New Flankers That You Shouldn’t Miss

Flanker is perfume-speak for a new fragrance that launches on the tail of a successful scent. Sometimes, when a brand sees that a perfume is very successful, the company launches certain versions with a slight variation, as a cross-selling strategy, not only for their existing customers but also to attract new ones.

This fall, four new so-called flankers will be launched which I like even better than their original scent and that I don’t want you to miss.

Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Rose & Rose

Celebrating the wildness of a rose, the new limited edition fragrance is a flanker to 1993′s L’Eau d’Issey. A fruity floral with raspberry, pink pepper, pear, osmanthus, a ‘double concentration’ of damascena and centifolia roses, cashmere, amber and patchouli.

Eau de Parfum Intense CHF 68.00 (25ml), CHF 113.00 (50ml) and CHF 142.00 (90ml).

Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum Intense

This new version of Guerlain’s bestselling fragrance, launched in 2017, is a complete, multi-facetted ode to today’s femininity. this incomparably fresh oriental fragrance is made from a blend of the very finest ingredients, including Tahitian vanilla from Papua New Guinea, jasmine Sambac from India, sandalwood album from Australia and lavender from Provence.

Eau de Parfum Intense CHF 98.00 (30ml), CHF 136.00 (50ml) and CHF 189.00 (100ml).

Twilly d’Hermès Eau Poivrée

The peppery spirit of a daring fragrance, coloured with three new ingredients, vibrant pink peppercorn, tender rose and elegant patchouli. Spicy, floral, woody.

Eau de Parfum CHF 37.00 (15 ml), CHF 84.00 (30ml), CHF 126.00 (50ml) and CHF 171.00 (85ml).
Available exclusively in all Hermès boutiques.

Elie Saab Le Parfum Royal

This is my absolute favorite. A radiant ode to femininity, Elie Saab’s orange blossom and patchouli signature is reinvented as an ambery floral chypre. In the top notes, the fragrance glitters with mandarin essence, shedding its light on a radiant accord. The noble heart of the scent unveils two facets of the queen of flowers, Turkish rose absolute and Bulgarian rose, with precious Lebanese neroli, distilled from orange blossoms grown in the Couturier’s homeland. A regal trail of suede-smooth Indonesian patchouli essence and creamy Indian sandalwood essence blends with amber and vanilla into a majestic, long-lasting silage. Such a beautiful scent.

Eau de Parfum CHF 75.00 (30ml), CHF 113.00 (50ml) and CHF 151.00 (90ml).

LoL, Sandra

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

My Look: Mira Mikati

I love going to press previews for beauty products as it is always fun to explore the newest innovations before their official launch date. Here you see me in December at the Shiseido press day hosted at Zurich’s Sihlcity in a loft dominated by urban concrete walls, which was allowing the colorful product packaging to take center stage. If you are wondering, Nars, Azzedine Alaïa, Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez, all belong to the Shiseido Group and I am looking forward to sharing those new must-haves with you during the coming weeks.

Just as much as I enjoy discovering new beauty products, I adore spotting new fashion designers. One that I truly enjoy wearing is London-based designer Mira Mikati who began her fashion career as co-founder of concept store Plum. Her eponymous collection was born of a collaboration with Parisian brand Façonnable and a desire to create «something fun that was also beautifully tailored». Her jackets, pants and sweatshirts are emblazoned with emojis, cartoons and playful graphics. I absolutely love her frenzied innocence that shows in a melange of smile-inducing detailing. You have no idea how many compliments I got that day for my outfit!

My look: Rainbow Wave striped faux fur coaticon, lace-up grosgrain-trimmed merino wool sweatericon and sequined silk pants, all by Mira Mikatiicon, Kan I Mini studded leather chain shoulder bagstriped silk-twill and leather bag strap, rainbow colored bag bug pompom and bag bug «Karlito», all by Fendi, embroidered «Fusion» sneakers by Dior.

Saving the best for last: what a surprise for me to be reunited with my beloved Montasar Dumas who works for Shiseido in Paris (my avid readers might recognize him from his days at Dior when we always had a lot of fun together).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Fruity Summer Scents 2013

Summer_Scents_1a

Trend forecasting in perfumery is very similiar to the world of fashion, it is seasonal in terms of olfactive notes and compositions. This summer, it is all about fruity scents composed of ingredients such as passion fruit, mango, guava and litchi combined with aquatic florals.

Here are the most mouthwatering new flankers:

L'Eau d'Issey Edt

L’EAU D’ISSEY Summer Eau de Toilette by Issey Miyake

The exotic summer flanker of the original L’Eau d’Issey, created by Alberto Morillas, is carrying us away toward new evocations of scents, flavors, and colors. This year, discover the juicy, sparkling sweetness of exotic fruit.

AROMATIC FRUITY

Top notes: Pink grapefruit and litchi
Middle notes: Guava and passion fruit
Base notes: Vanilla and wood

Available now for CHF 85.00 (100ml).

Womanity_aqua-chic-mugler

WOMANITY AQUA CHIC Eau de Toilette Légère by Thierry Mugler

The energetic and sparkling limited edition 2013 summer version of the original comes with a provocative freshness without loosing its identity.

AROMATIC FRUITY

Top notes: Black currant, red berries and coriander
Middle note: Mandarin blossom
Base notes: Spices and woody notes

Available now for CHF 59.00 (50ml).

OH Lola! Marc Jacobs Sunsheer

OH LOLA! Sunsheer Edition Eau de Parfum by Marc Jacobs

Inspired by sun-kissed pleasures, Marc’s summer version of Oh Lola! emits hints of vanilla, peony, and raspberry. It’s more fresh and sheer than its predecessor and I love its delightful green bottle.

FLORAL FRUITY

Top notes: Raspberry, wild strawberry and pear
Middle notes: Peony, cyclamen and magnolia
Base notes: Vanilla, sandalwood and tonka bean

Available now for CHF 115.00 (50ml)

Daisy_Sunshine_Edition2013

DAISY Sunshine Edition Eau de Toilette by Marc Jacobs

Radiant, colourful, full of joy, dressed in the happiest flowers of the season, this limited edition scent is designed to compliment your summer wardrobe.

FLORAL FRUITY

Top notes: Red currant, guava and mandarin orange
Middle notes: Lily-of-the-valley, litchi and violet
Base notes: Musk and woody notes

Available now for CHF 98.00 (50ml)

LoL, Sandra

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

My Year in Fashion – Highlights of 2012

MyYearinFashion2012

I would like to dedicate the first day of 2013 to a flashback of 2012. It was such an exciting year for me and I am truly thankful for all the magic moments I was able to experience and share with you. May 2013 bring us as many adventures and fashionable events as 2012 did.

Thanks for following me!

LoL, Sandra

January2012

JANUARY 2012

The year started with my visit to the fourth edition of Luisa Via Roma’s Firenze 4 Ever. As usual I had a lot fun, for example having dinner at the church, and adopted the Emilio Pucci Pug Dog for Happy Kids. It had been my third time at Firenze 4 Ever.

Then, I went to Paris for the Haute Couture shows and celebrated with Mary Katrantzou the launch of her amazing collaboration with Longchamp at Colette. Another highlight of 2012’s first month was the IWC Top Gun Gala held during the SIHH where I met lots of celebrities.

February 2012

FEBRUARY 2012

In February, I flew to the Fashion Week New York where I walked in my first runway show, Polyvore Live. I went to many fashion shows, spotted celebrities such as Olivia Palermo, Bradley Cooper and attended the Fashion 2.0 Awards plus the Bloglovin’ Awards.

After coming back from NYC, I had around 24 hours to repack and left for Paris with Dior for my photo shoot for the launch of Dior Addict Extrême.

Later this month, I accepted Gucci‘s invitation to see the F/W 2012 show, followed by a trip to Florence to visit the manufacture.

March2012

MARCH 2012

March started with Paris Fashion Week. Spotted on the streets, bloggers and editors wearing the veiled beanie designed by Stephen Jones for Jil Sander. The sun was shining already and I wore my first summery outfits like this one by Emilio Pucci.

In the end of the month, I flew to London to meet the American designer duo Kaufmanfranco at the net-à-porter offices along with jewelry designer Diane Kordas.

April2012

APRIL 2012

April marked the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A good reason to fly again to London. As it was Easter break, I took my daughter on a girls’ trip.

In my luggage, of course, all of my Union Jack-inspired must-haves. A lot fun for every fashionista: Having Prêt-à-PorTea at the Berkeley.

May 2012

MAY 2012

Being on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival was truly one of the biggest highlights of the year. The night of the Chopard Trophée was outstanding. The most memorable part: A private performance of Lana Del Rey.

A wonderful trip to the Lausanne Palace & Spa finished off this amazing month perfectly. I indulged in the world of Roja Dove’s Haute Parfumerie and enjoyed a feast for senses at La Table d’Edgar.

June2012

JUNE 2012

June was a busy month. I started for one day in Paris for the launch of Pleats Please by Issey Miyake. Then, the Art Basel took place. My favorites: Montblanc‘s party to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Cutting Edge Art Collection together with Parisian art gallery Perrotin and Galerie Gmurzynska’s private dinner held with Zaha Hadid for the start of the Art Basel.

Later in June, I went on my road trip through the US with stops in Chicago, Denver and Salt Lake City. I drove all the way through Wyoming to Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, survived a hail storm and visited the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.

August-2012

JULY 2012

July was such a relaxing month that I spent mostly in Maui, Hawaii followed by a short trip to Texas before heading home to Switzerland. Just a few days later, I flew to Munich for the launch of Bobbi Brown’s newest book Pretty Powerful.

August2012

AUGUST 2012

In August, I flew quite a lot to Germany for work and Sandra’s Closet reached 40.000 Facebook likes (By the way, today we are close to 75.000 likes, how amazing is this in this short amount of time?!).

An absolute highlight were the St. Moritz Art Masters where I had the honour to be photographed by Amedeo M. Turello and Steve McCurry, two of the most famous photographers in the world. The results will be posted soon.

September2012

SEPTEMBER 2012

September was one of the busiest months of the year. For me, it started with the Venice Film Festival. I was invited by Gucci for the launch of Gucci Première and was so excited to meet with the face of the campaign, Blake Lively. Right after, I had the photo shoot for Swiss News.

In Zurich, I met perfumer Geza Schön during a lunch over the rooftops of the Swiss city. With Dior, I attended the Zurich Film Festival.

With Piaget, I went to the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris and visited the famous Château de Malmaison. Just a few days later, I flew back to the French capital for Fashion Week. Best party: Anna Dello Russo’s Paradise Ball. Favourite shows: Pascal Millet and Jean Paul Gaultier.

October2012-2

OCTOBER 2012

The first days of the month, I was still in Paris for Fashion Week and attended blockbuster shows such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Miu Miu.

Later, I flew to Hamburg to visit the Montblanc headquarters and worked on the creation of my Bespoke Limited Edition Ink “Sandra Berry” that was launched in the end of the year. Another exciting collaboration with Closed was revealed: My limited edition blogger “Zurich” T-shirt.

Then, I left for New York City for the best party of the year: The launch of Maison Martin Margiela with H&M where I spotted celebrities such as Julianne Moore, Chase Crawford and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The last days of the month, I went to Geneva to visit the Chopard headquarters in Meyrin.

November-2012

NOVEMBER 2012

Another busy month that started with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich. November marked a lot of events on Zurich‘s social agenda, such as the opening of the Rolex boutique and the Moncler store.

I flew to Greece with Hermès and hosted the exclusive Caviar & Oyster collection dinner with Bobbi Brown at my house.

December2012DECEMBER 2012

Such an exciting month for me as my Montblanc Bespoke Limited Edition Ink “Sandra Berry” has been finally launched.

I went to Gstaad with Louis Vuitton for the opening of their new store in the Swiss Alps and flew to Doha, Qatar for New Year’s Eve.

Pleats Please – The Perfume that Moves You

Pleats Please

As promised less than two weeks ago, here is the new fragrance, that I was telling you about: Pleats Please by Issey Miyakethe perfume that moves you.

Pleats Please 2

Pleats Please 3

The launch event took place at the Louvre in Paris with a very different und beautiful presentation. Dressed in pleats of every colour, models leaped and danced, twirled and spinned, motivating the audience to join in the fun.

Issey Dance

The designer Issey Miyake is known known globally for his signature pleats – a look that went around the world in more than 80 colours; it is contemporary yet timeless. Today, the iconic line Pleats Please Issey Miyake has its own fragrance. It is a scent that pays homage to a seminal fashion creation: an infusion of emotion and olfactory ode to joy.

Pleats Please 5

The iconic L’Eau d’Issey and L’Eau d’Issey Pour l’Homme burst forth from the fountain of Issey Miyake fragrances; clear and shimmering, the waters heralded Issey Miyake’s first foray into perfumery.
Pleats Please is completely different, a joyous, light-hearted scent with meticulously sculpted facets created by perfumer Aurélien Guichard. For this new fragrance, the exuberance and heartiness of a floral bouquet was a must – flowers to define the femininity of a subtle delicate composition.

Pleats Please ParfumeurPerfumer Aurélien Guichard

Pleats Please Bottles

Top Note: Nashi (a hybrid fruit that oscillates between pear and apple, with the pear note predominating).

Middle Notes: Peony and sweet pea. Indole adds a fleshly, voluptous touch and „gives substance to the note“, the perfumer explains. The accord is warm and vibrant, like „an invitation to fluidity“. (Remember Roja Dove who explained me the sexual power of indole. Click here if you would like to know more.)

Base notes: Cedar, patchouli, vanilla and white musks.

Available from September 2012. The product range comprises a trio of eau de toilette in three formats: 30, 50 and 100 ml. The EdTs are supplemented by two derivatives infused with the notes of Pleats Please: a creamy, body lotion and a deodorant spray.

Issey Bag3

The bottle is very interesting. Its shape is reminiscent of a bag that is put down on the floor. The cap takes the form of a floral calyx, a finely pleated abstraction that symbolises both a white flower and the Pleats Please fabric.

In his quest for the timeless and functional in fashion, Issey Miyake found his answer in pleats. Fashion keeps moving, and so does fragrance!

It was such a beautiful presentation at the Louvre! For more details about my look, please click here for the previous post.

LoL, Sandra

Issey MePhotos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Bestsmellers for Mother’s Day – Part 1

Parfum News 4-1

Mother’s Day is around the corner and you might want to think of a little surprise. There are many new fragrances on the market. Here are some of the bestsmelling scents available now.

LoL, Sandra

Lys Soleia

GUERLAIN AQUA ALLEGORIA – LYS SOLEIA
Eau de Toilette, CHF 109.- (125ml)

Floral Fruity
Elegant and light, perfect for an airy summer night.

Top notes: Bergamot, lemon and palm leaves
Heart notes: Lily, ylang-ylang and tropical fruits
Base notes: Tuberose, vanilla and white musk

IM Summer

ISSEY MIYAKE  – L’EAU D’ISSEY SUMMER 2012
Eau de Toilette, CHF 86.- (100ml)

Floral Aquatic
Dynamic and refreshing but full of exotics and warmth.

Top notes: Rose, pear and water notes
Heart notes: Carnation and peony
Base notes: Osmanthus and woodsy notes

Prada Iris Absolue

PRADA INFUSION D’IRIS EAU DE PARFUM ABSOLUE
Eau de Parfum Absolue CHF 118.- (50ml) und CHF 150.- (100ml)

Oriental Floral
Intense, rich – full of seduction, my favourite.

Top notes: African orange flower and neroli
Heart notes: Italian iris
Base notes: White musk, benzoin from Laos, Madagascar vanilla and tonka bean from Venezuela

Eau Océane

BIOTHERM EAU OCEANE
Eau de Toilette, CHF 70.- (100ml)

Floral Aquatic
Revitalising, hydrating and refreshing – the power of the ocean in a scent.

Top notes: Bergamot, lemon and fruity notes
Heart notes: Jasmine and water notes (through Firmenich molecules)
Base notes: Musk, cedar, algae, moss and sand flowers

LoL, Sandra

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