A weekend of beauty! For the 23rd time the Gruner + Jahr SPA AWARDS (formerly GALA SPA AWARDS) were awarded in the end of March in Baden-Baden at the beautiful Brenner’s Park Hotel that is part of the Oetker Collection. My avid readers might remember my time to unwind at Villa Stéphanie, their «House of Wellbeing» next door. For me, it was an absolute pleasure to be back at one of my favorite places to detox and relax. I enjoyed the warm temperatures in the garden next to the blossoming cherry blossom trees after a wonderful facial and massage before getting ready for the night.
How beautiful is Brenner’s Park Hotel’s pool when you see the cherry blossom trees blossoming outside?!
The Gruner + Jahr SPA AWARDS are among the most important international beauty and spa awards. In addition to winners in six categories, two outstanding personalities are awarded the «Beauty Idol» and the «Special Prize». Personally speaking, I have a close relationship to Gruner + Jahr as my first job after my studies was at German Marie Claire magazine that belonged 50% to the publishing house.
Spoiled upon arrival in the room…
Over 200 invited guests from the cosmetics industry, well-known representatives of the luxury hotel industry, from culture and show business gathered at the Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, among them Franziska Knuppe, Eva Padberg, Motsi Mabuse, Joachim Llambi, and Verona Pooth. Scroll through the best moments of the weekend, the bright winners and the glamorous looks of the evening that was hosted by Barbara Schöneberger, who is truly one of the most entertaining women I know.
Model Miranda Kerr is Beauty Idol 2019
The «Beauty Idol» was awarded to Miranda Kerr, the famous Australian «Victoria’s Secret» angel. Miranda is known not only as a top model, but also as an entrepreneur. Together with her mother Therese Kerr, she runs a beauty brand for sustainable natural cosmetics under the label «KORA Organics» (TO SHOP KORA ORGANICS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.). In addition, Miranda Kerr, a certified health coach and practicing buddhist, has dedicated herself to the topic of empowerment: In 2010, she published her first book «Treasure Yourself», followed by «Empower Yourself» in 2013. Despite her success, Miranda Kerr is very much down to earth and announced that she is pregnant with baby number three that night. For this inspirational personality, the jury honored her this year as «Beauty Idol» in 2019.
To read a previous interview I did with Miranda about her travel tips for Australia, click here please.
Special Prize for Günther Bonin
This year, the «Special Prize» went to environmental protector Günther Bonin, who set up the organization «One Earth – One Ocean». Together with his team of experts and volunteers, he developed the concept for a «maritime garbage collection». This special coastal waste collection catamaran, the so-called «SeeKuh», fishes floating plastic parts on the water surface with the help of a net. It uses solar energy and can pick up two tons of garbage per trip, which can then be recycled ashore. In addition to cleaning up the waters and seas, Günther Bonin wants to provide information in the long term, so that not so much garbage gets into the environment. The jury thanked Günther Bonin for his special commitment with the «Special Prize».
All other award winners at a glance:
Category «Luxury Concepts»: Shiseido – Future Solution LX / Intensive Firming Contour Serum
Category «Innovation Concepts»: Foreo – Foreo Ufo
Category «Cult Concepts»: Nivea – Q10 Series
Category «Organic Concepts»: Dr. Hauschka – Regeneration Day Cream
Category «Medical & Health Concepts»: Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa – Spa Nescens, Switzerland
Category «Spa Concepts»: – Corinthia Hotel London – ESPA Life at Corinthia, United Kingdom
From left to right: Award winners Thomas Kochs (ESPA Life at Corinthia), Hans-Peter Veit (Victoria Jungfrau Frau Hotel & Spa), Maren Speckmann-Munz and Nicoline Woehrle (Dr. Hauschke), Kerstin Unger (Nivea), beauty idol Miranda Kerr, Editor-in-chief Gala Anne Meyer-Minnemann, host Barbara Schoeneberger, winners Günther Bonin, Johannes Scheer (Shiseido Group Germany) and Audrey de Saint Priest (Foreo) with their awards.
Switzerland in the house: with my dear Alana Netzer.
Barbara Schöneberger and CEO Oetker Collection Frank Marrenbach on stage.
A true beauty idol: Miranda Kerr
Eva Padberg with me
Anne Meyer-Minnemann and Cathy Hummels
Franjo and Verena Pooth
GNTM juror and celebrity make-up artist Armin Morbach with me
Franziska Knuppe
Always fun times with Princess Lilly Sayn-Wittgenstein
Let’s Dance: Motsi Mabuse, Joachim Llambi and Victoria Swarovski
The night culminated in a fun after party… thank God we had lots of beauty products in our room to look fresh the next day.
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of GALA, © Axel Kirchhof/Gala, the respective locations and © Sandra Bauknecht
