won him admittance to the London College of Fashion, Jamie took inspiration from Mr. Dior. Sometimes those signs of destiny really mean something… His creativity and talent led to his rapid integration at Dior, where he worked for special events. In between fashion shows, magazine work and professional trips, he takes inspiration from his artistic passions.

What does Dior mean to you?

“A garden full of sensations, textures and colours that just have to be picked to give every woman style. It’s impossible not to be enchanted by the feeling of freedom the products provide.”

Eugenia Kameneva – RUSSIA

Dior introduced Eugenia to the world of beauty and luxury. It has been an interesting and challenging way that eventually led her to International Pro-Team. Eugenia’s mission is to emphasize the natural beauty of Russian women. The core principle she believes in and pursues – Dior was established and operates for women. Her creative energy is aimed first of all at the development and improvement of her team performance – the best make-up artists in Russia. Working closely with Eugenia over a number of years, many of them became well-known make-up professionals and are now welcomed by Vogue, Top Beauty, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour as well as at TV shots.

One of the key Eugenia’s interests is reading – she adores the works of classic Russian writers (Nekrasov, Pushkin, and Tolstoy) and they serve as the source of inspiration for her at work.

Your beauty must-haves?

“In metropolitan cities like Moscow women are facing an extremely hectic rhythm of life and are often under a time pressure. To be always beautiful and reduce the negative impact of aggressive environment, every woman has to have in her cosmetic bag a white Khol Eyeliner – it will help to “light” the look and mask the marks of fatigue. One more essential make-up ‘magic wand’ is Skinflash that can easily whitewash all skin problems while emphasizing the beauty”.

What does Dior mean to you?

“The world belongs to women and Dior affirms it.”

Junior Cedeño – SPAIN

Junior sees make-up as an art so he continually works on enriching himself to use it creatively. After studying at the European Institute of Design, he began working as a make-up artist for cinema and television. He then worked on fashion shows for top fashion designers where he absorbed techniques and tricks, that he adapted to his own professional secrets. He also met the famous Pat McGrath and, thanks to her, fell in love with Dior’s creative energy and freedom of tone.

What does Dior mean to you?

“Luxury, tradition, innovation and above all the fusion between art and glamour.”

Velvet Eyes, a repositionable, adhesive eyeliner patch providing the perfect doe-eyed look in one easy step, has been launched exclusively for “Vogue Fashion Night’s Out 2011” and will be exclusively available during the event at Jelmoli.

These new, limited edition Dior eyeliner patches allow you to create spectacular and sophisticated make-up in a fun, easy way. A veritable couture look that identically reproduces the expertise of the backstages professionals.

Designed by Dior make-up artists, the patches are available in four seductive versions.

■ Two pairs of matte, black, Effet Velours patches provide either a full and expressive line or slightly curved line for a graphic look.

■ One pair of Effet Brilliant patches, thanks to black Swarovski micro-crystals which decorate the line.

■ Finally, the last pair plays the Effet Haute Couture card, with three Swarovski crystals subtly positioned at the corner of each eye.

LoL, Sandra

“An imaginative scent, drenched in the delicate sweetness of sapphire blooms. And wild, because it’s a pretty quirky take, inspired by a wickedly whimsical, contemporary fairytale starring Wild Bluebell herself. With persimmon, lily of the valley and eglantine, its lush transparency is decidedly naughty…but nice.”

Wild Bluebell is the newest fragrance from the world of Jo Malone and has just arrived on the market. Bluebell is a wild forest flower. Christine Nagel, the creator of the new scent, came up with an elegant, yet playful composition, combining fresh notes, flowers and spicy choord of cloves. A modern-day fairytale blend, a welcome addition for the Jo Malone fan.

Floral Green
Top notes: Bluebell and cloves
Middle notes: Lily of the valley, jasmine and rose hip
Base notes: White amber and musk

Eau de Cologne Wild Bluebell 30ml, €42
Eau de Cologne Wild Bluebell 100ml, €84 
Body & Hand Wash Wild Bluebell 250ml,  €40
Body Cream Wild Bluebell 175ml, €60
Scented Candle Wild Bluebell 200g, €50

Aren’t those advertising photos just adorable?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

„Navy blue is the only color which can ever compete with black” – Christian Dior

Dior is celebrating shades of blue with its F/W 2011 makeup collection „Blue Tie“. The look works so well with the ongoing fashion trend of blue and black colours. The products are available now and definitely among my favourites.

Smoky eyes and nude lips can be achieved with the season’s star product: The palette which contains 4 shimmering and matte colours (to reflect the fabrics used for tuxedos), in shades of grey (Smoking White) or shades of blue (Smoking blue). Each contains a nude gloss, the best finishing touch for smoky eyes, CHF 110.

Dior also introduces a new range of eyeshadow trios for the perfect smoky eyes look. Each palette contains a base plus  a toning matte and iridescent shade.
The rich colour pigments stay on very well. 
Smoky Black, Smoky Blue, Smoky Nude, Smoky Pink, Smoky Brown, each CHF 68.

For all nail polish aficionados, Dior  has two limited edition shades in a deep blue (908 Tuxedo) and a more vibrant cobalt blue (607 Blue Denim), each CHF 37.

Left: 607 Blue Denim – Right: 908 Tuxedo

Dior has launched their new website. To have a look, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Christian Dior

Just a quick post about the best red nail polish in a while. Chanel‘s summer launch 08 Pirate is the perfect shade and will be fortunately staying in the product range. As you know, I love Chanel nail polishes because of their texture and their brush.

For a different effect, I recommend Chanel’s limited edition mat top coat. The only bummer is that it doesn’t last long as using hand cream for example will slowly make it look shiny again.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Kate Winslet collaborates on a limited edition makeup collection with Lancôme to raise funds for her charity, The Golden Hat Foundation. The Golden Hat Foundation helps children with autism in a number of ways. Kate’s commitment started after the realisation of an Icelandic documentary in whichthe actress tells the tale of a child with autism: “A Mother Courage – Talking Back To Autism” (also as “The Sunshine Boy”).

So when Lancôme suggested collaborating on a fund-raising limited edition makeup line in partnership with her, promising to donate €150,000 from its sales profits to the Foundation, she jumped at the opportunity: “Lancôme’s instant offer of support was a huge display of confidence and generosity and I knew it would open many doors”, Kate said.

The Golden Hat Collection is a one-off line which comprises the basic beauty staples such as blush, lipstick and nail polish – each embossed with the Golden Hat symbol and Kate’s signature, available this month.

LoL, Sandra

L’ Absolu Rouge, N°132, N°340, N°341, N°343, each CHF 44, N°001 (La Base) CHF 35

Le Vernis, N°102, N°26, N°27, N°28, N°003, each CHF 25

Blush Golden Hat, CHF 65

Photos: Courtesy of Lancôme

Hello to my readers from Switzerland! Fancy a party with perfumes and art installations? Perfumery Osswald and Bolero Magazine would like to take you on an olfactory journey on Thursday, October 13th, 2011, from 7-11pm at the Papiersaal, Sihlcity, Zurich and they have invited some famous noses for this event.

Six Scents from NY – (Kaya Sorhaindo & Joseph Quartana)
Andrea Maack from Reykjavik – (Andrea Maack & Gisli)
Bloodconcept from Milano – (Antonio Zuddas & Giovanni Castelli)
Maison Francis Kurkdjian from Paris – (Francis Kurkdjian & Marc Chaya)
Humiecki & Graef from Cologne – (Sebastian Fischenich)
Fornasetti from London – (Laurent Delafon)

The Six Scents Lounge will offer some treats und refreshments to delight all of your senses.
Tickets are available at www.boleromagazin.ch, CHF 30 per person.

See you there!

LoL, Sandra

I have always been a huge fan of Kérastase products. Especially the Résistance Bain de Force (250ml / CHF 29) shampoo and the Résistance Forcintense (6x15ml / CHF 51) which is a rescue program for weakened hair that I like to do twice a year, are among my favourites.

In the end of September four new products will be available, providing severly damaged hair with more strength, flexibility and shine. I have tried them already and they leave the hair shiny and easy to style.

Just imagine what your hair has to go through over time, blow dries, chemical processes and much more. No wonder, these factors can contribute to hair breakaging, split ends and dull hair. And even if your hair looks pretty good, it will appreciate a little extra treatment.

Résistance Bain Force Architecte 250ml / CHF 29 (shampoo)

Résistance Ciment Anti-Usure 200ml / CHF 39 (very nurturing conditioner)

Résistance Masque Force Architecte 200ml / CHF 59 (hair mask)

Fibre Architecte 30ml / CHF 49 (new star product, a dual serum for reconstructing the hair fiber, repairing and mending damaged lengths and split ends)

LoL, Sandra

“The skin and the psyche have an undeniable influence on each other – the psyche affects the skin and vice versa.”

– Prof. Volker Steinkraus

Are you stressed out at the moment? We all know the feeling of running late and being constantly short of time. Daily pressures can easily upset our inner balance. Stress and an irregular lifestyle leave their mark – not just on the face. The way we feel is directly reflected by the skin and, conversely, the skin affects our feelings. If our skin appears lacklustre and stale, we don’t feel well in ourselves.
Meditation, breathing and yoga are all useful tools to help us rediscover our inner balance. To provide adequately for the body, it is important to inhale and exhale consciously. Five minutes in the morning, at noon and in the evening are enough to restore our inner balance. Or you could incorporate a simple yoga exercise such as the “tree” into your daily routine. I practise yoga on a regular base. It truly helps me in stressful times and I can even do it in a hotel room.

Yoga tree pose (see photo above)
Find a place where you can relax and won’t be disturbed.
Starting position: Standing straight, shift your weight onto one leg (standing leg). There should be hardly any weight at all on the other leg (free leg). Breathe in and out deeply ten times. Stretch your arms out to the sides and transfer your weight completely to the standing leg. Lift your free leg and rotate the knee as far as possible towards the outside, placing your foot on the inner thigh. The arms should be stretched upwards and slightly bent, with the palms and fingers of the hands pressed together. Tense the abdomen and hold the position for 15 seconds. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

To take more care of your inner self, you can also create an individual skin care ritual using the beauty products described below. SBT Skin Biology Therapy is also designed for men.

Cell Culture Face Cleansing | oil

Cell Culture Face Cleansing I oil is a gentle and natural cleanser, based on a combination of the finest oils. The skin is cleansed gently of dirt, makeup and impurities, while natural sebum excretion is reduced. Body and soul are in harmony and the skin regains its fresh radiance.

Application
To cleanse, apply Cell Culture Face Cleansing I oil to dry skin and massage in gently. Then rinse with tepid water, which gives the oil a milky consistency. Finally, dry the face.
Prices
Cell Culture Face Cleansing I oil is available in retail outlets.
Recommended retail price: 150 ml EUR 34.00

Cell Culture Face Cleansing | toner

Cell Culture Face Cleansing I toner is an alcohol-free toner containing Cell Culture Phase and is ideal for preparing the skin to absorb moisturiser after cleansing. It removes superfluous cleansing products and provides long-term care for the skin, instantly giving it a wonderfully soft and well-hydrated feel.
Tip: Soak two cotton wool pads in Cell Culture Face Cleansing I toner and place on the eyelids for about 1 minute to draw inner strength for the day ahead. The toner is also available in a limited-edition spray bottle (available online only, while stocks last ), perfect for giving your skin a refreshing boost while on the go.
Application
Apply with a cotton wool pad or use as a face splash.
Prices
Cell Culture Face Cleansing I toner is available in retail outlets.
Recommended retail price: 200 ml EUR 34.00

Cell Culture Face Care | mask

Cell Culture Face Care I mask is an instantly moisturising, intensively nourishing cream-gel mask which supports and cares for dry skin of any age, soaking it with pure moisture and rich nutrients. The high concentration of Cell Culture Phase, collagen and panthenol provides dry and tired skin with the ideal basis to regain its radiant, smooth appearance.
Tip: Apply a thin layer of mask to the face before your yoga workout and treat yourself and your skin to a feeling of total well-being in just one exercise.
Application
After cleansing or exfoliation, apply generously to face, neck and décolleté, massaging gently into the skin. For maximum relaxation, leave on for 10 minutes, then remove with a warm cloth. Then apply your usual skin care products.
Prices
Cell Culture Face Care I mask is available from retail outlets.
Recommended retail price: 75 ml EUR 69.00

For the story behind SBT and its founder Prof.Dr. Volker Steinkraus, I recommend to check out a previous post of mine by clicking here.

Here are some good news for my Zurich based readers: This week, Prof.Dr. Volker Steinkraus will come to Jelmoli on September 28, 2011 from 3-6pm. If you buy some SBT products, you will receive his new book for free. It is also your chance to get it signed and to talk to the distinguished expert about your own skin.

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday, I was able to go backstage before the Just Cavalli S/S 2012 show. Please enjoy those behind-the-scene photos. It will give you a wonderful insight into the fashion world and you might be amazed what is really going on behind the runway. Enjoy!

The runway one hour before the show was supposed to start!

The S/S 2012 looks and the moodboards.

Swiss television Glanz & Gloria interviewed me backstage.

Hair inspiration: Beautiful fishtail braids.

Moroccanoil products were a must.

Makeup inspiration: Lots of glitter on the eyelids.

It wouldn’t be Cavalli, if there weren’t lots of accessories.

Roberto & Eva Cavalli arrived around 45 minutes before the show.

Roberto watched the last rehearsal while enjoying a cigarette.

All photos from the show will be posted soon, so please stay tuned.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht