Sandra‘s Closet

We all know the beauty of a well chosen perfume that is a reflection of you. After you have found your favorite scent, you should also master the art of perfuming. Here are some tips on how to perfume yourself in a way you might have not thought about before.

Perfume behind your wrists, ankles and knees
These blood pulse points « heat up » the perfume on the skin and allow it to exhale in an unexpected and subtle manner each time you move.

Perfume your ribbons or hair accessories
To add rejoicing scented touches to your hairstyle, as if it was styled with flowers.

Perfume the hem of your dress or skirt
Fragrant notes are revealed with elegance, enhancing the movement of the body and leaving on you an exquisite perfume trail.

Perfume the inner side of your belt
As it was traditionally done in royal and imperial courts, perfuming the inner side of a leather accessory brings an additional touch of femininity.

Perfume the inner lining of your coat or jacket
To sign your appearances, each time you take it off at a rendez-vous, a dinner or a party.

Perfume your fan
Each movement brings a subtle refinement to the room by liberating a delicate scent.

Perfume the inside of your handbag
Each time you open your bag, a joyful shot arises, expression of an extreme sophistication.

LoL, Sandra

Illustration: Courtesy of Roger & Gallet

With the new Extrait de Cologne, Roger & Gallet brings up to date the art of perfuming, bequeathed by the “Incroyables” and the “Merveilleuses”, a group of young whimsical Parisians at the end of the 18th century. At that time, they were crazy for Jean-Marie Farina’s Eau de Cologne and thoroughly splashed themselves with it… on their skin, but also on their clothes, hats or accessories of any kind.

In 2017, Roger & Gallet invited five famous perfumers to create their own scent for this new collection. The campaign is absolutely beautiful and I am happy to share with you these beautiful photos and all the information regarding the new fragrances that all include up to 90% natural ingredients.

Five iconic perfumers from left to right: Alberto Morillas (Thé Fantasie), Fabrice Pellegrin (Néroli Facétie – MY FAVORITE), Juliette Karagueuzoglou (Verveine Utopie), Anne Flipo (Tubérose Hédonie) and Elise Bénat (Cassis Frénésie) have created a collection of five beautiful scents.

CASSIS FRÉNÉSIE EXTRAIT DE COLOGNE
CONTAINS 90,1% OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS
Crisp, tonic, energising. Fights melancholia, stimulates good mood and euphorises senses.

To create her Extrait de Cologne, Elise Bénat, French perfumer, has selected:
Blackcurrant bud absolute
Pepper essence
Rose infusion
Precious distilled essences of geranium, lavandin, galbanum & buchu.

Always more, always more often, life has so much to offer!
Cassis Frénésie, is an appetite for living, loving, tasting pleasures, without moderation, in an utmost exaltation.

NÉROLI FACÉTIE EXTRAIT DE COLOGNE
CONTAINS 87,8% OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS:
Tranquilizing, pleasing and balancing. Relieves anxiety, facilitates sleep and lightens the mind.

To create his Extrait de Cologne, Fabrice Pellegrin, French perfumer, has selected:
Neroli essence
Orange blosson absolute
Immortelle absolute
Precious distilled essences of cedarwood, petitgrain, angelica seeds & vetiver.

Here, all is mischievousness, comical, slapstick, fun. Jokes and laughs!
Néroli Facétie is an attitude, cheerful, joyful, playful. A sheer art of having fun with facial expressions or little games.

TUBÉREUSE HÉDONIE EXTRAIT DE COLOGNE
CONTAINS 89,8% OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS:
Extraordinarily relaxing and aphrodisiac. Rouses the mood and invites body and mind to let go.

To create her Extrait de Cologne, Anne Flipo, French perfumer, has selected:
Tuberose absolute
Jasmine absolute
Bergamote essence
Precious distilled essences of pink pepper, Neroli & celery grains.

You must seize the day, every minute!
The hedonist lives for pleasure. To please oneself, as often as possible, in every possible manner, satisfying one’s senses, with no reserve, here is the goal of his existence, the supreme value, above all others.

THÉ FANTAISIE EXTRAIT DE COLOGNE
CONTAINS 90,7 % OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS:
Untiring, energizing, destressing. Comforting, appeases tension and stimulates the mind.

To create his Extrait de Cologne, Alberto Morillas, Master Perfumer, has selected:
Black tea extract
Benzoin resin
Sandalwood essence
Precious distilled essences of coriander, Cardamom, sage & vetiver.

What matters is to have fun!
The fantasist takes pleasure in doing things off the beaten track, far from conventions. Originality, a hint of mischievousness and lightness as a way of life.

VERVEINE UTOPIE EXTRAIT DE COLOGNE
CONTAINS 89,3% OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS:
Stimulating, invigorating, anti-fatigue. Refreshes the body, freshens the mind and galvanizes the senses.

To create her Extrait de Cologne, Juliette Karagueuzoglou, French perfumer, has selected:
Exotic verbena essence
Gentian extract
Precious distilled essences of cedar wood, Gaiac and vetiver wood, basil & absinthe.

He is a dreamer, a poet in search of the absolute, in quest for the wonderful!
The utopist lives for an ideal, the perfect world in which each one could find happiness. With passion and innocence, this stargazer draws up a flow of ideas to change the world and make it better.

In stores from September 2017 – 100ml (CHF 70.00), 500ml (CHF 170.00).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Roger & Gallet

I love nude lipsticks. Therefore I am all excited about this new collaboration between rap queen Nicki Minaj and M∙A∙C Cosmetics. Both have worked together to develop two nude, sophisticated lipsticks, of which one is named after her 2014 album of the same name:

Nicki’s Nude – soft corally pink (amplified)
The Pinkprint – mid-tone creamy pink (amplified)

Minaj teased that she and M∙A∙C Cosmetics have more big news coming in 2018. This is the rapper’s first collaboration with the makeup brand since designing a lavender lipstick for them for their 2012 Viva Glam campaign. I am curious what will be coming up next…

Limited Edition, available 7th September, 2017 at all M∙A∙C locations, M∙A∙C Stores and at maccosmetics.ch for CHF 28.00 each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of M∙A∙C Cosmetics

I am having such a lash obsession this fall with the launch of ESTÉE LAUDER‘s Pure Color Envy Lash Collection. You might ask why this new launch is so special. Here is the answer.

This brand new mascara – Pure Color Envy Lash Multi Effects Mascara (CHF 39.00) – comes with a dual hybrid brush that is said to do the work of three mascaras with just one twist. It has two sides – a nylon fibre bristle side which builds full on volume and lift to the lashes, and a silicone moulded side to provide limitless length and separation. You can use both sides at one for the full effect or just one side for a custom-made look. The mascara also nourishes your lashes.

But all those advantages or the waterproof version are not the reason why I am so excited about this launch. It is the coloured versions in purple, blue and green that I like so much along with the limited edition Crystal Lash Top Coat (CHF 35.00) that offers liquid pearls that surround lashes with a multi-faceted lighting effect that adds extra sparkle to your eyes. You will also love it!

If you are at the Estée Lauder counter, get also a bottle of the new Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix (CHF 88.00/15ml) This worldwide first ultra-nourishing, skin strengthening formula with an innovative 360° Matrix Technology gives eyes a fresh, “wide-open” look.

I am using it right now and it absolutely reduces the look of lines, wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles. Moreover it intensely nourishes with the help of hyaluronic acid. I apply it morning and evenings with the included massaging applicator by gently rolling it under each eye three times. Then I massage it in a 360° circle under the eye area and above the lid and finish it off by patting the rest with my finger until it is fully absorbed.

All products are available now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Estée Lauder

When I started my blog almost 8 years ago, I was one of the first ones and believe me I had to fight for my right to be on that media planet! Today, it is very interesting for me to observe how brands that were completely against digital media for a long time, go for it now. But let’s face it there was no choice. The next generations are coming and they have witnessed the birth and rapid evolution of the biggest social media networks of today. «Millennials» – a term you see thrown around with increasing regularity these days.

“Millennials will soon have the greatest purchasing power of any demographic and their mindset is influencing how women of all ages shop,” says Jane Hertzmark Hudis, group president, who oversees six brands including Estée Lauder to Financial Times.

I am also seeing this evolution popping up in the beauty press releases I have been receiving from the various brands. Increasingly, renowned Houses are introducing new and completely distinctive product ranges targeted towards the millennials market (Remember this week’s post about the new Twilly d’Hermès fragrance?!).

What does that mean, though? Women in their early to late 20s focus less on anti-ageing but more on preventive care, natural ingredients, and the price point. Most products are multitasking because millennials tend to be time-sensitive and do not favor difficult regimes. For them, a beautiful and sophisticated packaging plays an important role, something that will look good on Instagram.

Here are some products that caught my attention. All of them work of course also for non millennials, so don’t be afraid! It is always good to know what is trending now… and to be curious!

CLINIQUE Pep-Start Double Bubble Purifying Mask
CHF 37.90 (50ml)

Clinique was one of the early pioneers targeting the younger generation. Now, the American beauty brand made a smart move by creating the Double Bubble Purifying Mask among the recent additions to their Pep-Start universe. Reenergize skin in just 2 minutes with this pink gel that transforms to blooming bubbles, leaving skin pepped, prepped and ready to party! The application is sensational, try it! You will understand what I mean…

WASO SHISEIDO Clear Mega Hydrating Cream
CHF 52.20 (50ml)

This skincare routine is designed for youthful skin. Building the skin’s resistance to stressors, this 24-hour moisturizing clear cream with whole carrot cells that hydrates and helps reduce the look of pores and prevent dryness. Unsurprisingly, this pot and the other products accompanying the range are all incredibly photogenic, featuring various pastel tones.

NUXE Rêve de Miel Gommage Gourmand Nourrissant Corps
CHF 26.50.- (175ml)

This deliciously nourishing body scrub for dry and sensitive skin not only smells heavenly, it works really good to get rid of impurities on the back or the upper arms. In Switzerland available from the end of September 2017.

ELIE SAAB Girl of Now
Eau de Parfum – 30ml : CHF 72.00 (30ml), CHF 106.00 (50ml) and CHF 137.00 (100ml)

«Cameras flash to capture her perfect look: definitely trendy, and yet so personal. She boldly grabs her girlfriends for some fun in front of the camera. One last selfie to immortalise this special moment and she’s already off, leaving a mysterious trail. Where is she going?»

For the first time, Elie Saab targets young women with this beautiful new floriental scent. The hashtags say it all: #girlofnowparties, #girlofnowtravels, #girlofnoweats, #girlofnowshops.

I have fallen in love with this fragrance from my first spritz because of its almond imprint. Combined with the designer’s olfactory signature the orange blossom – patchouli accord makes it irresistible.

Top Notes: Pear, Mandarin Orange, Pistachio
Middle Notes: Orange Blossom, White jasmine, Magnolia, Almond
Base Notes: Cashmeran, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Almond Milk

Happy Monday to all Girls of Now!

LoL, Sandra

Photo of products: © Sandra Bauknecht
All other photos: Courtesy of the Brands

My avid reader know how much I love Sisley products. Without my beloved Black Rose Cream Mask and  or the So Intense Mascara my life would definitely not be the same. Therefore, I was all over the moon to be invited to Paris to visit their newest spa and boutique which marks the first in Paris for the upscale French beauty brand and to finally meet Sisley co-founder Mrs Isabelle d’Ornano in person.

“Having beautiful skin is a state of mind, it helps lift the spirits and improves the deep sense of self.” – Isabelle d’Ornano

The 360 m2 space is situated on 5, Avenue de Friedland, in the centre of Paris’s 8th district off the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Divided into four areas, it is the perfect place to unwind after a busy week.

The beauty salon houses five treatment rooms - including one double treatment room and offers a menu of facials as well as body treatments for every age and skin type. I had a facial that was truly special as Sisley has developed exclusive “rituals” designed to combat the effects of urban life.

It is one of the most tasteful places I have seen, a haven of good taste inspired by Isabelle and Christine d’Ornano’s love for a quirky mix of interesting furniture and designer pieces, sourced from both flea markets and luxury brands.

There’s for example a «Jetlag» sofa by India Mahdavi and framed sketches by Marc Chagall in the lounge area where pre-treatment consultations take place.

The bathrooms have wallpapers that are made from magazine articles featuring Sisley.

The «secret» café is exclusively reserved for clients and invites them with tribal elements to relax and have a drink. This house is also home to the first Sisley Boutique in Paris where you can buy all the products the brand has to offer.

Traditional and modern touches mingle in this space where painted woodwork and mouldings exist alongside an animated, luminous wall display. Isabelle d’Ornano’s niece Elzbieta Radziwill painted the central lampshade, and the walls are covered with hand-painted wallpaper from 1874 called “the Cells” by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, which was remodelled, reproportioned, and recoloured specifically for the space. I especially adore the handpainted sofas.

Sisley, 5, avenue de Friedland, 8th arrondissement. Phone: +33 1 86 21 11 11.
www.sisley-paris.com

From left to right: Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream, Black Rose Cream Mask and Black Rose Precious Face Oil.

On display of course the newest addition to the Sisley Black Rose family: The Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream for plumbing and radiance (Baume-En-Eau à la Rose Noire). Infused with soothing rose and magnolia essential oils, this nourishing cream absorbs deep into the skin for a plumper, fresher complexion. Black rose combats free radicals, while red vine extract evens tone, leaving a glowing more radiant finish. Its texture is absolutely different from what you might have ever experienced due to an exceptionally sensorial application as it transforms into micro-droplets of water and permeates into the heart of the epidermis. Hydrated, the skin is infused with moisture, as if rejuvenated.

After this beautiful experience in the spa, I was fully of energy the next day and so much looking forward to finally meet Mrs Isabelle d’Ornano which is not only a style icon for me but whom I also admire for her way of combining work, motherhood and success.

In 1976 she launched Sisley with her husband Hubert d’Ornano who headed the company for over thirty years as a visionary creator and daring entrepreneur until his death at the age of 89 in 2015. He believed in aromatherapy and phytotherapy as one of the first ones in the cosmetic industry. Until today, the brand is family owned, distributed in over 90 countries with 4000 employees worldwide. Mrs d’Ornano, President of the Supervisory Board, is chiefly in charge of creation and advertising, while her son Philippe d’Ornano is President and directs the company’s International development. Her daughter, Christine d’Ornano is Global Vice President, also heading one of the group’s subsidiaries in Britain.

Mrs d’Ornano is truly amazing. I learnt from her employees that until this day she reads all the sales reports personally to understand how her customer tick. Sisley is a brand that launches a product when it is ready and not when a line has to be completed.

Above the new Maison Sisley, on the top floor, Mrs d’Ornano has furnished a private apartment overlooking the rooftops of Paris that is quite stunning. Here we chatted about the brand she built up, life and faith.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today, I would like to present you the new scent TWILLY D’HERMÈS by Hermès, designed for Generation Y, the millennials. Young women that are free, bold, connected, mischievous and impulsive, they turn expectation on its head, swim against the tide, impose their own rhythm, invent a brand new tempo.

The desires that nourish them, the ideals that inspire them and the stories that make their hearts skip a beat… What do young women dream of when they think of a fragrance?

It is with these young women in mind, by observing their lives, smiling at the fun they have, that Christine Nagel, Hermès’ perfumer-designer, has created TWILLY D’HERMÈS. Conceived in a spirit of absolute freedom, this fragrance in its joyous, impish bottle, plays with today’s feminine.

Aimed at young women, and named for the brand’s narrow Twilly scarves, TWILLY D’HERMÈS plays with a twist of three materials: ginger, tuberose and sandalwood. Freshness, mystery and wood. Spice, sunlight and tenderness. Three classic materials which, combined differently, become something special. The cute bottle shows its inspiration with a silk ribbon-tie that is knotted like a scarf around the cap.

A joyful transposition, a playful twist, everything upside down and back to front, TWILLY D’HERMÈS dances to the vibrant and passionate beat of youth.

Even the press release had a new interesting touch. First I had to download an app, put my phone over the twilly that accompanied the new launch to see an interactive animation that was truly something.

TWILLY D’HERMÈS, Eau de Parfum
is available in Hermès stores, department stores and authorised perfumeries from today.
30 ml (CHF 80.00) • 50 ml (CHF 119.00) • 85 ml (CHF 165.00) spray

LoL, Sandra

First two photos and still: © Hermès – all other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Around 5 years ago, I had the chance to meet and interview perfume genius ​Serge Lutens (for the previous post click here please). He is a true gentleman, an inspiring soul, a very special human being with an aura that captures you in an instant.

For the launch of the House’s newest scent, DENT DE LAIT (milk tooth – think about it who in the world but Serge Lutens would name a perfume like this – you must already love him), which joins the Collection Noire, Serge Lutens wrote a poem-like story as he usually does.

The fragrance, inspired by childhood, includes notes of milk, metallic notes, incense, heliotrope and almond. And now I invite you to indulge in his words…

DENT DE LAIT

«The leather of my wristwatch encircles my left wrist. In the centre of the watch face turn two hands, an integral part of the mechanism, one indicating the hours and the longer one the minutes. They demonstrate the existence of time, a concept as elusive as God. Each day I descend a little further into it. But a child appears in my deepest slumber, asking me to go to take a look. What does it want me to see?

Myself as a pupil in the playground, back against the wall, alarmed at my fear provoked by the violence I saw in others? It was the age when you were supposed to be able to distinguish between Good and Evil. To recognise the male and the female in these faces. To know your friends from your enemies. The onset of a danger when, panicked, you see abandoned sections of the dental arch.

I am knocked off kilter by the incisors, canines, molars and premolars on the roof of my mouth, each loosened in turn by the bottom teeth growing out of the sockets.
By dint of explanation, I manage to live with it.

Now weary of the tongue’s games which have for weeks on end been loosening its tooth, a young wolf is anxious to move on from milk to blood. If to one end of a thread, at least two meters long, he ties the wobbly tooth and attaches the other end to a door handle, this is not merely to wait for the wind to swing the door, but through this text to release him from his childhood alienations. The nails of the middle finger and thumb now embed the tooth. Persistent suction on the cavernous empty space evacuates the “bad”. What will become of the relic?

At best, after a night under the pillow, it will become a coin or a wrapped sweet…
or, we might find it so beautiful that we attach it to a chain to carry it with us. I have loved you for so long I will never forget you.
The youth, still innocent, must tear himself away from the calming, albeit tenacious, comfort of these years. He has for many years been gagged by that which must not be said. Now he wants to find his voice. There may be 42 faces of the Quran, but only one will prevail: be it the genius or the madman, the dictator or the sage, in each of them, he will find himself again.»

Serge Lutens

Black collection
Dent de Lait 100 ml ($230/€180/CHF225)
Available now at the Palais Royal – Serge Lutens and on www.sergelutens.com.
From September 2017, in selective perfumeries and department stores.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Serge Lutens and © Sandra Bauknecht

My avid reader know how much I love Sisley‘s So Intense Mascara. But I have to admit, it has gotten competition.

«Brazen. Bold. Bad, bad, bad.» A new way to give your lashes the attention they deserve thanks to M∙A∙C Bold & Bad Lash. This revolutionary mascara is the ultimate product to create a 360-degree lash look from top to bottom. The dual-chamber package contains a brush for upper lashes, a brush for lower lashes AND different formulas in each. The larger brush delivers customized volume to the top, while the smaller brush creates smudge-proof definition to the bottom. Start a lash revolution!

Available online and in stores now for CHF 31.00!
LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics
@MACCosmetics #MACBoldnBAD #MACCosmetics

«Everyone deserves a bit of glamour.» – Jonathan Adler

Your summer is about to get a whole lot brighter, thanks to CLINIQUE’s new limited-edition collection with interior designer Jonathan Adler. The just-launched Clinique x Jonathan Adler Collection includes many of Clinique’s best-selling makeup products (including its Lip Pops, Lid Pops and Cheek Pops), in a rainbow of bold, vibrant hues and captures the jet-set glam of his favorite seaside destinations: Palm Beach, Capri, Santorini.

Who is Jonathan Adler?

Born in 1966, Jonathan Adler is an American potter, designer, and author who launched his first ceramic collection in 1993 at Barneys New York. Five years later he expanded into home furnishings, opening his first namesake boutique in Soho, Manhattan. He now has 30 stores and runs an eponymous design business. Adler lives and works in New York City together with his partner Simon Doonan, Barney’s Creative Director Ambassador at Large .

Enjoy this little talk with Jonathan Adler about the collection he created in collaboration with Clinique.

What inspired this collection?
Jet-set glamour. I always think about iconic destinations. Places where women look like their most glamorous selves. I wanted to capture that in makeup. I thought about diving into the Aegean Sea, and being in fabulous places: Palm Beach, Florida. Capri, Italy. Santorini, Greece.

How would you describe your design style?
I call my style modern American glamour. I always try to keep things fresh and new and modern. One of the lines in my manifesto is “We believe in irreverent luxury” and that captures a lot of what I’m about.

What do interior design and makeup have in common?
Good design has the power to transform your mood, like a big squishy sofa you plop into. Makeup is like that, too. It can transform a woman’s day.

What does Clinique mean to you?
Clinique is a classic, iconic brand. It’s always been in my life. I grew up with it in my mother’s and sister’s cabinets. That’s why I was so thrilled when this collaboration came about. My brand is very similar. We’re both about being classic, chic and refreshing.

If this collection had emotions, how would it feel?
It feels fresh! It feels like a trip to Capri. It feels like jumping into the Mediterranean Sea.

What do you love most about this collection?
This collection shows that tiny treasures can bring big pleasures. It’s very chic, very classic, very Clinique. I hope everyone enjoys using it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Thank you, Mr Adler, for giving us your insider scoop on this beautiful collection!

TO SHOP THE CLINIQUE x JONATHAN ADLER COLLECTION, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clinique, © Jonathan Adler and © Sandra Bauknecht