Sandra‘s Closet

Guerlain‘s inspiration behind their beautiful Holiday 2011 makeup look “Belle de Nuit” is truly worth reading it and might leave you intrigued. Enjoy!

“During the 1920’s and 1930’s, pioneers in aviation accomplished unimaginable feats and these brave pilots became instant, worldwide heroes. It was during this revolutionary period, in 1933, that Jacques Guerlain composed the legendary perfume Vol de Nuit, meaning “Night Flight,” as a tribute to the most famous women aviators of his time. Named for the second book written by his close friend Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Guerlain’s creation was a bold oriental fragrance that served as ode to all fearless women. Comprised of woody, vanilla and powdery iris notes, Vol de Nuit was for the woman who laughs in the face of fear, for whom nothing is impossible.

For Guerlain’s Holiday 2011 make-up collection Belle de Nuit, Creative Director Oliver Échaudemaison takes his inspiration from this legendary fragrance. Evoking the changing shades of the night sky, he created daring tones that are both dark and dramatic with mesmerizing iridescent accents. With lacquered and blue-green details, the products are encased within boxes that reveal the blue and black zebra motif found on the original Vol de Nuit box design. Belle de Nuit is a sophisticated and enchanting limited edition collection that is as fleeting as nightfall.”

Let’s take a closer look at those very luxurious limited-edition pieces:

Vol de Nuit Poudre Iridescente Parfumée – Face & Body – CHF 111.-

The star product is a combination of a luminous powder and a fragrance that wraps the skin with a veil of iridescent shimmer while being deliciously fragranced by the notes of Vol de Nuit. The universal pale pink shade is accentuated with blue-green and silvery hues to leave the face, body and hair sparkling. The bottle reinterprets that of the original Vol de Nuit, which was revolutionary at the time by being the first to combine glass and metal.

Météorites Perles de Nuit Poudre Lumière – Eclat Pur – CHF 74.-

The cult favorite is back and reinvented this holiday season. Although the formula remains untouched, Météorites Perles de Nuit leaves the face glowing and radiant with a new tailor-made harmony. Five perfectly smooth pearls correct, illuminate and even out the skin. It is composed of pink pearls to capture light, white to illuminate the complexion, gold to reflect light, orange to boost radiance and silver to add shimmer without whitening the skin.

Parure de Nuit – Poudre Pressée & Blush – CHF 97.-

Parure de Nuit is a face powder and blush in one and uses pale pink, white, deep pink and blue green to harmonise skin tone. It comes with a super-soft brush so you can softly sweep across all the shades for face illumination. So pretty!

Ecrin 4 Couleurs N° 10 Les Ombres de Nuit – CHF 80.-

Guerlain has developed a new color harmony made especially for night owls that creates smoky, seductive and spellbinding eyes. An iridescent texture of green, blue and grey pearlescent particles release luminous color with an extremely metallic finish and is combined with an extra-matte black shadow for a precise, intense liner effect.

Rouge Automatique – Le Rouge Hydratant Longue Tenue – CHF 54.-

The thirties icon Rouge Automatique is back and is more modern and attractive than ever. The Art Déco inspired case opens and closes at the flick of a hand revealing two new shades for holiday. Seductive, yet innocent, in Rouge Automatique, Guerlain has created a second-skin texture allowing for long-lasting wear.

Two limited edition shades:
169 Flirt d’un Jour: A soft and luminous pink, evocative of passionate kisses.
170 Nuit d’Amour: A surprising black red that reveals an intense plum color on the lips (above).

Opening a Guerlain product feels like opening a present, so have fun indulging yourself in pure luxury. The collection is available now.

My beauty must-have: Vol de Nuit Poudre Iridescente Parfumée that will add the perfect sparkle to every festive outfit.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Guerlain

A symphony of red, gold and light. Majestic and refined, gold adds a sumptuous touch to delightful festivities. On the face, it becomes one with the skin, reflecting the light in an exceptional way. LES SCINTILLANCES DE CHANEL is composed of eyeshadows and sparkling powders. Ivory, black, golden beige and red: Peter Philips, Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, uses the iconic colours of the House of CHANEL for a makeover scintillating with gold and light.

Mixing fine jewellery and costume jewellery are an integral part of the style of Gabrielle Chanel. She loved their sumptuous radiance or the touch of lightness that they added to an evening gown or simple knit. For his Exclusive Creation, Peter Philips drew inspiration from a belt buckle worn by Mademoiselle in a photo taken in the 1930s:

LUMIÈRE SCULPTÉE DE CHANEL – Highlighting Powder, CHF 84.-

A simple brushstroke adorns the face with an iridescent halo of beige sprinkled with gold. The sheer powder catches the light on cheekbones and sweeps lightly over the forehead or chin to accentuate the structure of the face.

Rouge Allure in 197 Enivrée and 207 Famous – CHF 48.-
Lèvres Scintillantes in 297 Sweet Beige and 307 Sparkle d’ Or – CHF 41.-
Rouge Allure Laque in 707 Empire – CHF 51.-
Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 517 Triomphal – CHF 48.-
Le Vernis in 587 Rouge Carat – CHF 35.-

Ombre Essentielle in 407 Blazing Gold and 417 Beige Lamé – CHF 43.-
Ombre Contraste Duo in 27 Noir-Ivoire – CHF 60.-
Ligne Extrême in 307 Or – CHF 45.-
Poudre Universelle Libre in 47 Féérie – CHF 67.-

My beauty must-haves: Lumière Sculptée de Chanel Highlighting Powder and Le Vernis in 587 Rouge Carat.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel, © Solve Sundsbo

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last week, I went to the Estée Lauder press conference to explore their newest products which is always a lot of fun. Here are my personal favourites that are in stores now. Below you can also find more information on them. Estée Lauder’s slogan is „Every woman can be beautiful“ and this sounds pretty promising, don’t you think?

So let’s get started!

LoL, Sandra

A mini-lift on the go with Resilience Lift
Firming/Sculpting Collection

Resilience Lift Instant Action Lift Treatment instantly gives you a tightening and firming sensation of a mini-lift, wherever and whenever you need it. This fast-acting treatment with CustomSculpt Technology™ precisely targets and plumps areas most prone to sagging for a more lifted, firmer, sculpted look. It helps skin boost its natural collagen and elastin production over time so you’ll look as young as you feel.

You can use it in the morning and evening, plus throughout the day as desired. Can be applied over makeup. The results can be seen immediately.

CHF 84 / 30ml

Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator dramatically reduces the look of uneven skintones and works for all skin colours. No more redness, acne marks, dark spots, sun spots and discolorations. I have used the oil-free serum now for only five days and my skin feels already radiant and more fresh. The anti-oxidants in the product also help prevent its re-appearance.

Apply on clean skin, preferably after Advanced Night Repair. For maximum even skintone results, use morning and evening for the first 12 weeks, then continue with your regular regimen, using it only in the morning.

CHF 90 / 30ml – CHF 130 / 50ml

Estee Lauder’s new fall makeup collection is called Modern Mercury and was created by their Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux. His inspiration for the texturally graphic collection came from the reflections found in modern avant-garde architecture. He liked that the buildings never look the same colour because their glass facades reflect what surrounds them. Tom Pecheux debuted pieces from the collection at the Derek Lam Fall 2011 show, for the photos and application, please click here.

Pure Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Modern Mercury (Limited Edition) works perfect for a smokey look during the day. CHF 50Matte lips are so chic at the moment and this rich red is the perfect tone to go.
Pure Colour Velvet Lipstick in Red Velvet (Limited Edition), CHF 40

Give your look an unexpected twist with sage green coloured nails.
Pure Colour Nail Lacquer in Metallic Sage (Limited Edition), CHF 34

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The 29, St. Honoré collection, named for Lancôme’s Paris address is an homage for F/W 2011 by creator Aaron De Mey to the most sophisticated femininity and style – the Parisian woman. This seductive colour statement captures the glamour of the 1940s (complementing the ’40s runway trend) with luscious red lips, thick eyeliner and seductive smokey eyes.
Discover your inner femme fatale!

Maison Lancôme Blush – $48/CHF 65 – Limited Edition

Les Oeillades Eyeshadow and Brow Compact Quad – $54/CHF 75 – 02 Blondette Fatale – Limited Edition – with 4 subtle matte and iridescent shades to enhance eyes and define eyebrows and Ombre Absolue Palette – G10 Gris Fatale

Hypnôse Drama Mascara – $31/CHF 44 – 15 Gris Fatal – deep grey – Limited Edition

Le Crayon Khôl – $28/CHF 39 – 10 Black Gold or 11 Strass– a waterproof eye pencil with sparkles – Limited Edition

Le French Touch Absolu Lip Colour – $40/CHF 48 – Rouge Saint Honoré – highly pigmented red or – Rouge Faubourg – captivating carmine lipstick with red flecks of glitter – Limited Edition – Rouge 29 – a bluish red

Le Vernis Nail Polish – $16/CHF25 – 22 Rouge Saint Honoré or 23 Noir 29 – infused with mini multi-coloured flecks – Limited Edition. Use these hues individually or combine them for an ultra-sophisticated look.

Enjoy those behind-the-scenes photos below and get inspired for your F/W 2011 makeup look.
The collection will be available in Switzerland next month.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Barwerd Van Der Plas for Lancôme © 2011, Stills: Hondodigital for Lancôme © 2011

Last December, I told you already about the beautiful Chanel Paris-Byzance Pre-Fall 2011 Collection and the gorgeous limited-edition byzantine shaded make-up that comes with it. Now it is available in the Chanel stores around the globe.

Inspired by the mosaic of Empress Theodora, Chanel Global Creative Director of Make-up Peter Philips created a beautiful, graphic look. Like the famous portrait, a red line crosses the eyelid, following the brow line. Parallel to this, a stroke of deep black eyeliner accentuates a graphic effect, which frames the eye as if setting a precious stone, redefining its proportions.

Inspired by Byzantine treasures, red, black, gold and bronze-tinged shades offer a classic base that can be adopted as desired in sumptuous or simply day-to-day makeup.

Rouge Allure Rouge Byzantin CHF 48.- / Joues Contraste Or and Rouge, each CHF 60.-

The Regard Signé de Chanel palette takes center stage: mirroring the Chanel suit button, each shadow is dressed in a quilted effect and stamped with the double C. The texture can be used in two ways, powdery and creamy.

Regard Signé de Chanel Topkapi CHF 77.-

Hurry, those items will sell out fast!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Chanel