All posts by Born Unicorn

Pedantic archivist of beauty products in films and tv shows
stars' vanities/make-up cases/cabinets in real life

Sharon Tate’s Eye Make-Up Products

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In November 2018, the Hollywood auction house Julien’s Auctions will present an important event: many personal belongings of the American actress Sharon Tate will be auctioned. One of the most promising stars of the 1960s, Tate had a taste for refined and trendy clothes and a unique make-up style. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her brutal death by the hand of the infamous Charles Manson’s Family.

maybellineeyebrowpencil_bornunicornThe auction will include some of the make-up items she used, among which Revlon black and white eye pencils, a Maybelline eyebrow pencil. The Aida de Leon gold tube was probably a mascara. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find any information about this brand: it would have been interesting to know more about it. I think it was a brand of professional make-up for theatre and cinema.

helenarubinsteinlonglashmascara_bornunicornThe other gold tube contains Helena Rubinstein Long-Lash mascara.

I love seeing Sharon applying her make-up. With a thin brush she drew a line in her eye sockets, so as to give depth and achieve a dramatic effect.

Picture source.

nail polish in movies, perfumes in movies, vintage beauty products

Indiscreet (1958)

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There are several perfumes and toiletries on Anna’s dressing table.

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First, two bottles of Revlon nail polish in the signature bottle with super-long cap handle.

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Now let’s focus on the perfume bottles. At the centre of the table there’s Jean Patou Joy, “the world’s most expensive perfume” created in 1930 by Henri Alméras.

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Next to it, a beautiful amphora bottle by Christian Dior. Hard to tell what perfume it contained here: designed in 1947 by Fernand Guéry-Colas and produced by Baccarat, it was first used for Miss Dior, but later used for all the other perfumes of the French house – Diorissimo, Diorling, Diorella and Diorama. If we consider the film was released in 1958, the amphora could contain Miss Dior, Diorama (launched in 1948) or Diorissimo (launched in 1956).

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Last but not least, there’s a Guerlain flacon montre. Again, it’s impossible to say what eau de cologne it contained, but we can make some assumptions. It could be Shalimar or Cachet Jaune (blood orange and yellow stickers, respectively; both launched in 1937), L’Heure Bleue (pale blue sticker; launched in 1945), Ode (purple sticker; the eau de cologne was launched in 1950s, but I don’t know the exact date), Fleur de Feu (hot pink sticker; the perfume was released in 1948, so probably the eau de cologne was on the market by the time Indiscreet was shot), Mitsouko (teal sticker; launched in 1937), Jicky (deep purple sticker; launched in 1945), Chypre 53 (light green sticker; the perfume was released in 1953, so it’s possible the cologne already existed in 1958) or Liu (black sticker; launched in 1956).

stars' vanities/make-up cases/cabinets in real life

Zachary Quinto’s Dressing Room (2018)

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Zachary Quinto took this picture in his dressing room at the Booth Theater in New York, where he was performing as Harold in the hit play The Boys in the Band, written in 1968 by Mart Crowley and now directed by Joe Mantello.

americancrewfibercream_bornunicorn.jpgThe first item on the left is a jar of American Crew Fiber, a high-hold hair styling product.

drhauschkafacialtoner_bornunicorndr-hauschka-cleansing-milk_bornunicornThere are two products by Dr. Hauschka – the facial toner and the soothing cleansing milk, both in pump bottles.

jurliquerosewatermist_bornunicornThe pink bottle is Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense (deluxe edition).dermalogicabarrierrepair_bornunicorn.jpgThere’s also a tube of Dermalogica Barrier Repair moisturiser.

compactfxfoundation_bornunicorn.jpgLast, there’s a Cover FX compact, which could contain a bronzer, a pressed mineral foundation or a total cover cream foundation.

Source.

haircare in movies, perfumes in movies

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (2017)

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filmstarsdontdieinliverpool_bornunicorn (1)The opening scene of the film sees the actress Gloria Grahame is in her dressing room at the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster, UK, unpacking her toiletries and getting ready to perform in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams [1].

filmstarsdontdieinliverpool_bornunicorn (2)elnetthairspray_vintage_bornunicornShe takes out a can of L’Oreal Elnett hairspray.

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chanelno5_dabberbottle_bornunicorn-e1478764778808.jpgThe perfume sitting on the dressing table is Chanel No. 5.

[1] The film is based on the last years of the American actress’ life. It’s true she performed at the Dukes in 1980, but she had the leading role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, not in the Williams play as seen in the film.

skincare in movies

Disobedience (2017)

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disobedience_bornunicornThere are three blue glass bottles in Esti Kuperman’s bathroom. All of them are by the London-based natural skincare brand Neal’s Yard Remedies.

nealsyardhandwash_bornunicornThe tall pump bottle has a pale lavender label, so it’s a hand wash. It could be the garden mint and bergamot one, the geranium and orange or the citrus one.

nealsyardtoner_bornunicornThe smaller bottle has a pale blue label, so it’s a toner. The rehydrating rose, the nourishing orange flower, the rejuvenating frankincense and the purifying palmarosa toners all have the same bottle.