Sandra‘s Closet

Kiehl’s – Since 1851, the venerable New York-based purveyor of fine quality skin and hair care was founded as a classic pharmacy in the East Village neighborhood 160 years ago.

Kiehl’s founding family established their apothecary to fulfill the individual needs of every customer who came through its doors. Assuming the establishment from Mr. John Kiehl, the Morse family nurtured their community, cared for their customers as neighbors, and welcomed every visitor to Kiehl’s as if it were home.

In doing so, Kiehl’s founding pharmacists and chemists launched a tradition of personalized service that’s become legendary. Nearly 160 years later, the magic that is the “Kiehl’s experience” extends around the world as the company continues to delight patrons with its high quality products that assure the health of their skin and hair.

Today, the family’s message endures: “We are delighted to serve you.” In honour of this tradition, Kiehl’s proudly introduces the Limited Edition New York Heritage Collection, only available for a limited time in Kiehl’s stores worldwide now.

Comprised of four historical formulations that are still customer favorites today, adorned with limited edition black and gold packaging inspired by Kiehl’s New York roots, the collection features: Ultra Facial Cream and Moisturizer, Calendula Toner, and Original Musk Oil.

Ultra Facial Cream, CHF 39.90 (50ml)
Ultra Facial Moisturizer, CHF 39.90 (125ml)
Calendula Toner, CHF 59.50 (250ml)
Original Musk Oil, CHF 76 (50ml)

Last night, Zurich Kiehl’s store celebrated its 5th anniversary with the launch of  a special limited edition I LOVE ZURICH Ultra Facial Cream by Tara LaTrash.
Proceeds from each sale will go 100% toward Swiss Aids Charity.

CHF 39.90 (50ml), CHF 75.00 (125ml)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Kiehl’s and © Alexandra Pauli

Just recovered from the Versace for H&M mania, no time to relax, there is more to come.
To get started, here is a sneak preview of the next designer collaboration with the Swedish fashion house: MARNI FOR H&M.

Famed for its original prints and inventive spirit, Marni is one of fashion’s most-loved labels, and its Founder and Creative Director Consuelo Castiglioni has created for H&M a spring collection for both women and men which capture its essence perfectly.

Available from March 8, 2012 in around 260 stores worldwide and online, the collection features both clothing and accessories all at H&M’s prices, meaning everyone will have the chance to enter Marni’s world.

Consuelo Castiglioni, Founder and Creative Director Marni and Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor H&M

“I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints. As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colours, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic adding sporty utilitarian elements”.

– Consuelo Castiglioni, Founder and Creative Director

“We all love the collection here at H&M and we believe that our customers will do the same. Marni has such a modern touch with everything they do, mixing prints and accessories in a playful but chic way. It’s fantastic to see how Consuelo Castiglioni coordinates her designs, matching new combinations of print and colour, with such incredible craftsmanship behind every piece. The collection will arrive in stores at just the perfect time, as a lovely statement for spring“.

– Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor H&M

Marni is a label that sticks to its own path, setting its own trends for print, cut and silhouette that are always playful and elegant. Marni has remained a family owned-business as it has grown to become an international luxury brand with stores around the world.

Marni’s collection for H&M has all the freedom and experimentation for which the label is renowned, with all-over prints in strong colours all intended to be worn together in layers that both match and clash.
For women, the colours are vivid and the prints are bold, be they African inspired or simpler colour blocks. The silhouettes are all Marni staples, with full pleated skirts, dresses, cropped trousers and jacquard knit, and fabrics range from silk to crisp cotton poplin. To finish the complete look the collection also includes jewellery, shoes, bags and scarves.

For men, the colours and fabrics are softened for a relaxed take on menswear staples that is truly Marni. The use of print is subtle, often as a lining or as a contrast detail for shirts, the silhouette a modern and relaxed take on masculine classics.

Photos: Courtesy of H&M, © Magnus Magnusson

Bored of queuing? Here is your fashionable surprise!

There will be also a Versace for H&M S/S 2012 collection, exclusively available in countries with H&M online sales from January 19, 2012. The colourful capsule line will feature fruit prints and lots of Versace glamour. Unfortunately, bad news for Switzerland and the United States. Where are our European friends when we need them?!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Mirror UK

I just spent 48 hours in London that were filled with many interesting events, parties and meetings. Let me get started with the launch party for the ‘Cabinet de Curiosites de Thomas Erber’ 2011.

After his successful collaboration with Parisian concept store Colette in 2010, fashion consultant and former journalist Thomas Erber has brought his cabinet to Browns in London. Showcasing a very interesting selection of pieces including everything from fashion and furniture design, to travel packages, art and photography, Erber has gathered many internationally renowned artists and designers to fill his cabinet with their most unique creations.

My key to “Le Cabinet de Curiosités de Thomas Erber”

Thomas Erber with me

„My quest, has always been to push the limits of creativity, to me it is the only thing that feeds the dream living in each of us. Browns, since the beginning, has been the coolest place in the city to me, it has always defended elegance and most importantly independent designers more than anything or anyone else in London.“

– Thomas Erber

Designer Christopher Kane with me (Love his designs! Click here for a previous post)

Here are my favourite curiosities:

FASHION

Rodarte – The Piece

In 2011, the Rodarte sisters, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, joined with two of the world’s most highly acclaimed photographers, Catherine Opie and Alec Soth, to create the first publication to explore and examine the world of Rodarte.

For Thomas Erber’s cabinet at Browns, Rodarte have collaborated with artist Rebekah Miles on a one of a kind book cover, hand painted with an image from the book.

£ 250

Lulu Guinness – The Piece

Designed to befit the expression, “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder”, this bespoke bag is characteristic of Lulu’s wit and charm. The cubic evening bag is covered in black satin with a wrist strap and is presented in another larger cube which is hand-embroidered with the designer’s iconic handwriting.

£ 1995

 

Manolo Blahnik – The Piece

“Albero” – an exquisitely delicate shoe. Crafted in crocodile, silk satin leaves encase the ankle, while the foot rests on orange satin lining.

£ 3850 (size 37)

 

Melinda Gloss – The Piece

Melinda Gloss is the in 2006 established label by childhood friends Rémi de Laquintane and Mathieu de Ménonville.

High quality meets high fashion, as a traditional tweed overcoat is given a modern dressing-down by a hooded inner-layer. Raw edging gives the reassuringly weighty material a sense of lightness without compromising its warmth.

The three coats are available in size 50 for £ 1750 each.

CURIOSITIES & ART

I-Woodesign

A unique jewelry box and watch box in Tamo Ash, one of the rarest and most reasured woods in the world. Sleek and sophisticated by design, the rich finish of the wood results in a piece which is strikingly superior in every sense.

Jewelry Box £ 7200, Watch Box £ 6300

Hungarian-born artist Kata Legrady is a very interesting woman to talk to. She has attracted international fame for her iconic series “Guns & Candies”. A former child soldier, she draws inspiration from her childhood memories.

While we were talking, this bag by Christian Louboutin caught her eyes. It reminded her of a bomb, funny enough!

Kata Legrady – The Piece

‘A 47 Kalashnikov, multicolour original gun with applicated “Smarties” covered with Plexiglass’

The internationally celebrated series, “Guns and Candies” was started in 2008, and is a set of colourful and oversized pieces exploring Legrady’s double fascination with war arms and candies. The Smarties are simultaneously enigmatic, alluring and scary, and appear to leave a residual trace on the retina, like a persisitent dream or a meditative vision. Truly popular art in the very Warholian meaning of the word, these images and artifacts are universally accessible and immediately identifiable. They demand only a little empathy from the viewer’s part, therefore investing each beholder with a power to reveal both their symbolic and artistic qualities.

£ 25000

London based designer Paul Kelley

Paul Kelley – The Piece

A stainless steel polished desk/dressing table with a mirror and a blue acrylic lined interior. The handsome yet elegant work boasts solid brass-plated drawers and solid teak interiors.

£ 54000
All photos above: © Sandra Bauknecht

 

TRAVEL

“Riders”, 40 x 60 cm, Silver gelatine print, fiber paper, B & W, argentic print, single copy. Especially made for the Cabinet Of Curiosities of Thomas Erber, 2011 edition at Browns by Elina Kechicheva, £ 1840.

LES VOYAGES DE THOMAS BY KUONI

The Road Trip

A mesmerizing and romantic road trip leads to Uruguay, to the edge of the end of the world, just between the “elder brothers” of Brazil and Argentina, and along the Uruguayan coast – which will slowly unveil its mysteries and wonders in a land that is yet to be fully discovered.

A ten day trip will start approximately at £2150 per person (without flights).

Photographs by Elina Kechicheva also available, £ 1840

The Family Safari

A magical, adventurous family trip to the heart of rugged but soulful Namibia, the “king country”, a jewel located on the west coast of southern Africa. Travelers will venture away from the famous Skeleton Coast to the untouched Namib Desert, where safaris are still real and wild – and will be accompanied by dedicated and knowledgeable local people who will help them to experience the real Namibia.

A ten day trip will start approximately at £ 4285 per person (without flights).

 

The after party took place in London’s newly opened up hot spot: Le Baron.
Here are some photos of the night:

Mark van Huisseling with me

Christian Louboutin and Henry Holland

Mickey got all excited seeing…

…a half naked beauty. 
Photos: © Jean Picou

A real cabinet of curiosties!

LoL, Sandra

 

As promised, here is the exclusive Versace for H&M giveaway for one of my dear subscribers. This amazing purple dress was specially made for the Versace for H&M fashion show last week in NYC and there are only two of those in the whole world!!! One is in my closet and the other one will go to you. The purple dress will not be sold in stores, only the black version as pictured above will hit the shelves.

Here is what you have to do to win this one-of-a-kind stunning piece:

– To enter the contest, you have to be subscribed to my newsletter (which you can do to the left)

– Send me an e-mail to with your name and mailing address

– Include a comment how you would rock that purple dress and for which occassion you would wear it.

 

Only one entry per person! The winner will be chosen randomly.

The contest runs from now until Nov. 16, 2011 at 11:59pm CET (before the Versace for H&M collection launches officially) and the dress is an European size 38. It will be shipped internationally to the winner directly by H&M.

Have fun and good luck!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Introducing the Yves Saint Laurent “Holiday Look 2011”. YSL international make-up artist Lloyd Simmonds pays tribute to the Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo, the absolute garment in a masculine-feminine wardrobe, enhanced by a satin sash, a velvet lapel, a bow-tie.
In doing so, he has recreated a new palette of seduction, placing the emphasis on expression, on the force of an attitude.
“The tuxedo? It’s the icon of the Yves Saint Laurent wardrobe. A reference to the pictures of Helmut Newton. The famous ‘smoky eye’. A signature eye.” – Lloyd Simmonds

Inspired by the tuxedo, the Palette Noir Terriblement and the Palette Blanc Terriblement both celebrate the emblematic spirit of evening clothes that move effortlessly throughout time. Nestling inside a beautiful gold case, adorned by a pleated belt and embroidered with the Yves Saint Laurent logo. It can be worn around the wrist like a bracelet, a nocturnal fetish.

Palette „Noir Terriblement“ – CHF 89,00 (Limited Edition)

The black tuxedo. Eye Shadow in 5 colors. 4 variations of black and a shimmering white in the middle. Black velvet, black silk, black moiré, black lamé, white satin, fabric turning into eye colors in the magic of an evening where black is unveiled in a play on shadow and light.

Expert’s secret by Lloyd Simmonds: “The best thing is to choose your black and use it as a base applied with the flat brush. And then to ‘smoke’ it with a round brush to blend the product so that the edges are invisible.”

Palette „Blanc Terriblement“ – CHF 89,00 (Limited Edition)

The white tuxedo. The complexion illuminator palette. Shimmering silver, shimmering pink, shimmering violet. Three white hues delicately lit up with precious pearls, catching the light like a magnet to give an absolute glow effect.

Ombres Duolumières – CHF 65,00

Contrasts and highlights for sparkling eyes in two different colour combinations: Silver moiré / Black Flannel, Gold lamé / Velvet black.

Manucure Couture n°6  – CHF 49,00

Make a show of style and colour right down to the fingertips. The hand becomes the most luxurious fashion accessory.  Yves Saint Laurent’s “Duo Terriblement Noir”: Two blacks. One matte and one glossy. An ultra–graphic feel for the season’s most radical, most ‘couture’ duo. A reprise of the contrasts of powder texture and satin lapels, they are complementary to give an ultra–sophisticated, infinitely black finish.

Golden Gloss – White shimmering gold collection – CHF 46,00

Transparence and light, wear it alone or added to a lipstick to give a white gold shimmer on the lips. Available in: White Gold Diamond, White Gold Opal, White Gold Quartz, White Gold Amethyst 48 (pictured left), White Gold Topaz 47 (pictured right).

My beauty must-have: The limited edition palette “noir terriblement” for the perfect smokey eyes.

LoL, Sandra

At the Viktor & Rolf S/S 2012 fashion show, you might have thought that dolls were on the runway instead of models. Wearing a thick set of synthetic pink lashes with a little ribbon in their low ponytails, they appeared in oversize lace prints, giant stitchings that held the clothes together and über-girlish looks. The colours were all candy (a huge trend for S/S 2012), reminiscent of your early childhood days.

For Christmas 2011, Viktor & Rolf are launching a special limited edition of their iconic fragrance Flowerbomb that also got inspired by the dolls.

Flowerbomb Limited Edition 50ml Eau de Parfum – CHF 136.-

Draped in metallized fuschia and covered in ribbons, the scent remains the same, an exotic blend of sambac jasmine, centifolia rose and catleya orchid wit patchouli and benzoin. It truly smells like 1000 flowers in a bottle, full-bodies and opulent.

Flowerbomb Limited Edition Dollhouse Set – CHF 136.-
including 50ml Eau de Parfum, 50ml Body Lotion and 50ml Shower Gel

Another delightful gift for a loved one is the Flowerbomb Dollhouse Set. The packaging is so incredibly charming. Like a dollhouse, the box comes with stairs and different compartements for the beauty products. Love it!

LoL, Sandra

A little, a lot passionately!

Ultra-feminine passion red combines with elegant gold. Eye shadows and powder are decorated with sparkling pearl. Silky textures melt into skin and last until dawn. Passion by Clarins offers everything you need to look chic during the festive holiday season.

Passion Face Palette – CHF 78.-

The star product of the collection is a precious powder presented in a gold case with a graphic design inspired by Art Deco motifs. An ultra-fine gold pearl shimmer helps you to subtly illuminate the face and décolleté for the festive season.

Passion Ombre Minérale 4 Couleurs  – CHF 62.-
Long-Lasting – Wet & Dry

Focus on the eyes with this palette for the perfect „smokey eyes“ look. The pearl texture of the highlighter is easy to use and leaves the eyelid ultra-shimmery. It can be used also as a base for your eye make-up. The three powder eye shadows can be used wet or dry, leaving you the decision if you prefer a more natural or more intense look. Flawless hold guaranteed.

 

How to create your Passion „smokey eyes“ look?

From left to right:
Apply make-up
1. Apply the coppery pink on the half of the top eyelid, to the inner corner of the eye.
2. Then the silvery grey on the other half, t the outer corner of the eye.

Intensify
3. Using the finer applicator, emphasize eyes with the charcoal grey eyeliner.

Highlight
4. Apply the silver highlighter in touches, on the inner corner of the eye.

Rouge Prodige – CHF 37.-
True-Hold – Colour & Shine Lipstick
131 Passion Rose

This limited edition shade in pearly rosewood with a subtle bronze shimmer would suit most skin tones. Not too light, not too dark, it is the perfect tone for winter. The sensously velvet texture provides a total comfort while remaining shiny for a long time. Let the party go on!

My beauty must-have: Rouge Prodige Passion Rose, I have one in my bag… love it!

All three limited-edition products are in shops now and as the season of goodwill is almost upon us, it is time to glam up…

LoL, Sandra

Swatch has teamed up with the American designer Jeremy Scott for the second time to create a range of five new watches. Scott’s latest designs for the Swiss brand are typically bold and provocative – just as we know his eponymous fashion creations. These Swatch timepieces therefore demand attention, ensuring anyone wearing them stands out from the crowd for all the right reasons. Today is not the day for minimalists!

SUOZ121 SWATCH PORTRAIT

Model: New Gent
Dial: solid black with the portrait printed on the glass
Case: solid black plastic
Strap: solid black silicone
Special: silver picture frame case guard

CHF 70.-

GZ261 MELTED MINUTES

Model: Gent Original
Dial: transparent plastic with melted effect
Case: transparent light brown plastic
Strap: transparent light brown plastic

CHF 60.-

GZ251 SWATCH PUNK

Model: Gent Original
Dial: solid green with black hands
Case: plastic with leopard patterns
Strap: silicone with printed leopard patterns and 6 yellow loops, wraps twice around the wrist

CHF 60.-

GZ252 DOUBLE VISION

Model: Gent Original
Dial: white with red twirl effect
Case: black plastic
Strap: black plastic
Special: double watch cases and special packaging

CHF 100.-

MX001S HYPNOTIC HEART

Model: Special edition
Dial: white with twirl effect and roman numerals
Case: 12cm heart-shaped hanging on a black silk entwining necklace
Special: limited and numbered to 777 pieces

CHF 390.-

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Swatch

Guerlain‘s inspiration behind their beautiful Holiday 2011 makeup look “Belle de Nuit” is truly worth reading it and might leave you intrigued. Enjoy!

“During the 1920’s and 1930’s, pioneers in aviation accomplished unimaginable feats and these brave pilots became instant, worldwide heroes. It was during this revolutionary period, in 1933, that Jacques Guerlain composed the legendary perfume Vol de Nuit, meaning “Night Flight,” as a tribute to the most famous women aviators of his time. Named for the second book written by his close friend Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Guerlain’s creation was a bold oriental fragrance that served as ode to all fearless women. Comprised of woody, vanilla and powdery iris notes, Vol de Nuit was for the woman who laughs in the face of fear, for whom nothing is impossible.

For Guerlain’s Holiday 2011 make-up collection Belle de Nuit, Creative Director Oliver Échaudemaison takes his inspiration from this legendary fragrance. Evoking the changing shades of the night sky, he created daring tones that are both dark and dramatic with mesmerizing iridescent accents. With lacquered and blue-green details, the products are encased within boxes that reveal the blue and black zebra motif found on the original Vol de Nuit box design. Belle de Nuit is a sophisticated and enchanting limited edition collection that is as fleeting as nightfall.”

Let’s take a closer look at those very luxurious limited-edition pieces:

 

Vol de Nuit Poudre Iridescente Parfumée – Face & Body – CHF 111.-

The star product is a combination of a luminous powder and a fragrance that wraps the skin with a veil of iridescent shimmer while being deliciously fragranced by the notes of Vol de Nuit. The universal pale pink shade is accentuated with blue-green and silvery hues to leave the face, body and hair sparkling. The bottle reinterprets that of the original Vol de Nuit, which was revolutionary at the time by being the first to combine glass and metal.

 

 

Météorites Perles de Nuit Poudre Lumière – Eclat Pur – CHF 74.-

The cult favorite is back and reinvented this holiday season. Although the formula remains untouched, Météorites Perles de Nuit leaves the face glowing and radiant with a new tailor-made harmony. Five perfectly smooth pearls correct, illuminate and even out the skin. It is composed of pink pearls to capture light, white to illuminate the complexion, gold to reflect light, orange to boost radiance and silver to add shimmer without whitening the skin.

 

Parure de Nuit – Poudre Pressée & Blush – CHF 97.-

Parure de Nuit is a face powder and blush in one and uses pale pink, white, deep pink and blue green to harmonise skin tone. It comes with a super-soft brush so you can softly sweep across all the shades for face illumination. So pretty!

 

Ecrin 4 Couleurs N° 10 Les Ombres de Nuit – CHF 80.-

Guerlain has developed a new color harmony made especially for night owls that creates smoky, seductive and spellbinding eyes. An iridescent texture of green, blue and grey pearlescent particles release luminous color with an extremely metallic finish and is combined with an extra-matte black shadow for a precise, intense liner effect.

 

Rouge Automatique – Le Rouge Hydratant Longue Tenue – CHF 54.-

The thirties icon Rouge Automatique is back and is more modern and attractive than ever. The Art Déco inspired case opens and closes at the flick of a hand revealing two new shades for holiday. Seductive, yet innocent, in Rouge Automatique, Guerlain has created a second-skin texture allowing for long-lasting wear.

Two limited edition shades:
169 Flirt d’un Jour: A soft and luminous pink, evocative of passionate kisses.
170 Nuit d’Amour: A surprising black red that reveals an intense plum color on the lips (above).

 

Opening a Guerlain product feels like opening a present, so have fun indulging yourself in pure luxury. The collection is available now.

My beauty must-have: Vol de Nuit Poudre Iridescente Parfumée that will add the perfect sparkle to every festive outfit.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Guerlain

A symphony of red, gold and light. Majestic and refined, gold adds a sumptuous touch to delightful festivities. On the face, it becomes one with the skin, reflecting the light in an exceptional way. LES SCINTILLANCES DE CHANEL is composed of eyeshadows and sparkling powders. Ivory, black, golden beige and red: Peter Philips, Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, uses the iconic colours of the House of CHANEL for a makeover scintillating with gold and light.

Mixing fine jewellery and costume jewellery are an integral part of the style of Gabrielle Chanel. She loved their sumptuous radiance or the touch of lightness that they added to an evening gown or simple knit. For his Exclusive Creation, Peter Philips drew inspiration from a belt buckle worn by Mademoiselle in a photo taken in the 1930s:

LUMIÈRE SCULPTÉE DE CHANEL – Highlighting Powder, CHF 84.-

A simple brushstroke adorns the face with an iridescent halo of beige sprinkled with gold. The sheer powder catches the light on cheekbones and sweeps lightly over the forehead or chin to accentuate the structure of the face.

Rouge Allure in 197 Enivrée and 207 Famous – CHF 48.-
Lèvres Scintillantes in 297 Sweet Beige and 307 Sparkle d’ Or – CHF 41.-
Rouge Allure Laque in 707 Empire – CHF 51.-
Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 517 Triomphal – CHF 48.-
Le Vernis in 587 Rouge Carat – CHF 35.-

Ombre Essentielle in 407 Blazing Gold and 417 Beige Lamé – CHF 43.-
Ombre Contraste Duo in 27 Noir-Ivoire – CHF 60.-
Ligne Extrême in 307 Or – CHF 45.-
Poudre Universelle Libre in 47 Féérie – CHF 67.-

My beauty must-haves: Lumière Sculptée de Chanel Highlighting Powder and Le Vernis in 587 Rouge Carat.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel, © Solve Sundsbo