Sandra‘s Closet

Did you know that LA MER’s famous moisturizer Crème de la Mer comes in five different textures? Let’s discuss why it’s very popular in the first place and let me tell you why I am so addicted to it.

Originally developed by scientist Max Huber to treat burns sustained after a lab accident, LA MER’s unique blend of transformative biofermented sea kelp and other pure ingredients, the famous Miracle Broth™, has seen the moisturizer achieve cult beauty status. The formulation is now found across the brand’s skincare range to target and transform specific areas.

All creams come with the famous Miracle Broth™ and a few other ingredients that make the consistency to be different. See below please to find out what is the difference between those five different textures?

Crème de la Mer – Ideal for drier skin.
Benefits: Heals dryness with deep moisture.
Texture: Ultra-rich cream to be warmed up between fingers before application.
Look: Natural, healthy, radiant.

Personal take: My all-time favorite, part of my daily beauty ritual! I cannot live without it all year around. It’s formulated to alleviate the natural effects of aging by smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines. The skin appears immediately softer and firmer.  You can do so much with this cream and I use it not only on my face, but also on a lot of different parts of my body as the elbows, and the knees. An amazing makeup trick I learnt from Mary Phillips is the following: after applying foundation, apply a pea-size amount of The Moisturizing Cream with The Powder Brush all over the face for an instant, hydrated, creamy glow. You can also use this application trick to refresh the glow of your makeup during the day.

The Moisturizing Soft Cream – Ideal for combination / drier skin.
Benefits: Deeply hydrates and comforts.
Texture: Ultra-soft cream.
Look: Natural, healthy, radiant.

Personal take: I use The Moisturizing Soft Cream preferably in summer, especially during the day. It absorbs quickly and is a great base for your make-up application.

The Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream – Ideal for combination / oilier skin.
Benefits: Calms, cools and replenishes moisture.
Texture: Lightweight gel.
Look: Fresh, healthy, soothed.

Personal take: As I have very dry skin, this texture is not for me, but if you tend to have oilier skin, you will adore The Mosturizing Cool Gel Cream. Store this lightweight in the fridge – a pure treat during the warmer summer months.

The Moisturizing Soft Lotion – Ideal for combination skin.
Benefits: Quickly absorbing, lastingmoisture.
Texture: Lightweight lotion.
Look: Natural, healthy, balanced.

Personal take: With the legendary Miracle Broth™ at its core, this lotion is lightweight and fast-absorbing to deeply penetrate beneath the surface, creating a healthy glow. This is a texture I also like to use to change a my daily routine from time to time.

The Moisturizing Matte Lotion – Ideal for oilier skin.
Benefits: Controls shine and diminishes pores.
Texture: Ultra-lightweight texture.
Look: Fresh, healthy, matte.

Personal take: Those with oily skin will know the hunt for the right moisturizer is a serious one and this lotion is perfect for controlling shine. My fiancé loves to use it as it keeps the hydration levels steady throughout the day while keeping the skin matte.

Don’t forget my special promo code VSASANDRALAMER, that is only valid until May 30, 2021. You will receive CHF 40 off any purchase of minimum CHF 200. This code is a one time use and not combinable with other offers or codes. It works only in the Swiss La Mer website. Just use vsasandralamer at checkout. It will be applied automatically.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © La Mer / NET-À-PORTER, © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This is a paid collaboration with LA MER. 

Exploration, excitement, a voyage to new territories. Miuccia Prada toys with all the characteristics of a nautical atmosphere – colours, insignias, attitudes – to create a Miu Miu Maritime collection, refracting these archetypal and classic sartorial gestures into unexpected new forms.

Silhouetted against twin expanses of blue – the sky and the sea – the Miu Miu crew of feminine sailors are captured by Johnny Dufort, poised on the concrete ramparts of the Plage de Bon-Secours at Saint Malo – a bathing pool jutting into the sea, man meeting nature. At this point of embarkation, where land meets water, this Miu Miu crew gazes out to the distance in anticipation – of a new beginning, a different season, a different perspective, broadened horizons. As ever, these Miu Miu women are part of a collective, a group – here, they are a fleet, an admiralty, their clothing unifying them, signifying their bond.

The clothes are fresh, spirited, evocative of mariner attire yet exaggerated by the lens of fashion. Traditionally masculine gestures – the flap collar, wide shoulders, an air of utility – are abstracted to be fused with the inherently feminine, with softly rounded sleeves, lace detailing, ruffles, bows. Created for summer, the fabrics are crisp, light, honest: satin pois, popeline, hard-wearing cotton denim – in marine blue, white, palest pink, officer’s red. This visual language, inextricably tied to nautical attire, can simultaneously speak of other worlds – borrowed for children’s clothing and casual attire of the past, today those details evoke, in the subconscious, youthfulness, vacation, freedom.

Maritime speaks of possibilities – the commencement of a journey. The coastline is not the end of the land, but rather marks the start of something new. A collection of hope to enjoy this summer with hopefully a little bit of normality again …

For F/W 2020, Miuccia Prada already showed maritime influences on the runway. I got these two pieces that I absolutely love to wear.
Left: Sailor-collar lambswool bodysuit
Right: Sailor-collar cotton-poplin shirt

If I vetted your appetite for Saint Malo, have a look at the Thermes Marins de Saint Malo. The seaside resort launched their own skin-care line in 2005, that is an alliance of scientific research, naturalness, expertise and modern technology. In Switzerland the products are available at Import Parfumerie. Maritime cosmetics and maritime cosmetics go well together, don’t you think. Beauty, born of the sea…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Miu Miu, © Thermes Marins de Saint Malo
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Your mum, your muse. My daughter, my muse. Anouk has been using Armani Sì Eau de Parfum since a long time. It is the fragrance I associate with her. Therefore, we loved the idea to collaborate with Armani Beauty for Mother’s Day to celebrate the launch of the new Sì EDP Intense.

My choice: The new Sì Eau de Parfum Intense

Sì Eau de Parfum Intense encapsulates the confident energy and modern femininity that characterizes the Sì woman. The fragrance’s signature is blackcurrant nectar, with this alluring note extracted from the heart of the fruit. In addition Ispartarose, harvested in Ispartaa region of Turkey known as «the city of roses», mingles with the velvety and liquorous davana. Together, these two notes create a fiercely intense effect. Finally, patchouli and benzoin resin lend an enveloping sensation. At the same time intense, voluptuous and sophisticated, Sì Eau de Parfum Intense, a chypré oriental, unveils each woman’s most intense side.

Anouk’s choice: The classic Sì Eau de Parfum

Both bottles come with the beautiful glossy black, stone-shaped cap that is a signature of Giorgio Armani fragrances, while sleek gold rings around the bottle’s neck and at its base lend a glamorous touch. Perfect for your bathroom display.

Happy Mother’s Day! To shop the fragrances, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Armani Beauty © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: We truly love the scents. However we received the fragrances for free.
@ArmaniBeauty #ArmaniSi #SaySi #ArmaniBeauty

Don’t miss today’s IG Live Beauty Talk «Mother’s Day Special» on my account @sandrascloset at 6.30 pm CET. I will go live with YSL Beauty National Makeup Artist UK Fred Letailleur @fredletailleur. With his expertise, I will create a fresh make-up look only with my fingers, will apply some lifting techniques, with the new YSL Beauty S/S 2021 makeup products on my daughter Anouk who is back from Boston for a few months. Best Mother’s Day gift ever!

Fred Letailleur

It has been a crazy morning so far, as the live talk was supposed to be with the YSL Beauty National Makeup Artist Switzerland Abdel Zouitina @abdel.zouitina. Unfortunately, Abdel woke up sick and Fred jumped in to help. We had a lovely morning training and I can promise you, the beauty talk is worth watching. He has been with YSL Beauty for 9 years and has been working in the beauty industry for over 23 years. His work was featured in international fashion magazines such as Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Instyle, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and he created the makeup looks for celebrities such as Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dun, Kim Cattral, Sadie Frost, Eva Herzigova, Mischa Barton, Patricia Arquette , Ines de la Fressange, Catherine Deneuve, just to name a few.

«YSL Beauty is truly about beauty empowerment. It’s embracing all forms of beauty from natural, understated beauty to setting a more contrasted statement. It just merges perfectly the aspect of creativity with luxury. Yves Saint Laurent was always inspired by art as a form of inspiration. Like him, I always like to push it a little further to challenge beauty while respecting at the same time the natural beauty of a woman’s features.» – Fred Letailleur

Here is a summary of the products we use. To shop the products, just click on the highlighted product description. I am sure your mother would be delighted to receive such a gift.

The new S/S 2021 YSL Beauty makeup look is called POPPIN’ FRESH and features pastel and milky shades inspired by ice-cream colors. Playful hues perfect to start the warm weather season.

FACE & EYE PALETTE COLLECTOR
This limited edition palette is the perfect make-up accessory for summer. Reminiscent of a Saint Laurent clutch bag, it features 10 shades that can be used to dress the eyes.
Use the trendy pale rosy purple and silver shades as highlighters to bring light to the face and eyes.
Use the beige, soft pink, and rosy pink shades as blush to sculpt the face.

TOUCHE ÉCLAT
The iconic illuminating pen for over 25 years. It is 8 hours of beauty sleep in one click.
To illuminate, apply to the upper area of the cheekbones and the top of the brow bone. Create a three-dimensional effect by highlighting the bridge of the nose and adding a radiant touch to the middle of the forehead. Lightly trace the contours of the lips to define their shape and create the illusion of volume.
To remove shadows, draw a line over the smile lines to create a radiant light and smooth skin effect. You can also apply it under the eyes and along their inner corner to remove eye area shadows.

MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS THE CURLER
Say bye-bye to your lash curler. This amazing mascara features a bi-material brush to volumize, lift, curl and define your lashes.
1. Volumize with fiber brush
Using the black bristles on the concave side with the loaded reservoir, apply the mascara from the base of the lashes to the tip.
2. Lift & define with the elastomer comb
Using the pink comb, push the lashes upward at the base and holding for a moment before combing upwards to separate and lengthen.

ROUGE VOLUPTÉ SHINE
143 Chill Toffee and 144 Peachy Light
Melting shine with fresh and vibrant color.
Apply directly on the lips for a moment of pure pleasure. Dab the color instead of applying it in one stroke for a super natural and plumbing effect. You can add several layers to intensify the color.

LIBRE EAU DE TOILETTE
The final touch to the new summer look is a spritz of the newly launched Libre Eau de Toilette by Yves Saint Laurent, a floral fragrance created by Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaim.
Top notes: Lavender, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot
Middle notes: Orange Blossom, Jasmine Tea and Jasmine
Base notes: Musk, Vanilla and Ambergris.

See you in a few hours at 6.30 pm CET on IG Live!

I always loved playing dress up with Anouk when she was little. So for me, it is the best Mother’s Day treat to do her makeup again, this time of course in a more refined way. Hope that you will enjoy our session.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of YSL Beauty © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

As promised, here is the full list of LA MER products that celebrity makeup artist and LA MER ambassador Mary Phillips used in her IG Live Talk with me. You can watch it here again. At the end of this post, you will also find a special promo code.

For Mary, skincare is the most important and the base for any great makeup look. Her motto is «less is more». She explains, that «if the canvas is good, the makeup is going to look good. If the skin is dry, then the makeup will look dry.» You will be amazed how little product she is using, which means your LA MER products will last much longer and are a great investment.

THE MOISTURE WARDROBE

Depending on your skin type or the moment, city and season, there is a moisture regimen for you. You can also mix and mach the products. Personally speaking, I use The Moisturizing Cream in winter and in summer at night, and The Moisturizing Soft Cream during the day when it is warm outside. The famous Miracle Broth Elixir is infused into all of the LA MER products. It is extremely healing, hydrating, and has anti-aging benefits.

GLOWY LA MER SPRING LOOK

When Mary created her healthy «Glowy La Mer Spring Look», she used the following products:

First, she starts off using The Mist, for her it is the perfect spritz to refresh, hydrate, and energize skin. Turn the bottle before applying it as the internal magnet charges the ingredients to maintain optimum potency for a more energized and revived appearance. After, she’ll apply The Renewal Oil, which is one of her favorites, as it gives your skin immediately this amazing glow. She also uses it around her eye area. In general, Mary taps on all the products instead of rubbing them into the skin. For ultimate hydration, she opts for the ever so popular The Moisturizing Cream or as it is very warm in Los Angeles, where she resides, The Moisturizing Soft Cream.

Surprisingly, primer is the one prep product that she is not including in her routine. LA MER products provide such a great base already, that there is no need for it in her opinion.

For this glowy look, she suggests keeping makeup light and not so set in powder, so it doesn’t get caked from the warm temperatures. After her moisturizing routine, she applies – if needed The Broad Spectrum SPF 50 – followed by her favorite summer product The Radiant Skin Tint SPF 30. She adores its lightweight formula that provides a sheer, healthy glow and SPF 30 which is perfect for warmer weather. Afterwards she corrects blemishes, dark spots and the under eye area with The Concealer.

«I like to apply the skin tint first, and then if there are any little areas I’ll use concealer instead of going in with more foundation everywhere,» she explains. «I would also apply bronzer and blushes before foundation to contour the face more naturally.»

 If needed, she recommends just very lightly powdering the T-zone area to set and finish. «I would rather people be too shiny than matte. It looks healthier,» Phillips says.

Another trick up her sleeve includes a non-makeup product. «Sometimes I’ll take a little bit of The Moisturizing Cream and pat it on the cheekbones or down the nose as it has a highlighting effect,» she notes. «It rehydrates the foundation and gives everything a glow.»

My favorite makeup trick I learnt from her and I was astounded by is the following: after applying foundation, she likes to apply a pea-size amount of The Moisturizing Cream with The Powder Brush all over the face for an instant, hydrated, creamy glow. She also does this application trick to refresh the glow of her makeup during the day.

The talk with Mary was so inspiring. She looks so natural  and her skin is glowing. Thank you, Mary, for all your tips and tricks!

PROMO CODE

Here is my special promo code vsasandralamer for you. You will receive CHF 40 off any purchase of minimum CHF 200. The offer will end on May 30, 2021.  This code is a one time use and not combinable with other offers or codes. It works only in the Swiss La Mer website. Just use vsasandralamer at checkout. It will be applied automatically.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Mary Phillips © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This is a paid collaboration with LA MER. 

Today, I received this limited-edition shampure™ nurturing shampoo bar from Aveda that is said to provide weightless, long- lasting nourishment for the hair in planet-friendly packaging for the Earth. Each April, Aveda celebrates Earth Month, this year with this outstanding highlight.

This 94% naturally derived (from plants, non-petroleum minerals or water) cruelty free and vegan shampoo bar gently cleanses with abyssinian oil, a natural silicone alternative, that leaves hair shiny and soft. It infuses hair with Aveda’s signature calming shampure™ aroma with 25 pure flower and plant essences, including certified organic lavender, ylang ylang and petit grain, and is safe for color-treated hair. It is free from: sulfated, cleansers, silicones, parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, animal ingredients and synthetic fragrance.

The best is yet to come. By purchasing this shampoo bar you could help to save 2.0 tons of plastic which is equivalent to 180k water bottles (based on estimated plastic bottle weight).
100% of the shampure™ nurturing shampoo bar formula waste from the manufacturing process will be donated to Clean The World Foundation, who will recycle it into new soap bars to be used in their WASH Education Program Hygiene Kits provided to vulnerable communities around the world. A great initiative, especially during today’s troubled times where hygiene is more important than ever.

How to use it? Lather in hands or directly onto wet hair and scalp. Rinse thoroughly. Follow with shampure™ nurturing conditioner. Available for a limited time only for CHF 23.50 (100mg).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Aveda, © Clean The World Foundation – Collages/Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht
#AvedaSwitzerland #AvedaEarthMonth #AvedaVegan #CharityWater
Discover the exclusive Earth Month filter on @avedaswitzerland.

I am so thrilled to announce my Instagram Live Talk on April 20, 2021 at 6.45 pm CET @sandrascloset with the one any only Mary Phillips @maryphillips, celebrity make-up artist and like me LA MER ambassador, who will join me from my favorite city in the world, Los Angeles.

Working regularly on makeup looks for Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Bella Hadid, and many more, Mary Phillips doesn’t need a big introduction. With 1.3 million followers on Instagram, she has established herself as one of the most talented celebrity makeup artists in the world.

«I never considered being anything else, this is what I truly love to do.» – That innate passion cultivated a career Mary Phillips has been training for her entire life. Whether rummaging through her mother’s products as a little girl, or acting as the resident cosmetics «guru» during neighborhood dress up sessions, Mary’s role was clear.

She grew up in California telling everyone she was going to become a makeup artist, and now Mary Phillips is one of the most sought after in the industry. Attending cosmetology classes while still in high school, (and makeup courses after graduating), Mary later worked in a dermatologist’s office- garnering more knowledge about one of her signature passions, skin. After being mentored by makeup veteran Eugenia Weston, Mary’s natural born talents eventually grew into working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Her innovative and evolving looks that Mary’s known for have graced the covers of all the famous fashion magazines around the globe, including Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and ELLE.

Mary’s refined execution and attention to detail leave a memorable mark of high amped sophistication all her own. She is obsessed with skincare as for her, «the right skincare  is the best canvas for makeup».

Today in our live talk, she will reveal her favorite LA MER products and beauty tips. I promise, you will be amazed how Mary uses the LA MER cream. She is super innovative and you will surely love it. We will talk about the LA MER moisture wardrobe and most importantly, Mary will explain how you can achieve a glowy spring makeup look. You can also ask questions at the end of the talk.

Tune in, see you at 6.45 pm CET on April 20, 2021! I hope that you are excited like me!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Mary Phillips © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This is a paid collaboration with LA MER. 

Here is a new generation lipstick! Take a look. The first thing you notice about ROUGE COCO BLOOM is its colour and shine. Bold and vibrant, it reveals an intense glow behind its clear lid. Slide the lipstick out of its case. Admire the elegant silver ring and prepare to be surprised by how slowly the stick rotates. This is no coincidence. As always with CHANEL, things have to be as good as they look: chic, unique. Here, the twisting system has been deliberately slowed down, both for flawless application and the sheer beauty of a perfect motion. Notice the texture, so smooth and comfortable, present without overloading. All you need is a single layer to coat the lips with intense and luminous colour.

Wonder at the result. Your smile lights up. In one go the richness of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss come together. Intensity, lasting-hold and plumping effect in one patented* formula developed by CHANEL Research: that’s the prowess of ROUGE COCO BLOOM. Moisturizing and highly concentrated in micronized pigments, this new-generation lipstick keeps its promises for eight hours**.

Take your pick from the palette of twenty vibrant shades developed by the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio. Unique and special, they reflect CHANEL‘s authority when it comes to colour. Play with the colour. Don’t compromise on the results. Vibrate with ALIVE, a classic yet surprising red with a subtle rust undertone that gives it warmth and character. Enchant with RADIANT, a romantic, mauve-tinted reinterpretation of universal rosewood. Charm with MERVEILLE, a soft, natural, delicate shade of dusky rose. Captivate with SEASON, a bright, warm fuchsia that evokes summer euphoria. Shine with SUNLIGHT, an orange with terracotta tones, ideal for getting into a good mood and enhancing the complexion while staying natural. Sparkle with VITALITY, a chic, powerful red to assert your personality. Surprise with UNEXPECTED, a deep brownish red full of depth and character, warmer than a classic burgundy. Or fascinate with SURPRISE, a vibrant plum with red undertones.

In direct line with Mademoiselle Chanel’s timeless maxim « add more lipstick and attack“, Lily-Rose Depp embodies with freshness, joie de vivre and energy this ode to color that magnifies all smiles. Shine now! In stores now for CHF 46.00 each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL, #RougeCoco #CHANELMakeup
* International patent application.
** Respective evaluations, clinical and instrumental, on 20 women.

To celebrate the 100th year of the N°5 perfume’s fame, Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, has imagined the «Collection N°5», the first High Jewelry collection ever to be dedicated to a perfume.

A first in the history of High Jewelry, this collection showcases all the facets of a perfume, interpreting the eternal mystery of the N°5 perfume with virtuosity. From the bottle to the sillage, one hundred and twenty-three extraordinary pieces express the different facets of the perfume. With its hundred years of fame, only a perfume as mysterious and iconic as the N°5 perfume could inspire such a majestic High Jewelry collection.

In 1921, the first «perfume for women with the scent of a woman» composed by Ernest Beaux and Gabrielle Chanel made a commotion. With the absolute modernity of the fragrance, the purity of the bottle and the mystery of the name, the N°5 perfume was nothing short of a revolution. In 1932, Mademoiselle shattered the codes of French High Jewelry with her one and only collection in platinum and diamonds. These «Bijoux de Diamants» introduced new ways of wearing and took jewelry into another realm… that of allure. In 2021, Patrice Leguéreau decided to bring these two domains together with the «Collection N°5».

«Gabrielle Chanel approached these two universes with the same visionary values, focusing on audacity and the quest for excellence. I wanted to rediscover that creative gesture with this collection, which has been conceived like a journey through the meanderings of the N°5 perfume’s soul, from the architecture of the bottle to the olfactive explosion of the fragrance.»

The zenith of this precious collection is the extraordinary 55.55 necklace that expresses all the codes of the fragrance which radiate through an exceptional gemstone crafted in its honour, a 55.55-carat custom-cut diamond.

«This is an unprecedented approach» observes Patrice Leguéreau. «We started with a rough diamond that we had cut, not to make the biggest stone possible, but to obtain a perfect octagonal diamond weighing 55.55 carats.»

The harmonious shape, in an emerald cut, the symbolic weight of 55.55 carats, the D Flawless quality of this stone and the 18-carat white gold bezel set with 104 round diamonds and 42 baguette diamonds testify to CHANEL’s perfectionism and exceptional levels of creation and technical mastery. The profile of the stopper, the silhouette of the bottle, the fastener shaped like the lucky number, and the cascading of pear-shaped diamonds in different sizes, cut one by one, mould this piece into an ultimate tribute to the perfume.

Figurative as much as it is abstract, the 55.55 necklace goes further than an exercise in style. It symbolizes the embrace between the spirit of the N°5 perfume and the most exceptional jewelry making. With an incomparable suppleness, this fascinating and eternal item of jewelry adds its own stone to the story of CHANEL’s first perfume, which has become a myth.

But the tale does not stop here because CHANEL has chosen to keep the necklace 55.55 in its Patrimoine. Thus, this extraordinary piece will forever be a part of the history of CHANEL’s High Jewelry and the symbol of the unbreakable ties that unite place Vendôme with the N°5 perfume.

Stunning, beautiful – an iconic piece that has already made history.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL

I am N°5, an abstract perfume by Gabrielle Chanel, which she created in 1921 with Ernest Beaux, perfumer to the tsars.

This year, the best-known perfume in the world of the world CHANEL N°5 celebrates its 100th anniversary. Its name is universally renowned. Its wake, a revolution. Its bottle, an unmatched masterpiece.

I am the avant-garde, emerging at the same time as cubism, dadaism, and surrealism. I am their olfactory counterpart, and like them, I break the codes; like them, I write a new language and invent a collage of scents. I am the first abstract perfume.

Created in 1921, N°5 threw habits and conventions to the wind from the start. At the beginning of the 1920s, Gabrielle Chanel had already changed people’s views on fashion by suggesting a new allure. Her first perfume is consistent with her pioneering designs, simple yet well thought through.
Revolutionary in its composition, N°5 is also the first perfume imagined by a woman for women.

I am a manifesto, that of modernity, a dazzling bouquet. Mademoiselle boosted the jasmine, the ylang-ylang, and the rose, yet no single identifiable note is left in my wake. Thanks to the magical alchemy of the aldehydes, I throw people off the scent, not evoking any one flower, to become «a woman’s fragrance with the woman scent».

Whether it be Marilyn Monroe turning it into a myth by confessing she only wore a few drops in
bed, or Andy Warhol screen printing it as a pop art icon, over time N°5 has acquired the status
of a global cultural phenomenon.

I am a magic number, the 5, her favorite number which had brought her luck ever since childhood. Mademoiselle is said to have chosen N°5 because it was the scent in the fifth sample, the one she preferred.

First perfume to be advertised on TV, it has inspired some of the greatest image masters — Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Ridley Scott, Jean-Paul Goude or Baz Luhrmann to name a few — and become a visual symbol that has never lost touch with the contemporary creative scene.

I am the perfume of perfumes, embodied by the greatest celebrities.

Because the world’s most popular perfume of all time needs adequate representation, it has chosen muses who, throughout the world, embody elegance and seduction without undermining their own personality: Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet, Nicole Kidman or currently Marion Cotillard are among the ambassadresses who, by their spirit and modernity, lift N°5 into the eternal feminine pantheon for posterity.

I am a symbol, which the G.I.s took back to America at the end of World War II as a souvenir of Paris and the taste of liberty, the badge of French chic, and the very essence of the CHANEL style.

Mythological status has never consigned N°5 to museum shelves, even though it has been part
of the permanent collections in the MoMA, New York, since 1954. Through its history, its image
and its very essence N°5 remains the backdrop to countless stories, even the most intimate. N°5
is made for those who, like Mademoiselle Chanel, choose who they want to be, and become it.
It is a perfume which, like a coat of invisible armor, gives the strength to face life. Backed with its
100 years of celebrity, N°5 will always be one step ahead.

I am a legend, timeless, continually reinventing myself, as in Verlaine’s «Familiar Dream»: I am «neither quite the same, nor altogether the other». From L’Extrait to L’Eau and from L’Eau to Parfum.

On the cusp of 2021, which is fully dedicated to N°5, the House of CHANEL presented me with this unparalleled coffret. Created in collaboration with the CHANEL Métiers d’Art and Baccarat, this restricted edition is reserved for friends of the Maison and contains five numbered objects. Four of CHANEL’s artisan partners have reinterpreted one of the emblematic aspects of N°5 in their own unique way. I am sure that you can imagine my excitement when I received this beautiful box.

1 The Medaillon Keychain by Desrues
Made of gold-plated brass, this medaillon keychain created by costume jeweler and accessory maker Desrues, is adorned with a black disc embossed with number 5. The inside of the number, the rim of the medaillon and the ring are all trimmed with a twisted braid.

2 The Paperweight by Baccarat
Designed and made in Baccarat‘s famous glass-making studio, this paperweight recalls the faceted edges of the N°5 bottle stopper, which was inspired by the Place Vendôme in Paris.

I am an emblem, a simple bottle in laboratory with sharp angles and crystalline transparency, and a stopper cut like a diamond evoking the Place Vendôme. The ultimate, universal reference in the history of scent bottles. The imprimatur of CHANEL’s triumph.

3 The 5 Patch by Lesage
The number 5 takes the form of a black and gold silk-spangled patch in this piece by the Maison Lesage. Woven in the same style as the iconic CHANEL tweeds and embroidered in sequins and lacquered bugle beads, it can be ironed on to clothing thanks to its heat-activated adhesive backing.

4 The Camellia by Lemarié
Inspired by Mademoiselle Chanel’s favorite flower, this camellia brooch was designed and crafted by the Maison Lemarié using the N°5 packaging. One by one, each petal is cut out using a special punch. The flower is then assembled by hand, a product of the feather and floral designer’s unique know-how.

I am an allegory of modernity, French elegance, and eternal femininity.

5 N°5 Eau de Parfum 100ml
While composing the Eau de Parfums in 1986, Jacques Polge declared that «N°5 challenges the ephemeral nature of things.» By adapting the characteristics of N°5 to the new concentrations used in modern perfumery, he successfully demonstrated the extent to which it is and always will be relevant. A work of style that never strayed from the aesthetics of the original Parfum, the Eau de Parfum became a worldwide success that was represented for nearly 10 years by the unforgettable Carole Bouquet.

The best is yet to come as an exceptional piece has found its way into Sandra’s Closet. A beautiful clutch bag reminiscent of the CHANEL N°5 packaging. A must-have that will always remind me of 100 years of the iconic fragrance. I cannot wait to finally sport it when everything is open again. Stay tuned for something very special coming up…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL and © Sandra Bauknecht
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