Sandra‘s Closet

«Sometimes you just need to allow inspiration to find you—wherever in the world it may be.» – Duro Olowu

Nigerian-born, London-based fashion designer Duro Olowu, the prince of prints, created his first-ever makeup collection with Estée Lauder, that I don’t want you to miss as I spotted it myself in British Vogue. Beautiful, vibrant and full of life are the six customized make-up products, inspired by his own effortlessly stylish clothing collections, which celebrate freedom of expression, individuality, and the strong, confident woman who wears them.

Being trendy has never been of interest to Duro. He has always been more interested in the culture of style to create pieces that effortlessly stand the test of time. His prints are inspired by his Nigerian, Jamaican, and British backgrounds, as well as his love of art. About his creative process he says: «Fabrics always tell a story, and, when mixed well, exude the kind of joie de vivre and allure I am constantly inspired by.»

In Switzerland, the Estée Lauder x Duro Olowu collection is only available online.
CLICK HERE TO BE TRANSFERED DIRECTLY. Great news is that shipping is free until this Sunday, Aug 4, 2019.

LoL, Sandra

Duro Olowu with me

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Courtesy of Estée Lauder, Magazine in Collage: British Vogue

Since last year, baby boomer nails, also known as French Fade, have been all the rage in France and Germany. And if you just asked yourself, «what the heck are baby boomer nails and why is a nail trend coming from Europe?» Here is your answer: Baby boomer nails are the perfect blend of minimal nail art and the classic French manicure providing an ombré look that is less bold and more sophisticated.

Step 1: The white colour is applied with a sponge-like tool to the tip.

The name derives from the Baby Boom generation that is most often defined as those individuals born between 1946 and 1964 who grew up at a time of dramatic social change, widely associated with privilege. The term itself refers to a noticeable increase in the birth rate after World War II. In this time of the baby boom, the most popular nail colours were besides red, frosted pinks and whites. So for reasons that seem obvious this is why the ombré trend was named because of the era the polish colours were most popular.

Step 2: A thin layer of pink gel is applied and afterwards filed into the perfect shape.

If you want to get on board with the baby boomer look but don’t know how you’ll explain it to your manicurist, here is how my beloved nail artist Megan Stadler does it. These are her pro tips to take to your next appointment in case you are not living in Zurich, otherwise call her for under +41 79 425 8868. I have gel nails (love how long-lasting they are) but you can of course also achieve the look with regular nail polish.

Step 3: A pink gloss for the ultimate shine.

It’s a timeless and elegant look, soft pink fading into frosted white tips. The shape of the nail is up to you. There’s something romantic about it, perfect for a wedding. I am totally in love and you?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 

Ladies, today is International Lipstick Day and this is your chance to win a SISLEY Le Phyto Rouge Lipstick that celebrates its one year anniversary today.

What makes SISLEY Le Photo Rouge so special?

It is its intensity of a lipstick combined with a balm-like sensation in an exceptional skin care formula and a stunning packaging that makes it a real beauty accessory. Thanks to the «Hydrobooster Complex» composed of microspheres of hyaluronic acid and konjac glucomannans, lips are immediately plumped up, voluptuous and smoothed.

I love SISLEY Le Photo Rouge in 10 Beige Jaipur.

What do you have to do to win one of five lipsticks?

To participate, please send me an e-mail with your postal address and the header «INTERNATIONAL LIPSTICK DAY» to . All entries must be received until August 2, 2019. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this contest. By entering this contest, entrants accept and agree to be bound by these official rules. The winner has to have a Swiss address. Good luck!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of SISLEY Paris and © Sandra Bauknecht

Here is your anti-gloom remedy, a cheerful interpretation to be creative. Meet the fun universe of SOLINOTES and their eaux de parfum that were specifically developed to be worn alone, or layered to create a unique signature scent. With a collection of 15 unique fragrances, a multitude of scented combinations can be created to suit your personality, style and mood. A simple concept which, like a fashion accessory, gives each woman the freedom to flaunt her own identity and express her femininity!

My favorite combination for summer: Tiare and Vanilla

How does it work?

1. Pick up two fragrances you would like to mix
2. Spray on your skin to associate the fragrances together
3. Enjoy your unique perfume

The Essentials: Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Tiare, Cherry Blossom
Floral Scents: Frangipani Flower, Jasmin Blossom, Iris Blossom, Fig Tree Blossom
Novelties: Pink Grafruit, Yuzu, White Tea, Pomegranate
Timeless Perfumes: Musk, Rose, Blackberry

To get off to a faultless start, I recommend to spice up a floral bouquet with citrus, or to mix a fruit note with vanilla.

In Switzerland, the collection is exclusively available at Manor for CHF 15.90 (50ml) and CHF 9.90 (15ml) each. Create your own perfume book and write a new chapter each day depending on your mood!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Solinotes, © Sandra Bauknecht

CHANEL announces Margot Robbie as the face of the new fragrance GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE. Beyond her talent and radiant beauty, the House was drawn to the captivating personality of the Australian actress and producer, who stars in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film, Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood.

Created by Olivier Polge in cooperation with the CHANEL Laboratory of Fragrance Creation and Development, this new olfactory interpretation of GABRIELLE CHANEL reveals a trail that is more voluptuous and opulent, solar and enveloping. Composed around four white flowers revered by CHANEL (jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom and tuberose), ESSENCE gives a majestic role to Grasse tuberose.

GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE will be available as of September 1, 2019 in Europe, the USA, Canada, Latin America, Central America, the UK, South Africa and Australia.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © CHANEL #GABRIELLECHANEL #CHANELFRAGRANCE

I love sheet masks, they are my guilty pleasure. The cult buy from K-beauty brand THE OOZOO is the playful ‘In-Shot’ sheet masks – each is packaged with an ampoule-loaded syringe to keep the skin-enhancing ingredients fresh and potent. Sample one of each formula on your next at-home pamper session with friends or just treat yourself to some fun!

Face In-Shot Nutrient Mask x 5 (yellow)
Face Energy Shot Mask x 5 (black)
Face In-Shot Hydrolift Mask x 5 (blue)
Face In-Shot Illumination Mask x 5 (pink)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Kilts, bagpipes, unicornsand the legendary Loch Ness monster –experience all this and more with the Scotland Collection by OPI!

Inspired by fashion trends for the season, including windowpane plaid and classic houndstooth in unique fabrics with detailed embellishments, this collection includes 12 new shades for F/W 2019 in various shades of purple, blue andred, along with pops of orange, dark green and taupe.

The striking landscapes of Scotland are represented in these hues, from rolling hillsides filled with purple heather bloom (Good Girls Gone Plaid (hero shade), Boys Be Thistle-ing at Me, You’ve Got that Glas-glow, Edinburgh-er & Tatties) to fiery foliage in brilliant shades of red, orange and deep green (A Little Guilt Under the Kilt, Red Heads Ahead, Suzi Needs a Loch-smith, Things I’ve Seen in Aber-green) to thousands of miles of coastline and numerous lakes and rivers in every shade imaginable of blue (Rub-a-Pub-Pub, Nessie Plays Hide & Sea-k, OPI Grabs the Unicorn By The Horn, and Nice Set Of Pipes).

“After seeing so many variations of plaid forecasted for fall fashion, we knew we’d end up in Scotland for inspiration this season,” declares OPI co-founder and brand ambassador Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. “The collection’s hero shade, Good Girls Gone Plaid, captures the moody, ethereal beauty of Scotland in autumn. Its dark amethyst hue takes on the appearance of super trendy black in certain light, but with much more dimension thanks to the jewel undertones.”

Scotland Collection by OPI is available in Nail Lacquer (CHF 19.90), Infinite Shine (CHF 24.90) and GelColor formulas for in-salon treatments from Mid August 2019 for at least 6 months.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © OPI

These specialized powders are perfect for frequent flyers. 15th Degree created its ‘JetFuel‘ sachets to help you feel your best before, during and after long or busy periods of travel. Divided into three powder supplements – ‘Performance‘, ‘Rest‘ and ‘Health‘ – each dose is packed with highly absorbable active ingredients to reduce tiredness and fatigue, boost energy and support normal cognitive function. Happy Holidays!

To shop the JetFuel Travel Fatigue Set, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of the Brand

So, if you’re ready for some time spent under the summer sun and want to make sure your routine protects your skin during this time, check out these products below. Sun-smart must-haves to get you through the holiday season.

CAUDALIE Beautifying Suncare Oil SPF 30
Innovative filter system, hydration, luminous tan, water-resistant – CHF 32.90

BIOTHERM Waterlover Sun Mist SPF 30
Eco-designed, water-friendly, invisible, hydrating formula enriched with Life Plankton™ – CHF 51.90

ST. TROPEZ Bronzing Water Face Mist (LOVE!)
Ultra-lightweight skin protecting, tropical scented, tanning water mist – CHF 36.00

SHISEIDO Sports Invisible Protective Mist SPF 50 (LOVE!)
Ultra lightweight, water and sweat resistant, very high protection, easy application – CHF 52.90

CLARINS Refreshing After Sun Gel
For face and body, deep hydration, helps promote a longer-lasting tan – CHF 39.00

ANTI BRUMM Night
Protects from insect bites, great for travelling, hydrates – CHF 15.00

Enjoy your holidays wherever you are going. For my favorite facial sunscreens, click here for the previous post.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Blurring the lines between art and fashion, Dutch icons Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren constantly push the boundaries of conceptual design. Last season, we’ve all seen the showstopping, statement-making couture gowns walk down the runway demanding ‘no photos please’ or just simply saying ‘NO’. The S/S 2019 couture show, titled «Fashion Statements», presented those language memes in tiers of tulle and had an outstanding viral response.

Backstage with Viktor & Rolf last week in Paris

But how to top this collection? I was curious. Last week I was invited to their F/W 2019 Haute Couture show in Paris not only to see the new breathtaking défilé, called «Spiritual Glamour» but also to experience the connection between art, fashion and beauty. The mission? To make the world a better place.

When I went backstage before the show, I experienced their unmistakable artistic craftsmanship first hand, which can also be found in their iconic fragrance Flowerbomb which got a new addition to the perfume family with Flowerbomb Midnight, a mysterious, floral and sensual facet, enveloped for the first time in a sumptuous radical black bottle. Spellbinding and captivating, sparkling and intimate, this eau de parfum for women celebrates midnight, a moment of transformation where women can let their sensuality explode.

Flowerbomb Midnight is a long-lasting floral-chypre-fruity perfume, an olfactory bomb of sensuality designed around night-blooming jasmine. Also called «queen of the night,» this mysterious flower only blooms and reveals her captivating scent when the day falls. Layered with the intoxicating second-skin patchouli and musk accord, vanilla and praline, it gives Flowerbomb Midnight its tremendous depth and contrast. The powerful fruity notes of blackcurrant and pomegranate accord sparkle while bergamot adds a fresh, zesty note enhanced by spicy, aromatic pink pepper. This mouth watering new fragrance was created by four famous noses, Dominique Ropion, Domitille Michalon-Bertier, Carlos Benaïm and Fanny Bal. In Switzerland, Flowerbomb Midnight is exclusively available at MARIONNAUD.

On the runway, Viktor & Rolf showed magical dresses for the «queen of the night». The moon, the stars, the sun appeared as applications and addition to their futuristic fabrics. With the help of Claudy Jongstra, who has been developing her own textiles over decades, Viktor & Rolf created a collection that is different, almost an epiphany for the fashion savvy.

The artist has her own biodynamic dye garden in the Northern Netherlands where she produces botanical pigments to create dyes for the final artisanal touches to these extraordinary pieces. She is even raising rare Drenthe Heath sheeps, reimagines and reconstructs textile production systems, demonstrating deep respect for the interwoven narratives of materials, landscape, and making processes. A highly innovative artist, Claudy Jongstra has created new territory for wool as a contemporary artistic medium, captured and processed by the designer duo Viktor & Rolf.

The collaboration is outstanding as both partners treat couture like a laboratory and show that haute couture is not outdated yet. That it can be a leader in terms of sustainability.

Furthermore, «spiritual glamour» can be found everywhere, in a rare flower used in a scent, in a fabric that creates a gown or in an artist that wants to make the world a better place with his or her designs. The world of fashion, art and beauty are all interlinked, it is up to us how we want to transport the message ourselves. Let’s drop a bombshell and be our own muses.

Celebrity spotlight at the show: Miss Fame and Christina Aguilera, both boasting the Viktor & Rolf’s unapologetic irreverent slogans and unmistakable artistic craftsmanship from the S/S 2019 Haute Couture collection.

Enjoy more of my impressions below, especially my favorite moment at the end when I met Christina Aguilera.

LoL, Sandra

I got a little shaky… so excited to meet the singer in person!

Everything before a fashion show is last minute.

Personally speaking seeing the craftsmanship and outstanding fabrics so close…

… was a true pleasure and makes you appreciate the work of couture even so much more.

I love watching the make-up artists doing their job.

The eye make-up was outstanding.

Belgian make-up artist Peter Philips, who is currently the creative and image director of Christian Dior makeup, doing the final check-up of the model’s look.

Lots of L’ORÉAL hair spray and fake hair needed for the volume.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht