Sandra‘s Closet

In general, I know that summer is over when the first holiday press releases arrive at my doorstep. One that immediately has caught my eye was CLARINS Shimmer & Shine make-up look for Christmas 2018. All of a sudden I have started looking forward to the winter season. Here are those three beautiful products that will hit the shelves in Switzerland on October 8, 2018.
All are limited editions.

ILLUMINATING SCULPTING POWDER FACE AND DECOLLETE
CHF 46.00
Sculpt and highlight the complexion & décolleté with sheer, subtle gold shimmer. This silky smooth formula can easily be applied using your fingers on cheekbones, under the eyebrows, temples and décolleté.

INSTANT LIGHT LIP COMFORT OIL
CHF 30.50
This lip oil combines all the high shine benefits of a gloss with the soothing comfort of an oil. Its highly sensorial and lightweight texture never feels sticky.

GOLD MASCARA TOP COAT
CHF 35.00
Worn on its own or as a top coat, this mascara dresses your lashes in fine, golden sparkle. The double brush separates and defines each and every lash, even on the shortest ones.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clarins

Sometimes people are surprised when I tell them that I only wash my hair once a week. If you are having a long mane like me, washing the hair less often will help preserve the natural oils in the scalp and keep your strands well moisturized. Moreover, I have curly hair and I am just too lazy to blow dry it too often. Don’t be scared, try to switch to an every-other-day or every-third day shampoo routine. It might feel hard in the beginning but you can train your hair, believe me.

For in-between touch-ups and fresh smell, I recommend those amazing scented dry shampoos by Björn Axén, Sweden’s strongest hair care brand founded by the eponymous hair dresser in 1963, who even worked for the Swedish queen. Those scented dry shampoos come in three different scents reminiscent of spring, Green Apple, Sweet Blossom and Sunny Grapefruit, and effectively freshen up the hair without leaving a rough feeling. They all give light volume and are recommended for all hair types.

Application: Shake the bottle. Part your hair and spray towards the scalp from 15 cm; allow to work 1 min. If necessary, spray the area around your face. Massage into the scalp with your fingers and shake off any white residue.

Björn Axén Dry Shampoo in Green Apple, Sweet Blossom and Sunny Grapefruit
CHF 17.90 (150ml) – in Switzerland available at Jelmoli among others.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Björn Axén

Clarins’ instant pore perfector – a refreshing serum with firming Vine Flower cells and mattifying Organic Strawberry Tree fruit extract – visibly tightens and purifies enlarged pores for skin that’s smooth, radiant, shine-free and refined.

It also contains dual-action mattifying powders that visibly reduce the appearance of pores, blur their contours, and absorb excess oil.

Personally speaking, this serum is excellent. My pores seem much smaller immediately and my skin looks smoother and more radiant overall. I’m using it in the morning and at night.

Available in Switzerland from Monday, 27th of August for CHF 76.00 (30ml).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clarins

The skin around the eyes is the most hard-working part of the face – we blink up to 28,000 times a day – but it can also be fragile and under-nourished. Here are the best eye creams and treatments to strengthen this sensitive area.

THE EVERYDAY ESSENTIAL
The Eye Concentrate by La Mer
This light, deeply conditioning cream comes with an applicator that doubles as a massager. Use the cool metal tip from the inner corner of the eyes outwards to get rid of puffiness.

THE DAILY ANTI-AGER
Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix by Estée Lauder
This lightweight eye serum tackles all the major problems that we have around the eyes: puffiness, dark circles, dry and crepey skin. The skin around the eye doesn’t produce natural oils, so the high dosage of hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates before applying your eye cream – and don’t be fooled by the name, you can use it in the mornings, too.

THE MASK
Eye Contour Mask by Sisley Paris
One of my favorites as you’ll see instant results from the first use! Apply a thick layer of this transparent gel and gently tissue off 10 minutes later to look refreshed, rested and rejuvenated. 

MASK ON THE GO
All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask by KNC Beauty
I always have them in my pocket and take them on my trips. Playfully shaped like shooting stars, they’re infused with retinol to improve texture and stimulate blood flow. The plumping collagen, soothing aloe and moisturizing hyaluronic acid help reduce swelling and diminish dark circles in no time.THE DE-PUFFER
Eye Express Radiance Ice Cubes by Anne Semonin
Perfect ahead of a big event or to counter the effects of jetlag, these clever cubes use cryotherapy to refresh tired eyes. Keep them in the freezer for at least three hours before use, remove the cube and gently run along the contours of your eyes. The freezing temperature firms the skin and helps to eliminate toxins and lessen the effects of eating too much salt or a night of drinking a few too many mojitos.

THE GADGET
SpectraLite EyeCare Pro by Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare
Fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet are reduced by 72 LED lights penetrating the skin to stimulate collagen production. Use for two weeks, three minutes per day, for noticeable results.

THE COVER UP
The Cure Sheer Eye Cream & Concealer by Natura Bissé
This multitasker, infused with water lily and caffeine, acts as an anti-aging eye cream and a concealer. The perfect mix of skincare and coverage, it goes on like a lightweight foundation while the added serum brightens and hydrates.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Breaking news! CHANEL launches its first men’s make-up line, BOY DE CHANEL.
First available in Korea on September 1, 2018, it will be available in the rest of the world from November 2018 online, and from January 2019 in CHANEL stores.

By creating BOY DE CHANEL, CHANEL reaffirms the ever-changing codes of an unchanging vision: beauty is not a matter of gender; it’s a matter of style.
With its sleek blue night packs, the BOY DE CHANEL line consists of three essential products: a foundation, a lip balm and an eyebrow pen. Three make-up enhancers, to erase imperfections with accuracy, undetectably. Each offers textures for instinctive use, imperceptible formulas and a long, infallible hold for a natural result.Why shouldn’t men start to do the same efforts we take every morning! To more gender equality – be only you!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel
#BOYDECHANEL #BEONLYYOU #CREATEYOURSELF

I have always been a big fan of M∙A∙C’s beauty kits as they offer a great choice of colors or brushes and make the perfect gift. Here are new launches that hit the shelves this week:

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Brush Kit
Basic – 89.00 CHF

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Brush Kit
Eye – 79.00 CHF

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Mini Lipstick Kit
M∙A∙C Idols – 63.00 CHF

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Lip Trio
Red – Nude – Pink – 63.00 CHF each

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Little MAC
Pink – Nude – 22.00 CHF each

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Total Babe – matte
79.00 CHF

M∙A∙C Artist Edit Metalista – metallic
79.00 CHF

Limited editions, available now, exclusively at M∙A∙C STORE ZURICH (BELLEVUE), M∙A∙C STORE LUCERNE (TRAIN STATION), M∙A∙C JELMOLI ZURICH and online.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of M∙A∙C Cosmetics

Introducing NARCISO Eau de Parfum Rouge – the epitome of femininity, sublimely seductive. A new fragrance explores the fine art of passion further.

An exciting new chapter of the NARCISO fragrance line narrative continues to embrace
the infinite powers of femininity. I am not a big fan of the other ones but I have fallen in love with NARCISO Eau de Parfum Rouge immediately.

The NARCISO fragrance line has always embraced color as a key element. The colors chosen for each scent are carefully considered; they radiate from within. The vivid red of Eau de Parfum Rouge captures the fierce powers of attraction while the blush color of Eau de Parfum Poudrée signifies extreme seduction. The original fragrance, NARCISO Eau de Parfum, is a warm stone-white that alludes to the mythical story of the fragrance and black, the color of NARCISO Eau de Toilette, implies mystery.

Top Notes: Bulgarian rose, Iris
Middle Notes: Musk
Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Amber, Vetiver, White Cedarwood, Black Cedarwood

The subtle blend of romanticism of floral poetry and the deeper, darker sensuality of NARCISO rouge leaves a devastating trail that bewitches and stirs the senses.

Eau de Parfum 30ml – CHF 81.00
Eau de Parfum 50ml – CHF 120.60
Eau de Parfum 90ml – CHF 149.40

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Narciso Rodriguez

For his F/W 2018 show, Tom Ford definitely thought outside of the box, or let’s say at least the «fashion box». Confident in the extreme, the designer send something truly amazing pieces down the runway and I am not talking about the technicolor cheetah printed coats and leggings, or snakeskin suit and a silver lamé blazer, I am talking about the «Natalia» bag emblazoned with a simple expression: «PUSSY POWER» and the matching kitten heels embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Echoing Ford is comedian and political commentator, Trevor Noah who dedicated an entire segment of his Netflix one hour standup special «Afraid of the Dark», to the power of the pussy. I love this part:

«Have you ever come across a pussy? You realize vaginas can start revolutions and end wars. You realize, even on a physical level, the vagina is one of the strongest things that have ever existed. Virtually indestructible…The vagina is frighteningly powerful. You realize that human beings come out of a vagina.

Human beings come out and still it continues to work as intended. Do you understand how impressive that is? A human being comes out of the vagina. And still, it continues to operate, it continues to work, after a human has just come out. You’re saying it’s weak? You just sit on a penis wrong and it breaks. “Don’t be a penis,” that should be the phrase. I wish I was a pussy.»

Pussy Power Natalia bag crafted of glitter plexi, crystals and plexiglass by Tom Ford

Pussy Power slingback by Tom Ford

Ladies, time to show our power! It all starts with a shoe, a bag, and your attitude!
Pussy on… I need these shoes!

LoL, Sandra

Lip Color Satin Matte in Pussy Power by Tom Ford

Photos: Courtesy of Tom Ford

Setting out to discover distant horizons can lead to experiences that are as unexpected as they are magical. An aurora borealis rising across a lava desert.
A cloud of fireflies taking flight in a tropical forest.
A shower of shooting stars raining down over the open sea.
Such rare and fantastic phenomena become engraved in the memory forever.

LOUIS VUITTON Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, fascinated by the trace of such fleeting moments that you wish you could keep forever, dreamed up an enchanting composition: a jubilant perfume that stirs all the senses and celebrates our capacity to experience awe. To grasp what is impossible to capture. To photograph the natural mirages we envision constantly. In his quest to embody waking dreams from far-flung explorations, he found the olfactory direction for Attrape-Rêves.

Such a composition would never settle for a conventional beauty. It needed an explosive fragrance trail; one that was vibrant and surprising in equal measure. Inspired by the euphoria one feels when gazing at a burst of shooting stars, he let himself be guided by an African cacao flower of absolute purity. A raw material, treated in Grasse, that distills regressive, animalistic inflections.
To airy cacao, he added a bouquet of peony, delicate flower with thousand petals, fresh and luminous. He reinforced the power of the duo by pairing it with the slightest touch of essence of patchoulol, the noble, modernized heart of patchouli. Even then, settling for a gustatory fragrance was out of the question. Like an olfactory about-face, lychee and Turkish rose absolute created an unexpected and purebred elegance. He also used ginger and bergamot like flavor enhancers, to amplify this extraordinary perfume’s contrasts and freshness.

Eau de Parfum Attrape-Rêves 100ml 210€
In-store refill 100ml 125€
Eau de Parfum Attrape-Rêves 200ml 320€
In-store refill 200ml 250€
Travel Spray 4×7.5ml 210€
Travel Spray Refills 4×7.5ml 115€
Miniature Set 7x10ml 260€

Available as of 13th September at select Louis Vuitton stores and at louisvuitton.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
#LVParfums – #louisvuitton

Recently, I received new beauty products to try. These two have been helping me to survive the hot weather perfectly. Regardless of where you live, this summer has been a scorcher (and it’s not even close to being over!). I have definitely been in the sun too much. I try to protect my skin, but it is still dried out.

LA MER‘s new TREATMENT LOTION HYDRATING MASK is absolutely amazing. You can hydrate on the go. This innovative supercharged sheet mask is infused with a full ounce (30ml) of The Treatment Lotion‘s energizing vitality in each application. Your skin feels immediately moisturized. Prep with The Treatment Lotion followed by the mask for an healthy glow.
CHF 170.00 (6 sheet masks) #LoveLaMer

To beat the hot weather, I love to put the products in the fridge and apply them chilled. This feels so good and refreshing.

Beauty on the go – also best for travelling. Another amazing product is this one here:

JO MALONE‘s LIME BASIL & MANDARIN BODY & HAIR OIL is a great way to refresh and moisturize after a hot day. Spray it on your dry or wet skin or hair and you will immediately feel invigorated. You will love its summery smell.
CHF 81.00 (100ml) – #DeclareYourScent

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht