Sandra‘s Closet

Oh, the healthy glow, the purified pores and moisture just sinks in. Sounds to good to be true? The new CLINIQUE Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush is designed to clean even hard-to-reach areas like the T-Zone with two bristle types for customized cleansing. Your skin is left radiant and soft.

You might remember from a previous post that I like to use the Clarisonic technology to clean my skin at night. Therefore I was curious to try CLINIQUE‘s first cosmetic device. The US brand is known for the most effective products to enhance every skin type and concern. Personally speaking, I prefer the Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush as it is so much more gentle to your skin, very light and handy. The angled tip easily targets hard to reach areas.

HOW TO USE

I suggest you begin by using the Cleansing Brush once daily.

Remove makeup before use. Apply cleanser to moistened skin or brush head.

Massage in circular motion for 15 seconds on cheeks using white bristles. No need to apply pressure.

Massage in up-and-down motion for 15 seconds combined on T-Zone using green bristles.

Rinse and pat dry. Exfoliate and moisturize. Rinse brush head after each use.

The new Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush will surely revolutionise the way that women cleanse their skin just as its famed 3-step Skin Care System did over 40 years go!

The new cosmetic device is in stores now for CHF 149.00 (Refill CHF 25.00).
To receive the best results, I also recommend getting the following products: Liquid Facial Soap, Clarifying Lotion 2 and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clinique

Yes, I still can get very excited about press announcements and this one really made my heart leap with joy as I am a huge nail polish aficionado.

This month, the 10th Zurich Film Festival will take place and Dior is launching two limited edition nail lacquers to celebrate this occasion. The two shades 228 Reflects (golden sparkles that also look beautiful over any other nail color) and 808 Night Shock (a metallic shiny black) will be available from September 10, 2014 at Globus Zürich, Globus Glatt and at the ZFF Festival Center at Sechseläutenplatz for CHF 37.00 each.

My international readers might recognize the nail polishes as they were part of Dior’s first pre-fall collection ‘Dior Colour Icons’. Unfortunately the beautiful red shade 888 Tout Paris won’t be available in Switzerland. But let’s be happy we can get our hands at those two exclusive ones! I just love that kind of stuff!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior, ZFF and © Sandra Bauknecht

Swiss Gentlemen, today’s your lucky day! Five of you have the chance to win a 50ml bottle of Salvatore Ferragamo‘s Acqua Essenziale Blu Eau de Toilette Natural Spray.

The extremely masculine, yet sensual oriental fougère fragrance is inspired by energetic sea water aromas and the power of waves and nature, blending luxurious Mediterranean ingredients and innovative molecules.

The fragrance arrives in an elegant glass flacon iridescent in shades from darker to lighter blue that will embellish every bathroom shelf. Salvatore Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale Blu is available as 30, 50 and 100ml Eau de Toilette, accompanied with a perfumed 200ml shower gel.

ORIENTAL FOUGÈRE

Top notes: Cardamom, Lemon and Calabrian Bergamot
Middle notes: Atlas Cedar, Lavender, Cascalone and Cypriol Oil
Base notes: Patchouli, Ambroxan, Tonka Bean and Benzoin

To participate in the contest, please send me an e-mail with your postal address and the header “Acqua Essenziale Blu” to . All entries must be received until September 8, 2014. 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.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo

Giorgio Armani‘s beautiful ROUGE & BLACK ECSTASY collection is inspired by two of the most prominent colors: red and black. Strong and seductive, those shades are made for the Femme Fatale inside you.

I love the Rouge Ecstasy lipstick collection with its lightweight yet pigment-rich texture. Now there are three bold and vibrant new shades, all with oriental names.

ROUGE ECSTASY CHF 56.00
#404 Spice – #405 Orient – #406 Sultan (pictured) – (all Limited Edition).

All shades are also available as matte lip lacquers – LIP MAESTRO CHF 51.00 (#404 Spice pictured).

Part of this elegant collection is the new Black Ecstasy Mascara. Its high-tech technology that contains a black hosting polymer helps you to achieve thicker, longer and intensified lashes in a single stroke. Available in 4 different shades.

BLACK ECSTASY CHF 51.00
#01 Obsidian Black (pictured) – #02 Armani Navy (Limited Edition) – #03 Wood – #04 Tadzio (Limited Edition).

In Switzerland, the new collection will be launched in September 2014. The perfect products for sensual red lips and dramatic black lashes. Love this collection and I am sure that you will, too!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani

Tuesday evening, I attended the Estée Lauder press conference in Zurich at the Metropol restaurant. The famous house celebrates this years its 50th anniversary in Switzerland and has been since decades the number one beauty brand in the country. Therefore we were spoilt with this yummy cake and amazing products.

Many new launches will take place during the next months but two have absolutely caught my eyes and I couldn’t wait any longer to share them with you.

The new ENLIGHTEN range is designed to work as a trio to provide prevention and treatment for pigmentation, day and night. It includes a moisturizer, a serum and a completely new product, the EE (Even Effect) cream. Yes, after BB and CC creams, there is now an EE cream, not a double D! It gives you an even skin tone while defending environmental stressors, protecting against UV rays with a SPF 30 and building a barrier against pollution and free radicals. I have been sold immediately!

Enlighten Serum CHF 95.00 (30ml) and CHF 142.00 (50ml)
Enlighten Moisturizer CHF 95.00 (50ml)
Enlighten EE Cream in Light, Medium and Deep CHF 52.00 (30ml)
In stores from October 22, 2014.

The house’s new flanker fragrance MODERN MUSE CHIC is a warm and sensual scent that I personally like much more than the original Modern Muse that had been launched last year.
Please click HERE for the interview with the face of the campaign Arizona Muse.

FLORAL WOODY MUSK

Top notes: Plum and artemisia
Middle notes: Jasmine sambac, tuberose and lily
Base notes: Cashmere wood, agarwood, labdanum, patchouli, ebony tree, musk, madagascar vanilla and suede

Modern Muse Chic Eau de Parfum Spray is available from September 2014 for CHF 68.00 (30ml), CHF 98.00 (50ml) and CHF 138.00 (100ml).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Estée Lauder and © Sandra Bauknecht

Do you suffer from serious eyebrow envy looking at Cara Delevingne?! Here is your cure: Giorgio Armani‘s new EYE & BROW MAESTRO, a cream to create the perfect natural brow that lasts for over 20 hours. It can even be used as eyeliner, eyeshadow and even sculpt the face or colour the hair line.

Linda Cantello, International Make-Up Artist, Giorgio Armani, “I wanted to offer women an innovative product inspired by my needs backstage on Giorgio Armani fashion shows, a product that does all, that would be fast and faultless when applied, long lasting, and fault proof.”

The promised results are amazing, EYE & BROW MAESTRO is easy to blend and work with. Available in nine shades worldwide, of which six are in stores in Switzerland: 01 Black, 02 Drak Brown, 03 Red (One Shot), 04 Medium Brown, 05 Light Brown and 06 Blond for CHF 46.00 each.

There’s a fabulous brush for application which is essential for sculpting the brows that can be bought separately. EYE & BROW BRUSH, CHF 43.00.

For a Brow Know How Guide with Anastasia, the Queen of Eyebrows, please click HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Giorgio Armani Beauty

This fall, CHANEL launches its new poetic makeup collection ÉTATS POÉTIQUES inspired by passion and emotion with the main focus on eyes.

Eyeshadow aficionados should be all over it – along with a neutral shadow quad, the new releases include six shades of Ombre Essentielle singles. A redesigned eyeliner pen defines a tone of mystery with a sleek felt tip for ultimate precision.

It is an intriguing game of opposites: innocent and stormy, soft and intense. A spectrum of pink shades, a poetic tenderness, balanced with tones of purple, radiant yellow and dramatic grey.

Art of poetry that we love… here is the complete collection:

LE TEINT
Joues Contraste Powder Blush (CHF 60.00)
160 Innocence

LE REGARD
Les 4 Ombres (CHF 77.00)
234 Poésie

Ombre Essentielle (CHF 43.00)
102 Sensation (ivory pink)
104 Palpitation (soft rose)
106 Hésitation (pink plum)
108 Exaltation (bright pink)
112 Pulsion (deep plum)
114 Admiration (golden yellow)

Ecriture de Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner (CHF 49.00)
10 Noir
20 Brun

LES LEVRES
Rouge Coco Shine (CHF 46.00)
93 Intime (soft pink)
94 Confident (intense rosewood)

Rouge Coco Shine Full Colour (CHF 46.00)
95 Viva (raspberry)
96 Aura (plum)

Lèvres Scintillantes (CHF 41.00)
189 Rose Rêvé (milky pink)
191 Songe (iridescent pearl)

LES ONGLES
Le Vernis (CHF 35.00)
625 Secret (nude)
629 Atmosphere (iridescent pearl)
631 Orage (grey blue)

My favorite shade is 625 Secret, it is just the perfect nude tone that suits every skin color.
The collection will hit the stores in Switzerland in the end of August 2014.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Chanel, Julien Claessens et Thomas Deschamps, © Sandra Bauknecht

Make-up that’s Marge approved! But no yellow face paint and a giant blue beehive are required! Here is another odd couple partnering together, one that you might have never thought of: M·A·C collaborates with The Simpsons™ on a limited-edition makeup line launching in Switzerland as an online exclusive and other countries in September 2014. (It had been pre-sold before for one day only during the San Diego convention COMIC-CON in July).

The ten-piece collection contains eyeshadows (CHF 66.00), blushes (CHF 36.00), false eyelashes (CHF 21.00), lip glosses (CHF 28.00) and some fun nail stickers (CHF 25.00).

Color your friends green, mmh, I mean yellow, with envy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

I love flying light with only hand luggage but it is always a nightmare in terms of finding small travel sizes of fluid beauty products. Here are some for the hair that I explored this summer, all come in TSA approved carry on travel size. It is also a great way to try new beauty essentials.

Sebastian Re-Shaper, 50ml, CHF 8.00
Sebastian Drynamic, 75ml, CHF 16.00
Sebastian Whipped Creme, 27ml, CHF 10.00
Sebastian Mousse Forte, 50ml, CHF10.00
Sebastian Trilliance Shampoo, 50ml, CHF 7.00
Sebastian Trilliance Conditioner, 50ml, CHF 7.00
SP Color Save Shampoo, 30ml, CHF 4.00
SP Color Save Mask, 30ml, CHF 4.50
SP Repair Shampoo, 30ml, CHF 4.00
SP Repair Mask, 30ml, CHF 4.50

Available at your nearest Wella Hair Salon, click here to find the closest one to you. I also recommend to check out Travel Size Hair Products, a website dedicated to hair products in small sizes. I love their slogan: “Take good hair days with you!“

The beautifully printed silk scarf “Tiger Life” is by Mourjjan, a Swiss fashion brand which is based in Klosters. They have the most amazing designs.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

Personally speaking, I adore Amouage, the scents are so extremely rich and sensual. Therefore, I had been eager to explore the house’s latest duo – Journey Man and Journey Woman. The two new creations are based upon the man behind the fragrances, Creative Director Christopher Chong. His love for Shanghai Deco and Chinese Film Noir, are the inspirations for the new Journey scents, in which he pays homage to his heritage.

Journey for Woman, expressive with enigmatic undertones of radiance this floral, fruity and leather fragrance illustrates an enchanting journey.

Top Notes: Apricot and Jasmine Tea
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Sambac, Mimosa, Honey and Cedarwood
Base Notes: Pipe Tobacco, Saffron, Vanilla, Cypriol and Musk
Available as Eau de Parfum 50ml (CHF 375.00) and 100ml (CHF 435.00)

Journey for Man, portraying a journey of metamorphoses, this spicy and woody fragrance reveals a chiaroscuro of luminosity with a twist of intrigue.

Top Notes: Sichuan Pepper, Bergamot, Cardamom, Neroli and Bigarade
Middle Notes: Juniper Berries, Incense, Pure Geraniol and Tobacco Leaves
Base Notes: Tonka Beans, Cypriol, Leather and Ambrox
Available as Eau de Parfum 50ml (CHF 330.00) and 100ml (CHF 405.00)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Amouage