YSL Advent Calendar 2021

After severe testing of several advent calendars, I have found my favorite one: An immersive advent calendar with the best of Yves Saint Laurent including travel and full size products from top-selling fragrances, high fashion lipsticks, nourishing sumptuous skincare, and much more.

It is the perfect gift for yourself or a fellow luxury beauty lover who has everything else. Unwrap a new surprise all month long for the ultimate couture experience. The advent calendar is plastic-free, made of 100% cardboard sourced from sustainably managed forests.

TO SHOP THE CALENDAR, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Spoiler alert, if you scroll further, you will see the content of the calendar with a detailed description.

This set includes 17 miniature products, 6 full-sized goods and an additional YSL gift:
• Touche Éclat Blur Primer 10ml
• Black Opium Eau de Parfum 7.5ml
• Mon Paris Eau de Parfum 7.5ml
• Libre Eau de Parfum 7.5ml
• Le Vestiaire Des Parfums Tuxedo & Saharienne 7.5ml
• Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Sheer Matte 101, 107, & 112
• Rouge Pur Couture 93
• Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm 91
• Rouge Volupté Rock’n Shine 5
• Water Stain 618
• Deluxe Mini Rouge Pur Couture 21, 83, and 1966
• Deluxe Mini Tatouage Couture Velvet Cream 201
• Pure Shots Hydra Bounce Lotion 10ml
• Pure Shots Night Reboot Resurfacing Serum 7ml
• Pure Shots Light Up Brightening Serum 7ml
• Deluxe Mini Curler Mascara
• Deluxe Mini Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils
• Mini Dessin du Regard Eyeliner Pencil 01
• Kabuki Brush

Enjoy this holiday season to the fullest!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography – The photos were taken inside the new Globus.
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored.

Give Wonder, Give CHANEL

I think all I want for Christmas is CHANEL when I saw the Maison’s latest watches & fine jewelry creations.

Actress and House ambassador Alma Jodorowsky, actor Djebril Zonga, Giedre Dukauskaite, Amar Akway, Mika Schneider and musician Sébastien Telllier wear an exceptional select of Coco Crush, Camélia, Sous le Signe du Lion, J12, Première and Boy-Friend pieces, where beige gold, yellow hold or white gold and diamonds meet.

Give wonder, give CHANEL. Gentlemen, no more excuses. The choice is yours now. You cannot go wrong, promised!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL
#GiveWonderGiveCHANEL #CHANELFineJewelry #CHANELWatches
#COCOCRUSH #CameliaCollection #J12 #CHANELBoyfriend #CHANELPremiere #CHANELJoaillerie #CHANELHorlogerie

Sephora Christmas Event

One of the best press happenings of the year is always the famous Sephora Christmas event to discover the most exciting beauty novelties for this holiday season.

I discovered exclusive holiday collections, limited-edition beauty sets and the bestselling products of the year. In this post, you will find a lot of fun products to show you care or just indulge yourself. Get ready for the holidays with beauty advent calendars and some amazing gift ideas.

One of my favorites. The famous «Holiday Vibes» advent calendar is a must for every beauty lover. 24 surprises for only CHF 49.90.

The «All Beauty Stars» advent calendar in gold and pink contains 12 new beauty brands that Sephora specifically casted for the holiday event. 7 original sized products along with 2 surprises, once the box is empty, you can reuse it every year. Available for CHF 159.90 (worth around CHF 450 if you bought the products alone).

The «Holiday Vibes»  Sephora collection includes many amazing gift ideas, such as the set of 8 face and body masks to pamper your skin from head to toe.

The Too Faced Cinnamon Swirl Holiday 2021 collection offers so many amazing products in warm brown shades.

Prepare yourself for New Year’s Eve with the Too Face Hangover Collection. I love the Replenishing Face Primer that can repair a beauty hangover. The replenishing skin booster hydrates, smooths and brightens for a dewy, refreshed, and revitalized complexion.

In the mood to try a new mascara? I can recommend this mudge-proof, easy to apply and intensely black, award-winning Volume Disturbia Mascara by Givenchy.

Completely obsessed with the Naughty Nude Eyeshadow Palette by Huda Beauty. A versatile palette with 18 shades in five ultra-wearable textures to create dramatic smoky eyes, as well as a variety of natural and sultry looks.

3 Little Wonders® by OLEHENRIKSEN promises to transform your skin in 7 days: The signature professional-strength age-defying regimen brightens, firms, evens skin tone, smoothes skin texture and reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

The cutest Christmas decoration… get a mini ornament for maximum effect under the tree.

All these products are available now at Sephora. Hurry up, as they will be selling out fast.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Andrea Monica Hug for Sephora
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Nespresso x Johanna Ortiz

This holiday season, Nespresso is collaborating with Colombian fashion designer Johanna Ortiz, to enchant coffee lovers with the launch of its annual Festive collection, inspired this year by the forest.

Inspired by the beauty and depth of Nature’s forests, Nespresso’s ‘Gifts of the Forest’ collection encapsulates the brand’s devotion to the precious environment coffee is grown in. The collection features a range of limited-edition coffees for both the Original and Vertuo systems, along with festive infused accessories, making for delightful and inspiring gifts for family and friends. Coffee lovers can also gift this festive season knowing Nespresso is giving back to the forest, as the brand goes beyond its agroforestry commitments, by helping to protect 10 million trees in the Amazon.

To bring the design of their limited-edition collection to life, Nespresso has partnered with Colombian luxury fashion designer Johanna Ortiz, whose innovative designs and interplay between nature and sustainability truly transports coffee aficionados into Nespresso’s festive universe.

Johanna Ortiz says «For me, design and nature go hand in hand which is why this collaboration resonated personally. Colombian coffee also has a truly special place in my heart and as an active supporter in the fight against climate change, knowing that Nespresso is going beyond its agroforestry commitments by supporting the protection of 10 million trees in the Amazon, it was another huge reason why this collaboration made perfect sense. When designing the collection, I took the idea of capturing the beauty of the forest throughout every piece, by incorporating rich forest canopies and dark earthy tones within my designs. It’s been an amazing process and partnership which I have deeply enjoyed

Explore and wander through Nespresso’s Forest Variations coffees. From forest fruits to luscious canopies of trees, this year’s Festive coffee range includes two flavored coffees and one black coffee.

Uncover the hidden flavors of Forest Black
A canopy of trees shelters Forest Black’s coffees to protect the flavor hidden in each bean. Discover this blend of shade-grown coffees from Colombia and beyond. A spicy espresso, its exotic woody notes will transport tastebuds to the depths of the forest.

Taste the berries of the Forest with Forest Fruit Flavour
Like gems that light up the forest floor, forest fruits are the gifts trees give us. Juicy berry aromas run through this season’s flavoured espresso as the South American Arabicas’ lingering cereal character takes on a festive sweet pastry note.

Delight in the treasures of the trees with Forest Almond Flavour
Forest Almond Flavour is the forager’s delight of the season. With the sweet, nutty flavour tucked into this espresso’s South American Arabicas, get ready to uncover almond notes marked by vanilla and a light fruitiness in this coffees’ smooth cereal character.

Nespresso lovers can also surprise and delight guests with delicious Gifts of the Forest coffee cocktail recipes, specially crafted to enhance the sensory experience. Each coffee-infused recipe has been curated by Nespresso with the Gifts of the Forest collection in mind, bringing a taste of nature and sophistication to each glass.

Moreover, there is a beautiful range of limited-edition accessories and gifts this festive season to surprise loved ones. You can countdown in style with the Nespresso x Johanna Ortiz advent calendar. For this edition, its stunning packaging has been designed by Johanna Ortiz as part of her festive collaboration. Available for both Vertuo and Original coffee lovers, this year’s advent calendar will take Nespresso lovers through a different coffee each day from December 1 to 23, with a special gift on the 24.

You can also add a burst of color with the Nespresso x Johanna Ortiz NOMAD travel mug, which blends well into nature as it comes in a ‘Deep Cherry’ shade, emulating the rich ripe berries of the forest.

In addition to its coffee offer, there are two exclusively designed items for the festive season. Shoppers can get their hands on an alluring reversible organic-cotton tote bag as well as a useful notebook made from sustainable materials. Both are decorated with the signature Nespresso x Johanna Ortiz pattern showcasing sweeping forest canopies and capturing the true essence of the forest.

For coffee lovers who like a touch of sparkle on the go, Nespresso is also revamping its iconic Touch travel mug, that will be available in a golden colorful a limited time only.

Nespresso is also proud to be partnering with Conservation International to gift back to the forest this Festive season. For almost 20 years Nespresso has been focused on protecting nature through agroforestry projects to protect the ecosystems its coffee farms rely on. To take this further beyond coffee farming and support the local communities that call the forest home, Nespresso is also announcing its contribution to protecting 10 million trees in the Amazon Forest in La Pedrera, Colombia. The effort is in collaboration with Conservation International and La Pedrera’s Madroño community. Forest conservation plays a huge role in Nespresso’s sustainability vision, which is to create a cup of coffee that has a positive impact on the world – from the coffee cherry to the cup.

The limited edition Gifts of the Forest collection is now available on www.nespresso.com and in selected boutiques.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Nespresso

Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim

Last week, I attended an interactive digital event to celebrate the awe of nature with the new Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim Holiday Collection.

Barbara De Laere, Aveda Global Brand President, and Phillip Lim, Co-Founder and Creative Director of 3.1 Phillip Lim, shared firsthand the inspiration behind the collection, their favorite holiday traditions, and what they see as the future of sustainability for their respective industries. The event was hosted by Aveda’s Global Advocate for Sustainability, Arizona Muse.

«Our shared values to protect and care for the planet will manifest beauty. It is a beautiful cycle, a cycle of gifts.» – Phillip Lim

Aveda’s collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim is inspired by a mutual awe of nature, each element a celebration of botanical forms and expressions. The power of nature is in full bloom this holiday season as those two like-minded brands are bringing the botanical world of beauty to life thorough special-edition accessories and gift packaging created with sustainability at heart. The Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim collaboration includes four covetable, limited-edition hair accessoriesa hair towel wrap & carrying bag, scrunchie trio, detangling comb, and wooden paddle brush –  as well as special-edition gift packaging, all featuring striking prints that combine the joyful colors of the holiday seasons with those found in the natural world.

Made with no compromises, the detangling comb for example is produced with recycled materials as post-consumer recycled polypropylene, and the hair towel wrap is made from 100% organic cotton.

The most amazing part are the gift boxes that can be reused and are made with 100 % recycled paper.  As they are so beautiful, you don’t need extra wrapping paper. Less layers that make the box a gift itself. The artwork that is featured was designed in collaboration with botanical artist, Sophie Parker.

Available globally beginning November 1st at Aveda salons, spas, stores, select retail partners and online, each element of the Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim collection pulses with botanical-inspired graphics and vivid colors from nature for a joyous and unexpected expression of the holiday season.

Botanical Repair Light Set – CHF 68.00
Botanical Repair Rich Set – CHF 68.00
Botanical Repair Strengthening Collection – CHF 84.00
Cherry Almond Softening Hair & Body Essentials – CHF 51.00
Hand Relief & Foot Relief Home and Travel Essentials – CHF 77.00
Moisturizing Travel Trio – CHF 36.00 / CHF 28.00
Feed My Lips Lip Gloss Duo – CHF 24.00

As Phillip said, «it is about the 3 Ps. The people, the planet and the products.»

Happy Holidays!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Aveda, © Sandra Bauknecht

Shiseido Advent Calendar

Celebrate the 2021 holiday season with this indulgent 24-day advent calendar, full of full and mini-sized Shiseido treats, from skincare products and makeup to fragrances. I received one and I am so happy about it as I love to open those little doors before X-mas. The small sized products are also great for traveling.

Inspired by breathtaking visions of festive fireworks, the iconic Hanabi Show in Tokyo, the magical collection is housed in decadent packaging.

The price for this super luxury gift is CHF 140.00, available now and allowing you to immerse yourself in the essence of Japanese beauty.

Scroll down to see what’s inside… spoiler alert!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Shiseido
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored.

25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for beauty enthusiasts and skincare aficionados this festive season, then look no further than NET-A-PORTER’s ’25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar’. Expertly curated and valued at over €1500.00, every drawer is packed with full-size and mini versions of best-selling products, from party-ready makeup by Charlotte Tilbury and Victoria Beckham Beauty, to cult lotions, serums and masks from Omorovicza, Sunday Riley and Oribe.

Available for only €295.00 from October 11, 2021 in the UK, all other European countries from Mid October. Mark your calendar and CLICK HERE TO SHOP IT THEN.

LoL, Sandra


Photos: © Net-à-Porter
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Emilio Pucci x Acqua di Parma

In a year of great resilience, two Italian Maisons, Emilio Pucci and Acqua di Parma, brighten up the holiday season with a new collection that celebrates life, love and joy. United by the common values of traditional workmanship, a joyous spirit and a passion for beauty, they come together to support the Rewrite the Future campaign from Save the Children, the international organisation which has been working for 100 years to save children at risk and guarantee their future, against a background of challenging social conditions and a lack of educational facilities.

Holiday 2021 Magnolia Nobile Gift Set – CHF 247.00

Emilio Pucci is a company that specialises in combining essential design with the joy of colour. The company founder created a rich universe of prints and an unmistakeable style, for which he was awarded the accolade of The Prince of Prints. This collaboration between the two companies expresses the perfect harmony between this joyful style of the fashion house and the radiance of Acqua di Parma.

Holiday 2021 Barbiere The Daily Ritual – CHF 134.00

The Vortici print, inspired by an Emilio Pucci archive theme, is presented in Parma yellow for the Holiday Season, and reinterpreted in a harmonious movement of light and colour. It’s a swirl of positivity and the joy of living which takes us on a journey into the universes of Italian beauty, from sophisticated urban architecture to splendid floral gardens and the Mediterranean coast, bring a sensation of freedom and confidence in its wake.

My favorite: The Holiday 2021 Advent Calendar will be available for CHF 595.00.

The Emilio Pucci x Acqua di Parma Collection will be available from October in the Boutiques and e commerce outlets of both companies, as well as through the retail and wholesale channels.

LoL, Sandra

Holiday 2021 Fico di Amalfi Gift Set – CHF 122.00

Holiday 2021 Essenza Gift Set – CHF 187.00

Holiday 2021 Notte di Stelle Diffusor – CHF 121.00 (180ml) and CHF 249.00 (500ml)

Photos: © Emilio Pucci / Acqua di Parma
DISCLOSURE: This post is NOT sponsored.

Marni Market Goes to London

Enter an oasis of colour and vibrancy: MARNI brings its exclusive collection of limited-edition, artisanally crafted home accessories and bags to MATCHESFASHIONicon, and it is sure to bring joy to the everyday, inside and out.

The Italian powerhouse created eclectic roving markets to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2014, instantly making the brand more accessible, and ever since, they’ve been constantly evolving. Now, following pop-ups in Hong Kong, Venice and Tokyo, MARNI MARKET has landed in London for the first time, and this is MATCHESFASHIONicon’s spin on it.

For spring, the MARNI MARKET products offer ideas for decorating interiors and outdoor spaces, or renewing outfits with liveliness and color. Stoolswhich become coffee tablescushions, rugs, baskets, trays and bags—many of which can also be used as plant pots—bring the playful soul of MARNI to the stage through unpredictable shapes and materials. The products of the collection feature a design that differs with irony from traditional canons, igniting imagination.

MARNI MARKET GOES AROUND sees the introduction of new hand-woven BASKET BAGS, emblematic designs of the Marni Markets, together with the STRIPE BAGS. With this Marni Market, debut the WOLLY BAGS: winking at the retro-inspired lines of the CROCHET BAGS, they are entirely covered in soft wool. The Market also presents the HAMMOCK BAGS available in a wide range of colored rainbows and in a sophisticated version with floral print, as well as cotton BOAT BAGS, characterized by timeless textures and oval PVC handles.

The MARNI MARKET GOES AROUND collection also includes the BUCKET BAGS and the MOICANA BAGS, entirely made of natural fique fiber, as well as the crochet FISH BAGS inspired by old blankets, available in a sophisticated version with elongated profiles, featuring distinctive prints of the Marni archives.

The Market welcomes a series of new metal and PVC knick knack trays and cake holders, to combine with fruit baskets, vases and magazine racks, made of the same material. The new striped crochet rugs and the HAMMOCK PILLOWS join the furnishing accessories, bringing a touch of joy to moments of relax through their colors.

Each product is one-of-a-kind and is the result of a collaborative venture with Colombian artisans who have been working with Marni for many years. Through MARNI MARKET GOES AROUND, Marni renews its commitment in engaging with local communities, in the attempt to actively preserve artisanal traditions and propel them into the present. All products creatively merge Marni’s aesthetic codes with the language of local traditions, attesting to the Colombian artisans’ visionary perspective in experimenting with materials and colors inspired by the natural world.

TO SHOP MARNI MARKET GOES AROUND PRODUCTS AT MATCHESFASHION, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © MARNI, 2nd Picture © MATCHESFASHION /Photo: Jermaine Francis, styling by Chris Hobbs – #MarniMarket
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.icon

Personalize Your Acqua di Parma Gift

Are you looking for a great gift idea or a self-treat? Here is an idea. Why not decorate a beautiful scented candle with a personalized calligraphy. This Saturday, May 29, there will be a calligraphy activity at the Acqua di Parma Jelmoli stand, where you can make your product truly unique.

Surprise someone with a flower bouquet (I can recommend Tom Flowers for delivery in Switzerland) and a personalized Blu Mediterraneo scented candle. Entice your senses and immerse in golden moments under the sun with the unmistakable spirit of Blu Mediterraneo.

If you cannot make it on Saturday, get yourself a waterproof pen and start decorating it yourself. I am sure that you will make someone very happy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
#aquadiparma #tomflowers #vibrantlyalive #blumediterraneo #jelmoli