Sandra‘s Closet

To be honest, this might not be the sexiest post, but on the other side what is sexier than lean legs and a beautiful smile?! Here are two new products that you will surely like, both made with natural ingredients.

White Ginger Contouring Oil by SISLEY
150ml (CHF 168.00)

This amazing oil is the key to smooth and slender legs. Its nourishing formula is enriched with White Ginger and Gingko Biloba that help to drain swollen tissues, as well as Red Algae extract and Gelidium Cartilagineum that promote the dissolving and burning of fat. The addition of Rosemary and Litsea Cubeba essential oils helps to firm and tone your skin. Formulated with hydrating Shea and Macadamia.

MASSAGE TECHNIQUE
Apply morning or evening, from the ankles to the top of the legs and hips according to the specific toning and draining application method:
1. Apply from the arch of the foot, moving up with circular movements around the ankles with your fingertips.
2. Then massage the calf by lightly stroking with one hand after the other, moving up from the ankle towards the knee, then go around the knee, pressing firmly with an upward motion to stimulate draining.
3. Repeat the same action on the thigh, starting at the knee and moving up to the top of the buttock. 
4. Follow with large, firm, circular movements with the palms of both hands, moving up from the knee towards the buttock and hip. Repeat this technique three times on each leg.

Toothpaste by AESOP
60ml (CHF 13.00)

Whether it’s part of the global wave of new naturals taking over the beauty realm or fluoride’s classification as a neurotoxin (shocking as it sounds, it is the same category that lead, arsenic, and methylmercury fall into) this year, there’s no denying that natural toothpastes are having a moment.

“World-class skincare yields maximum results with a minimum number of products” – this is the concept behind Dr. Barbara Sturm’s nourishing formulas. Based on a thorough medical understanding of cells and anti-aging, her products protect, strengthen and detoxify without overburdening the skin and are gentle enough for sensitive complexions.

The so-called “dermatologist to the stars” is a very fascinating woman, who combines business and family life perfectly.

Married once to George Hamilton, she is now the wife of New York based lawyer Adam Waldman. She has two daughters, a 20-year-old and a 3-year-old. At the age of 45, she is her own best example that her products obviously work.

Two of them have fully convinced me and let me explain to you why:

Skin Food Supplement (60 capsules) by Dr. Barbara Sturm
Nicknamed the “fountain of youth,” Dr. Barbara Sturm’s supplement is boosted with Purslane – abundant in Omega-3 fatty acids, it improves skin health and fights signs of aging from the inside out. Each capsule contains Japanese Knotweed Root Extract and Glucosamine to support the body’s natural production of plumping Hyaluronic Acid.

– Easily absorbed by the body, providing support for a healthy function
– Infused with antioxidants Kudzu and Astragalosides to combat the ageing process

But it gets better. What happens when Jessica Alba’s make-up artist and Cher’s doctor join forces to come up with something really magical – an anti-aging primer!

Anti-Aging Primer, 30ml by Dr. Barbara Sturm + Monika Blunder
In collaboration with her Austrian fellow Monika Blunder, L.A. based celebrity makeup artist, Dr. Barbara Sturm developed her ‘Anti-Aging Primer‘ to enhance the look of her makeup while caring for her skin. Enriched with antioxidants, Hyaluronic Acid and Pearl Pigments, this creamy formula contains the brand’s key active ingredient Purslane that protects your skin against free radical damage while reducing the appearance of enlarged pores and wrinkles.

– Suitable for all skin types

TO SHOP THE WHOLE LINE OF DR. BARBARA STURM CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Net-à-Porter, Getty Images, ©  Sandra Bauknecht

Greetings from Ibiza! I was so happy to sport my new book clutch I got at the Eden Being Cabana Pop-up Boutique for the first time on the Spanish island. Wearing new pieces always feels great, doesn’t it? Time to shop, ladies!

My look: Polka-dot cotton dress by Dolce & Gabbana, Betty bow-embellished suede platform sandals by Saint Laurent, embroidered book clutch by Olympia Le Tan for Cabana x Eden Being, pearl embellished sunglasses and earrings, both by Chanel and golden cuff by Stella McCartney.

The straw hat «Be Bagatelle» is a gift from Bistro Bagatelle, one of my favorite places around the world when it comes to partying, great food and fun with family and friends. They have just opened their spot in Ibiza and it is absolutely worth going there!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, MARC O’POLO celebrated its 50th anniversary with a very special celebrity appearance and collaboration. Robbie & Ayda Williams, synonymous for couple goals, were in the brand’s Munich flagship store to present their special edition sweatshirt in person.

«I just like pink.» – Robbie Williams

In the evening, the clothing company was rocking its birthday in festival style at its headquarters in Stephanskirchen with 1800 guests, a fashion show, and a live concert. Joining Robbie Williams that night was another celebrity and current face of the MARC O’POLO campaign, Mads Mikkelsen.

I had been so much looking forward to attending this fun night but a severe food poisoning had knocked me out and I had to stay home. Therefore I can only show you the official photos and some old ones of me with the three stars.

Left: Mads Mikkelsen, top right: Peter Lindbergh and bottom right: Robbie Williams

Personally speaking, I adore the campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh and also the sweater in pink. Too cute! The MARC O’POLO Iconic Capsule Collection is available exclusively now in MARC O’POLO Stores and on www.marc-o-polo.com.

LoL, Sandra

Werner Boeck, owner of Marc O’Polo, Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Williams attend the launch of the Marc O’Polo 50th anniversary special edition sweatshirt and the crowds in Munich go crazy.

The unveiling of the campaign and the sweater in Munich in the morning.

Cuddling moments – Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda were accompagnied by their dog ‘Showbiz’ during the launch event.

Mads Mikkelsen and his wife Hanne Jacobsen front row at the fashion show. 

Tribute at night to Marc O’Polo’s 50th anniversary… 

… with a fashion show that was quite impressive.

1800 guests at the headquarters in Stephanskirchen, Germany.

Max the Sax performed prior to the fashion show.

Photos: Getty Images for Marc O’Polo, © Sandra Bauknecht

Update your outerwear edit with one of those amazing army-green bomber jackets. No outerwear trend has caught on quite as rapidly as bomber jackets have over the past year. It is quite obvious why… First, practicality. They’re ideal for in between seasons and vary in weight and fabrication, meaning you’ll be able to find one that’s light enough for summer and also one that’s warm enough for winter. Essentially, they’re a year-round staple.

1 Rockstud satin bomber jacket by Valentino
2 Oversized pleated shell bomber jacket by MM6 Maison Margiela
3 Bomber jacket by Saint Laurent
4 Bomber jacket by Miu Miu
5 Ribbed jersey-trimmed shell bomber jacket by Sacai

My absolute favorite: Balenciaga‘s bomber jacket has everything you would look for, even the iconic orange lining. The satin-like technical fabrication is water repellent, allowing for a cool look rain or shine. I love!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands, © Getty Images

Great news, here is another beautiful capsule collection that is launching today exclusively at mytheresa.com. Italian fashion house Prada has joined forces with the Munich based online retailer for colorful line that features a bright selection of shoes, handbags and ready-to-wear. The beauty is in the detail, with a focus on delicate embellishments in different variations. Added as shoulder straps for bags or as a lavish update to classical white shirts or dresses and uniquely patterned skirts, the decadent use of feathers and pearls gives quintessential Prada glamour.

My favorite is this stunning feather-trimmed printed silk shirt.

I truly love the feather embellished items – a great way to be ahead of the fashion game as plumage is one of the big trends for F/W 2017 (click here for the previous trend report). Here is your chance to own an exclusive limited edition piece.

TO SHOP THE EXCLUSIVE PRADA X MYTHERESA CAPSULE COLLECTION, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Mytheresa

As you already know I am very happy to be an Eden Being ambassadrice, the online shopping destination of the Oetker Collection. Embodying the finest of traditional hospitality, these elite luxury hotels are all very individual yet unified by a desire to deliver their guests the best of life. Eden Being stands for this sophisticated philosophy as well. Throughout the website you can discover a passion for living, an appreciation for culture, gastronomy and the pleasures of nature. The idea behind this website is to bring you memories of your travels to your doorstep, to find exclusive treasures and to get one of a kind pieces.

When I was in Paris last week with Sisley, I stayed at the beautiful Le Bristol, the iconic five star hotel located at 112, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. A beautiful place to spend time in the French capital that I can only recommend.

This historic palace hotel, where the elegant 18th century interiors are maintained to the highest levels of contemporary luxury, offers you this unique Parisian style, that «je ne sais quoi» attitude that we all admire in French ladies, surrounded by haute couture.

If you are there, have a Bellini at the Le Bar du Bristol. It is absolutely fabulous and enjoy some delicious gold-encrusted crêpes for the most stylish breakfast you have ever imagined.

While I was there, Eden Being had opened its doors to the Barefoot Playground Pop-up Boutique in the hotel’s lobby dedicated to the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and the relaxed glamour of the Côte d’Azur. Thinking of palm-fringes pools, sun-dappled lunches and insouciant glamour, I got inspired for everything I need for this perfect Riviera style.

From now, the motto has changed and Eden Being welcomes the Cabana Pop-up Boutique to Le Bristol which will be there until July 13th.

Different and desirable rare objets make up this cabinet of curiosities by Milanese collector Martina Mondadori. The designer and Cabana Magazine publisher defines her personal collection as extravagant bohemian chic, crazy elegance and eclectic charm.

Everything is timeless and yet beautifully in tune with the times. So browse away through glassworks from Venice, hand painted ceramics, gold-plated pendants, Afghani cuffs and abstract sculptures. A boutique of beautiful rarities.

I couldn’t resist this stunning embroidered book clutch below that Olympia Le Tan (for a previous post on her upcoming collection with Lancôme, click here please) created in collaboration with Cabana Magazine for Eden Being.

It is constructed from cotton-canvas with a gold-tone brass frame and features a beautiful hand embroidered cover. It is a limited and numbered edition (I own number 4 of 16). This week, I wore it in Ibiza and will soon show you the outfit post.

Needless to say, I brought home some amazing memories. So please stay tuned and in the meantime happy shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Eden Being and © Sandra Bauknecht

In the U.S., they celebrate Independence Day, or National Day today on the 4th of July. I have always loved this day when I lived in the States. Getting together with friends, we loved to fire up the grill for an afternoon barbeque with a cold drink in hand and watch the fireworks at night. Below are a few Independence Day inspired fashion must-haves that I compiled for you to enjoy.

1 Halston: Inventing American Fashion by Lesley Frowick hardcover book by Rizzoli
2 Young American intarsia cashmere sweater by The Elder Statesman
3 American Flag shoulder bag by Marc Jacobs (40% off)
4 American-flag cotton T-shirt by Visvim (70% off)
5 American flag print tank by P.A.R.O.S.H. (20% off)
6 Top with US flag detail by Twin-Set
7 USA flag skirt by Mother

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

I love when the new ad campaigns are released for the upcoming season as I always like to see what the brands have come up with. Louis Vuitton took a cast of mostly young A-list house ambassadors to be featured in the new “Series 7” campaign for the F/W 2017 collection, which takes shape in an industrial world of raw elements and stark lines.

Against this ideal cinematic backdrop photographer Bruce Weber has set a romantic ballet of never-before-seen characters and powerful heroines. Whether massed in groups, paired off, or singled out for solos, these models generate surprise against a multiplicity of décors and visuals. Among the models faithful to Nicolas Ghesquière’s imagination—a feminine cohort that he delights in transforming every season—are some prestigious guests. Riley Keough, Jaden Smith, Sophie Turner, Catherine Deneuve, and Kevin Michel arise like serendipitous interlopers in the photographs’ composition, fitting right in to the modern tale.

I especially like the close-up shot of the fantastic new embellished clutch bag!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton 

What happens when a cigar maker fuses with a watchmaker?!
They create the «Art of Fushion» und come up with something very special. HUBLOT celebrates 20 years of the most sought after cigar “The Fuente Fuente Opus X’’ with a Classic Fusion collection of three limited edition pieces.

«For any cigar connoisseur, the Fuente Fuente Opus X is an absolute reference, as much in terms of its remarkable flavour as in the quality of its execution. A quest for the finest products and for manufacturing excellence with which we at Hublot totally identify. We are very happy to be able to join in the celebrations of the two decades of this exceptional puro through our third collaboration with the Arturo Fuente house.
A partnership that is rolling along nicely!»
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO Hublot

“The rarest cigar in the world” according to purists, the Fuente Fuente Opus X is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It started in 1980 when Carlos Fuente set up his cigar factory in the Dominican Republic, near the town of Santiago against everyone’s advice. It was here where, after several attempts, he and his family succeeded in growing tobacco plants that produced wrapper leaf of the highest quality, with a uniquely powerful and rich flavour. He was profoundly confident of achieving this result as the place bore a strange resemblance to the “Pinar del Rio”, the valley in which the best tobacco is grown in Cuba. Thus was born the “Chateau de la Fuente”, the first of the Fuente factories on Hispaniola, the continuity of the Fuente & Cie business that his grandfather had founded in Cuba in 1912.

To celebrate this success, he decided to produce the king of cigars, for which no concession would be made in terms of quality: the Fuente Fuente Opus X. This began with the labour: before being authorised to work on this project, the “torcedores”—the cigar rollers—had to undergo an additional 10 months of specific training.

They had to be capable of meeting Don Fuente’s requirements: the cigar had to be composed of 9 leaves of tobacco, while other factories would make do with 5 for their prestigious models (one for the wrapper, one for the binder and then 3 more leaves for the filler, the heart of the cigar). Once rolled, they were then “laid down” for at least 2 years before export to let their different aromas blend harmoniously through maturation.

Carlitos Fuente in front of the Opus X production room.

Carlos Fuente shares the inspiration that guided him: «I wanted to reproduce something that already existed in my memory. I wanted to go back in time, to my childhood. I wanted to go back to the happiest episodes of my life. I wanted my grandfather to be proud of me, my father too, and for my children to be so too one day. It was something that I owed to myself to do.» 20 years later, the Fuente Fuente Opus X has achieved success among connoisseurs, who fall over themselves to get hold of it.

Ricardo Guadalupe and Carlito Fuente

The partnership between the watchmaker in Nyon and the Arturo Fuente cigar maker first saw the light in 2012, on the occasion of the Fuente Foundation’s centenary. It is the result of a friendship between the men presiding over the destiny of two houses which share common values of meticulousness, manufacture, selection of the finest materials, production organised into workshops and, of course the quest for excellence. This partnership has already produced two horological creations.

It is therefore perfectly natural today for Hublot to choose to join the 20th anniversary celebrations for the Opus X, by launching three commemorative watches in limited editions, marking the third collaboration between the two brands. These three Hublot Classic Fusion 45mm Fuente 20th Anniversary Special Edition models will be limited to a production of 20 watches each.

The first has a 45-mm case in satin-finished black ceramic. Its bezel is cut from the same material. Its sumptuous blue dial is adorned with the famous X decorating the rings of the legendary puro, doubled for the occasion to become the number 20 in Roman numerals. It is topped by red gold plated hands and indexes with a “20 Years” mention apposed at 6 o’clock. Its back is engraved with an exclusive illustration of the Fuente family with the “Château de la Fuente, Fuente Fuente Opus X 20 Years” mention, as well the model’s limited edition series number. Its black alligator strap is lined with rubber to provide the wearer greater comfort.

The second version has sublime livery in brushed titanium. Its case and bezel are finely embossed with engravings reproducing tobacco leaf motifs interlinked into the letter X. The engravings on its back are partially lacquered in blue. The strap in grey alligator, with a deployant buckle clasp, is stitched in blue and is also lined with rubber.

The third version is in King Gold, the precious red gold developed by the Hublot house. It has the same engravings and features as the titanium model, while adding a brown strap.

All three feature the HUB1112 calibre, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. They are delivered in a case that serves as a humidor, a cigar box specially designed by Hublot so as to regulate the humidity and allow the correct conservation of the modules.

I really like this Art of Fushion!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hublot and © Sandra Bauknecht