Sandra‘s Closet

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.

At Editions de Frédéric Malle, matching a person to the right perfume – whether in person or virtually – has always been a crucial part of the brand’s mission. «From the get-go – twenty years ago – I thought that, while a face-to-face session with one of our specialists was always going to be the ultimate, you shouldn’t have to go to a store to get a great experience or find the right match,» says Frédéric Malle today. «Not everyone was able to visit our stores, but we had a perfume for almost everyone. That’s why we were the first perfumers to launch a website, which at the time seemed to many people counterintuitive. I always knew that a virtual experience could eventually be just as fun and accurate – a similar type of exchange, but in a way, more intimate, and quite extraordinary.»

With Frédéric Malle

The original e-commerce site contained the first attempt, an almost Proustian questionnaire that – seemingly by magic, or intuition – produced amazingly accurate recommendations. At first, Malle answered each one personally. It was so good it’s still there, 20 years later.

This acuity was a triumph of study and observation of people’s visual language, individual style choices, and aesthetic preferences. In the early years, Malle had made a point of personally working the floor at the rue de Grenelle boutique, getting to know the clientele, learning the art of pairing customer and scent, and training his perfume consultants to be expert matchmakers. This felt crucial: the combination of rationality and instinct, meticulous refinement and fantasy, was to Malle the ethos of the company embodied. «By simply observing and really listening to people, we learn so much,» he says, «and as a result, we can give really precise advice. And this made-to-measure, very careful way of looking at people, helps them to find the freedom they really want – the freedom to be themselves. And they, in turn, because they are so varied and multifaceted, allow us the freedom of incredible creativity and the desire to generate an even-more eclectic perfume collection.»

Enter Kakanias. The Athens-born, LA-based artist, known for the whimsy and theatrical drama of his illustration, would seem at first glance an unlikely match for the painstaking Malle. «When I work with him, I try to get into his skin,» says Kakanias. «He’s so precise – and I’m not.» And yet, the two are not only longtime collaborators, but have become dear friends. Their skill-sets are in fact complementary and both share a fascination with observing and capturing the world in all its fabulous, glamorous, complex dimensions. Together, they combined their different landscapes, experiences, and intuitions to create a series of deft visual character sketches.

The Find your Match quiz combines both: at first glance a beautiful collage of images, of characters, the questionnaire will, in fact, result in the perfect perfume. What’s your ideal setting?  What shoes do you wear – what coat – and what underwear? What do you drive? This self representation is reflected by an algorithm, based on Malle’s years of observation, that he calls «a true representation of my brain,» translated into images with Kakanias‘s inimitable whimsical grace («It wasn’t easy – there were so many objects!») and leads to a result of uncanny accuracy.

What starts as a delightful escape from your day can become so much more. How do you want to use perfume – as weapon, as seduction, as discretion, as disguise? Will you want to sparkle, dominate, charm? What are the important moments in life, when you want to shine? Do you see yourself running a board meeting in Louboutins? Trysting in the woods with abandoned hair? Meeting in-laws while carrying a Birkin? Riding a Vespa across the Bridge of Sighs at midnight, en route to a highly exclusive and vaguely sinister after-hours club, with Dante in your pocket? Maybe all four at once!

It’s almost like going to a psychologist, a meeting of the minds in your telephone – but at the end, you’ll have the perfect scent. Who are you? Who do you want to be? What was your childhood like? (OK, maybe not that – but who knows? This stuff is powerful.) You’ll gradually hone in on a reflection of how you see yourself, and how you wish to be seen: your perfect match. And it will change your life.

Here are my results. Musc Ravageur is one of my favorite scents. So the quiz truly works… have fun! YOU CAN START THE QUIZ HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Frédéric Malle and © Sandra Bauknecht
#fredericmalle – #whoareyou? – #findyourperfume
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

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 accessories – a 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

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.

Maximum moisture plus powerful repair, that is what BOBBI BROWN‘s cult-favorite EXTRA Skincare Collection is all about. Now, the Extra Repair Complex is boosted with 5x more Argireline Peptide than the original formula which helps to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

It boosts moisture and replenishes the skin with amino acids and peptides, the building blocks of the skin to support skin’s natural collagen.

The best is yet to come. The EXTRA Skincare collection is not only skin loving, but also planet conscious from now on. You can refill and reuse your packaging with a replacement pod of this deeply moisturizing new formula, available for the EXTRA EYE REPAIR CREAM (CHF 109.00) and the EXTRA REPAIR MOISTURE CREAM INTENSE (CHF 159.00).

Refill. Reuse. Repeat. Available from October 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Bobbi Brown
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. However, I received the products to test them.

What I love about my job a lot is that I get to try many different products. This way, I can select what really works and does the magic for me before featuring it on my blog.

Personally speaking, I like to change my skincare routine from time to time as I have the impression that my skin likes to be challenged and to get new impulses. Like any regimen, skincare is a very personal journey. What works for one person might not work for another. However, luxury skincare products frequently contain higher concentrations of active ingredients or more unique ingredients. Therefore I recommend investing in prestige skincare. Think of it as an investment in yourself.

Waking up to healthier and more revitalized skin is something we all wish for. Let me introduce you to YSL OR ROUGE, where the secret to good skin grows in Moroccan gardens. Ažfter years of research, and analysis of more than 100 plants, YSL Beauté discovered that Moroccan Sa
ron was a unique plant, containing a super sugar called crocin. Together, crocin and crocetin, (it’s powerful molecular precursor) deliver unparalleled double protection against skin aging. Crocin modulates inflammation – one of the primary triggers of lines, wrinkles and an uneven tone and texture. Crocetin activates cellular protection to counteract free radical damage and make skin more resilient to aggressors.

Experience unparalleled lifting and firming with the best-selling power duo, OR ROUGE Crème Fine and OR ROUGE Le Serum; both remastered into an even higher-performing, lightweight and effective formula for a daily defense against fine lines and wrinkles. Their daily use leaves skin looking naturally more vibrant, re-contoured and re-plumped.

Now more concentrated in both crocin and crocetin from Sa
ron, the newly reformulated OR ROUGE Le Serum is the first step to dramatic skin renewal for sublimely smooth, uniform, plumped and radiant skin. It comes with the highest concentration ever of Saffron pistil meets Saffron water: the essence that’s formed during the distillation process and carries powerful skin protecting properties. Re-igniting epidermal cell energy deep down, it brings about uniformity and a visible skin transformation.

OR ROUGE Crème Fine is the second step that also uses the power of the pistil in the saffron flower to regenerate skin and fight the 11 visible signs of aging. Infused with shea butter and apricot oil, the skin is immediately more hydrated, protected and nourished. Its daily use reinvigorates the skin texture, visibly boosting radiance and resurfacing younger, supple skin. The fine and luxurious texture is 100% formulated without parabens, sulfates and mineral oil.

Repackaged in a sleek, couture design that has received the highly respected recognition of responsible sustainable luxury, you can experience the true luxury of the OR ROUGE collection with new environmentally conscious refillable packaging.

With OR ROUGE, YSL presents modern women with a new manifesto for living the life they choose – and getting the skin they want. Personally speaking, I find OR ROUGE very soothing and hydrating,  keeping moisture locked in and making my skin soft and youthful looking. It feels like golden hour for your skin…

You won’t regret making the investment! I am not telling you to change your skincare routine but sometimes it is worth trying something new to activate the renewal process. You are also not eating spaghetti every day … just saying.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored.

October is breast cancer awareness month and each year the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign unites and inspires people globally in the mission to create a breast cancer-free world. Founded in 1992 by the late Evelyn H. Lauder with the launch of the iconic Pink Ribbon, the Breast Cancer Campaign is the Estée Lauder Companies’ largest corporate social impact program and supported by their employees worldwide. The campaign has raised more than $99 million to support global research, education and medical services, with more than $80 million funding 321 medical research grants through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

ESTÉE LAUDER
Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex
CHF 149.00 (of which 50% are donated to «Look Good Feel Better»)

Breast cancer is not a disease that has a single story. It is as diverse and complex as our global community and it profoundly impacts everyone it touches – patients, loved ones, doctors, caregivers, advocates and more. My mum had this terrible disease twice in her life and I am very grateful that she successfully fought it twice. However, I know about the impact it has on the whole family.

In support of everyone touched by breast cancer, this year’s campaign features layers of the Pink Ribbon—the universally recognized symbol for breast cancer. Shades of pink, textures, and designs intertwine to signify the diversity of the disease, the equity they hope to help achieve and the unity they have in support of the entire breast cancer community worldwide.

ESTÉE LAUDER
Brave & Beautiful Kit
CHF 69.00 (of which 50% are donated to «Look Good Feel Better»)

Together, the Estée Lauder Companies are accelerating the progress towards a more equitable and beautiful future for the breast cancer community and beyond. It’s #TimeToEndBreastCancer.

How can you help? The 2021 Breast Cancer Campaign has launched a new social media call-to-action to rally supporters and raise funds for BCRF: Join them in helping fund lifesaving breast cancer research by grabbing your favorite pink lipstick, drawing a ribbon, sharing your story, and tagging 5 people in your post to do the same.

LA MER
Crème de La Mer The Moisturizing Cream 15ml
CHF 100 (of which 50% are donated to «Look Good Feel Better»)

For every public, in-feed Instagram or Facebook post during the month of October featuring both #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together, the Estée Lauder Companies will donate $25 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation up to $150,000.

Great news for my Swiss readers: on October 21, 2021, the Estée Lauder Companies will be hosting a charity sale between 11am – 7pm at Giessereihalle, Puls 5, 8005 Zurich. Products for sale are marked down up to 50%, all proceeds will go 100% to «Look Good Feel Better».

LoL, Sandra

BOBBI BROWN
Powerful Pinks Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss Duo
CHF 52.00 (of which 100% are donated)

AVEDA
Hand Relief™ Moisturizing Crème with Shampure™ Aroma
CHF 27.00 (of which CHF 10 are donated to «Look Good Feel Better»)

CLINIQUE
Great Skin, Great Cause Limited Edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
CHF 99.00 (of which 50% are donated to «Look Good Feel Better»)

Photos: © Estée Lauder Companies, Photo of me: Michael HJ Lopez Photographie
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. However, I received some of the products to try them.

I am obsessed with this F/W 2021 limited make-up collection: Bobbi Brown x Ulla Johnson – a match made in heaven. Being a huge fan of the Manhattan-born designer that honed her signature style on the streets of New York and when traveling to far-flung destinations on vacation, I was very curious to explore those beauty must-haves. Like her clothing designs, they come with an emphasis on the artisanal and attention to detail. Her bohemian collections are defined by «natural fibers, beautiful finishing, and ease of fit and form,» and so his this beautiful packaging of the make-up collection.

Highlighter Powder in Pink Glow
CHF 69.00 / Mini CHF 36.00

Face Brush
CHF 60.00

Dual-Ended Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick
in Opal & Golden Pink or Sun Petal & Soft Bronze
CHF 48.00

Extra Lip Tint in Bare Pink, Bare Nude and Bare Punch
CHF 46.00

Crushed Lip Color in LouLou, Babe, Bare
CHF 39.00

The collection is available now with products ranging from CHF 36.00 to CHF 69.00 at Globus Zurich, Geneva, Glatt, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Globus online. as well as Bobbi Brown online.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Bobbi Brown and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. However, I received the products to try them.
#BobbiBrownCH

Ladies, please let me introduce you to the amazing ORIBE Renewal Remedies Transformative Professional Treatments that are only available in salons. In Zurich, you can book them at CHARLES AELLEN COMPANY. After having tried the procedure, I can absolutely recommend the treatment. My hair felt immediately much softer, more shiny and really really nice. I haven’t been to the hair dresser in 10 months and my strands truly needed some love. As I love my length, I was afraid that we have to cut a lot but thanks to the revolutionary salon treatment experience, Charles only needed to take off a little bit.

The Renewal Remedies Transformative Professional Treatments are custom blended by your hair stylist. These antidotes are designed to help restore the holistic health of hair, perfecting and protecting from root to tip. Your hair is transformed to lustrous, polished perfection, complete with movement and reflective shine for truly transcendent results.

First you start with the Foundations that are the base of Renewal Remedies treatments. Formulated with Bio-Synergy, a restorative sugar-protein complex, Renewal Remedies fortifies the inner structure of hair while restoring the damaged outer layer by creating a shield that locks in essential moisture and smoothes the cuticle. Designed to address the full spectrum of hair concerns, each treatment improves texture and provides intense hydration while increasing vibrancy, smoothness, and strength.

4x Smoother.* – 4x Softer.* – 74% more manageable.*

After that you choose the Amplifiers.

For damaged or weak hair: Strengthening Amplifier

Strengthen the inner structure of hair.
Prevent breakage.
Improve elasticity.
Fortify strands.
The Strengthening Amplifier, formulated with a protective blend of 12 amino acids and a patented fortifying complex, penetrates the cortex to help strengthen the inner structure of hair while preventing breakage. The Strengthening Amplifier and Foundation work together to significantly improve elasticity and the tensile strength of hair with each application.

For frizzy or curly hair: Smoothing Amplifier

Improve smoothness, softness and manageability.
Seal in moisture.
Reduce frizz.
Protect against humidity.
The Smoothing Amplifier, formulated with a specialized cross-linked polymer and a hydrating marine complex, forms a protective barrier on the hair fiber to seal in moisture and reparative nutrients while locking out humidity. The Smoothing Amplifier and Foundation work together to deliver superior smoothness, softness and control while significantly reducing frizz, even in high humidity.

For color-treated hair: Color Retention Amplifier

Extend the life of color through multiple washes.
Shield from oxidative stress.
Restore the protective outer layer of strands.
Increase vibrancy of color.
The Color Retention Amplifier, formulated with color-lock technology and a natural luminosity-enhancing antioxidant, helps extend the life of color while shielding from oxidative stress. The Color Retention Amplifier and Foundation work together to restore the protective outer layer of strands, while creating a noticeable difference in prismatic vibrancy and shine of color through multiple washes.

Good to know is that the bottles are made from 100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic and are recyclable, with the PCR being domestically sourced and produced in the United States. The applicator bottles and applicator tips were developed to be reused multiple times. They can easily be rinsed, dried and used at least ten times.

I went for the Foundation for Fine to Medium Hair in combination with the Strengthening Amplifier. After the shampoo, the mixed product is applied and is left for around 10-15 minutes. Afterwards it is washed out and you can feel and see the result immediately.
I am truly happy. Thank you, Charles!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Oribe and © Sandra Bauknecht
*based on a clinical test conducted on human hair against a control group.

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.