Sandra‘s Closet

I have to admit that I am a total fragrance addict. Scent is such an important part of your identity. It communicates more than your clothes because one can smell you without having eye contact or talking to you.

We all know the big perfume blockbuster brands, but there are plenty of niche fragrance houses which deserve attention as they use very luxurious ingredients. And after all, who likes to smell the same as everybody else? Today, I would like to show you my eight favorite perfumes that you could call my personal signature scents, like my wardrobe of fragrances.

KILIAN, Love, Don’t be Shy, Eau de Parfum, 50ml
Oriental – gourmand and seductive

Top notes: Bergamot
Middle notes: Honeysuckle, Iris
Base notes: Civet Oil

TOM FORD Noir Pour Femme, Eau de Parfum, 50ml
Oriental Floral – sensual and extravagant

Top notes: Citrus, Spice and Bergamot
Middle notes: Rose Absolute, Mandarin and Jasmine
Base notes: Sandalwood and Vanilla

PARFUMERIE GENERALE N°19 Louanges Profanes, Eau de Toilette, 50ml
Floral Oriental – fresh and powdery

Top notes: Neroli and Hawthorn
Middle notes: White Lily and Incense
Base notes: Benzoe and Guaiac Wood

MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN À La Rose, Eau de Parfum, 70ml
Floral – another interpretation of a rose

Top notes: Damascena Rose from Bulgaria and Centifolia Rose from Grasse, Pear and Lychee
Middle notes: Violet and Magnolia Blossom
Base notes: Cedarwood

ARQUISTE PARFUMEUR Flor Y Canto, Eau de Parfum, 55ml
Floral – intense and intoxicating

Top notes: Mexican Tuberose
Middle notes: Plumeria and Magnolia
Base notes: Marigold

BYREDO Blanche, Eau de Parfum, 100ml
Floral Aldehyde – the perception of the color white

Top notes: White Roses, Pink Pepper and Aldehydes
Middle notes: Violet, Neroli and Peony
Base notes: Blond Wood, Sandalwood and Musk

LORENZO VILLORESI Teint de Neige, Eau de Toilette, 100ml
Floral – powdery and delicate like the color of snow

Top notes: Jasmine, Rose and Ylang Ylang
Middle notes: Tonka Bean, Jasmine, Rose, Floral Notes and Powder Notes
Base notes: Jasmine, Rose, Heliotrope and Musk

PROFVMVM ROMA Soavissima, Eau de Parfum, 100ml
White Floral – feminine and rich

Top notes: White Flowers
Middle notes: Amber
Base notes: Iris

If you are living in Switzerland, I truly recommend you the Osswald Night of Fragrances that will take place on October, 15 2015 between 6 and 10 pm at Schloss Sihlberg, Sihlberg 10, 8002 Zurich.

Six exclusive perfume brands will present their world in different rooms of the castle, among them two of my favorites Pierre Guillaume (Parfumerie Générale) and the Durante Family (Profvmvm Roma).

Tickets are available for CHF 25.00 at Perfumery Osswald, Bahnhofstr. 17, 8001 Zurich or online.

See you there!

LoL, Sandra

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

“A beautiful scent is like a beautiful memory, it transports us to another place in time.”

– Carlos Huber

A scent is a time capsule. It can invoke our most intimate memories and dreams, and open doors to distant worlds. Curated by Carlos Huber, an architect specializing in Historic Preservation, Arquiste is a fragrance collection that transports the wearer to evocative moments in history. Last week, I had the honour to meet the very handsome and charming Carlos himself.

Carlos Huber with me

Mexican-born Carlos Huber (his last name derives from his Swiss-German ancestors) looks like a model from a Ralph Lauren advertising campaign. But instead of modeling, Huber was involved in the preservation of Ralph Lauren stores that held historical significance such as their famous flagship on Madison Avenue where Carlos, an architect by trade, was in charge for the high jewelry room along and for the accessories department. He is so passionate about history and told me that he loves to indulge in old books describing himself as a “nerd”. I like this new species of well-dressed, good-looking nerds!

As fate willed, he started to pursue his longtime love of fragrance by taking special classes about the art of perfumery with two top Givaudan perfumers, Rodrigo Flores Roux and Yann Vasnier, who  happened to be Huber’s friends. With their help, he created a range of six perfumes and launched Arquiste Parfumeur last year. With an immaculate attention to detail, each of his complex scents aims to evoke the olfactive notes of a specific moment in history.

Have you ever wondered how the most fragrant festival in the Aztec calendar in 1400 smelled like? What about the moment when Louis XIV saw his future wife Maria Teresa, the Infanta of Spain, for the first time? Thanks to Arquiste, you can time-travel with each spritz. Read all those little stories. Your fantasy will take you on a beautiful olfactive journey.

FLOR Y CANTO

Notes include: Mexican Tuberose, Magnolia, Plumeria and Marigold
Developed with Rodrigo Flores Roux

L’ETROG

Notes include: Calabrese Cedrat, Myrtle, Date Fruit and Vetivert
Developed with Rodrigo Flores Roux & Yann Vasnier

FLEUR DE LOUIS

Notes include: Orange Blossom, Florentine Orris, Jasmine and White Cedar Wood
Developed with Rodrigo Flores Roux

INFANTA EN FLOR

Notes include: Orange Flower Water, Spanish Leather, Citrus Resin and Immortelle
Developed with Yann Vasnier

ANIMA DULCIS

Notes include: Cocoa Absolute, Mexican Vanille, Cinnamon and Chili Infusion
Developed with Rodrigo Flores Roux & Yann Vasnier

ALEKSANDR

Notes include: Neroli, Violet Leaf, Fir Balsam and Russian Leather
Developed with Yann Vasnier

The success of Arquiste is incredible. In only six months, those extraordinary fragrances have found many fans around the globe. Arquiste – Fragrances that transport you to another place in time, for men and women. My favourite is the opulent floral scent “flor y canto”.

In Switzerland available at Osswald. For other stores worldwide, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Arquiste and © Sandra Bauknecht