Sandra‘s Closet

With those freezing temperatures outside, I love to dream of warm weather, the sun, the sea and my new bikini outfit!

Metallic triangle bikini by Gucci, crystal-embellished leather sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti, canvas bag with Hawaiian print by Stella McCartney, round-frame acetate sunglasses by Yves Saint Laurent, gold-plated plexiglass cuff and multi-stone brass ring, both by Emilio Pucci.

It is the time of the year when it is best to get organized for your next trip to a tropical destination. As the lights of fitting rooms are in general not so pleasant for pale skin, I prefer ordering swimwear online.

For the perfect sunkissed make-up look, I recommend those products below:

For radiant skin:
1 – PURE RADIANT TINTED MOISTURIZER SPF30/PA+++ by Nars
Infused with naturally derived ingredients from French Polynesia where François Nars loves to spend a lot of time, this new tinted moisturizer instantly hydrates and evens out the skin tone. It has also been shown that it can reduce the appearance of discoloration and dark spots with regular use. The luxurious, oil-free formula obscures the appearance of lines, wrinkles, pores and other imperfections while providing a translucent veil of broadspectrum sun protection.
Available in 9 shades with beautiful names: 1 Finland, 2 Alaska, 3 St. Moritz, 4 Annapurna, 5 Cuba, 6 Malaga, 7 Seychelles, 8 Martinique and 9 Polynesia.
In Switzerland in stores Mid March, CHF 72.-.

For sun-kissed cheeks and a glowing face:
2 – PURE COLOR ILLUMINATING POWDER GELEE TOPAZ CHAMELEON by Estée Lauder
High polish for your skin: 

This innovative tri-blend liquid, powder, gel formula goes beyond face powder to give you a sexy, sophisticated glow. 

It comes with a perfect mix of pigment and pearls for a multi-reflective finish. 

Smooth it on as an all-over soft sheen or sweep it on the cheeks for a luminous pearl highlighting effect. The perfect companion for the beach.
Available now for CHF 58.-.

For beautiful eyes in the shades of the ocean:
3 – OMBRE MINERALE 4 COLEURS in 08 Blue Sky by Clarins
This eye quartet palette has four long-lasting shades in the hues of the ocean. They can be applied dry or damp for a natural or sophisticated look. 
Available now for CHF 62.-.

4 – PURE COLOR INTENSE KAJAL EYE CRAYON in Dramatic Black by Estée Lauder
Reminiscent of Indian kajal eye crayons, those must-have pencils provide you with intense, smouldering colour in one single stroke. 

It glides on velvety smooth and blends easily.

 Use as a liner along lashline and softly smudge over lids to intensify the smoky look.
Available now for CHF 30.-.

5 – DIORSHOW NEW LOOK in Noir New Look by Christian Dior
A new amazing mascara that delivers infinite volume and an unparalleled lash-multiplying effect. 

Diorshow New Look features an exclusive breakthrough nana-brush to catch and coat every last lash with the precision of a couturier’s hand. The extraordinary formula with a Lash Amplifier™ ingredient provides an instant lash-multiplying action.
Available in Switzerland starting February 8, 2012 for CHF 48.-.

On the lips:
6 – LARGER THAN LIFE® LIP GLOSS in Gold Digger by Nars
The new Larger Than Life® Lip Gloss provides lustrous shine that stays in place for hours, while lips feel protected and moisturized. Natural lip enhancers provide volume while a new, shorter bristle brush delivers a precise application to define and shape lips. 
Available for CHF 35.-.

For eyecatching nails:
7 – PURE COLOR NAIL LACQUER in Topaz Teal by Estée Lauder
Colourful nails are a must and this turquoise shade is the perfect hue for the beach.
Available now for CHF 34.-.

To make sure that your body looks great in the sun, have a look at those upcoming new products that I can highly recommend:

For a healthy-looking tanned body:
DIOR BRONZE AUTO-BRONZANT Self Tanning Oil Natural Glow by Christian Dior

AMAZING MOOD-LIFTING PRODUCT!

Dior Bronze is the perfect replica of all pleasures of the sun to enhance the skin and lift the mood! On the application, the skin is satiny, luminious, perfectly moisturized and progressively recreates a radiant tan.
On the mood, you will feel the perceived pleasure of a unique uplifting action. A plant-based active ingredient helps stimulate the natural production of ß-endorphins, the so-called “pleasure molecules”, for an immediate mood-lifting sensation, as if you just spent time sunbathing!
Available in Switzerland beginning of March for CHF 58.- (100ml).

For a well-toned body:
DIOR SVELTE  BODY DESIRE Integral Perfection Care by Christian Dior

Anybody among you who is not wishing for the perfect well-toned body?! Here is a product that will help you to achieve it in one single step (But you still need to work on your daily sports routine and calories intake, sorry!).

This body care product acts on all of the key characteristics of a desirable body: slimming, firming, moisturrizing, toning and smoothing. How is that possible?
At the “heart” of the skin, adiponectin – a protein with a sensational spectrum of action discovered by Dior science – affects all those features. Stress and the excesses of modern life tend to inhibit the influence of this unique protein. Dior Svelte reactivates the natural synthesis of adiponectin for a visibly enhanced body in 4 weeks.
Available in Switzerland beginning of March for CHF 96.- (200ml).

You have still lots of time left to get in shape for summer! But better get started early…  this is all you need!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This was my look for the Versace for H&M fashion show last week in NYC. The fabric pays tribute to the iconic Versace prints and as you know I love Mary Katrantzou’s designs! This dress with its wide bell skirt is truly a piece of art for me.

My outfit: Kite Runner dress by Mary Katrantzou, necklace by Prada, sparkling booties by Chanel, tights by H&M and cocktail ring”Diorette” by Dior Haute Joaillerie.

My make-up: Eyeshadows “Vanilla”, “Electric Eel” and “Atlantic Blue” by MAC, Blue Instant Definition Mascara by Clarins, Blush “Orgasm” by Nars and Lipgloss “Buff” by Bobbi Brown.
On my nails: “Graphite ” by Chanel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

While being in New York, one trend caught my eye: White nail polish.

Personally, I like the opaque version very much. It emphasizes the shape of the nails while looking cool and fresh. Moreover it suits every skin tone. The only downside is the maintenance as the white hue doesn’t last as long as other shades.

My favourite tone is Ecume by Nars, which is part of their recent summer collection.

 

 

 

 

Ecume is described as “An opaque white nail enamel that is at once vintage-inspired and avant-garde in sensibility.”

If you like to take it one step further, get inspired by stylesetter Alexa Chung. She painted little palm trees or tine hearts on her white fingertipps. I am loving it and you?

LoL, Sandra

With Valentine’s Day just a week away, it’s time to drop a probably not-so-subtle hint to your loved ones that all you want is…

Those fabulous Valentine’s Day gifts scream: „Be mine!“  – It is love at first sight.

LoL, Sandra

 

I have a lovely subscriber who recently asked me about my favourite make-up look. I have to admit that I change my look every day. That is for me the most fun about fashion, being able to try out something new each morning. If I had to live with one single look, it would definitely be smokey eyes and pale lips.

Please find herewith my personal list and description how to achieve this style:

1 a good concealer: Christian Dior’s Skinflash (I use it also as a eyeshadow base)

2 a moisturizing foundation: Christian Dior’s Diorskin Nude make-up (great for dry skin), I use N° 020 or 030 depending on my tan

3 a complexion enhancer: Benefit’s High Beam (I like to use it over the foundation)

4 cream blush for contouring: Nars Lamu and Orgasm

5 brow lifting: Benefit’s High Brow

6 a brow powder to fill in the gaps: Anastasia in Ash Blonde/ Taupe

7 a brow gel to fix them: Anastasia in Clear

8 a gorgeous eye shadow palette with easy-to-follow step by step instructions: Too Faced’s Smokey Eye (I love blue shades)

9 for glitter: Mac’s Pigment Colour Powders in Frozen White, Cornflower and Dark Soul (they are not easy to handle, so please try them first, but they last forever)

10 a good eyeliner: Bobbi Brown’ s Gel Eyeliner in Granite Ink

11 best eyepencil in the world: Prescriptives, Softlining Pencil in Jet

12 a good mascara (this is very personal): YSL’s Mascara Singulier in Black

13 this blush suits everybody: Helena Rubinstein’s Wanted Blush in Glowing Peach

14 for deeper colour: Burberry’s Natural Blush in Russet N°1

15 best face glow: Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick Compact in Nude

16 one of my favourite lipsticks: Mac’s Sandy B. combined with C-Thru lipgloss

17 for more sparkles: Chanel’s lip definer in Natural and Glossimer N°257

18 camouflage for emergencies: Benefit’s Erase Paste

19 to refresh your look during the day or for a more natural foundation, the new Christian Dior Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Creme-Gel Make-up (amazing product! -available from October 29th, 2010)

20 a good powder: Mac’s Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in LightMedium

21 best brushes: Bobbi Brown

22 please never forget to clean your brushes on a regular basis: I love Bobbi Brown’s Brush Cleaning Spray

Let’s get started: Happy Colouring!

LoL, Sandra

Today, I would like to give you a sneak preview of the make-up holiday 2010 season. The collections always include limited special editions and hit the stores from the end of October until end of November. Herewith you will find my pre-selection of the soon-to-arrive must-haves. The overall trend is lots of gold and silver sparkles. Glitter against the Christmas Tree is the motto! Deep browns and burgundy reds combined with popping fuchsia let you shine during cold gray winter days.

Chanel’s new limited nail polish is so-called Pulsion, a beautiful bright fuchsia shade. Get yourselves on the wait lists now! The matching lip gloss in Pink Pulsion is also a must. The divine blush duo with tweed effect (Les Tissages de Chanel) in Tweed Fuchsia will give you those young rosy cheeks everybody loves.

Les 4 ombres in Tentation Cuivre is an eyeshadow set including copper brown, light beige, shimmering pink and plum copper that will work for every skin type.

Les Ors de Guerlain is a feast for the eyes! The gold theme that features the famous Guerlain bee, will introduce a silky loose powder creating a light-reflecting veil with a subtle golden iridescent finish, in a gold copper shade (Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder Face & Body).
The It-lip colour will be a subtle shiny, violet shade: Rouge G Le Brilliant in B64 Bee.

My favourites are the 4 eyeshadows in 410 Velours d’Or, including two shades of violet along with gold and an intense black liner, embossed with a honeycomb Arabesque pattern taken from past imperial Guerlain bottles.

YSL has created a decadent collection for the holiday season, bursting with the beloved cocktail hour shade gold in combination with pink, chocolat and red. Get your hands on the limited Palette Metallic Colorama, a pink-gold face highlighting powder.

If you are more on the wild side and are looking for some crazy colour combinations, Mac will offer you a lot of choices with their Tartan Tale collection. So stunning! I am completely in love with the packaging and how the pattern is for example imprinted into the eyeshadow.
Best Shade: Semi-precious – an aubergine with chocolat Tartan striping.

I am always a big fan of the Dazzleglass Creme colours– lipglosses with a lot of glitter.
Best colour: Lightly Prancing – a light peach with gold pearl.

Nars is this holiday season all about shimmering nail colours, lustrous lipsticks and glistening glosses with gold, rich berry reds and purples leading the way. The limited eyeshadow trio in Okinawa ( silver, deep cobalt blue and black onyx trio) is a must along with the single eyeshadow in Etrusque, an antique gold.
The two nail colours Bad Influence ( a smoky taupe) and Pokerface ( a lilac) are also on top of my list.

But I saved the best until last: Christian Dior’s Evening Gold collection offers some fabulous products. The perfect gifts for your fashionista girlfriends or the best treats for yourselves:

The Dior Minaudière is the star product for Holiday 2010. The It-accessoire was inspired by the little cosmetic pouches the ladies were carrying at the beginning of the 20th century – the forerunners of the clutches that we know today. It includes 3 eyeshadows and 2 lipglosses that are covered with a gold plated flap to protect them (love that!) and comes in two different colour combinations: 001 Grey Golds and 002 Pink Golds for CHF 120.- each.

Also divine is the new Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in 992 Noir Lamé – for your sexy winter moments!

LoL, Sandra