Sandra‘s Closet

There’s no such thing as too much bling with Shine Bright by OPI, a new limited edition holiday collection with Swarovski crystals. Featuring 15 shades, including three special glitter hues, Shine Bright captures the festive magic of the season with hues that shimmer and sparkle.
Beautifully rich velvety tones of pink, mauve, burgundy, and golden brown offer a luxurious, feminine feel, while mixed metals in silver and gold add delicate sparkle. Gemstone shades of garnet and ruby make a bold statement, and sensual, shimmering colors of champagne, deep blue, and black add instant sophisticated glam.

The collection also features three special glitters, each packed with glass-like glitter particles for a threedimensional look, including a clear base with iridescent glitter, an icy blue jelly base with cellophane glitter, and a dark gray jelly base with cellophane glitter.

Naughty or Ice?
Say hello to a glam champagne shimmer that’s so nice you’ll want to paint your nails and check them twice.
Snowfalling for You
Make every day a snow day with this pink pearlescent shade that you’re sure to fall in love with.
This Shade is Ornamental!
Deck your nails with this velvety, rose pink and thank us later for the compliments.
Dressed to the Wines
This deep red-wine shimmer will not only dress you to the wines, but dress you to the nines.
This Gold Sleighs Me
Sleigh all day and night with a gold metallic that will turn heads left and right.

Gingerbread Man Can
Add a little spice to your nails with a shimmery brown that will dazzle and delight.
Merry in Cranberry
Be berry and bright with a playful punch of fuchsia.
Red-y For the Holidays
’Tis the season for a classic, velvety red that will make your nails festive and fun.
Let’s Take an Elfie
Ready for your closeup? This shimmery, violet-purple deserves all the snaps.
Tinsel, Tinsel ‘Lil Star
Shine bright with this metallic silver that will make you twinkle.

To All a Good Night
Party until the ball drops with this deep, midnight-blue that will light up the night.
Heart and Coal
Little black dress, meet your match with this black glitter that elevates all your festive party looks.
All A’twitter in Glitter
This iridescent glitter will transform your world into a winter wonderland one nail at a time.
Bling it On!
Bring on the bling with this icy blue that will light up your nails with iridescent glitter.
Puttin’ On the Glitz
Dress up your nails with this dark gray glitter that will add some glitz to your glam.

GelColor (CHF 19.90) provides a salon-perfect finish with up to three-week wear, while Infinite Shine (CHF 24.90) offers a high-shine finish and traditional lacquer application. Nail Lacquer features a highly-pigmented, rich formula for even application without streaking.

I love the advent calendar with 25 mini bottles of the OPI SHINE BRIGHT collection. Available for CHF 89.90. For the store locator, click here please, or visit online www.globus.ch, or www.perfecthair.ch.
In stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of OPI – #OPIShineBright

As promised earlier this week, here is my daily ritual of renewal, my four LA MER beauty essentials, that enhance my self-care routine and provide my dry skin with comfort and moisture, for the ultimate radiance in any situation. Morning and evening, and sometimes in between, I take a moment to myself with these must-haves, that I use in the order mentioned below and that make my beauty regimen always a pure delight.

TREATMENT LOTION
The pre-lotion is a must. It supercharges my skin with a rush of liquid energy for a glowing radiance to start with and prepares it for the steps to follow.

THE CONCENTRATE
Especially now, during the cold season, or while wearing face masks all the time, my skin especially around the nose and mouth gets easily irritated. This miracle product is my savior. In only a short amount of time, it restores the skin’s natural barrier and its antioxidant protection. Good news is that you only need a small amount. I use it only on the spots that need help.

CRÈME DE LA MER
I adore the original ultra-rich product that you warm in your fingers before the application. It melts into the skin and soothes it immediately. It is a moisture miracle. A well hydrated skin is the key to a beautiful and plumped complexion, and wrinkles are smoothed automatically.

THE EYE CONCENTRATE
This is my dark circle savior and a source of strength for the delicate eye area. I also apply to the area around my lips to avoid wrinkles before going to sleep. Never forget your eye cream!

Thanks to the healing and cell-renewing energies of the iconic Miracle Broth™, my skin feels renewed, healed and soothed after those four steps that I always incorporate and cannot live without. However, I personalize my LA MER routine from day to day, for example I add serums, masks or oil. It is like a moisture wardrobe that caters to my personal needs, which makes it also so much more fun. If you have never tried LA MER, this would be a great starter kit to work with.

Here is a little secret from my side. When my big day is coming up, I will apply those four essentials to walk down the aisle with the perfect bridal glow … stay tuned!

TO SHOP THE LA MER ESSENTIALS AT GLOBUS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. However, I only recommend products I love and those ones I love very much. Promise. For the outfit post, click here please.

Let me introduce you today to a new olfactive family with two news scents from KILIAN PARIS: Angels’ Share and Roses on Ice. Both are inspired by the legendary liquors cognac and gin, respectively, served in refillable fragrance flacons styled like art deco glasses to recall the most fabulous of bars.

Kilian Hennessy with me

These fragrances are the perfect after-party scents, capturing the moment when the mood gets lit and extravagance sets in. Launching the olfactive family The Liquors, founder Kilian Hennessy felt it was time to pay tribute to his heritage, as heir to the renowned French cognac making family, and to his choice olfactory intoxicants for driving the night towards dawn.

Angels’ Share is perhaps Kilian Hennessy’s most personal fragrance creation yet, inspired by his eighth-generation inheritance of Hennessy savoir-faire in cognacmaking. Much like a Master Perfumer who crafts accords and essences in a perfume, a Master Blender combines the eaux-de-vie in perfect proportions for an exceptional cognac.

This creation goes deep into the cellars of founder’s mind and memory, and into its most mysterious dimension: «la part des anges» or «angels’ share»— an evaporation of liquor in oak barrels that lifts, while aging, like a silent offering to the gods.

This first-time collaboration with French perfumer Benoist Lapouza, Angels’ Share contains the essence of Cognac derived from the liquor to lend it a natural caramel color. Opening with this cognac oil, upon a blend of oak absolute, cinnamon essence and tonka bean absolute, the scent’s long-lasting notes of sandalwood, praline and vanilla make for a delicious finish, a rare concoction only angels should experience.

Anyone for notes of gin, distilled with rose and cucumber? As a first-time collaboration with perfumer Franck Voelkl, Kilian Hennessy wanted to recreate the tasting of «gin on the rocks» with a splash of lime—recalling his wife’s favorite drink. Roses on Ice opens with the aquatic freshness of cucumber and the aromatic uplift of juniper berries, creating an icy sensation, rounded in an accord with voluptuous Rose Centifolia. Upon a drydown of sandalwood and musk, the scent expresses the sharp—yet deeply infused—character of gin consumed in its ideal.

Instantly and addictively tactile, The Liquors olfactive family perfume flacons are trompe l’oeil objects reminiscent of art deco barware. Styled as a speakeasy essential, the weighted glass is engraved with the emblematic K motif to throw and catch light at all angles, finished with a golden, diamond-shaped plaque signed in white serigraphy.

Knock on the door, slip inside a hidden bar—and prohibition ends here, for The Liquors by KILIAN PARIS are the scents of late-night libations. Now the party starts getting good.

With curfews everywhere and no party going on until the pandemic will be hopefully over soon, we can only dream about having a great party while wearing the new scents. I explored the fragrances Tuesday evening at Widder Bar in Zurich. The launch was accompanied by two drinks created for the new perfumes. Please find the recipes below. We could choose one scent. My personal favorite is definitely Angels’ Share, a warm and embracing scent, that is perfect for the holiday season.

TO SHOP ANGELS’ SHARE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

TO SHOP ROSES ON ICE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Each fragrance is CHF 169.00 for 50ml.

LoL, Sandra

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

Since its launch in 1992, the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign has united and inspired people globally to create a breast cancer-free world. Founded by the late Evelyn H. Lauder with the launch of the iconic Pink Ribbon, the campaign is the American beauty conglomerate’s largest corporate social impact program. It has raised more than $89 million to support global research, education and medical services, with more than $73 million funding 293 medical research grants through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF).

«It really is something that can never be done by any one person; it has to be done by a group.» – Evelyn H. Lauder, Founder The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF)
In Memoriam 12 August 1936 – 13 November 2011

 Around the world, people are experiencing challenging times living amidst the coronavirus pandemic. This is true for all of those impacted by the disease, especially the breast cancer community, which now faces increased risk and vulnerability. But these days have also brought a renewed sense of unity, hope and inclusivity, as we all join together in the mission #TimeToEndBreastCancer.

#TimeToEndBreastCancer on Instagram

The 2020 Breast Cancer Campaign has launched a new social media call-to-action to rally supporters and raise funds for BCRF: Show your Pink Ribbon and share what it means to you. For every public, in-feed Instagram or Facebook post during the month of October featuring both hashtags #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together, The Estée Lauder Companies will donate $25 to BCRF up to $100,000.

For all my Swiss readers who would like to support the 2020 Breast Cancer Campaign, pay a visit to the Charity Pop-Up Store at Zurich’s Main Station from October 8-10, 2020, where you can profit from 50% off several products from brands belonging to The Estée Lauder Companies, such as Clinique, La Mer, Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown etc… All proceeds will be donated to «Look Good Feel Better». Throughout the whole month of October, you can also buy those Pink Ribbon limited edition products:

ESTÉE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex with Pink Ribbon Bracelet – CHF 149.00
ESTÉE LAUDER Pink Perfection Lip Kit – CHF 65.00
CLINIQUE Moisture Surge 72-hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator – CHF 42.00 (50ml)
LA MER Crème de la Mer – CHF 100.00 (15ml)
(50% of the sale price of each product will be donated to «Look Good Feel Better»).

AVEDA Hand Relief ™ Moisturizing Crème with Cherry Almond Aroma – CHF 40.50 (150ml)
(The Estée Lauder Companies will donate CHF 5.00 for each sold product to «Look Good Feel Better»).

It’s more than a ribbon. It unites us.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of The Estée Lauder Companies and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. I received some of the products as samples.

This fall, Giorgio Armani unveiled MY WAY, a fragrance – created by perfumer Carlos Benaim – that encapsulates a new vision of femininity that is both profound and free-spirited, designed with a commitment to sustainability. I was curious what was behind this marketing concept.

Building an eco-conception mind-set and a continuous reduction of environmental impact, the launch of the new fragrance marked the beginning of a new commitment for Giorgio Armani: fighting against climate change and the erosion of biodiversity.

«I believe that environmental issues should be close to everyone’s heart, now more than ever. There is no way we can ignore the fact that the future of the younger generations depends on our choices. I believe that enriching experiences, capable of creating real progress, come to be through exchanges between cultures.» – Giorgio Armani

Top Notes: Bergamot, Egyptian orange blossom
Heart Notes: Tuberose, Indian jasmine
Base notes: Virginia cedarwood, Madagascan vanilla, White musk

The ingredients of the feminine fragrance are consciously sourced through local programs based on fair trade principles, in collaboration with local NGOs.

The flacon is refillable and recyclable. The blue and gold cap is a metaphor of the world, a talisman that encapsulates all encounters that matter. Each format of MY WAY – 30, 50 or 90 ml – is designed to be unscrewed and refilled at home with the same 150ml refill bottle, which is sold in a cellophane-free box.

MY WAY is an invitation to broaden your horizons and open up to new encounters, while keeping the spirit of curiosity that is so important. Actress Adria Arjona is the face of the campaign and genuinely embodies this philosophy, with her free-spirited, open personality.

Personally speaking, I truly like the new MY WAY fragrance and its philosophy. It’s a modern floral scent. Its notes are very well balanced and long-lasting.

TO SHOP GIORGIO AMANI MY WAY, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani and © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. I only received the scent as a sample.
#ArmaniBeauty #ArmaniMyWay #IAmWhatILive

This holiday season, CHANEL invites you to discover 5 essentials for a complete perfuming ritual revolving around its most iconic fragrance: N°5.
CHANEL has elevated the abstract scent of N°5 with 5 new textures for the body. 5 ways to wear fragrance and intensify your trail, 5 ways to leave your mark, 5 ways to remember that any detail that transforms the ordinary is a necessity.

THE FINISHING TOUCH OF THIS PERFUMING RITUAL:
N°5 Eau de Parfum, a legendary, timeless fragrance, a floral aldehyde bouquet housed in a bottle with a minimalist design. During the holiday season, it is dressed up for the occasion in an exclusive, limited-edition sleeve.

THE 5 BATH AND BODY ESSENTIALS OF THE N°5 PERFUMING RITUAL

ESSENTIEL N°1
THE SHOWER GEL – CHF 60.00 (200ml)
A pure moment of pleasure, the N°5 Shower Gel’s creamy, foaming texture lightly scents the skin and leaves it feeling velvety soft. Its transparent bottle is now equipped with the «Twist and Slide» cap, a CHANEL exclusive that makes it easy to dispense the product

ESSENTIEL N°2
THE BODY LOTION – CHF 68.00 (200ml)
The N°5 Body Lotion provides instant hydration on a daily basis and is easily and liberally applied thanks to its «Twist and Slide» cap. Its formula, enriched with an active ingredient derived from rose and jasmine, leaves a delicate, hydrating veil on the skin for 8 hours.*

ESSENTIEL N°3
THE BODY CREAM – CHF 106.00 (150g)
The N°5 Body Cream provides a voluptuous experience and is intensely hydrating. Its rich, sensual texture envelops skin in softness and keeps it moisturized for 8 hours.* Presented in a lightly frosted glass jar, the N°5 Body Cream, enriched with an active ingredient derived from rose and jasmine, subtly prolongs the N°5 trail.

ESSENTIEL N°4
THE DEODORANT – CHF 56.00 (100ml)
An immediate veil of freshness for lasting well-being, the N°5 Deodorant leaves the skin lightly scented. Housed in an opaque bottle, this comforting step of the routine was formulated with subtle, fresh notes that perfectly complement the floral bouquet of N°5.

ESSENTIEL N°5
THE HAIR MIST – CHF 63.00 (35ml)
Ultimate touch of seduction to infuse hair with the delicate scent of N°5. In a transparent, frosted glass bottle, its formula enriched with a new active ingredient derived from rose and jasmine makes hair soft and shiny.

In stores in November 2020.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL
*Instrumental test conducted on 20 women

Last night, I had the pleasure to enjoy a talk hosted by Net-à-Porter’s Global Beauty Director Newby Hands, arguably one of the most qualified experts in the game, and Dr. Nigma Talib ND, a licensed naturopathic doctor based in Los Angeles, who is qualified to treat an array of health conditions such as allergies, chronic pain, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, obesity, chronic fatigue and menopause. Furthermore, she is the author of the best selling book «Reverse the Signs of Ageing» and «Younger Skin Starts in the Gut».

To shop Dr. Nigma Talib’s books, click here please.

With over 15 years of experience in naturopathic practice, she is responsible for the radiant glow of some of Hollywood’s most famous faces, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller and Penelope Cruz. Based on the link between digestive health and premature ageing, her products target common skin concerns that are a result of our diet. Her passion for creating quality and science based supplements and skin care has reached consumers internationally and started in Net-à-Porter being one of the first pioneers to introduce vitamin supplements to the fashion industry.

For Nigma, it’s all about maintaining the right balance of good bacteria vs. bad bacteria that populate the gut. She explained that we have 100 trillions bacterias, good, bad and ugly ones. 70-80% of our immune system is in the gut. If it is unbalanced, we experience problems, such as bloating, constant chronic diseases, skin problems, fatigue and much more. Newby, who suffered from migraines before, told us that Nigma changed her life in only 36 hours.

Nigma’s daily tips:

– Eat slowly, never in front of a TV (try to chew a piece of bread very slowly and it will taste sweet because you break down the carbohydrates)
– Be 80% healthy and 20% you can cheat
– Take a probiotic (it is very important that the probiotic you take can survive the acidity of your stomach), collagen, Vitamin C, E, zink, and selenium (women in their 30s with thyroid problems mostly lack selenium).
– Stop eating salads at all, even for lunch. They are too hard to digest and don’t have a lot of nutrients. Opt for steamed vegetables, they are very good for your hormones, especially cauliflower, broccoli clean out your «dirty hormones».
– Especially in the cold season, your body needs warming food. Nigma even warms up her blueberries in the morning.

When you age, your stomach produces less acidity which can cause problems. Maintaining a healthy acid–alkaline balance means, that your blood levels should be alkaline, but your stomach acidy.

Your hormones are messengers. If they send the wrong message, you gain weight, you are moody or age prematurely. If your hormones go crazy in your late 30s or 40s, first make sure that your gut gets going. It will solve a lot of your problems.

Nigma explains: «Supplements are so helpful. I tested them on more than 1000 patients over so many years. They looked five years younger when they changed their diet and took them regularly.»

Nigma’s Vitamin C cocktail seems to be a true miracle product. Both, Newby and Nigma, were sipping this kind-of-looking-like-a-fancy-Bellini drink while talking. The sachet includes 1000mg of Vitamin C of which 90% will be absorbed by your body. This encourages collagen production and helps to get rid of dry skin. It will also boost your iron and energy levels (a little tip from Newby: take one sachet before going out and you will be in great form). Nigma’s Vitamin C supplement is not giving you diarrhea.

Something extremely interesting Nigma was explaining to us is that if you don’t drink enough water, you might be carving for sweets as the dehydration causes your sugar levels to sink. Too much sugar can cause skin sagging. It decreases the immune system because sugar sticks to collagen or the white blood cells.

Nigma divides the problems in different kind of faces:

The Dairy Face
– darkness under the eyes
– eye puffiness
– adult acne
Eliminate animal milk, and opt for nut milks with no sugar!

The Sugar Face
– sagging skin
– spots, pimples, redness
Too much sugar messes up the hormonal cycle.

The Gluten Face
– puffiness all over
– inflammation, redness
Like bread rises, your face gets puffy.

In terms of a healthy diet, Nigma recommends an ayurvedic lifestyle. Himalaya salt will help with your insulin levels. Look around your farmer’s market to find fresh and locally produced food. This in combination with the right supplements will improve your well-being in a short amount of time.

TO SHOP DR. NIGMA TABIL ND AT NET-A-PORTER, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dr. Nigma Stabil ND, © Net-à-Porter and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

I am a  true addict when it comes to my daily fragrance ritual. Wearing fragrance well requires a little more skill and finesse. Where you put your perfume, matters a lot. Target areas such as pulse points of the neck, the wrists, inner elbows, back side of your knees along with a hair mist for an enhanced and multidimensional olfactive trail. I also love misting my scarf, or the seam of my coat, because they move with the air, which helps with the diffusion of the scent. Talking about leaving a lasting impression. And never rub your wrists together as it destroys the molecules.

By the way, the best place to store fragrance is not on the shelf but in your cabinet away from sunlight, and at room temperature.

Here are my favorites at the moment:

GOOD GIRL GONE BAD Eau Fraîche
A limited edition scent for summer – CHF 240

Adding a cool and aquatic olfactive touch to the original perfume Good girl gone Bad by KILIAN for the warmer season, somewhere between floral and airy, it is the season’s nectar keeping summer bees busy. The perfume opens with notes of luminous Orange Blossom from North Africa and Roses from Turkey and Morocco but in its heart this new blend comes true: Egyptian Jasmine Sambac is splashed with a watery uplift and the ever-voluptuous Tuberose that is gentler by a textured sensation of freshness.

WOMAN IN GOLD
A perfume as complex and dazzling as the woman who wears it.

Inspired by Gustav Klimt‘s famous «Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer», it is my favorite for the colder season or for romantic nights. As complex and glamorous as the work of art, it opens with a blend of tart Bergamot, ripe Mandarin Orange and Aldehyde top notes that leads to a heady Rose Petal heart combined with Freesia and Geranium. The drydown consists of smooth Vanilla Absolute peppered by Patchouli and Akigalawood. Those Kilian flowers are composed like a narcotic dependence.

Woman In Gold Travel Set – Eau de Parfum and Refills, 4 x 7.5ml
Perfectly sized to accompany me on my travels or during the day, this beautifully engraved travel spray atomizer comes with three additional refills.

KILIAN’s  first hair mist, under the scent of Woman in Gold perfume, is joining the season’s seduction arsenal as a protective and perfumed secret weapon of the finest order. It is the final touch to one’s hair styling ritual. Carefully considered to offer the best of scent and science with UV protective elements, it comes with hydrating properties to help protect hair against the drying effects of the sun. It is so long-lasting, the best hair mist I have ever had. I truly hope that this will stay as it is a limited edition at the moment.

Like Kilian Hennessy says: «In perfumery, it is as much about seduction as it is about protection».
Enjoy your weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © By Kilian and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Whenever I receive a press preview from JO MALONE LONDON, I am totally excited. The photos and the stories behind the launches are always dreamlike and so beautiful. This fall, we are invited to enter the ancient Hanging Gardens and indulge in a lost moment in time, reimagined in the present to inspire two new fragrances. Fig & Lotus Flower Cologne, bright and luscious. Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense, smooth and noble. Together they capture the fragrant essence of this majestic scene.

FIG & LOTUS FLOWER COLOGNE

A new light floral Cologne inspired by the luscious figs and lotus flowers of the ancient Hanging Gardens. Honoured in many parts of the world for its loveliness, the lotus flower is an elegant water blossom and the perfect pairing for juicy fig in Jo Malone’s latest Cologne.

Top Note: Fig Leaf
Middle Note: Lotus Flower
Base Note: Vetiver

FIG LOVE

Plump, juicy and luscious, figs are known as the «fruit of the gods» – and with good reason. The fig has long featured in stories, poems and paintings across many civilisations. Said to be the world’s oldests planted tree, the fig tree. The season for the tree’s bounty is, however, fleeting– a moment of perfection, condensed and concentrated. A succulent pearl in nature’s treasure trove that few can resist.

Originally cultivated in Asia Minor around 9400 BC, where they lapped up the dry heat, figs are believed to be the first domesticated crop. A member of the mulberry family, the fig is a flowering tree – but not as one might imagine. The flowers grow secretly within the fruit, known as syconiums. A complex little secret to add to their magic. A tree mysterious enough for the Buddha to have found enlightenment beneath, a branch of which was supposedly taken by the emperor of India’s daughter to Sri Lanka, where it was replanted in 288 BC. Still alive today, it is the oldest planted tree in the world.

Many have been captivated by their siren call. In Greek mythology, it is said Apollo turned a crow’s feathers from pure white to black to punish it for dawdling by a tree or ripening figs while fetching him water. Alexander the Great is believed to have sought refuge from the heat under a huge fig tree when he arrived in India in 326 BC. And then, of course, they are said to have been grown in the legendary Hanging Gardens. A majestic wonder to fathom, a terraced garden adjoining a royal palace, planted with fruit trees complete with shaded walkways and cool streams to admire. Where the bountiful fig trees are believed to have stood water-splashed and abundant with temptingly plump figs alongside it’s the prized lotus flower.

We have paired the vibrant, juicy fig with lotus flower, luscious and crystaline, for a light floral fragrance that is water-splashed and graceful, that embodies the allure of this ancient wonder of the world. A place built by a king for a queen he adored. A timeless love to echo through the ages.

CYPRESS & GRAPEVINE COLOGNE INTENSE

An evergreen woody scent inspired by the statuesque trees of the ancient Hanging Gardens. Discover the story of the cypress, the slender and spellbinding tree that brings its aromatic notes to Jo Malone’s new Cologne Intense.

Top Note: Cypress
Middle Note: Grapevine
Base Note: Moss

THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

The allure of the grape is not to be underestimated. Depicted dangling over the mouths of adoring Gods, heroes, emperors and kings in art, in pottery, in poems and beyond, they are the symbol of opulence, decadence and the desire for more, as ancient as civilisation itself. Droplets of temptation, easily plucked from the vine that burst with sweetness in one bite.

In Greek mythology, Dionysus, the god of wine, transformed a lost lover into a grapevine. In fact, mythologies, folklore and religions across many cultures all have tales to tell of the grapevine’s prized gift to the world. Symbolising abundance and prosperity, the ancient world could never get their fill of these juicy jewels, the red and black varieties are said to be particularly rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Cultivated since 6,000 BC, grapevines spread their tentacles through Egypt to Asia Minor, flourishing across the Roman Empire and captivating all who whose paths they crossed with all the forms they could take.

The sap from the vines was traditionally used by folk healers in hope of soothing skin ailments and treat eye infections, while the leaves were applied to wounds to stem bleeding. A natural antibacterial, anti-inflammatory ointment of sorts, it was said to bring a radiance to the skin and to detoxify the liver. A veritable jack of all trades.

With such a distinguished history, it’s only right that the grapevine takes a starring role in Jo Malone’s new collection. Said to have been grown in the Hanging Gardens where a noble king created a special garden for his beloved queen full of lush greenery. A paradise to escape to, with its glimmering waterfalls and wondrous verdant terraces. Where fruits from the grapevines are said to be enjoyed during social receptions. By pairing the unusual entwined grapevine note, woody with a hint of warm amber and juicy grape notes with the freshness of the Cyprus, it is bringing a twist on the classic fougère. A reimagining of a scented garden, famed throughout the world for its astonishing beauty and created as a gesture of overwhelming love.

FRAGRANCE COMBINING™

Like a true love story, those two new fragrances can be combined with each other, also great in combination with WOOD SAGE & SEA SALT.

Fig & Lotus Flower Cologne 30ml, CHF 72.–
Fig & Lotus Flower Cologne 100ml, CHF 135.–
Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense 50ml, CHF 116.–
Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense 100ml, CHF 165.–
Cypress & Grapevine Exfoliating Shower Gel 200ml, CHF 47.–
Available now at all Jo Malone London counters.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Jo Malone and © Sandra Bauknecht
Follow: @JoMaloneLondon #LOSTINWONDER

Spend the last sunny days well protected. I have tried many different products over this summer and those ones here have become my personal favorites and I will explain you why.

LA ROCHE POSAY’s ANTHELIOS is a pioneering player in the suncare market, recommended by Swiss dermatologists more than any other brand. Its broad-spectrum, very high protection is the result of more than 25 years of advanced clinical research into suncare and sun sensitive skin.
Here comes the newest innovation:

ANTHELIOS INVISIBLE SPRAY SPF50+ FOR SENSITIVE AND REACTIVE SKIN
A very high broad-spectrum protection preventing damage caused by UVA, UVB Infrared-A and pollution. Ultra-resistant to water, sweat and sand. Anti-eye stinging. Light-weight, non-sticky texture, leaving no white marks. Its formula is also respectful to marine life.

CHF 35.00 (200ml)

ANTHELIOS INVISIBLE FLUID SPF50+ FOR SENSITIVE AND REACTIVE SKIN
This non-perfumed fluid is the highest UVA protection in Anthelios history, providing a broad-spectrum protection preventing damage caused by UVA and UVB and Infrared-A and pollution. Ultra-resistant to water, sweat and sand. Anti-eye stinging. Light-weight, non-sticky texture, leaving no white marks. Its formula is also respectful to marine life.

CHF 28.00 (50ml) – now also available with SPF 30

VICHY’s CAPITAL SOLEIL sun care provides expert sun protection. There are two new innovations that I love. Offering very high broad spectrum, both suncare sprays SPF50 for face and body have a radical lightweight solar water formula that hydrates and protects while feeling comfortable on the skin. One provides extra hydration while the other one helps you to enhance your tan. I personally hate applying sun care products but those ones are easy, lightweight and fun while being respectful to marine life.

CAPITAL SOLEIL SOLAR PROTECTIVE WATER SPF 50 HYDRATING
CAPITAL SOLEIL SOLAR PROTECTIVE WATER SPF 50 ENHANCED TAN

CHF 31.00 (200ml)CAPITAL SOLEIL MATTIFYING 3-IN-1 SPF 50
This new anti-blemish, mattifying sun lotion with SPF 50 protection protects, absorbs and controls shine with green clay and bifidus extract. Perfect for someone with oily skin.

CHF 26.00 (50ml)

All products are available at pharmacies.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
Stills: Courtesy of La Roche Posay and Vichy