Sandra‘s Closet

Welcome to the Coachella Festival, the annual music and arts festival in the California Desert, during which Mulberry hosted two events in Palm Springs this weekend:

The Firepit Party on Friday 13th April and the following day on Saturday 14th a BBQ Pool Party, both at the Parker Hotel.

The guests included Emma Hill, Kate Bosworth, Emma Watson and Lily Collins to name a few. Needless to say, the ladies were all dressed up very fashionably, mostly in Mulberry. The festival dress code: short denim pants, little tank tops and floral dresses.
Some of them wore already the newest pieces for the upcoming F/W 2012 season. Pretty challenging as the Coachella Music Festival has a desert setting, with daytime temperatures frequently rising to over 110 °F (43 °C). And believe me, I have been there, it is HOT!

Enjoy all the photos below. You can shop already some of the looks by clicking on the highlighted text. I felt the sunshine just looking at those beautiful pictures…

LoL, Sandra

Two Emmas: Actress Emma Watson and Emma Hill, Mulberry’s Creative Director

Emma Watson‘s day look: Fuzzy tiger playsuit from F/W 2012 Main and carrying the Mini Lily with tassels in oak from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Emma Hill‘s day look: Lace raglan dress in multicolour plastic animals from S/S 2012 catwalk and carrying the Lily with chain handle in ink blue sparkle croc print from F/W 2012 catwalk, all by Mulberry

Actress Kate Bosworth

Kate Bosworth‘s day look: Fuzzy tiger scoop neck tee in acorn from F/W 2012 Catwalk, the black studded sneakers in black from F/W 2012 Main and carrying the Mini Lily with tassels in ink blue from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Atlanta de Cadenet

Atlanta de Cadenet‘s day look: Full sleeve dress in multicolour mini zig zag from F/W 2012 Catwalk and carrying the Bryn in flame from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Actress Lily Collins

Lily Collins‘s day look: Stripy straws Neely dress in pale blue from S/S 2012 Main, the stitched bow ballerinas from S/S 2012 Main and carrying the Lily with tassels in ink blue from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Dree Hemingway

Drew Hemingways‘s day look: Chili pepper-print cotton bustier, matching cotton-poplin skirt and belt, all from Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2012 Catwalk
(This look has found its way already in my closet, stay tuned for the photos to be posted soon.)

Harley Viera-Newton

Harley Viera-Newton‘s day look: Cherry-printed swimsuit by Juicy Couture, low-rise stretch-denim shorts by 7 for all mankind and Lily bag with tassels in oak from F/W 2012 Main

Mulberry’s Creative Director Emma Hill

Emma Hill‘s evening look: Shorts in navy cotton drill from S/S 2012 Catwalk, sequin blouse in navy from F/W 2011 Catwalk and Lily bag with tassles in ink blue heavy suede from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Actress Kate Bosworth

Kate Bosworth‘ s evening look: Panel dress in multicolour Ditzy Daisy crushed cotton from F/W 2012 Main, sneaker in black studded leather from F/W 2012 Main and Mini Lily with tassles in ink blue heavy suede from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Actress Lily Collins

Lily Collins‘s evening look: Windbreaker in pebbled beige summer boucle from S/S 2012 Catwalk, square printed scarf in multi-coloured Bonkers Beach print from S/S 2012 Main and Lily with tassles in ink blue heavy suede from F/W 2012 Main, all by Mulberry

Photos: Courtesy of Mulberry, © WireImage

The Berkeley London designer afternoon tea, Prêt-à-Portea, is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. The menu is transformed every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. All served on fine-bone china by Paul Smith for Thomas Goode.

The new S/S 2012 collection sees designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Jason Wu and Valentino grace the Berkeley’s tea stand as Prêt-à-Portea adds a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style conscious.

Prêt-à-Portea is served in the Caramel Room daily from 1pm to 6pm.

Christian Louboutin must have neon yellow high heeled chocolate biscuit with signature red sole
Jason Wu romantic cherry bavarois and coconut cream topped with playful pink skirt and biscuit heel
Mulberry white chocolate crème de menthe and raspberry mousse topped with a lemon meringue
Miu Miu 1950’s inspired vanilla bikini biscuit with red hot icing and playful white bow

Valentino romantic peach cake dress with light pink champagne jelly and edible flower
Fendi nautical red and white striped vanilla cake filled with fraise des bois cremeux accessorized with oversized yellow button
Michael Kors safari opera cake with dark chocolate and mocha filling topped with signature leopard print
Dolce & Gabbana light blue Sicilian blueberry sponge cake wicker basket wrapped in chocolate
Gucci art deco Grand Marnier and dark Valrhona chocolate mousse embellished with golden beads

And for those who are still hungry, a mouth-watering selection of miniature savoury skewers, taster spoons, elegant canapés and tea sandwiches is served.

I truly enjoyed this fashionable tea time. 
For Prêt-à-Portea reservations, please call +44 (0)20 7107 8866.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Berkeley Hotel and © Sandra Bauknecht

This week, I went on a girls trip with my daughter to London. We had an absolute blast despite the rainy weather.

Here is what I wore on the arrival day:
Houndstooth coat by Gucci, navy and green printed silk blouse by Stella McCartney, cropped wool pants by Giulietta, my beloved Suzanne studded leather ankle boots by Chloé, flap-over bag by Tom Ford, rainbow coloured scarf by Christopher Kane, Lady Excalibur watch by Roger Dubuis, Daisy necklace by Dior Haute Joaillerie and 18-karat gold horsebit necklace by Gucci.

Stay tuned for more from London!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Let me introduce you to Idéalia by Vichy, a new moisturizing range, claiming to create an ideal skin.

Vichy’s new launch is based on a global study about women’s expectations regarding the ideal skin. The answers were versatile depending on the continent – among them the longing for a perfect skin quality, a refined skin texture, homogeneous complexion, no dark spots plus smoothed wrinkles and fine lines.

Vichy’s answer to all those wishes is Idéalia. It is built around a star ingredient, the Kombucha extract and works for all skin types and ages.

Available at pharmacies for the amazing price of CHF 39.- for 50ml.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

Those tiered „scarf“ printed maxi dresses with colourful, intricate motifs recall the lavish decadence of the early Nineties. The time when Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana‘s diffusion line D&G launched in 1994.

Those must-have gowns are your chance to invest in a piece of fashion history as the designer duo showed their final D&G collection for S/S 2012 with a masterful tribute to the label’s history reinvigorating archive prints to create a fabulously feminine collection.

Please click here to shop those must-have looks.
Bye-bye D&G, you will be missed!

LoL, Sandra

The beauty secret of the world’s top makeup artists and models, Touche Éclat is the must-have complexion booster for a radiant, flawless face. I use it every day as a concealer. One is sold every 1o seconds worldwide!

To celebrate its 20th Anniversary the iconic Touche Éclat is adorned in a Limited Edition jewel-like interpretation of the Couture accessory collection. Embellished with gold rings, this is truly a collector’s edition (see photo above).

Touche Éclat Collet-Or is available this month in Switzerland for CHF 55.-.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent

Meet Serge Lutens, the genius behind the eponymous fragrance and cosmetic label, launched in 2000. Mysterious, captivating, charming, Serge Lutens talks freely and poetically.

His appearance is sylphlike as a dancer, there is something magical about him. He has cast a spell over me after a few seconds.

Serge Lutens with me

Born 1942 in Lille, France, he started his career as a makeup artist and worked for Vogue along with famous photographers such as Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. Monsieur Lutens, as his assistant addressed him constantly during our interview, established the first cosmetics line for Christian Dior in 1967.

Photo: Serge Lutens for Vogue Italia, 1976

His series of photographs that he took in the ’70s were even shown in the Guggenheim Museum. In the ’80s, Shiseido hired him as Creative Director. The famous Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, conceived and designed by the perfume genius in 1992, are described by him as “more of a refined salon for perfumes than a boutique”.
There you can shop his exclusive line of fragrances.

I am a huge fan of his perfumes. Here you see my very own Serge Lutens collection.
Un Bois Vanille is one of my favourites.

We spoke French during the interview and I have to admit that there is something so magical about his French language that any attempt to translate his answers into English almost fails to fully capture their essence. I hope that you will still get to the bottom of his universe.

MEET MONSIEUR LUTENS…

What would your mother say about you?

This is my son!

Your first memory concerning perfume?

It is not an actual perfume, it is more a culmination of things. At the age of 7, your olfactory sense is completely developed. After that, you only rediscover.

When you go out, how much time do you need to get ready?

20-25 minutes.

What was the topic of your last dinner-table conversation?

This was too long ago that I could remember it.

The last time you had an argument was about…

Honesty

Your favourite shop?

The bookstore Librairie Galignani, 224 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris. I shop there every time that I am in Paris.

Your most expensive piece of art?

I am not attached to expensive goods. Art is decoration for the house.

What was the first desire you ever felt?

Never to rest, always to exceed my own expectations.

What do you dislike?

Stupidity, ignorance and misbehaviour.

Most people wouldn’t know you’re a fine…

It is better that they don’t know.

In your suitcase, when travelling, there’s always a…

It is always empty when I am leaving Morocco and when I am coming back, filled to the brim.

Who is for you the most impressive person in history?

It mostly only one part that impresses me, so that I couldn’t name just a single person.

Are you subscribed to a newspaper or magazine?

No. I am changing my preferences too fast.

You would like to be really good at…

There is nothing I could think of. I could say that I would like to be a great dancer or singer, but that wouldn’t make any sense. I was just not born under that star.

You live in Morocco. How does it smell?

The scents of Morocco inspired me to do perfumes. It was no choice. Now, I don’t use those ones so much anymore.

Do you have  a favourite ingredient?

I will always use classic and natural ingredients. But I don’t have one favourite. Would you ask a  poet which ones are his favourite words? It is similiar. The ingredients are like senses, they will tell you something. You just have to translate. It is like a composition.

Now you have changed your way of perfume. The new L’Eau Froide smells fresh and is along with your first L’Eau from 2010 completely different from your other previous creations. Why?

Yes, you are right. It is a wonder of pureness. A shock. It is the essence of my life.

Some journalists called L’Eau de Serge an anti-perfume. Does it bother you if people analyze and judge your creations?

No, not at all. It is not mine anymore. It is over. I created it, but once it is done, it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Do you have somebody or something in mind when creating a perfume?

I always think of something. The creation is passive, not active. You are in there. It is like a passion. It takes you on a journey, you have no choice. The real partner is the perfume. It lives and gives you the answer. You are at its demand. You have to forget the „you“.

Do you listen to music when you create?

No, those are two different things. When I am listening to music, I am listening to music! I am in it, that is unique.

Music is so important. But I hate this overdose in our days. Music is everywhere, in the restaurant, in the elevator. It kills all the senses. The same applies to perfumes. If you walk through a big department store, it is horrible.

Do you wear perfume?

Not very often. If I do, it is to set a statement. When I go out, I like to use it. But I rarely go out anymore.

The best perfume of all times?

Always the one, that I am working on. It is as it is supposed to be and loving it is just the natural consequence.

The most important beauty product a woman has to have?

Self-confidence. This is what she brings to the table. This is her. Beauty is the moment, when you are really yourself!

It is not about beautiful eyes or a beautiful mouth. Of course, those features help but there are beautiful people who are dreadful and there are not so beautiful people that can be very pretty. It is the charm that counts.

How much power do women have?

The power of persuasion and creativity. Everything creative is female.

You worked with Richard Avendon, Irving Penn. How were they? How was it to work with those famous people?

The had passion, they loved their work. They were not professionals. Professionals are boring. I worked with many considerable people, such as David Bailey, Helmut Newton among many others. All they had in common was, that they were not professionals, they were amateurs.

What does confuse you about people from your industry (cosmetics/fragrance)?

People that would like to be professionals. As I said, I only like amateurs.

Do you have a favourite city?

The city where I am in that moment. My brain is my room. I could live tomorrow in Geneva or somewhere else. I don’t care, what I need, I have on me. I just need my little book to take notes and that is it. Life would be the same.

You have done many different things in your life, photography, filmmaking, hair styling, perfumery among others. Do you have a favourite phase?

No. Each time, it is the same, just in another way.

One wish from the fairy?

That she turns my pumpkin into a carriage.

Thank you very much, Monsieur Lutens! It was such an honour to meet you!

L’Eau Froide, the newest creation of Serge Lutens, is in stores now, 50ml (CHF 108.-) and 100ml (CHF158.-).
Fresh and crystalline
Composition: Somali incense, musk and aquatic note.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Serge Lutens, Vogue Italia and © Sandra Bauknecht

CRISTALLISTE: LET THERE BE LIGHTNESS!

“Flowing, smooth and airy, the hair flirts with light, refracting to perfection. Vibrant and radiant, it gives off a fresh, deep, intense glow.”

Sounds too good to be true… but it truly works. As you know, I am having very long hair and I try to take good care of it. The biggest problem that is specific to long hair is the imbalance between the roots and the sensitised, mostly dry lengths. The products that are great for the ends, are in general to heavy for the roots and leave the hair flat with no volume.

Kérastase unveiled the secret to long, shiny hair:

The key to beautiful long hair sublime from the roots to the ends is the F-layer. Located between the sebum layer and the top layer of the hair cuticle, it makes up the hair’s lipid film. Preserving its integrity not only keeps the hair fibre supple, but maintains its vitality and ability to reflect light.

THE CRISTALLISTE RANGE

Three key benefits that work in perfect synergy to solve all the problems of long hair.

Kérastase has combined a brand-new type of cleansing agent with a selective polymer and extract of Aloe Vera, well known for its moisturising power in skin products.

– Smoothing the fibre: Intelligently, the range’s products target only the parts of the hair that are sensitised. The ends are repaired, the fibre is coated and the lipid layer is protected.
The result: The lengths are smoothed, and radiate captivating light.

– Treating the roots: by dissolving impurities, the range’s shampoos perfectly cleanse the scalp while leaving it unharmed.

– Creating the fibre: The quality of the fibre’s lipids is improved, ensuring an airy texture, sensual movement and a radiant glow – the embodiment of youth.

Four products to make long hair a real tool for seduction that are available now:

BAIN CRISTALLISTE – Luminous Perfecting Shampoo

Two shampoos (available for thick or fine hair) with a proportion of care agents tailored to the hair’s diameter, to cleanse the fibre while respecting the lipid layer.

CHF 26.- (250ml)

LAIT CRISTAL – Luminous Perfecting Conditioner

A conditioner enriched with Liquid Light Complex that smooths and purifies the hair, making it fluid.

CHF 34.- (200ml)

LUMIÈRE LIQUIDE – Luminous Perfecting Essence

A serum that makes the fibre glossy, and lengths and ends more radiant.

CHF 39.- (50ml)

I love that my hair has with Kérastase Cristalliste a light, airy feel, and that it reflects the light wonderfully.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Kérastase

For the fun and flirty girl who wants to add a little sparkle into her life, Guerlain introduces Shine Automatique, a super hydrating lip shine with Natalia Vodianova as the face.

Given the success of Rouge Automatique’s smooth texture and amazing outer case, Guerlain’s newest innovation is made up of the same base formula but now reveals a sheer and sparkling side. With 12 new shades, this moisturizing and long-lasting lipstick combines bold colour with pearl particles to give your lips discreet yet exceptional shine while will leaving them soft, smooth, and luminous.

The 12 new Shine Automatique lipsticks are divided into 4 different colour families complementing the famous Rouge Automatique.

BEIGES
Rouge Automatique: 104  Jicky
Shine Automatique: 200 Sous Le Vent – 201 Vague Souvenir – 202 Mi-Mai

REDS
Rouge Automatique: 121 Rouge D’Enfer
Shine Automatique: 220 Pour Troubler – 221 Rouge De Damas

ORANGE
Rouge Automatique: 140 Mitsouko
Shine Automatique: 240 Pamplelune

PINKS
Rouge Automatique: 164 Chamade
Shine Automatique: 260 Jardin de Bagatelle  – 261 Rose Imperial – 262 Extrait de Rose  – 263 A La Parisienne (Natalia Vodianova’s favourite colour of the season) – 264 Rose Pompon – 265 Pao Rosa

Above you can see my two favourite colours for this summer.
Left: 263 A La Parisienne (a flamboyant pink based on a soft poppy red which I am wearing on the photo) and right 220 Pour Troubler (a shiny yet classic red).

The new lipsticks will be available in Switzerland starting April 30, 2012 for CHF 54.- each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Guerlain and © Sandra Bauknecht

Needing little introduction, Diego Dolcini is a purveyor and creator of some of the finest shoes in the world. Having worked with Emilio Pucci, Bulgari, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana to name just a few, Dolcini knows the beauty of high-quality, high-fashion shoes.

Launched in 1994, the company currently operates out of Italy and references art, cinema and architecture as design influences. The end result no matter what, is always strikingly beautiful.

To shop Diego Dolcini’s beautiful S/S 2012 collection, click here.

LoL, Sandra

Diego Dolcini with me

Enjoy some of Diego Dolcinci’s best S/S 2012 pieces below:

Photos: Courtesy of Diego Dolcini and © Sandra Bauknecht