Sandra‘s Closet

While many of us are isolated right now due to the corona virus quarantine, our ability to dream, to be inspired, and to visit faraway places in thought, remains unaffected. Therefore I would like to invite you to enjoy today’s travel insider.

NICOLAS DEGENNES, Artistic Director for Makeup and Colors at GIVENCHY, constantly aims to reveal and accentuate feminine beauty with his most innovative creations. For his job, he was always on the go and constantly travelling around the world. Among all destinations, he adores TOKYO and shares with us his favorite spots of the Japanese metropole.

Your favourite city?
TOKYO for the dynamism, the diversity, the silence and the day and night life.

Your favourite hotel?
The GRAND HYATT ROPPONGI. Each time I go to Japan, I usually stay at this hotel. This is where I have my habits, where I’m feeling well.
6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 106-0032
Phone: +81-3-4333-1234

Your favourite restaurant?
NARUKIYO in Tokyo, first because it is owned by a friend and secondly, because I love to have dinner at the bar where the atmosphere is so friendly!
2 Chome-7-14 Shibuya, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0002
Phone: +81 3-5485-2223

Your favourite local dish?
In Japan, I love to eat SEA URCHINS. The Japanese know perfectly well how to cook them.

Your favourite sightseeing spot?
I love walking in YANAKA DISTRICT. Old town Tokyo at its best. It’s a great place for a stroll and home to artisans, temples, and winding lanes. I love doing some shopping in local art and craft stores.

Your favourite park?
SHINJUKU GYOEN is undoubtedly one of my favourite parks in Tokyo, especially during the cherry blossom period. I love its very rich and diversified nature with its many lakes. It is very peaceful!
11 Naitomachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0014
Phone: +81 3-3350-0151

Your favourite shop?
GIVENCHY of course! There are five Givenchy flagship stores in Tokyo.
One Omotesando 3-5-29 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-Ku, 107-0061, Tokyo
Phone: +81 3 3404 0360

Your must-have accessory?
BAGS and SHOES. I am totally crazy about bags and shoes.
Bags give an attitude and shoes some height. It is really pleasant to have new shoes and a beautiful bag when we go out – whether it is for men and women. (Photo: Givenchy S/S 2020)

The best souvenir to bring home?
TEA and WINE! All kinds of Japanese tea and high quality bottles of sake!

The best soundtrack for this destination?
THE MAGIC FLUTE by MOZART which reminds me personally speaking of my childhood and my dad. In general, classical music has always inspired me to travel.

The best book to read while being on vacation there?
Everything by COLETTE. I just love the way she talks about humanity. And I like humanity and her perfect prose.

Thank you, Nicolas, for sharing your insider scoop on Tokyo with us.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the different locations
Givenchy Beauty is now available at Sephora Switzerland
#sephoraswitzerland #sephoralovesgivenchy #givenchybeauty @sephoraswitzerland
Photo of Nicolas Degennes: © PR, Robert Jaso for PARFUMS GIVENCHY

Great news for my Swiss readers: from now on you can discover Givenchy‘s range of perfumes, fragrances, makeup and skincare products at Sephora Switzerland. Givenchy has been synonymous with avant-garde elegance since its conception. From couture collections to bold beauty products, discover how the house continually defies conventions.

Ever-changing, the signature scents reflect unique style and grace. And don’t miss the three bestsellers of the brand, created by Nicolas Degennes, the Artistic Director for Makeup and Colors at Givenchy, during your next shopping spree:

– the Lipsticks of the Le Rouge collection
From powerful rouge to delicate nude, our cutting-edge lipsticks are made for every shade of you.
CHF 49.00

– the Mascara Volume Disturbia
Application as innovative as the formula. Maximize your lashes for immediate sophistication.
CHF 39.00

– the foundation Teint Couture City Balm
Perfect your skin with the feel and finish you desire. This is covert coverage designed for comfort.
CHF 61.00

Last week, I was invited to try the products and indulge in the world of Givenchy Beauty at Folium in Zurich. Nicolas Degennes, who has been at the forefront of technical innovation and design since the launch of the Givenchy beauty line, is the man responsible for some of the Maison’s most iconic products. Unfortunately, he couldn’t join us personally that night as he was not allowed to travel due to the corona virus situation. Nevertheless, I got a great interview with him via mail that you can enjoy reading below.

Nicolas Degennes, Artistic Director for Makeup and Colors at Givenchy

You are at the helmet of Givenchy Beauty since 99… what has changed during the years?
Everything has changed. Competitors, research evolve all the time. There are more new propositions on raw materials. It has changed and is going to change again.

Make-up now and twenty years ago – what are the biggest differences?
Competition, many brands are on the market today comparing to 20 years ago.
This give to the consumer more choice but it can also give confusion. So we need to be more and more straight to the point, especially for a couture brand like ours, it is fundamental to keep our promises.

Got my Givenchy lipstick engraved with my name that night.

5 minutes of make-up … what is a must?
If you had to choose…Eyes or lips?
Always the lips. Complexion in 3 minutes because in 5 we have time to do complexion, lips, and mascara.
But the more important is to apply a mascara and a lipstick.
If we have no time to apply some mascara, I would recommend just clean lashes with water to give them more density but anyway apply a red lipstick. This will give power and strength.

What are the biggest make-up trends at the moment?
The red lipstick is making a strong coming back. It has been always present in the makeup world but it is becoming more and more powerful.

What will be next?
New textures! These textures will make the colors and I know what I am talking about.

How much do fashion and beauty influence each other?
We constantly observe the fashion trends but in the beauty world, we work 3 years in advance so, obviously we have to look upon fashion and let ourselves influenced.
However, we also have to take our own decisions. However, you will notice that the beauty around the skin and the texture have a real influence on fashion.

The biggest faux pas in make-up?
Not to wear any make up at all. This is a big mistake.

Your icon?
Women, all the women!

Best trick you have ever learnt?
Patience.

Thank you, Nicolas, for your insight into the world of Givenchy Beauty!
Sephora loves Givenchy and we love it, too…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht – © Debora Zeyrek for Sephora
#sephoraswitzerland #sephoralovesgivenchy #givenchybeauty @sephoraswitzerlandPhoto of Nicolas Degennes: © PR, Robert Jaso for PARFUMS GIVENCHY