Sandra‘s Closet

Jo Malone is always a great option for Christmas gifts, and this year, the brand offers some limited edition sets along with some fun products.The influence of the ’20s and ’30s has been seen in almost every make-up collection for this holiday season and Jo Malone’s Christmas collection is no exception. Let’s have a closer look at this Art Deco-styled range.

Cologne Intense CHF 320.00
DARK AMBER & GINGER LILY 200ml
(One of my favourite scents by Jo Malone comes now in a larger size.)

Scent Surround™ Diffuser CHF 86.00
PINE & EUCALYPTUS 165ml
(Let your house smell like a freshly cut Christmas tree.)

Christmas Cracker CHF 50.00
POMEGRANATE NOIR BODY & HAND WASH 15ml
LIME BASIL & MANDARIN COLOGNE 9ml
ORANGE BLOSSOM BODY CREAM 15ml
(I am so in love with this cute product. What a cute idea to surprise your guest with such a special cracker on the table.)

Tea Trousseau CHF 795.00
ASSAM & GRAPEFRUIT COLOGNE 100ml
EARL GREY & CUCUMBER COLOGNE 100ml
SWEET LEMON COLOGNE 100ml
PARMA VIOLETS TEA DELUXE CANDLE 400g
SWEET ALMOND & MACAROON DELUXE CANDLE 400g
(This to-die-for box is including some of the most amazing fragrances and beautifully scented candles. Anybody looking for a gift for me…?)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

Not only for Jo Malone fans, please have a look at the new VELVET ROSE & OUD Cologne Intense Limited Edition. Such an amazing gourmand scent.

Darkest Damask rose. Rich and textural, wrapped with smoky oud wood. Spiked with clove, decadent with praline. Velvet Rose & Oud joins the much-desired Cologne Intense Collection for a limited time. An addictive addition to the other five deeply sensual scents, inspired by centuries-old traditions of layering scents, incenses and oils. Laced with precious ingredients and lightened by a contemporary touch.

Top notes: Bergamot and clove
Middle notes: Damask rose and saffron
Base notes: Oud and praline

It took master perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin 18 months to create Velvet Rose & Oud. He describes the beautiful ingredient of praline like this: “Used in perfumery the praline note will give a fragrance more depth, inviting an unexpected and mysterious side. Known for its regressive quality, praline’s sensory effect will evoke memories that take you back to your childhood. I chose to use praline in the Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne to add a gourmand tone, with nutty almond notes. Giving a supple softness, praline is used to calm and balance the intensity of the oud. Dressing its animalic side, it moulds the oud into a more voluptuous note, while all the while complementing the sweet floral notes of the Damask rose, to make her more gourmand.”

Delicious worn alone, or layered with other Jo Malone™ scents to add textural depth.
Mist it with Dark Amber & Ginger Lily to mingle spices and incense and introduce an air of calming sensuality or Oud & Bergamot to intensify the allure of precious woods.

Available now for a limited time only.
Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne 100ml £95 / €115 /CHF165

LoL, Sandra

Jo Malone‘s newest scent is called Blackberry & Bay. Think about childhood memories of blackberry picking with stained lips and sticky palms – the scent of innocence.

Master perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin, who shares his time between Paris and Grasse, where he was born as the son of a perfumer, found the inspiration for this beautiful, different new fragrance “out of rambling, autumnal country walks in deepest, mellowest autumn; of blackberry picking in overgrown English woodland; of foraging for perfectly ripened blackberries in rustling hedgerows. I have always wanted to create a fruity fragrance that captures the richness of red and black berries and so I embarked on this journey to create a scent that is full of juicy sweetness, bursting with the sparkling tartness of just ripe blackberries, while playing with the green, leafy earthiness of the bay accord.”
Fabrice also created Paco Rabanne’s Black XS L’Excès.

Top notes: Blackberry and grapefruit
Middle notes: Bay and floral accord
Base notes: Vetiver and cedarwood

Available from September 2012.
In Switzerland at Globus Geneva and Jelmoli Zurich.

Cologne 30ml (CHF 68.-) and 100ml (CHF 130.-)
Body & Hand Wash CHF 64.- 
Body Cream CHF 99.-
Home Candle CHF 82.-
(All suggested retail prices)

I love this new addition to Jo Malone’s world. Try combining Blackberry & Bay with Lime Basil & Mandarin for added vibrancy with a peppery, citrus zest. Or layer it with Nectarine Blossom & Honey for sweetness with a green, herbaceaous edge.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

This Sunday is Mother’s Day and it is still not too late to find the perfect gift for your beloved mum. Instead of giving a bouquet of roses have you ever thought of giving roses in a tube?

Here are some gift ideas for you:
(For my Zurich based readers, most products are available at Osswald and Jelmoli).

Rose Hair & Scalp Moisturising Masque by AESOP
CHF 38.- (120ml)

This rich conditioning treatment restores vitality and shine to all hair types with active ingredients of rose petals and lavender stems. It is to be used on the hair and scalp once a week for half an hour. Should hair be extremely dehydrated, it can be left on overnight. This masque is suited to all types of hair but ideal for dry, brittle or coloured hair.

The deep conditioning leaves hair soft, lustrous and moisturised; dry and flaky scalps will be soothed and hydrated.

Crème de Rose by DIOR
$26.50 / €24.50 / CHF 41.-

Crème de Rose is an essential nourishing and smoothing lip balm with a delicate rose fragrance that is simply addictive! It is enriched with a rare and precious Damask Rose essential oil extract, an anti-aging complex, energizing vitamins A and E, and shea butter for a long-lasting regenerating and smoothing anti-wrinkle effect. It leaves the lips optimally soothed, moisturized and nourished. Soft and beautifully plump, the lips are more radiant than ever!

Baume de Rose (Rose Balm Gloss) by BY TERRY
$55.- / €39.-

By Terry has created a chic and practical crystal case for their must-have Rose Balm which hydrates and nourishes the lips. It features an extremely high concentration of lipid-building substances and essential rose wax. The formula is a rejuvenating, reparative, strengthening, nourishing and anti-ageing treatment that enhances the voluptuousness of the lips and leaves them radiant with the glow of health!

Red Roses Bath Oil by JO MALONE
£38.- (250ml) – also availabe in a beautiful glass decanter (200ml)

Composed of seven types of roses from around the world, Red Roses is a surprisingly clean, voluptuous scent. With a heart of crushed violet leaves and hints of lemon and spearmint, it unfolds like a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers. Red Roses Bath Oil gently fragrances and moisturises the skin. Lush and softly foaming, it’s pure relaxation.

Crème Splendide Corps by ANNICK GOUTAL
€100.- (60ml)

Nutrition and firmness for all skin types. Highly concentrated in phyto-energizing active ingredients, caffeine and Active Rose Serum, Crème Splendide Corps nourishes, tones, firms and leaves skin satin-soft. Its luxurious, sumptuous texture and its fresh rose-like fragrance of morning dew win is seductive and irresistible. Rich in precious oils such as the oil of macadamia, and jojoba, this cream nourishes the skin in leaving it toned and soft like satin. It is a genuine, youth-promoting curative treatment which stimulates cellular renewal. I am completely addicted to the body cream.

Sa Majesté La Rose by SERGE LUTENS
CHF 119.- / €79.- (50ml)

A wonderful, intensive, floral bouquet with rose as the leading role in the center. For this fragrance, Serge Lutens combined Her Highness, the Rose, with fresh, green, opening notes, spices and woody notes in the base. For a previous interview with the famous perfumer, please click here.

Roses Scented Candle by DIPTYQUE
$60 (standard size) and $28 (mini size)

This beautiful scented candle recalls an armful of tender, changing roses that lightly evoke the world’s most universally loved flowers.

I would like to end this post with a huge thank you to all mums in the world:

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

– Washington Irving

LoL, Sandra

Embrace the warm season with Jo Malone‘ s gorgeous new limited edition fragrance:
Plum Blossom.

Bursting with optimism, the Plum Blossom scent is an uplifting addition to the Jo Malone collection, perfect both on its own or layered preferably with Nectarine Blossom & Honey.

Opening with the fruitful freshness of yellow plum, its floral heart blooms on a background of creamy sandalwood and white musk.

Available online and in boutiques from May 2012.
Plum Blossom Cologne, CHF 130 (100ml) and CHF 68 (30ml).
In Switzerland at Jelmoli Zurich and Globus Geneva.

This scent will surely lift your mood whatever the weather.
And as it is limited, you better buy ahead!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

Any room, any occasion, transforms when it’s styled with scent. A way to personalise your home and shape the mood. To uplift, to wind down… or simply to add an air of luxury. Because the ambience of your home should be as inviting as the fragrance on your skin.

I am so excited for Jo Malone‘s new introductions to their iconic Home Collection, that are available now. In Switzerland at Jelmoli Zurich and Globus Geneva.

Scent Surround™ Diffusers

Understated. Sleek. Effortlessly and continually add an enveloping scent to any space.
Available in Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses.

165ml £45 / €60 / CHF86

Scent Surround™ Room Sprays

Instantly create an impression with a burst of enticing scent.
Available in Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses.

175ml £34 / €45 / CHF62

Limited Edition Scent Surround™ Drawer Liners and Sachets

Infuse clothes and linens with the signature scent of Lime Basil & Mandarin.

Sachets 3 pieces £20 / €25 and Drawer Liners 5 pieces £30 / €40
(Limited edition, not available in Switzerland)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

Introducing the London Blooms Collection: Iris & Lady Moore, White Lilac & Rhubarb and Peony & Moss.
A trio of limited edition Jo Malone™ scents filled in bottles adorned by breathtaking botanical drawings which are reflecting the spirit of modern British gardens.

Iris & Lady Moore
A mingling between spicy-fresh, common-or-garden geranium and noble iris, powdery and poised. Brought together on dry-grass base of vetiver.

Tip: Mist Orange Blossom over Iris & Lady Moore. Shimmering Clementine flower brightens the powdery poise of Iris & Lady Moore.

White Lilac & Rhubarb
A daring juxtaposition. Tart-vibrant rhubarb cuts through the soft lilac, rose and sun-loving heliotrope.

Tip: Pair White Lilac & Rhubarb with Pomegranate Noir. The ruby-ripe juices of pomegranate, raspberry and plum, spiked with spicy woods, enrich the soft, fruity sweetness of White Lilac & Rhubarb.

Peony & Moss
Contrasting the dainty and the dirty. The gossamer lightness of delicate peonies grounded in earthy green.

Tip: Layer Peony & Moss with English Pear & Freesia. The juiciness of pear and the freshness of freesia amplify the soft florals and sweeten the velvet earthiness of Peony & Moss.

Those beautiful limited editions are in store now. In Switzerland available at Jelmoli, Zurich.
Each cologne (100ml) CHF 130.-.

I love all three and the bottles together create such a lovely ambiance in your bathroom.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

“An imaginative scent, drenched in the delicate sweetness of sapphire blooms. And wild, because it’s a pretty quirky take, inspired by a wickedly whimsical, contemporary fairytale starring Wild Bluebell herself. With persimmon, lily of the valley and eglantine, its lush transparency is decidedly naughty…but nice.”

Wild Bluebell is the newest fragrance from the world of Jo Malone and has just arrived on the market. Bluebell is a wild forest flower. Christine Nagel, the creator of the new scent, came up with an elegant, yet playful composition, combining fresh notes, flowers and spicy choord of cloves. A modern-day fairytale blend, a welcome addition for the Jo Malone fan.

Floral Green
Top notes: Bluebell and cloves
Middle notes: Lily of the valley, jasmine and rose hip
Base notes: White amber and musk

Eau de Cologne Wild Bluebell 30ml, €42
Eau de Cologne Wild Bluebell 100ml, €84 
Body & Hand Wash Wild Bluebell 250ml,  €40
Body Cream Wild Bluebell 175ml, €60
Scented Candle Wild Bluebell 200g, €50

Aren’t those advertising photos just adorable?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone

Fashionistas lining up in front of the Chanel store to get…

…a free manicure…

…with the three gorgeous shades of Les Jeans de Chanel.

I took the three bottles home, yippie!

Estée Lauder‘s face since 2007: Stunning Hilary Rhoda.

A little warm-up for me for my upcoming interview with Estée Lauder’s Global Creative Director Tom Pecheux on Sunday.

Two Estée Lauder spokeswomen: Liu Wen talking to Constance Jablonski.

Gorgeous presentation of Jo Malone‘s new scent: Wild Bluebell.

Hair guru Frédéric Fekkai

Lydia Hearst

Supermodel Doutzen Kroes…

…doing graffiti with designer Christian Cota.

Open your eyes, it is him…

…me with designer Prabal Gurung.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Just as there’s a tea to suit every taste and disposition, there is a Tea Cologne for every style and mood. Jo Malone unveils a limited edition collection, inspired by the most quintessential of British traditions: the Art of Tea. 

The Tea Collection, in five modern and unexpected fragrances, encapsulates Jo Malone’s hallmark simplicity and elegant restraint: Assam & Grapefruit, Earl Grey & Cucumber, Fresh Mint Leaf, Sweet Lemon and Sweet Milk.

And of course the Tea Collection lends itself to being personalised with Jo Malone’s unique philosophy of Fragrance Combining™. In true British style, the collection allows you to combine your Tea Fragrance Blend, with a dash of Sweet Lemon or a splash of Sweet Milk. 

You are invited to visit your nearest Jo Malone counter to test those lovely scents now.
Available in 30ml for CHF 68.

Assam and Grapefruit is a refreshing and energetic aroma, invigorating like the first morning cup of tea. It opens with notes of grapefruit, violet and rhubarb. The heart includes Assam Indian black tea and rose, spiced with cardamom and placed on the base of patchouli, almond and musk.

Top notes: grapefruit, violet, rhubarb
Heart: Assam tea, rose, cardamom
Base: patchouli, musk, almond

Earl Grey and Cucumber is a playful interpretation of the most famous English tea brand, made from black tea, bergamot and citruses. The composition opens with apple, bergamot, jasmine and aquatic notes, with cucumber, angelica and davana in the heart, on the base of vanilla, bees wax, cedar and musk.

Top notes: bergamot, apple, jasmine, water notes
Heart: angelica, cucumber, davana
Base: beeswax, vanilla, cedar and musk

Fresh Mint Leaf is a refreshing aroma based on green mint. It starts with notes of basil, mint, and bergamot. The heart is composed of water jasmine and rhubarb, laid on the base of mate tea, cedar and musk.

Top notes: basil, mint, bergamot
Heart: water jasmine, rhubarb
Base: mate, musk, cedar

Sweet Lemon is a fruity mixture that you can combine with any of the previous fragrances from this collection. The composition starts off with sparkling lemon, bergamot and rhubarb. Middle notes include pineapple, freesia and peach, placed on cypress, cedar and musk nuances.

Top notes: lemon, bergamot, rhubarb
Heart: pineapple, freesia, peach
Base: cypress, musk, cedar

Sweet Milk, as well as the previous fragrance, serves as an “additional tea flavor” and can be combined with the other fragrances of the collection. Its gourmand composition begins with star anise, heliotrope and bergamot. Milk and caramel are in the center, rounded by almond, vanilla and musk.

Top notes: star anise, heliotrope, bergamot
Heart: milk, caramel
Base: vanilla, almond, musk

Jo Malone will launch a new, limited-edition perfume from May 2011 called Sakura Cherry Blossom destined to celebrate the beauty and transiency of blossoming cherry trees in the springtime. The composition was created by perfumer Christine Nagel working in tandem with the Jo Malone Creative Studio in London.

“A symbol of beauty and new beginnings, cherry blossom trees grow throughout Japan and for centuries have been celebrated in every medium, from poetry to painting. No flower captures the Japanese aesthetic as powerfully as the cherry blossom.”

Top Notes: bergamot, mandarin, cardamom
Heart: rose, mimosa
Base: musk, woods

Sakura Cherry Blossom works very well in combination with French Lime Blossom or Orange Blossom.
Available in 30ml (CHF 68) or 100ml (CHF 130).

My personal favourite combinations are at the moment: Earl Grey & Cucumber with Sweet Milk and Cherry Blossom with French Lime Blossom.

Definitely my cup of tea!

LoL, Sandra