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Sisley Supremÿa Baume La Nuit, your beauty secret for a beautiful skin

Beauty

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4 October 2015

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Supremÿa Baume is the great night anti-aging treatment specifically designed to meet the specific needs of naturally dry to very dry skin. Dried out by environmental conditions, the skin lacks comfort, so the new Supremÿa Baume La Nuit has a melting balm texture, rich and firm, deliciously smoothing.

At the heart of its formula, Phyto-complex LC12 (Longevity Concentrate 12h). Patented by Sisley, you will find a combination of 4 powerful ingredients from plants. Every night, our body put in place regeneration process, so it is a key moment in which the skin is rejuvenated. In order to help the natural process, Supremÿa Baume integrates an intensive complex that regenerates and restructures (Hazelnut oil, butter Kokum, Macadamia oil). Its formula offers exceptional deep relipidante share for a comfortable skin nourished and revitalized. Night after night, the skin is regenerated, restructured and prepared to face the next day. The great thing about this new product is that it is non-comedogenic.

You can apply this balm on clean, dry skin in the evening: face, neck and décolleté. Just massage gently until completely absorption. The skin is instantly nourished, moisturized and more comfortable. It is replumped, firmer, tightened and visibly smoothed. In two months, Supremÿa Baume helps to repair the damage of the skin’s past. Its “in-depth” rejuvenating action becomes visible externally. The skin appears firmer, smoother and more luminous upon wakening. Wrinkles and fine lines are visibly reduced. The skin is regenerated, restructured and prepared to tackle the next day. Night after night, Supremÿa Baume optimizes the skin’s future. The visible signs of the programmed aging process are pushed back, the skin will age with a more youthful appearance. Check here for more information:
http://www.sisley-paris.com

Key ingredients:

Sisley’s patented* Phyto-complex LC12 (12-hour Longevity Concentrate): a powerful combination of four plant-based active ingredients that improve the quality of the cells’ life**
Hazelnut oil: moisturizing and nourishing properties, helps make the skin softer and more comfortable
Kokum butter: gives the skin emollience and suppleness. Rich in protective and repairing emollient fatty acids to nourish and revitalize the skin
Macadamia oil: restructuring, nourishing, moisturizing, soothing and softening properties to maintain the hydration and suppleness of damaged, dry and mature skin. * patent pending ** ex-vivo test

Now that Winter is coming, it is the right moment to treat your skin the right way. By protecting your skin from dryness, you preserve your youth and the look of your skin. Many things happen at night.

LA

info sourced at Sisley Paris website. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Bang & Olufsen, state of the art. Discover these 2 must-have.

José Amorim

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3 October 2015

0

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Bang & Olufsen is an amazing brand. In the highly competitive high-tech market, very few brands achieve more than the pure technique. While many brands will focus on technical specs only and hundreds of explanations and accessories, Bang & Olufsen is a state of the art. Each single details is taken in consideration with great care. Each material, shape, color and textures blend perfectly in order to propose the ideal product of its category.

Bang & Olufsen is a Danish consumer electronics company that designs and manufactures audio products, television sets, and telephones. It was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, whose first significant product was a radio that worked with alternating current at a time when most radios were run on batteries.

In 2004, the company opened a factory in the Czech Republic where it employs approximately 250 staff producing mainly audio products. B&O has a distinctive design appeal that Wired described as “quality media delivery via striking objects”. Their work with radios and loudspeakers led them to value high fidelity musical reproduction uninfluenced by technological limitations; in Danish Ærlig musikgengivelse, meaning “honest music reproduction”. To this end, psychoacoustics was important to designing and testing B&O products. Here are two amazing must-have products that you need to get as soon as possible. They are stylish with a great sense of quality and has all the best Bang & Olufsen can offer.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A2, mobility and high-fidelity with loads of style.

Nothing carries emotion quite like music. Basically, it is the soundtrack to our lives. Bring the A2 anywhere to boost your party-mood, bring you from minor to major or just dwell on melancholy for a little while. A2 was designed for a life on the go, and portability has influenced every aspect of the speaker design – from the flat body and long battery life, to the interchangeable leather strap. Just as the short leather strap is ideal for carrying A2 or hanging it on the wall, the long leather strap allows you to wear A2 cross-body, making it even more portable for longer trips – and turning it into a unique part of your wardrobe.

The amazing beauty of a Bang & Olufsen product is also due to the cutting edge design. They are products made to live in your life, which means to adapt completely to your lifestyle. The beauty of technology is when you cannot see it anymore. And in terms of technology, the Danish company knows a lot about it. Check here more information about this amazing product.
http://www.beoplay.com/products/beoplaya2#at-a-glance

CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless streaming · 1 x line-in for MP3 player or mobile device · 1 x USB connection for charging your device while playing music ·1 x DC power input

POWER AMPLIFIER
180 W peak power provided by 2×30 W digital class D amplifiers · 2×3” full-range drivers · 2 x 3/4′ tweeters · 2×3” passive bass radiators · Cabinet principle: Balanced passive bass radiators

BATTERY
Rechargeable Li-ion battery with up to 24 hours* of playback.
*Battery life when playing at moderate listening level.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8, probably one of the best headphones in the market.

In 1978, Bang & Olufsen launched their first headphones. It was the U70. Most of today’s headphones brands started their businesses recently. Bang & Olufsen is one of the few brands with such a great history, background and know-how in audio accessories. All principles introduced decades ago to build the best headphones possible, were constantly reviewed in order to develop even further the legacy of the brand.

Here we highlight one of the recent launches, called the BeoPlay H8. With this new headphone, Bang & Olufsen made a serious step into the Bluetooth headphone segment. It is definitely a hot trend and several brands entered this new era of wireless devices. Unfortunately we might lose music quality because of the technology. Bang & Olufsen definitely lifted the technology up in order to bring you the best audio experience possible. And the result is astonishing. The BeoPlay H8 has a Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX codec that gives you uncompromising sound, whether listening to music or talking on the phone.

An intuitive touch interface gives you full control of all functionality. Turn your music on and off, answer calls, switch Active Noise Cancellation on and off, and much more, all at your fingertips. Carefully selected high quality cow leather makes BeoPlay H8 both stylish & luxurious. Also, everyday wear and tear merely add patina, and BeoPlay H8 ages beautifully. he softness of the lambskin on the ear pads makes BeoPlay H8 a pleasure to wear. The memory foam inside the ear pads adapts ensuring great comfort.

In terms of technical specs, Bang & Olufsen proposes a state of art in terms of wireless headphones. The active noise cancellation is an amazing technology that will invite you to a magnificent experience away from the city daily noises. Here are some of the technical specs that will definitely convince you about the BeoPlayH8:

SPEAKERS
Dynamic 40 · mm diameter

MICROPHONE
Electret type

FREQUENCY
20 Hz to 22,000 Hz

BATTERY
Replaceable and rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
· Capacity 800 mA
· Up to 14 hours with Bluetooth and ANC
· Up to 16 hours with Bluetooth
· Up to 35 hours with ANC
· Charging time 3 hours

CONNECTIONS
3.5 mm mini-jack connection in touch panel

BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth 4.0 · aptX · AAC · Headset Profile (HSP)
Hands Free Profile (HFP)
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)

If you wish to learn more about Bang & Olufsen, do not hesitate to connect to the brand official website here :
http://www.bang-olufsen.com

In terms of Audio and visual experience, Bang & Olufsen is an amazing brand in which every single detail is taken care with the most amazing quality and edgy design. Every year the Danish brand amazes us with incredible products.

LA

Info sourced at Bang & Olufsen website, wikipedia, bo-geneve.ch, son-video.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Phone Cases: The Fashionable Accessory to Personalize Your Style

High Tech

LuxuryActivist

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1 October 2015

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Nothing is as unfashionable as lightning-streak cracks on your phone screen or a drained bank account because you unexpectedly had to replace your broken phone. For the handheld gadget a few inches away at all times, a protective case is necessary to serve as a safety bumper. Yet, as smartphones continue to evolve, so do phone cases, and these cases have become more than just durable phone protectors.

In “Phone Cases: The New It Fashion Accessory” on WSJ.com, Meenal Mistry, fashion director of Off Duty in @WSJ, explains that “your phone is the one possession that can be visible all day long” and “whatever you use to encase it becomes a defining personal statement.” The phone serves as a mini personal computer and communication device, as the phone cover accents your phone as a fashionable accessory. Your phone case is just another creative piece for self-expression that can be stylishly interchanged just like your handbag and lipstick collection. If your phone needs an updated look, personalize it with these phone case styles:

Kooky and Clever

Make a bold statement by showing off a phone case with a sense of humor — witty and fun phone cases designed to look like anything but a phone. Famed designer Jeremy Scott takes his cheeky and ironic approach to fashion with unconventional phone case designs such as a spray paint can, French fry and ice-cream pop. Accessorizing with a phone case designed to be a chocolate bar, hot dog, soft drink or sunglasses can also give your phone a humorous edge. Perhaps your phone’s case is an outlet for letting loose and welcoming your goofier side.

Dressed to Impress

If your phone acts as more of a source for business, you probably prefer a case designed with minimal sophistication and maximum efficiency. Adopted, a company that designs genuine leather and fabric skins for phones, offers expertly crafted leather folio cases in neutral hues and leather wrap cases for a more casually colorful, yet professional look. The Verus Wallet Case in black, brown or red provides enhanced security with a magnetic closure tab. The soft-coated shell also adds a sense of comfort while you check emails on your HTC One M9.

Prints & Patterns

Give your phone personality by decorating it with charming prints and patterns. Vintage cacti, black-and-white checkered and chic gold polka dot reflect a style of whimsy, whereas leopard and paw prints can bring out the wild in you. For an earthy vibe, dress your phone in patterned hues found in nature or a print replicating natural stone. Collect a variety of cases to use like charms on your bracelet. Use a different case on your phone to match a certain look or represent your mood.

Pursecase

Rather than accessorize your phone with a stylish case, actually turn your phone into an accessory. Pursecase is a phone case elegantly designed as a petite clutch. As seen on ABC’s Shark Tank, Pursecase maximizes space by holding your phone and safeguarding cash, cards and your ID in a pocket. Wear the case’s sleek chain as arm candy and hit the town, conveniently carrying only your essentials. Complement your outfit with a pursecase in fashionable colors blush, nautical, periwinkle or turquoise.

Designer Wristlet

For a day of travel or an afternoon date, toss your phone into a smartphone wristlet. A designer wristlet is the miniature version of your favorite handbag that’s on-the-go, yet classically stylish. The Kerrington Smartphone Wristlet by Tory Burch becomes a fashionable focal point with its racing stripes-inspired graphic bands of color. Multiple pockets and compartments secured by a zip enclosure provide a reliable space for your phone and cards. Kate Spade and Coach also offer designer wristlets for conveniently carrying your phone and essentials while strolling city streets or heading to a dinner date.

Discover Lausanne like you have never imagined – Science Day.

Events

LuxuryActivist

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1 October 2015

0

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Next Saturday, October 3rd 2015, the entire city of Lausanne will meet at Place de la Riponne. They will discover the city in a way they have never imagined. Is the fountain of Place de la Riponne inhabited? Why there are fallows in city spaces? Is Lausanne a great place for living for Plants, insects and other little bugs? Tantalize your naturalist side and slip into the shoes of a scientist specialized in natural sciences. L’Eprouvette, the public laboratory of Lausanne University proposes to conduct scientific experiments in the heart of the city, and to dialogue with researchers to discover how research contributes to biodiversity.

To celebrate the 200 years of the Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), l’Eprouvette and other players in natural sciences in the region offer scientific activities in the heart of Lausanne. It is for free and all audiences. LuxuryActivist by being a Swiss blog, needed to highlight it.

“Belles plantes, bêtes à six pattes et autres lausannois insoupçonnés” #EprouvetteRL

Saturday 3 October 2015, 9h00-15h00 / Place de la Riponne, Lausanne.
http://wp.unil.ch/mediationscientifique

Lausanne is an amazing hub for technology, research and natural sciences. Within the University (UNIL) and the Federal Polytechnic School (EPFL), there are thousands of people, students and researches that work everyday to make our world a better place.
At UNIL, several initiatives exist and one of them is L’Eprouvette.

L’Eprouvette, the public laboratory of UNIL proposes practical activities to learn about the techniques used in biology labs. These workshops in small groups are also an opportunity to discuss with scientists, research issues and applications in daily life. You can organize a series of workshops for different people:

Students
Family and Friends
Birthdays
Colleagues
Members of an association

You can discover the world around through hands-on activities and experiments in order to be informed about several questions in Science and Society that affect us all.

So, if you are around in Lausanne, do not hesitate to visit Place de la Riponne and learn much more about a different facet of Lausanne that you definitely did not know.

LA

Info sourced at L’Eprouvette. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Bentley Bentayga, the essence of Luxury SUV

Luxury

LuxuryActivist

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30 September 2015

0

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Bentley is an amazing success story. With the launch of the Bentayga, the luxury car constructor is definetely entering the highly competitive market of luxury SUV. Bentley’s SUV takes the class to a new level. Imposing and capable, Bentayga has been conceived and crafted to open up a realm of luxury and performance previously unattainable in an SUV.

Bentley, the Cherish on top of the cake

Bentley was founded in 1919 in the North of London. After several chapters in the car company story, Bentley ended up at Rolls Royce in the 70’s. Obvious the 2 brands had a lot in common, in the exclusive experience they both provided to the lucky car owners. By the end of the 90’s, the Rolls Royce group got some financial issues and Bentley was sold to the Volkswagen Group for £430m. It was an important investment from Volkswagen and because they believed in the future of Bentley, they were ready to invest. The investment did not stop in the purchase of the British brand. Volkswagen invested almost $1million in Bentley’s factory which doubled the number of employees. The aim for the German Group was to regive wings to the Brand again. The first car project under the roof of Volkswagen was the Bentley Continental. Launched in 2003, it was an amazing commercial success for the brand.

Volkswagen Group, synergies for cutting edge innovation

One of the strengh of the Volkswagen group is to develop great synergies between different brands. From Design, structure, engine or hybrid technologies, the VW group launched many cars thanks to this amazing innovation mechanics. The Bentley Bentayga example is a state of the art in terms of group synergies.
The engine is based on a Volkswagen Group V12 engine. This W12 badged W12 engine is twelve cylinder W engine of four rows of three cylinders, formed by joining two imaginary 15° VR6 engine cylinder blocks, placed on a single crankshaft, with each cylinder ‘double-bank’ now at a 72° angle. This specific configuration is more appropriately described as a WR12 engine. It was already used in the Bentley Continental GT and Continental Flying Spur with the addition of 2 Turbochargers.
The main structure is based on the Volkswagen MLB platform. MLB stands for Modularer Längsbaukasten, translating from German to “Modular Longitudinal Matrix”. This platform concept was initially introduced via Audi in 2012 with the A5, Q5 and Q7. Porsche introduced this concept in the Macan and now the second generation is applied to the new Q7 and the Bentley Bentayga. This platform concept has largelly made its proof thanks to all the work done by VW on the Touareg. So Bentley entered the competive SUV market in a very good way. It is not about luxury, it is not about all wheels drive, it is both!

The Luxury SUV market, a hot trend

How Bentley is going to tackle the SUV market and the difference between them and more conventional 4×4 cars and SUV companies? For decades, the “all-road” market was completely dominated by efficient functional cars that could be driven under any weather condition on any type of road. It was the era of Land Rover, Toyota or GMC. The 4×4 wheel drive was something dedicated to professionals and people living in the country side. The pioneer was Jeep with its Jeep Willis of 1941 (military purposes). Then, there was a variation of this segment torwards a more leasure, less functional car, still all-road. That’s how Americans invented the concept of S.U.V., meaning Sport Utility Vehicule. The original 1984 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) made by American Motors combined a passenger car with truck chassis for ease of driving in difficult conditions, as well as established the modern SUV market segment and its popularity in the late-1980s and early-1990s. The compact-sized XJ Cherokee was one of the most best selling SUV models ever made, with over 2.8 million built between 1984 and 2001.
This was an amazing background to prepare a new segment: the luxury SUV market. Companies like Land Rover, based on their solid experience and know how, launched Range Rover, a more fashionable, lifestyle brand that would fulfill a demand on premium all-road cars. The market developed then thanks to the German car companies. Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes became very successful in the luxury SUV segment. This happened along the way of a new trend in terms of car consumption. While city cars would become more functional, compact and designed for functionality, the all-road cars would integrate a new factor: pleasure. In deed people would drive less to work but would spend more time in their cars during weekends and holidays. So they would enjoy comfortable, adventurous cars still sportive and stylish. These make the success of brands like Audi or BMW. The ultra-luxury market got immediately interested by this segment based on the growth it would provide. Porsche got an amazing succes with the Cayenne and more recently Lamborghini launched its SUV concept: Urus. It is supposed to be fully launched in 2018 and it is an important step for the Italian brand. It is a major trend that more and more high-end luxury brands will launch their SUVs. In order to proactively anticipate this new chapter, Bentley made a very smart move.

Bentley Bentrayga, the essence of a luxury SUV

By completely capitalizing on Volkswagen know-how, Bentley won a minimum of 5 years in terms of Research and Development. Now with the Bentayga, Bentley will take a strong share in this super-premium position. With a vast range of options and opportunities to personalise, together with ground-breaking technology that opens up new experiences, it is as unique as it is unexpected. With innovation at its heart, it displays unprecedented power, speed and efficiency, setting new standards in the SUV sector.

To create such a revolutionary car, Bentley’s designers were compelled to think in new ways. When you look at a car, you don’t really see it. It’s the same when you look at any solid object. Colours and contours are merely illusions; all our eyes really see is light, bouncing off surfaces in different ways. It is the way our brains process light that gives us our 3D view of the world. Bentayga’s exterior was designed with this principle in mind and made real with Bentley’s world-famous sculptural prowess. Strategic design elements like the ultra-sharp power line, signature ‘horseshoe’ at the rear and the muscular haunch, adding volume and power to the taller profile, are complemented by individual and dynamic detailing: the B-shaped wing vent behind the front wheel arch and Bentayga’s signature ‘B’ graphic rear lamps. From the four round headlamps that flank the matrix grille to Bentley’s trademark ‘double wing’ cockpit design, Bentayga brings the marque’s DNA to the SUV. Please check the brand website for more information: http://www.bentleymotors.com

Bentley is one of the ultimate icons of luxury in the automobile industry. Its name, as its logo give you wings to explore a stylish journey, now all-road.

LA

All information is sourced at Bentley official communication and website, wikipedia, Forbes and Car Passion. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Alien by Thierry Mugler, 10 years already, Flashback!

José Amorim

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27 September 2015

0

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Every year, hundreds of new fragrances are launched in the world. After 10 years, only one or two of these hundreds are still around and may be one might be still a top performer in terms of sales. So many creations get lost in the dust memories of the past. So which fragrances were launched 10 years ago and that are still on the market? Alien by Thierry Mugler is definitely the one. Celebrating 10 years, this amazing fragrance has an extremely originality and highlights femininity like no other fragrance of the market. Women rise as goddesses and the wild sensuality of Sambac jasmine takes you into an extraordinary journey. Flashback.

2005, a great year for the fragrance industry

According to Basenotes.net, there were 631 new fragrances that were launched in 2005. The 21st century was an interesting new chapter in the fragrance industry. After the search for simplicity, spirituality and a sort of back to basics in the 1990’s, the new century brought back a more entrepreneurial approach. Men and Women wished to assert their gender and sexuality. So fragrances are back to a more sensuality exploration. The beginning of the years 2000 rediscovered the great olfactive families like the florals , Chypres and Orientals. In September 2005, 3 main launches took over the fragrance industry and they were the 3 stars of that holiday season:

Alien Eau de Parfum by Thierry Mugler
Gaultier 2 Eau de Parfum by Jean-Paul Gaultier
Hypnôse Eau de Parfum by Lacôme.

Major feminine brands decided to bring to the market big launches in 2005. Jean-Paul Gaultier launched Gaultier2, a new opus translating a tender yet sensual fragrance, for her and for him. For Jean Paul Gaultier, Francis Kurkdjian – who designed ‘Le Mâle’ – has come up with a mysterious and sensual essence reminiscent of the scent of skin. It blends white musk with notes of vanilla bean. The amber note, with an ambergris scent, is the result of a blend of rockrose with woodsy and vanilla notes. The aim for Jean-Paul Gaultier was to bring an original and unique positioning for its new fragrance. By capitalizing on the Brand powerful name, they expected to make a big hit.

Lancôme did not find the success they would have expected with Attraction Eau de Parfum launched in 2004. They needed to strike back or to loose positions. With Hypnôse, Lancôme entered a field of sensuality, sophistication and mystery. A territory quite far away from the Tresor woman. Probably a good thing. The sensual encounter of vanilla and vetiver in a new sunny-woodsy-Oriental essence. Passiflora, or passion flower, brings an exotic luminosity reinforced by the sunny heat of Sambac jasmine. A two-headed creation from perfumers Annick Menardo and Thierry Wasser (Firmenich).Hypnose performed much better than the previous one.

Thierry Mugler has a strong feminine identity. With the launch of Angel Eau de Parfum, Mugler proposed a strong image of women, true wonder-women of modern times. A lot of the brand fragrance universe was inspired by this first signature fragrance. The masculine fragrance, A*Men launched in 1996, and Angel Innocent for women launched in 1998 were basically different facets from the Angel amazing universe. In 2001, Mugler launched one of the most amazing fragrances of all: Mugler Cologne. It is an unisex fragrance with a great trail and olfactory signature. The advertising was just out of this world. Thierry Mugler had in its feminine portfolio the following fragrances by then:

Angel, launched in 1992
Angel Innocent, launched in 1998
Mugler Cologne, Unisex, launched in 2001

Out of these 3 launches, only Alien crossed the last decade and still being relevant in terms of sales and in terms of fans. It was definitely a one-in-a-kind fragrance and each woman who tried Alien, got immediately convinced it was a fragrance for them. Alien has a very distinctive signature that outstands from the hundreds of new launches every year. Thierry Mugler has also a long term vision of its business, so it is one of the rarest brands to give time to install each of its launches. The audacity and the vision to launch unique and original fragrances pays thanks to the loyalty of conquered customers.

Alien Eau de Parfum: an extraordinary message for extraordinary women

In 2005 there was for sure some room for launching a new feminine territory and translate the brand extraordinary universe in a different way, away from the blue and silver star universe. And that is how Alien by Thierry Mugler was born. Launched in 2005, it was for sure one of the most beautiful and original launch of that year. Thirteen years after Angel, Thierry Mugler has dreamt up a new creation under the sign of mystery and seduction. Its very name, Alien, resonates like a shock wave, “strange and mysterious, emanating from the origins of the world and the extremes of the future.” The bottle, like the philosopher’s stone, calls to mind the magical pirinciples of alchemy; the aura is one of light. Presented in the visuals by a shaman-woman, who, in the lens of the photographer-creator, incarnates the alien, the other, bearing a gift of peace and happiness, a being combining the supernatural with an ethnic mix that seems to be a message for humanity.

The fragrance has a very original name: Alien. In english an Alien is someone coming from somewhere else, a visitor, a person coming from a far away place and being now among us. It can be someone from outer space but can also be someone from another country. Thierry Mugler offered to its new fragrance an amazing collection of flacons, all cut like precious stones, like amazing Amethysts.

It is an amazing collection of flacons. You want to have them all. Naturally, all the know how of the best glass experts at Bormioli brought the best of the best. The golden claws present the flacon like a crimp gemstone. Such an extraordinary flacon can only keep an extraordinary fragrance. Perfumers Dominique Ropion and Laurent Bruyère have dreamt up a mysterious and sensual elixir composed along three fragrant lines. An amber facet, revealed by an overdose of transparent white amber. A woodsy facet radiating cashmeran, a remarkable wood, spell-binding and dense. And finally a floral facet, dominated by the sunny warmth of Sambac jasmine from India.

The messenger was actually… a solar goddess!

The more we got to know the Alien fragrance universe, the more we realized how extraordinary it was. The messenger coming from somewhere else had a strong message to deliver to all women. This messenger was actually a Solar Goddess, a true icon of soft-power illuminating all women with a feminine aura.

After making her appearance, this sun goddess is awakened to light. Divinity receives this positive energy, life itself, and feels it within before bestowing it on others graciously. The new Alien campaign perfectly depicts this inner and outer radiance. With it, we experience the shimmering golds and exploding colors of Castello di Sammezzano under the warm Tuscan sun. It reveals a white dress veiled in gold, woven from LED lights and optical fibers. Simply radiant. The Solar Goddess reveals herself chapter after chapter and invite you to the most astonishing experiences of all.

The awakening of the Sun Goddess in the light of the sun in its zenith… she seizes its energy, her life-source is restored and she begins to glow. Her entire being is host to this intense energy and she releases absolute serenity. In a generous act, she floods the Earth with this light, sending out her benevolent energy. 3 revelations will captivate your senses:

Floral revelation Radiant Sambac jasmine. Under the Indian sun, its petals are fragrant with green and honey notes. Sunny and warm, it encompasses the full radiance of feminine beauty.

Woody revelation Mysterious Cashmeran wood. An intriguing and magnetic scent which draws us towards another world.

Amber revelation A modern interpretation of white amber. Warm, soft and precious, it reveals an intense, enveloping and comforting aroma.

This year, Alien is celebrating its 10th anniversary. An amazing success story based on a vision of an amazing fragrance brand. In order to create something special, Thierry Mugler launched a special edition of the iconic Alien flacon. The Talisman flacon is the symbol of this promise, a promise of captivating sensuality.

As you can see, Alien is a fragrance that came from the extraordinary universe of Thierry Mugler, a messenger that revealed herself as a Solar goddess. She brings an intense message to all women. A message of femininity, power and soft aura. You can discover more by visiting the official brand website here: http://www.mugler.com

Give room to the extraordinary in your life and start a journey under the soft energy of the sun.

LA

Info sourced at Thierry Mugler 10 years official communication, basenotes, wikipedia, Osmoz, Parfumdepub.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. All images are for illustration purposes only.

Social Media in Switzerland, 2015 figures

High Tech

LuxuryActivist

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26 September 2015

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Here are the updated figures for Social media in Switzerland. These figures correspond to end of August 2015. As we can see, Switzerland is a very connected country in which luxury brands but also media, electronics or retail food are all using social media to communicate with customers and fans.

The development of social media in Switzerland was accelerated by the high penetration of smartphones. In deed there are more than 4.6 million people in Switzerland who have a smartphone. This represents a penetration rate of 52%. If we have a close look into the young part of the population, meaning 15 to 29 years old, the penetration rate is close to 90%. This technological development helped the growth of internet in Switzerland. With internet, came social media. Here is a complete snapshot about the social medial Swiss landscape last month, August 2015.

When we look to Facebook and the top 200 pages with most fans in Switzerland, we can see that Beverages and retail are the biggest activities. Brands like Coca-Cola and Red-Bull are definitely leading the way on total number of local fans. Retailers like Migros, a huge institution in Switzerland is also very powerful and very “social”.

Swisscom, which is also a huge institution and almost a cultural reference to the country is leading the way on Facebook with almost 240k fans. With an audience of 3.5 million in August 2015, Facebook reached 65 percent of the Swiss online population and had the highest engagement. Internet users in Switzerland spent an average of 176 minutes per visitor on Facebook, 174 minutes on Google and just over an hour on Yahoo! last month. It is interesting to see that a brand like Netflix started very strong in Switzerland. In August, it was Netflix who had the highest engaged post on Facebook with more than 18’000 interactions.

Facebook reaches one third of the Swiss population and this number increases to 82% among the younger individuals from 18 to 29 years old. Facebook is definitely the biggest social network, not only in the world but also in Switzerland. Twitter and Youtube follow. Here below the top Twitter brands and Youtube brands in Switzerland. It is interesting to see again the impact of Netflix and how strong they got in social media.

88% of Swiss people use regularly internet and 75% are even considered as big users by using it everyday. Social Media is an interesting topic for such a connected market as Switzerland. Swiss blogs are also very popular and can be followed as much as official press. But this would be another topic.

LA

Info sourced at comparis.ch, SocialBakers, La Tribune de Geneve, Comscore. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

ADPOCALYPSE, and the end of an era of digital advertising – Adblocker alert!

High Tech

LuxuryActivist

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16 September 2015

0

Reading Time: 6 minutes

In 2015, ad blockers are supposed to cost $ 22 billion for all industries. This outstanding figures will be generated by ad banners that people will not see and that brands might end up paying anyway. This situation makes a new word to surf the crest of the trends: VIEWABILITY. Are your ads really seen? Are they seen by humans? And the right ones? Loads of questions that ultimately will create a big problem for advertisers and publishers.
Certain studies mention that today’s viewability rate for a campaign is in average between 35% to 50%. In the luxury industry, best practices in media buying would talk about 46% of viewability. This means there is 50% of your ad investment that counts for peanuts. How come?

Banners bellow the folder
Non-human traffic (web-robots)
Plugin-ins and technology issues
Downloading times
Geo-blocking contexts

In today’s advertising world, luxury companies and high-tech brands dominate the landscape. These advertisers are creative, powerful and have a great appeal. This is not necessary good luxury news but the industry is thinking about how to tackle this in a different way. In the meantime, we are not far from the advertising doom day.

Technology is the real killer

Two main changes happened this year: the official death of flash and the rise of Ad-blockers. These two (r)evolutions change radically the way digital marketers will see their campaigns develop. With the death of flash, ad creation became more complex as the HTML5 code needs to blend to the website code. The integration is cleaner and multiple devices compatible but requires more work in terms of integration. It is also more costly to produce (vs flash). In a way this follows the trend of responsive / adaptive websites in which the pages layout would adapt based on the user device (desktop, Smartphone or tablet). By using HTML5 marketers make sure their ads will adapt to the website behavior. In the battle between Adobe (flash) and Apple (HTML5) the Cupertino company won. So we talk about the slow death of flash.

The second point that created the buzz was the rise of ad-blocking technology. Ad-blockers is the hot word right now. Just Google it and you will find millions of hits. Google even propose the best download possible depending on the device you are searching with. One interesting question is: will ad blockers work on Google Adwords? The answer is it depends. Google paid $887 million to Adblocker Plus in order to display their ads. There is project called Acceptable Ads Initiative that started in 2011 and it is supposed to describe what is a good ad for users.

Static Advertisement only
Ads should not interrupt the page content
No Scroll downs required
When Ads placed on the right side, should leave enough place for the content
Ads should be marked as “Advertising”
Etc.

Naturally if the user decide to block adwords, he will be able to although it is not a always on option activated by default. Google get paid only if the users click on the ads. Brands do not pay for visibility (impressions) but for engagement (clicks). So potentially, the people who click all the time on adtexts will not necessary install an adblocker. People who are annoyed about ads in general do not click on adtexts and banners. So these people would and will install adblockers. At the end it is not a big loss. Nevertheless, adblockers are a reality and it is going to hurt a lot. And actually more than you think. So far here are the type of adblocker technology:

Block technology like blocking Flash, pop-ups or autoplay videos
White lists and black lists
Ad-blockers browsers extension, preventing ad banners to appear
External softwares and hardwares

Media owners and publishers, how to defend the castle?

Before installing your adblocker, did you ever ask yourself what is the mechanics and the reasons why you see ads in a website? Naturally you believe it is because publishers want to get rich. But did you ever ask yourself how come you can access that
Content for free? Let’s take the example of a magazine or a newspaper (a good one). All that content that you access every day, every week or every month for free (digital) or for a small amount (vs the real cost) it is because of advertising. Paying journalists, photographers, video directors, editors, website maintenance and printing facilities cost a lot of money. As most of people would never pay thousands of dollars for their subscription, companies need to have advertising to pay for their independence and quality of the content. Or media owners should get investments from private people or worse: from the government (think about it). So rather than compromise the quality of the content, websites prefer to offer fairly good advertising, the best they can offer with the technology that is available. And trust me, today we can target people like never before. So, is it a fair deal to get free/almost free access to great content? Pretty much I would say if the quality and type of advertising is adapted.
How publishers fight back this adblocker trend? By alerting the user and letting him know that his adblocker might kill the media industry or make it inaccessible without paying the price.

Many websites are preventing you to access their content if your adblocker is on. It is a fight of power and you better trust that the user will disable his adblocker to access you website. Or he might just go to another place.
It is the slow death of banners. Advertising needs to evolve and to become something different. By placing by default in their OS or new browsers releases, technology companies are forcing the change. Apple is placing a ln active ad blocker on its iOS9 Safari. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome cut flash and adblockers can be installed in a glimpse of an eye.

What does it means for your next digital media campaign? Well the era of digital advertising as we know it, is over. Banners are dead and only an editori approach would lead us to a great user experience. Called it advertainment, advertorial or digital native integration, these represent a more authentic and really interesting approach of the internet user.

Luxury brands are integrating this approach to their media plans and certain media owners are shifting their strategies. They go from ad impressions machines to a more content oriented vision. They create internal studios allowing brands to co-create interesting content with them and distribute the content that is supposed to be highly relevant for their audiences.

The next couple of month will be interesting to measure the true impact of this trend in the advertising industry.

LA

Info sourced at Forbes, International New York Times, Quora, Wikipedia and Google adwords. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are used for illustration purposes only.

Moët & Chandon, a success story with a innovative spirit.

Luxury

LuxuryActivist

-

13 September 2015

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Moët & Chandon has an amazing success story for the past 270 years. Always present in the great moments celebrating the very best and writing the great memories with crystal champagne bubbles. One of the great events in life is when Cinema get involved. Official partner for its 7th time, Moët & Chandon was once again the partner of the Locarno Film Festival. It was also an interesting moment in which Moët & Chandon revealed great innovative creations. The Locarno Film Festival took place during August this year.

Moët & Chandon, a story of elegance and innovation

Moët et Chandon began as Moët et Cie (Moët & Co.), established by Épernay wine trader Claude Moët in 1743, and began shipping his wine from Champagne to Paris. The reign of King Louis XV coincided with increased demand for sparkling wine. Soon after its foundation, and after son Claude-Louis joined Moët et Cie, the winery’s clientele included nobles and aristocrats.

Following the introduction of the concept of a vintage champagne in 1840, Moët marketed its first vintage in 1842. Their best-selling brand, Brut Imperial was introduced in the 1860s. Their best known label, Dom Perignon, is named for the Benedictine monk remembered in legend as the “Father of Champagne”. Moët & Chandon merged with Hennessy Cognac in 1971 and with Louis Vuitton in 1987 to become LVMH (Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy), the largest luxury group in the world, netting over 16 billion euros in fiscal 2004. Moët & Chandon holds a Royal Warrant as supplier of champagne to Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2006, Moët et Chandon Brut Impérial issued an extremely limited bottling of its champagne named “Be Fabulous”, a special release of its original bottle with decorative Swarovski crystals, marking the elegance of Moët et Chandon. Today The Champagne house owns 1,150 hectares (2,800 acres) of vineyards. It is the biggest domain in the Champagne region, and annually produces approximately 28 million bottles of champagne.

Lively and generous, Brut Imperial distinguishes itself by a bright fruitiness; a seductive palate and an elegant maturity, that continually seduce and delight. Its aromas are radiant, revealing bright white-fleshed fruits, citrus fruits, floral nuances and elegant blond notes. The palate is seductive, richly flavoured and smooth combining generosity and elegance, fullness and finesse, followed by a delicately fresh crispiness, to reveal the magical balance of champagne. The flagship of Moet & Chandon since 1869, Brut Imperial is the most accomplished and universal expression of its style. Moët Impérial is the House’s iconic champagne. It embodies Moët & Chandon’s unique style, a style distinguished by its bright fruitiness, its seductive palate and its elegant maturity.

Moët & Chandon, the “Mini-Moët” 20cl

After 270 years of great history and being the biggest Champagne producers in France, Moët & Chandon keeps its innovative spirit by launching new amazing products. In order to bring a new sparkling to a celebration, the French Champagne house launches a 20cl bottle with an innovative incorporated coupe.

By launching a new 20cl bottle, Moët & Chandon brought a new young and edgy way to drink champagne. By adding the top cap-coupe adaptor, you can taste the magnificent Imperial champagne directly from the bottle, as the bottle itself became a coupe de champagne. Very clever and very modern. In a way, they did a rework of the iconic symbol as the bottle of champagne. By changing the codes, they bring Champagne to a more young and trendy clientele. Very clever and very relevant.

Moët & Chandon, the Solar Gold Bucket.

The French Champaign house presents for the summer season the Solar Gold Bucket. Water resistant this trendy cooling bucket fits perfectly several Mini Mini Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial or a 75cl bottle. This clever invention is a simple as smart. You can keep your bottle cold and still enjoy a stylish experience. In order to create an explosion of flavors, it is suggested to drink champagne in tall glasses with fruit brochettes like raspberries or peaches; the ideal drink for a sunny season.

To discover more about the amazing world of Moët & Chandon, do not hesitate to connect to the brand official website here: http://www.moet.com

LA

Info sourced at Moët & Chandon official communication release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. All images are for illustration purposes only.

Spiralps: Fresh Spirulina, organic and all Swiss-Made

Luxury

LuxuryActivist

-

12 September 2015

0

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Discover Spiralps, the first revitalising drink made from fresh Spirulina, organic fruit and Alpine herbs. Swiss Made. Spirulina is one of the oldest life forms on Earth. In fact, this blue-green microalgae is partly responsible for producing the oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere that billions of years ago allowed the planet’s originating life forms to develop. Spirulina is the world’s first superfood, and one of the most nutrient-rich foods on Earth.

Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid). Spirulina provides a wide range of health benefits almost immediately upon ingestion. It provides a near-instantaneous boost to one’s energy, while helping to improve endurance and reduce fatigue. It helps improve the immune system, and provides exceptional support for the heart, liver, and kidneys. Spirulina is also a natural detoxifier, oxygenating the blood, and helping cleanse the body of toxins and other impurities that may be causing illnesses or other health complications (source: https://umm.edu)

Spirulina promotes the body’s natural cleansing processes. It contains nutrients that help to eliminate heavy metals from the body and to improve immune system defenses. Those vital substances reduce the toxicity of the free radicals and protect our cells.

Spiralps, a Swiss-made idea all done at the state of art.

Frédéric Dubois and Yannick Lesbros, passionate fans of spirulina who have been won over by its beneficial effects, are very proud to be able to provide the best that nature has in every bottle of Spiralps.

Spiralps is a Swiss company, born in the Valais canton. The idea of Spiralps started in 2008 and they started selling it by the end of 2012. Considered by the NASA as one of the 20 vital food for long-term space missions, Spirulina is very trendy right now. According to Spiralps, Spirulina compensates for deficiencies in the diet and stimulates the metabolism. Your physical condition improves noticeably and you recover faster after exertion, severe fatigue, intense effort, period of stress. pirulina naturally sustains your vitality. If you take Spirulina regularly you will gradually reach a higher energy level. Spirulina gives you new energy without taking pep-ups and makes you more alert and stable.

Spiralps is the First Revitalising Organic Drink made from Fresh Spirulina. Made from a clever blend of fresh Spirulina and organic ingredients, it is all Swiss-made here in Valais. Already present in more than 120 points of sales, you can also buy online. Spiralps proposes 3 different plans:

Spiralps DETOX Plan
Spiralps VITALITY Plan
Spiralps MAINTAIN Plan

Each plan answers a specific need and step. The Detox plan helps you to get read of all toxins in your body like the Lactic acid. Generally Spiralps experts advice you to start with this one. Then, you have the Vitality Plan that helps boost your body and re-energize your metabolism. Last but not least, the MAINTAIN Plan, that helps you day after day to get your fresh Spirulina dose. To guarantee top quality, Spiralps contains Spirulina produced in a controlled environment and added fresh – not dried. Spiralps is pasteurized with a new cold (high-pressure) technique, which does not need to heat the product and preserves its best qualities.

The Spiralps DETOX Plan, tested by LuxuryActivist.com

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to try the Spiralps DETOX Plan for 7 days. Here is the product testing results.

The idea is to get rid of all toxins from the body. So during the treatment we need to avoid things like coffee, dairy products, bread and red meat. The plan was very easy to start. Every day you get an email from Spiralps that gives you several tips to go through the treatment and also to motivate you. It works very well. It was really a great surprise all these emails.

During the first 2 days, I needed to drink 2 x 200ml (the small white bottles) before 12:00PM. From the 3rd day, I needed to drink 1 x 500ml before noon. The taste was really good, so it was a true pleasure to drink it in the morning.

In my case it was super hard to stop the Dairy products like yoghurts because I really like it. But for the sake of the test, I stop the recommended products for 7 days. In terms of side effets, I got any. After a few days, I started feeling really great and got an extra dynamic because of my daily diet and the Spirulina. After 7 days, I was really feeling the effects of the treatment. By the end of August, the weather got suddenly cold and lots of people around me got sick. I crossed the entire period 100% healthy and I felt it was thanks to the Spiralps treatment. We truly recommend Spiralps to all people concerned about his diet and health. It is amazing to see that it is one of the oldest super-food in the world and it took so long time to get the required exposure only now.

You can discover more about this super qualitative fresh Spirulina made by Spiralps here in the company website:

https://www.spiralps.ch

Spiralps is an organic product certified by Bio Inspecta AG. Our apples are grown near our production site; the peaches and lemons come from sunny Spain and our Sea Buckthorn from the French Alps. Spiralps is produced in the Swiss Alps; at the foot of the mountains near the Rhône River in an area called Valais. All the steps in producing Spiralps are carefully monitored, creating a top quality product with a high level of traceability.

In a future where we wonder what we put in our mouthes, Spirulina seems an amazing super-food. We still need more knowledge around this idea of super-food and the least we can say is that Spiralps had a visionary idea several years ago.

LA

Info sourced via Spiralps website, wikipedia, Nutrex-hawaii.com, Umm.edu, S-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com, Healwithfood.org and Bilan.ch. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. All images are for illustration purposes only.

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