Sandra‘s Closet

Anticipation is the greatest joy and what a better way to indulge in the holiday season than getting a luxurious advent calendar that will get you even more excited for Christmas.

As usual, click on the highlighted product description to be transferred to the shop directly.

Forte Beads 18-karat gold and multi-stone advent calendar by Carolina Bucci

This advent calendar is my winner this year. How cool is that? Thanks to Carolina Bucci’s advent calendar, you’ll have a completed bracelet by Christmas day – every drawer is nestled with two beads that you can arrange on the Lurex cord with 18-karat gold charms. Each one has been hand-carved from unique gemstones for a joyful play of colors.

25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar by NET-A-PORTER

The NET-A-PORTER Advent Calendar might be in your letter to Santa, but don’t leave it in your Wish List – the annual set sells out notoriously fast. Carefully edited by the beauty buying team, 2022’s round-up showcases the year’s heroes: a mix of team favorites and best-sellers to power through a season of parties and pamper nights. Expect plenty of industry stalwarts and new discoveries for 2023’s top shelf.

Advent Calendar 2022 by Dr. Barbara Sturm

Including an extensive array of full sizes and minis from her coveted range of skin and haircare, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s advent calendar ensures you step into 2023 at your most radiant. Regenerative Purslane – the aesthetic specialist’s hero active – features across many, and they’re house in an elegant box inspired by jewelry cases.

Holiday 2022 Advent Calendar by Acqua di Parma

Twenty-five gifts of colours and joy in an explosion of hues and radiance, only with Acqua di Parma’s Advent Calendar, the star of the Holiday Collection dressed in a visual symphony of the Maison’s golden shades of yellow with seasonal accents of red and green. The one-of-a-kind print is inspired by a Florentine artisanal technique by Italian craftsmen. The countdown to the Holidays begins as every window unveils a daily surprise to immerse in the complete Acqua di Parma universe, from Colonia and Blu Mediterraneo to Signatures of the Sun and the Home Collection. The hatbox is inspired by a luminous Italian home and makes for a stunning addition to your space.

Women 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar and
Men 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar, both by Clarins

This is a must for all love birds. There’s no better way to countdown to the festive season than with two advent calendars, one for her and one for him. Each has 12 drawers filled with an array of the brand’s must-have products. For her, it reveals make-up, skincare and body surprises to pamper and indulge in ahead of the big day, with favourites such as the brand’s bestselling Double Serum – a guaranteed favourite for healthy skin. More treats come in the form of the SOS Pure Mask, the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector and the Cleansing Micellar Water. For him, he will find everything for an ultra-refreshing skincare routine, including the ClarinsMen Energising Eye Gel, Active Face Wash, Super Moisture Lotion and Fresh Face Scrub. The small sized products are all so great for travelling!

Advent Calendar 2022 by Dior

Upgrade on the advent calendars of Christmases past for Dior’s spectacular iteration. Housed in a smart navy box, it’ll open to reveal 24 windows just waiting to be opened, overlaid with a delicate illustration of the brand’s Parisian Maison surrounded by celestial figures and constellations – the perfect depiction of this magical time of year. As the days roll by, you’ll discover a number of Dior delights, from perfume and lipstick to luxurious skincare and even mini candles.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
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Having a spa day at home can be just as relaxing and beautifying as a day spent somewhere expensive. Pick a day when you won’t have any interruptions, turn off your mobile phone, and light some candles to set the scene. Use a body scrub to completely exfoliate your arms, legs, and torso. Your skin will feel soft, smooth and healthy when you get out of the shower. Follow with deep nourishing and a self tanner to achieve a glow as if you just came back from a beach holiday. Enjoy those new and innovative products below that have just been launched this spring.

LoL, Sandra

LA MER The Renewal Body Oil Balm
One of my favorite new products! A lightly scented hydrating body balm that melts into a silken body oil on contact to create hydrated glowing skin all over.

LIERAC Body-Hydra Micropeeling
This innovative micropeeling scrub hydrates and plumps the skin while providing it with a gentle exfoliating action. Infused with two forms of hyaluronic acid, as well as repairing silicium, it re-firms and re-plumps the skin, leaving it radiant and renewed. I personally love its smell.

HAIR RITUEL BY SISLEY Color Perfecting Shampoo
I don’t have grey hair yet and don’t colour my hair but I have many girlfriends who truly suffer that they cannot go to the hair dresser at the moment. Therefore I recommend this shampoo that is designed to gently cleanse and care for colored and highlighted hair. The color is prolonged and doesn’t fade after repeated washes.

SISLEY Self Tanning Hydrating Body Skin Care
SISLEY Self Tanning Hydrating Facial Skin Care
Get a summer glow while enjoying your home office. Those two new self-tanners come with a fresh and pleasant fragrance, and are enriched with moisturizing active ingredients, to give the skin a lasting golden glow. From the very first application, they provide a natural-looking tan (even on light skin). To achieve optimum results on your body, use the velvet tan applicator mitt provided with the product.

CLARINS Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté
Inspired by the movement of the sunflower’s stem, Clarins Laboratories combined sunflower extracts – unsaponifiables obtained from the seed and auxins obtained from the stem – to visibly improve the elasticity and firmness of the flexible neck and décolleté area, boosting the skin’s resistance to daily bending and rotating while protecting against premature signs of aging.

VALMONT Primary Pomade
Created to provide intense nourishment for even the driest skin, this next-generation balm plunges deep into the epidermis to replenish and soften dry or flaky skin. The skin is smooth, soft, feels comfortable, and heals faster after an aggression. You can use it on the face – I personally love putting it on my elbows, feet and knees.

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands and © Sandra Bauknecht

Last month, I attended the CLARINS press conference at 1904 Designed by Lagonda, a new restaurant in Zurich that combines design with Haute Cuisine. In the lounge area, that is open already in the morning for business meetings or to just have a coffee, a red wall catches your eye. The perfect backdrop for CLARINS that are famous for the red thread in their logo.

 Among several novelties one seems really outstanding to me. While everyone is thinking about Millenials or Generation Z, CLARINS is working on the Silver Generation, people that are now 60 years or older. The reason is actually pretty obvious. It’s a fast growing population, with 775 M in 2015, 1.2 B in 2030 and a predicted 1.6 B in 2050.

What are women at the age of 60 plus most concerned of? Mature skin is weakend. The skin gets drier due to changes in the lipid structure and there is a lack of radiance and firmness. The glow is missing as micro circulation and vascular reactivity is diminished – around minus 44% at the age of 60. The skin’s fibroblasts are aging and that causes a decrease of micronutrient supply.

CLARINS did clinical tests with several women and divided them in two groups, one half with ladies that looked younger for their actual age and the other half with participants that looked older than they were. The reason for this phenomenon was found in the radiance of the skin. Therefore CLARINS focused on achieving a more luminous skin and developed the luminance index with an inside/outside effect.

The plant discovery for the new formulation was horse chestnut, a symbol for spring and rebirth. In Geneva’s old town, there is a horse chestnut tree whose first bud marks the official arrival of spring on the Promenade de la Treille (Marronnier Officiel). Standing in full new bloom, something we all wish for when we grow older.

Two ingredients of this tree are combined, fruit and organic flower extract, to help the skin to reactivate its micronutrient network and revive its full luminosity. After one month of using the Crème Nutri-Lumière Jour, the skin’s luminance index of 30 women tested increased 12 %. All 4 new textures are based on plant-powered formulas (17 plants of which 10 are organic) for a complete anti-aging action.

CLARINS Nutri-Lumière Jour – Nourishing, Revitalizing Day Cream – CHF 162.00
oil-infused – fresh texture
CLARINS Nutri-Lumière Jour  – Nourishing, Revitalizing Day Emulsion – CHF 162.00
lighter version of the day cream – comforable texture
CLARINS Nutri-Lumière Nuit – Nourishing, Rejuvenating Night Cream – CHF 172.00
night cream oil-infused balm – not greasy at all
CLARINS Nutri-Lumière – Renewing Treatment Essence – CHF 73.00
smooth and gentle lotion – toning texture

All four new products are available now online or at the Clarins Boutique & Spa at Gerbergasse 6 in Zurich. The official launch date will be January 27, 2020.

The face of the campaign, Brazilian born Claudia Maria Ferreira da Costa, was with us in Zurich. I spotted her immediately when I came in. A beautiful, confident woman of almost 60 that truly looks much younger than her birth age.

Claudia Maria, can you tell us a little about your career path?

I started modeling around 36 years ago, a long time ago. I worked with Saint Laurent, Dior to name a few and travelled to place such as Paris, and Japan for business. I did that for around 12-14 years. Then I got married and had my two kids. Years later, I discovered this one model, this gorgeous girl where I lived, Arizona Muse. I got her career started and while I did this, the agency got also interested in me as all of a sudden an interest for mature faces came up. That was an amazing opportunity for me at the age of 50. Not many people get to do that. I just went for it and my confidence built up. Now, I take full ownership of that and I find it my mission to represent women of my age group. Also we should take in consideration that at 60, many women start to reinvent themselves.

How did you get into fencing?

I started fencing at the age of 43. My father was a fencer and I always had the curiosity about this sport but as he died a pretty long time ago, I never got to see him practice. Funnily enough, my ex-husband told me once about this fencing club and suggested to give it a try. My kids were little and I lived in this small town of Santa Fe in the US and I just went for it. Just after a few months, I had my first competition and I got hooked. It totally sparked something that I didn’t know I had in me. It showed me first of all how competitive I was and that anything is possible.

«Still learning. Still resilient. Still radiant.» – Claudia Maria Ferreira da Costa

Are you afraid of aging?

I am not afraid of the number 60. I tell people my age. The alternative of not getting older is not being alive, let’s face it. I don’t want to go back to a younger me. For me the sense of vitality is in your mind, your impulse lets you enjoy life. When you turn 60, you know more about yourself, you can embark in newer things and challenges. I feel a certain ownership of my life, much more than I used to feel when I was younger.

What are your tricks to look so amazing?

The basics to feel and look great are the following:
– use sun screen and protect your skin from the sun as much as you can
– drink a lot of water and less wine
– don’t smoke
– and don’t forget that the expression of your inner self, of who you are, transmits on the outside

An advice you would like to share?

Take two words out of your vocabulary and you will be shocked. First, «hope», it doesn’t convey power, it is just a thought of waiting for something. I am not waiting, I am making it happen. Second, «worry». If you have power, than you don’t need to worry. You just make things happen for yourself.

Say yes – that is your operative word. When I stand up, I say to myself, I do whatever it takes. 

Thank you, Claudia Maria, for sparking up our day!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the city of Geneva, © Clarins and © Sandra Bauknecht

Today’s post is dedicated to my favorite facial summer 2019 sunscreens that will protect your skin from harmful rays with these trusty products that work as make-up or do their job without. They won’t make you look pale or will clog your pores, but they will prevent your skin from aging through the sun.

Let’s start with the basics. The number on the container means it will last times that amount it takes your skin to burn in the sun. For example, if you’re a whiter shade of pale and it takes five minutes for you to feel the burn, and you have an SPF 15 on, you’re going to last 75 minutes before you need to reapply. So keep a handy reinforcement in your bag to keep topping up as the number is individual to the wearer. Check in with yourself to see what fits throughout the day.

Personally speaking, I love these cushions. Healthy glow make-up, that you can take with you wherever you go this summer thanks to their travel-friendly packaging. In the blink of an eye, the complexion is warmed up and corrected with a lightweight, non-cakey finish. Applied all over the face or in touch-ups, it instantly creates an endlessly buildable, glowing natural tan, while offering sun protection.

GUERLAIN Fresh Bronzing Fluid Make-up
Buildable sun-kissed glow – SPF 20 (available in two shades, I wear «natural») – CHF 40.00

CLARINS Mineral Sun Care Compact
Enriched with antioxidants –  SPF 30 (universal nude beige) – CHF 45.00

SHISEIDO Sports BB Compact
Very water-resistant – SPF 50 (available in three shades, I wear «medium») – CHF 43.20

For a more classical application to protect your facial skin, I recommend these products that also work perfectly under foundation without leaving your skin pale and white. Both provide instant hydration and long-lasting comfort for face, neck and décolleté. Skin’s youthfulness is preserved at all times.

CHANEL UV Essentiel Complete Protection
UV – Pollution – Antiox – SPF 50 – CHF 68.00

SISLEY Super Stick Solaire Teinté
Tinted sun care – very high protection – SFP 50 – CHF 70.00

Better looking skin starts with healthy habits. Therefore I recommend LA ROCHE-POSAY’s wearable sensor and the companion app to measure your exposure to UV, pollution, pollen and humidity. No battery is needed. You will get personalized advice and product recommendations as well, a skincare regimen tailored to you.

LA ROCHE-POSAY My Skin Track UV
Available on apple.com – CHF 69.95

LA ROCHE-POSAY Anthelios Shaka Fluide 
Invisible ultra-resistant for sensible skin – SPF 50 – CHF 31.90

Wishing you a beautiful and wrinkle-free summer!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Just for you, Clarins has created three scrubs with active, sensorial textures and instant actions. With natural beads from wood cellulose, lava and sugar from beetroot, they refresh, purify or nourish the skin and adapt to the needs of all skin types. So, are you ready to exfoliate?

Fresh Scrub – A refreshing cream scrub for soft, supple skin
Comfort Scrub – A comforting oil scrub for silky, smooth skin
Pure Scrub – A foaming scrub to dislodge and remove impurities

Available from August 12, 2019 for CHF 42.00 each.

Below are some frequently asked questions about the importance of exfoliation for your skin:

Is exfoliation good for keeping my skin young?
Absolutely! Regularly exfoliating your skin removes dead cells and stimulates cellular renewal.

How many times a week should I exfoliate my skin?
To remove deep-set impurities, exfoliating once or twice a week is recommended. Particularly for more mature skin which naturally eliminates dead cells slower and less efficiently than young skin.

What happens if I don’t exfoliate my skin?
Dead cells which accumulate on the skin surface, make the complexion look dull, create a barrier to skin products and hinder the boosting of cellular renewal. Also, unexfoliated skin is not as soft and is more prone to imperfections and roughness.

Can you exfoliate all skin types, even sensitive skin?
Oh yes. For particularly sensitive skin, exfoliation should be carried out with very light, gentle movements. Never rub the skin, or you risk weakening it further.

Happy scrubbing!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clarins

Finally something new…. meet the first stick lip lacquer! I promise, this is the one and only trick it’ll play on you…  Joli Rouge Lacquer by CLARINS has all the packaging of a lip lacquer but when you open it, it’s a stick ! So please don’t be fooled by appearances – it is not just another fluid lip lacquer…! Joli Rouge Lacquer may look like one, but it has a surprise in store… it’s actually a melting, nourishing stick which is ultra-easy to apply and leaves lips looking super luscious.

The formula of these 8 stick-format lip lacquers has a high content of pigments to give an intense and bold colour result, just as a liquid lipstick would. Its long-hold ultra-shine comes from a texture infused with over 70% oils. It’s the perfect lacquer for intense colour and vinyl shine.

In the press release CLARINS announced 2 it-colours: a joli rouge red, 742L JOLIE ROUGE, and a new pop pink shade, 762L POP PINK, soon to be on everyone’s lips.

My personal favorite shade is 705L Soft Berry.

It even gets better. Behind its vinyl lacquer finish, the lip care benefits of a balm! Since CLARINS never compromises on comfort, its ultra-moisturizing balm formula enriched with organic marsh samphire extract and oils, smoothes and softens lips day after day. Its ultra-smooth texture is quick and easy to apply, just like a regular lipstick. It melts onto the lips, to immediately, intensely and brilliantly coat them with dazzling lacquer shine! And the taste is divine…

And to create different effects… all shades of Joli Rouge Lacquer are also available in Joli Rouge, Joli Rouge Brillant and Joli Rouge Velvet lipsticks.

I am sold and so will you… In stores for CHF 36.50 each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of CLARINS

In general, I know that summer is over when the first holiday press releases arrive at my doorstep. One that immediately has caught my eye was CLARINS Shimmer & Shine make-up look for Christmas 2018. All of a sudden I have started looking forward to the winter season. Here are those three beautiful products that will hit the shelves in Switzerland on October 8, 2018.
All are limited editions.

ILLUMINATING SCULPTING POWDER FACE AND DECOLLETE
CHF 46.00
Sculpt and highlight the complexion & décolleté with sheer, subtle gold shimmer. This silky smooth formula can easily be applied using your fingers on cheekbones, under the eyebrows, temples and décolleté.

INSTANT LIGHT LIP COMFORT OIL
CHF 30.50
This lip oil combines all the high shine benefits of a gloss with the soothing comfort of an oil. Its highly sensorial and lightweight texture never feels sticky.

GOLD MASCARA TOP COAT
CHF 35.00
Worn on its own or as a top coat, this mascara dresses your lashes in fine, golden sparkle. The double brush separates and defines each and every lash, even on the shortest ones.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clarins

Clarins’ instant pore perfector – a refreshing serum with firming Vine Flower cells and mattifying Organic Strawberry Tree fruit extract – visibly tightens and purifies enlarged pores for skin that’s smooth, radiant, shine-free and refined.

It also contains dual-action mattifying powders that visibly reduce the appearance of pores, blur their contours, and absorb excess oil.

Personally speaking, this serum is excellent. My pores seem much smaller immediately and my skin looks smoother and more radiant overall. I’m using it in the morning and at night.

Available in Switzerland from Monday, 27th of August for CHF 76.00 (30ml).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clarins

Kiss-Kiss Hooray… CLARINS‘ first Water Lip Stain is here! Color that won’t kiss off and fade too quickly. A barely-there feel and customizable lip product for a transfer-proof pout that lasts up to 300 kisses (no joke – that was tested in a clinical study with the help of 22 volunteers).

Applying your Water Lip Stain is easy. The lip-hugging brush applies the perfect amount of color while giving precise results. The more coats, the deeper the intensity. The texture is really interesting. Composed of 77% water, it has the fresh effect of a sorbet and tastes very yummy.

Softening organic raspberry water combined with moisturizing organic aloe vera extract protects lips from dehydration while ensuring suppleness and comfort.

Available in four shades: 01 Rose Water, 02 Orange Water, 03 Red Water and 04 Violet Water.
In stores now for CHF 30.50 each.

Kiss who you like.. without leaving a trace! Goodbye lipstick prints and make-up that stains.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Clarins

The world’s first ever treatment fragrance, Clarins Eau Dynamisante, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a limited edition bottle, accompanied by two special editions of Eau des Jardins and Eau Ressourçante. This has been the first eau de toilette that combines a perfume with the power of plants in accordance with the principles of aromatherapy and phytotherapy. In a single step, this eau de toilette perfumes, hydrates and tones. The non-photosensitising formula is safe enough to wear in the sun which makes it the perfect product to wear at the beach.

I like to rub it vigorously over all parts of the body after I shower, or simply spritz it on in combination to my traditional fragrance.

Eau Dynamisante Limited Edition 30ml (CHF 22.00) and 100ml (CHF 69.50)
The classic aroma of lemons for vitality – freshness – firmness.

Eau des Jardins Limited Edition 100ml (CHF 69.50)
The sensual power of roses for harmony – freshness – comfort.

Eau Ressourçante Limited Edition 100ml (CHF 69.50)
The calming source of iris for relaxation – energy – harmony.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht