Sandra‘s Closet

Mother’s Day is around the corner and you might want to think of a little surprise. There are many new fragrances on the market. Here are some of the bestsmelling scents available now.

LoL, Sandra

GUERLAIN AQUA ALLEGORIA – LYS SOLEIA
Eau de Toilette, CHF 109.- (125ml)

Floral Fruity
Elegant and light, perfect for an airy summer night.

Top notes: Bergamot, lemon and palm leaves
Heart notes: Lily, ylang-ylang and tropical fruits
Base notes: Tuberose, vanilla and white musk

ISSEY MIYAKE  – L’EAU D’ISSEY SUMMER 2012
Eau de Toilette, CHF 86.- (100ml)

Floral Aquatic
Dynamic and refreshing but full of exotics and warmth.

Top notes: Rose, pear and water notes
Heart notes: Carnation and peony
Base notes: Osmanthus and woodsy notes

PRADA INFUSION D’IRIS EAU DE PARFUM ABSOLUE
Eau de Parfum Absolue CHF 118.- (50ml) und CHF 150.- (100ml)

Oriental Floral
Intense, rich – full of seduction, my favourite.

Top notes: African orange flower and neroli
Heart notes: Italian iris
Base notes: White musk, benzoin from Laos, Madagascar vanilla and tonka bean from Venezuela

BIOTHERM EAU OCEANE
Eau de Toilette, CHF 70.- (100ml)

Floral Aquatic
Revitalising, hydrating and refreshing – the power of the ocean in a scent.

Top notes: Bergamot, lemon and fruity notes
Heart notes: Jasmine and water notes (through Firmenich molecules)
Base notes: Musk, cedar, algae, moss and sand flowers

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of the brands

Any room, any occasion, transforms when it’s styled with scent. A way to personalise your home and shape the mood. To uplift, to wind down… or simply to add an air of luxury. Because the ambience of your home should be as inviting as the fragrance on your skin.

I am so excited for Jo Malone‘s new introductions to their iconic Home Collection, that are available now. In Switzerland at Jelmoli Zurich and Globus Geneva.

Scent Surround™ Diffusers

Understated. Sleek. Effortlessly and continually add an enveloping scent to any space.
Available in Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses.

165ml £45 / €60 / CHF86

Scent Surround™ Room Sprays

Instantly create an impression with a burst of enticing scent.
Available in Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses.

175ml £34 / €45 / CHF62

Limited Edition Scent Surround™ Drawer Liners and Sachets

Infuse clothes and linens with the signature scent of Lime Basil & Mandarin.

Sachets 3 pieces £20 / €25 and Drawer Liners 5 pieces £30 / €40
(Limited edition, not available in Switzerland)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

Welcome to Pet Kingdom at Harrods – the world’s premier shopping destination for canine chic and feline trends.

11,000 square feet of emporium dedicated to your furry, feathered and fishy friends. There is a large section with designer dog clothes and accessories to pamper your puppy prince or princess. Moreover you can shop for dog apparel, collars, toys, beds, Halloween costumes, trendy cushions for cats and much more. See for yourself:

If your four legged friend is as fashionable as you, you might want to dress him in the newest Mulberry for Dogs collection!

For a seriously pampered pet, book them an appointment at the Pet Spa which promises a whole menu of animal friendly services including behavioural counselling, full body massages and animal reiki as well as nutritional advice, personal training sessions and grooming. Owners can also choose from signature treatments including thalassotherapy mud baths, blueberry and vanilla facials, deluxe pedicures and even book their pets onto a full Spa Day Experience.

The Pet Spa is located on Harrods Fourth Floor. Treatments start from £59.95. To book please email or call 020 3036 6222.

Isn’t that hilarious?!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Checkmate! For the gentleman who has everything, Hermès has created a luxurious chess set as part of their S/S 2012 collection. For the ultimate board game experience, buy this leather chess board featuring competing armies in rosewood and mahogany for CHF 19850.-.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of Hermès

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and I have put together a Valentine’s gift guide for you with small tokens, grand gestures and everything in-between. Gentlemen, have a closer look and delight your loved one! Wrap up something special and wow your Valentine.

And Ladies, I recommend sending a not-so-subtle hint! In case you are single, why not treating yourself to a fabulous gift?!

Swatch‘s numbered limited edition Valentine’s Day collection:
CATCH MY HEART GZ264S and LOVELY MINE GZ265S, each CHF 60.- (in Swatch stores only)

You can’t go wrong with Ladurée‘s special edition macarons for Valentine’s Day. Starting February 10th, you’ll be able to buy the grapefruit-flavored treats in a special pink-and-blue box.

What about this cute little bag by s.Oliver? €15.95

Sigg‘s famous drinking bottles come in a Valentine’s Limited Edition. A great surprise for your little girl.
Valentines Special / Art. Nr. 8341.70 / 1.0 L / CHF 27.-
Dear Deer / Art. 8322.40 / 0.6 L / CHF 25.-

Alternatively you can surprise your boyfriend in a cool shirt by New Yorker, CHF 16.95.

What about a little game on Valentine’s Day? Agent Provocateur‘s Charades is just perfect for the occasion, CHF 60.-.

Write a love letter with Montblanc‘s Bohème white gold fountain pen with a red heart-shaped ruby (CHF 23.100.-)…

…preferably with Montblanc‘s Love Ink in red (CHF 13.40).

Needless to say, famous fashion houses have jumped on the Valentine’s trend and have come up with many gift ideas, such as Gucci that offers a whole collection of little goodies.

I love this Miu Miu handbag (CHF 990.-) and the matching bracelets (CHF 290.- each).

How cute is this pocket mirror by Louis Vuitton?
Available now for €240.-.

Prada‘s adorable key chain with the little Kara bear trick will surely break some hearts (CHF 190.-).

Give a little love… your iPad will thank you for such a sweet cover (CHF 290.- each)! And spending money might be even more fun with Prada’s heart-print wallet (CHF 450.-).

Chanel offers a more subtle colour palette for their Valentine’s collection.
I am so in love with this cuff, please be mine!

LoL, Sandra

Gentlemen, stores are still open today. This is your last chance to get a wonderful surprise for your beloved one. You cannot go wrong with a wonderful piece of jewelry.

For the generous budget, Bucherer has created the Haute Joaillerie collection which consists of four amazing one-of-a-kind necklaces. At least, it is a feast for the eyes! One can always dream…

Pendant with necklace in 18k white gold with 6 fantasy-cut tanzanites (total 129.91 ct) and 179 brilliants (total 4.52 ct),
CHF 148.000.- / € 135.000.-

Pendant with necklace in 18k white gold with 8 fantasy-cut Paraiba- tourmalines (total 127.11 ct), 234 brilliants (total 2.15 ct) and 35 rose-cut diamonds (total 4.17 ct)
CHF 218.000.- / € 195.000.-

Pendant with necklace in 18k white gold with 6 fantasy-cut tsavoliths (total 1o9.76 ct) and 174 brilliants (total 4.39 ct),
CHF 144.000.- / € 110.000.-

Pendant with necklace in 18k rose gold with 10 fantasy-cut rubellites (total 135.34 ct) and 241 brilliants (total 7.11 ct),
CHF 68.000.- / € 62.000.-

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bucherer

Are you looking for a last minute gift? Have a look at Louis Vuitton‘s Christmas 2011 collection. You will find plenty of possibilities in different price ranges, from traditional leather goods to high end jewelry pieces.

Welcome to the Louis Vuitton Circus!

My personal favourite is Louis Vuitton’s new release of small leather goods decorated with authentic vintage advertising illustrations from Louis Vuitton’s archives, so-called “Les Illustrés” collection.

The new limited edition collection is available on Monogram, Damier, Damier Graphite and Damier Azur canvas. The lining comes in beautiful sorbet colours, such as lilac, rose and mint green.

Mini Pochette Les Illustrés
£190 / € 210

Les Illustrés Key Holders
£140 / €155

Les Illustrés Key Holders
£140 / €155

Small Ring Agenda Cover Les Illustrés
£ 225 / €245

Small Ring Agenda Cover Les Illustrés
£ 225 / €245

Zippy Wallet Les Illustrés
£460 / €500

Zippy Wallet Les Illustrés
£460 / €500

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Say happy holidays your way with a gift of personalized M&M’s.

Available at My M&M’S®, this service gives you the opportunity to create your customized M&M’S by choosing your initials and by adding your own personalized message on the candies. The newest  feature allows you to even print logos or faces from a digital photo. What a perfect personalized favor idea!

You can choose from many different colors of M&M’S to match your party theme. Add in faces of your beloved ones along with your own messages and you have a treat your guests will love. Plus, it creates a great conversation piece at the guest table.

Needless to say, those M&M’s are wonderful all year long, the perfect little goodies for a wedding, a baby shower or your birthday party.

Almost to cute to eat them…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via My M&M’S® and Designerscouch.org

I love hair oils as they give your hair shine and make it smooth.
Used on wet hair, you can let it dry naturally or style it with heat. Moreover, I like to add a daily dose on my hair-ends for extra shine.

A great gift for you or for a girlfriend is this Kérastase Elixir Ultime Limited Edition by accessory icon Yazbukey.

Yazbukey is the brainchild of Yaz, an Ottoman princess whose family once ruled in Egypt, Yazbukey has worked with the likes of Chanel, Ladurée and Zac Posen to create unique pieces of an aesthetic design.

For Kérastase Elixir Ultime, Yazbukey reflects on the precious and sensual nature of the orient through a geometric pattern adorning the bottle and outer packaging. She was inspired by the Moucharabieh, an Arabic latticework, which is something in between wooden windows or doors and a screen.

Limited Edition Elixir Ultime by Yazbukey, 150ml, CHF 49.-

Here’s Schwarzkopf’s take on the hair oil trend, the BC Oil Miracle range. Two things stand out about this immediately: the company has launched two different versions, one for thick, unruly hair and a lighter one for fine hair that doesn’t overburden it. The perfect final step to your care routine.

BC Oil Miracle Finishing Treatment, 100ml, CHF 35.90
BC Oil Light Finishing Treatment, 100ml, CHF 35.90

My personal favourite is Nashi Argan Oil which is a blend of precious natural elements of organic origin (certified Argan Oil and Linseed Oil). It is suitable for all hair types, providing your hair with amazing shine and manageability.

Nashi Argan Oil, 100ml, CHF 59
(available at perfecthair.ch for CHF 47.20 at the moment)

The godfather of hair oils: Moroccanoil Treatment is a unique serum with instant absorption into hair to create a beautiful shine and long term conditioning.

Moroccanoil Treatment, 100ml, CHF 74
(available at perfecthair.ch for CHF 68 at the moment)

LoL, Sandra

Accessorize your wall or your desk with a gorgeous fashion calendar for 2012. Choose from fashion illustrations, fashion photography, shoes and purses. There is something for every taste!

The Shopaholic’s Desk Calendar: Bo Derek once said, “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.”

The Shopaholic’s Daily Calendar 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar offers lots of ideas, presenting readers with top shopping sites on the Web as well as tips on shopping anywhere from the mall to the flea market, from a designer boutique to eBay. Add in advice from celebrity stylists, quotes and tips from designers, ways to be a smarter shopper, and the latest in shopping technology, and this calendar belongs on every shopaholic’s to-buy list.

High Style Wall Calendar: Everyone is head-over-heels for shoes! High Style 2012 celebrates unforgettable heels from the Bata Shoe Museum, North America’s unique shoe museum. With spacious grids that include international holidays and moon phases along side some of the most outrageous styles ever, this twelve month calendar is overloaded with images of knockout shoes.

There are sections at the back of the calendar for emergency contact information and birthdays/anniversaries and a full-page 3-year at-a-glance. A must-have calendar for any shoe or fashion lover.

Handbags Gallery Desk Calendar: The calendar that makes handbag lovers swoon. Here are hundreds of distinctive purses, clutches, pochettes, totes, and satchels, every one beautifully photographed in full color.

Also available as Shoes Gallery Desk Calendar.

Vogue 2012 Wall Calendar celebrates women with the joie de vivre of late 1920s vintage covers from legendary illustrators such as William Bolin, Garcia Benito, and Georges Lepape.

Vogue epitomizes style, glamour, and everything that keeps the fashion world beautiful and exciting, making Vogue 2012 Wall Calendar the perfect gift for any fashionista, design fan, or vintage-style lover.

Barbie Wall Calendar: The 2012 Barbie™ calendar presents beautiful Barbie® dolls modeling stylish designs by Robert Best, showcasing his elegant haute couture creations.

Featuring elegant daywear and stunning evening gowns, this Barbie™ collection is a dream-come-true for any girl of any age!

LoL, Sandra