Sandra‘s Closet

What if believing in mysterious signs, keeping talismans close, or projecting your desires onto superstitions was a reliable way to ensure that luck is on your side? Gabrielle Chanel believed it wholeheartedly, shaping her destiny based on symbols that have since become iconic.

Lions, wheat, comets, camellias, numbers… Mademoiselle was as talented as she was superstitious, and she surrounded herself with objects and symbols. These talismans gave her the freedom to achieve her dreams; inspiration for the designs in her collections; strokes of genius that led to her most iconic signature styles; and the strength to embrace her destiny. With the LES SYMBOLES DE CHANEL collection, the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio has reimagined 5 iconic symbols as precious highlighters. Le Lion, La Comète, Le Camélia, Les Perles, and Les Chaînes become 3 subtle and sophisticated shades: Warm Gold, Precious Coral, and Pearly White, offering sparkling shimmer designed to illuminate and enhance the complexion. And your future…

THE LION
A symbol of strength

The animal representing Gabrielle Chanel’s zodiac sign is a mirror image of her radiant, untameable personality. It also recalls the Lion of Venice, an iconic city that fascinated Mademoiselle. The lion is a true inspiration, lending strength and pride to those who choose it.

LA COMÈTE
A symbol of luck

“ I wanted to cover women in constellations ”, said Gabrielle Chanel in 1932, while presenting her first and only high jewelry collection, which is filled with celestial motifs. Superstitious, she put her faith in the stars and loved surrounding herself with comets. The comet gives off incandescent light, promising eternal luck to its owners.

LES PERLES
A symbol of radiance

Gabrielle Chanel played with strings of pearls boldly and freely, wearing them close to or draped around her neck, during the day as well as in the evening, in the city and even at the beach. Pearls, which capture both warmth and light, illuminate the complexion and reveal the radiance of those who wear them.

LE CAMÉLIA
A symbol of harmony

Typically worn by dandies on the lapels of their jackets, the camellia became Gabrielle Chanel’s emblem in 1913. It has been featured in many of her creations, where it continues to flourish, still today. Perfectly symmetrical, it never loses its leaves; it embodies steadfast beauty—harmonious and serene. An oasis of calm that soothes and provides peace of mind to those who treasure it.

LES CHAÎNES
A symbol of style

Gabrielle Chanel, an avant-gardist, broke with the rules of her era when she added a chain to her bags. Tucked into the lining of CHANEL jackets, chains are also the secret to creating their structure and ensuring that they fit perfectly. Symbolizing a unique style, chains reveal the allure of those who wear them proudly.

LES SYMBOLES DE CHANEL
Maxi Poudre Illuminatrice
WARM GOLD: a champagne
PRECIOUS CORAL: a soft, satin coral
PEARLY WHITE: a sparkling white
Available for CHF 77.00 each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

In spring 2023, the House of CHANEL is making it loud and clear: color has flair—the flair of the person wearing it. With the latest edition of its 24-hue LE VERNIS range, which includes 17 new nail polish shades, CHANEL has issued a creative manifesto that puts the spotlight on color as a way to satisfy every desire.

This season, the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio has proven that it has creativity at its fingertips; in revisiting the LE VERNIS line, it has designed a rich, expressive collection that matches every mood and every emotion.

It was envisioned as a language, conceived to reflect a style, like the detail that makes all the difference in a look. CHANEL explored the subtlest hues in its color vocabulary to form the new palette, whose 24 shades range from vibrant to mysterious, giving every personality and every creative spirit a voice.

Because wearing fiery red, light pink, or khaki gray nails means stating exactly who you are at this very moment. Uncompromisingly. Unapologetically.

For this collection centered on five main color families, CHANEL, a master of emotion-conveying and sensation-provoking color, has given each nail polish its own character traits.

COLORS THAT ENERGIZE. Radiant shades that can boost your energy in a snap: a fiery red, a vibrant fuchsia pink and a bright coral, an intense plum.
COLORS THAT SOOTHE, that comfort. Soft neutrals that inspire calm and serenity: a light pink, a latte-colored beige.
COLORS THAT BRING JOY. Fresh, light, and optimistic hues that encourage playfulness and mischief: a cloud blue, a fresh lilac, a zesty yellow.
COLORS THAT DISRUPT, that break the rules in order to establish their own. Subtly dimmed and muted shades that do not fit the mold. In between two worlds, in between two shades: from pink-infused terracotta to androgynous gray with khaki accents.
COLORS THAT PROVIDE STRENGTH, designed to be worn as a manifesto: three assertive and alluring shades of red.
And finally, the finishing touch, a hint of luxury: a festive antique gold shade that rounds out the palette.

So, in this very moment, who are you? What story do you wish to share? The story of a whim, a crush, a case of the blues, a wake-up call… This May, be EMOTIONAIL.
Iconic, like latte-colored Légende beige. Calm, like moonlit Insomniaque white. Surprising, like tangy Ovni yellow. Rebellious, like bluish Pirate red. Now, it is your turn. Your turn to create. Your turn to dream up vibrant and lively color combinations and, for a limited time, adorn nails with House emblems. To design looks that are graphic, artistic—iconic, even.

LE VERNIS
INSOMNIAQUE: a white
PARTICULIÈRE: a taupe
FAUSSAIRE: a rosy beige
PREMIÈRE DAME: a bright coral pink
MUSE: a cloud blue
OVNI: a tangy yellow
DUELLISTE: a khaki gray
SORCIÈRE: a mauve
OISEAU DE NUIT: an aubergine
INCENDIAIRE: a red-orange
POMPIER: a raspberry red
PHÉNIX: a gold
LÉGENDE: a latte-colored beige
BALLERINA: a light pink
PASSE MURAILLE: a brownish rosewood
FABULISTE: a terracotta
FUGUEUSE: a deep blue
CAVALIER SEUL: a sage green
IMMORTELLE: a lilac
ACTIVISTE: a deep plum
DIVA: a fuchsia pink
PIRATE: a bluish red
ROUGE NOIR: a rouge noir
LE DIABLE EN CHANEL: a black
Each CHF 37.00

SET LE VERNIS DE CHANEL – LIMITED EDITION
Limited-edition SET LE VERNIS, for creating unique manicures
LE VERNIS Incendiaire
LE VERNIS Insomniaque
LE GEL COAT
NAIL DESIGN : One sheet of 45 iconic nail sticker designs in black + one sheet of 45 iconic nail sticker designs in white.
CHF 111.00

LA BASE CAMÉLIA CHF 38.00
LE GEL COAT CHF 37.00
In stores Mid May.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL #BeEmotioNail #CHANELMakeUp #CHANELNails #CHANELBeauty
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Tweed, the durable beautiful fabric, has been CHANEL‘s signature material for over a century years. In March at the Grand Palais Éphémère, CHANEL’s artistic director and designer Virginie Viard showed for F/W 2022 a ready-to-wear collection completely dedicated to tweed and CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio drew also inspiration from the emblematic fabric for its 2022 EYE MAKE-UP COLLECTION.

Anyone who is familiar with the French Maison knows that tweed has been synonymous with the brand ever since Coco Chanel rose to fame in the 1920s. Many do not know, however, how Coco Chanel’s affection for tweed started. While she was dating the Duke of Westminster, she realized the versatility and potential of the fabric with its flexible texture and irregular patterns, giving it its natural appearance. Being a true visionary, she partnered in 1924 with a Sottish factory to begin making her first tweed designs which ranged from jackets to sportswear.

A few years later, Chanel partnered with a French factory to create tweed that could incorporate different materials such as silk and cotton in order to give it a more elevated, high fashion look and feel. Chanel also began dying the material different colors to distinguish her tweed from the typical, classic hues. Until today, tweed is a source of infinite possibility and offers exceptional creative freedom for the House of CHANEL. It is produced each season in a variety of forms, colors, and styles.

For the new EYE MAKE-UP COLLECTION, called LES 4 OMBRES TWEED, the essence of the emblematic fabric has once again been reinterpreted, now taking the form of limited-edition LES 4 OMBRES eyeshadows. First created in 1982, this eye quad has also become a CHANEL makeup staple.

DRESS YOUR EYES IN TWEED
For this new collection, four exclusive creations were designed with a tweed pattern embossed on the surface of each shade. The four-color harmonies capture the creative worth of the fabric. Just as different fibers are intertwined to form tweed, the shades can be blended, and their intensity varied, to achieve chic and bold makeup results. The eyeshadows are as effortless to apply as a tweed garment is to wear.

For this special occasion, the compacts are paired with tweed pouches crafted by Maison Lesage, which is part of CHANEL’s Métiers d’art since 2002. Each of the four harmonies features a unique color palette and suits all skin tones. These versatile eyeshadows work in synergy to create a wide range of looks, from simple and natural to sophisticated.

TWEED FAUVE
The first harmony, entitled Tweed Fauve, is composed of radiant hues that bring warmth to the eyes. A combination of powerful colors between earth and fire, which combines a fiery brick orange with the depth of an intense aubergine brown, illuminated by the subtle shine of a satin coral and the reflections of an amber gold.

TWEED CUIVRÉ
The second, Tweed Cuivré, makes them shine with golden shimmer. An elegant accord that evokes the richness and brilliance of the precious metals dear to Gabrielle Chanel.

TWEED POURPRE
Tweed Pourpre combines pinks and mauves to offer a satiny and iridescent make-up look. A harmony that oscillates between softness and audacity. Tweed Pourpre brings together pinks and mauves while offering a satin and iridescent finish.

TWEED BRUN ET ROSE
Four natural brown and beige tones represent the final creation, Tweed Brun et Rose. It is embodied by four eyeshadows in natural colors with shades of brown and beige. I am wearing it in the picture above.

STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF
To complement these color harmonies, two new shades of STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF have been created—one, Cuivre Doré, to illuminate the eyes, the other, Bois Noir, for added intensity.

This extremely beautiful eye make-up collection is in stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL and © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Here is a new generation lipstick! Take a look. The first thing you notice about ROUGE COCO BLOOM is its colour and shine. Bold and vibrant, it reveals an intense glow behind its clear lid. Slide the lipstick out of its case. Admire the elegant silver ring and prepare to be surprised by how slowly the stick rotates. This is no coincidence. As always with CHANEL, things have to be as good as they look: chic, unique. Here, the twisting system has been deliberately slowed down, both for flawless application and the sheer beauty of a perfect motion. Notice the texture, so smooth and comfortable, present without overloading. All you need is a single layer to coat the lips with intense and luminous colour.

Wonder at the result. Your smile lights up. In one go the richness of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss come together. Intensity, lasting-hold and plumping effect in one patented* formula developed by CHANEL Research: that’s the prowess of ROUGE COCO BLOOM. Moisturizing and highly concentrated in micronized pigments, this new-generation lipstick keeps its promises for eight hours**.

Take your pick from the palette of twenty vibrant shades developed by the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio. Unique and special, they reflect CHANEL‘s authority when it comes to colour. Play with the colour. Don’t compromise on the results. Vibrate with ALIVE, a classic yet surprising red with a subtle rust undertone that gives it warmth and character. Enchant with RADIANT, a romantic, mauve-tinted reinterpretation of universal rosewood. Charm with MERVEILLE, a soft, natural, delicate shade of dusky rose. Captivate with SEASON, a bright, warm fuchsia that evokes summer euphoria. Shine with SUNLIGHT, an orange with terracotta tones, ideal for getting into a good mood and enhancing the complexion while staying natural. Sparkle with VITALITY, a chic, powerful red to assert your personality. Surprise with UNEXPECTED, a deep brownish red full of depth and character, warmer than a classic burgundy. Or fascinate with SURPRISE, a vibrant plum with red undertones.

In direct line with Mademoiselle Chanel’s timeless maxim « add more lipstick and attack“, Lily-Rose Depp embodies with freshness, joie de vivre and energy this ode to color that magnifies all smiles. Shine now! In stores now for CHF 46.00 each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL, #RougeCoco #CHANELMakeup
* International patent application.
** Respective evaluations, clinical and instrumental, on 20 women.