All posts by Born Unicorn

Pedantic archivist of beauty products in films and tv shows

Behind the Scenes of the MET’s Costume Institute Gala 2018: Lily Collins

I usually don’t cover social events, but the theme of this year’s Costume Institute Gala (Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination) intrigued me a lot. Unfortunately, most of the celebrities attending approached the theme with a Carnival-like, if not grotesque, attitude, but there’s an exception: Lily Collins. Her make-up artist, Fiona Stiles, published on Instagram pictures of the cosmetics used on the British actress, so let’s start from there. All of them are Lancôme: there are Advanced Génefique youth-activating serum, two bottles of Teint Idole Ultra Wear liquid foundation, six Color Design eyeshadows, Effacernes under-eye concealer, Matte Shaker liquid lipstick in Black Flip, two Color Design and two L’Absolu Rouge lipsticks, Le Metallique lip lacquer and Hypnôse Drama mascara. The palettes are Blush Subtil and Color Design eyeshadows. The large compact contains Dual Finish illuminating highlighter. Last but not least, there are two sticks of Teint Idole blush.

Here is Fiona applying some shimmering powder on Lily.

And here is Lily in her Madonna Addolorata glory. I love how the theme of the soiree was reflected by her make-up, which included crystal tears on top and bottom of her eyes and a red teardrop. Sublime! Here you can find a list of the products used on the actress. If you’ve come here for the lip colour (I understand, I really do), it’s the Metallique gloss in Purple Onyx.

Long gone are the days in which I wrote about fashion on a now-defunct blog, but let me indulge in some details from her outfit, starting from the accessories. She wore Cartier jewellery (black pendant earrings, statement ring and diamond cross pendant with on a chain) and a metal crown by Clare Waight Keller, the current creative director at Givenchy.

The dress she wore is from Givenchy Haute Couture spring 2018: it has a chic cloister vibe and looks simply perfect on her.

La pianiste (2001)

lapianiste_bornunicorn-1There are many toiletries in Erika Kohut’s bathroom. In the screencap above, a can of Schwarzkopf Taft hairspray can be seen on the mirror shelf. This product is still on the market, with a different packaging.

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meridoltoothpaste_bornunicorn meridol-mouthwash_bornunicornA tube of Meridol toothpaste is on the mirror shelf, while a bottle of mouthwash from the same brand is on the shelf on the top right. There are Veet shaving cream and Lux bubble bath (in both cases, old packaging) by the tub.

American Psycho (2000)

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There are two fragrances on Courtney’s bedside table: the tall bottle with black stopper is Oscar by Oscar de la Renta, a white floral fragrance created by Jean-Louis Sieuzac in 1977; the round pink bottle is 1881 by Cerruti, created by Claire Cain in 1995.

The Cerruti perfume is historically inaccurate, because the film is set in 1987.

Ammore e Malavita (2017)

vlcsnap-2018-03-29-01h55m40s080One of the criminals in the movie has got a very busy bathroom cabinet, filled with perfumes and colognes!

floidaftershaveatomiser_bornunicornIn the screencap above, he’s holding a bottle of Floid after shave with black pump atomiser. This brand was founded in the 1930s in Barcelona, and it’s still highly appreciated by fans of traditional shaving and skincare.

pinosilvestreaftershave_bornunicornThe only product I was able to identify in the packed cabinet is Pino Silvestre after shave, another classic men’s product, this time quintessentially Italian. Created by Lino Vidal and launched in 1955, it’s a fougère fragrance with fresh top notes. I remember I loved Pino Silvestre bath gel when I was a child: it was a staple in our shower.

American Psycho (2000)

americanpsycho_bornunicorn1Patrick Bateman’s bathroom cabinet is one of the best ever featured in the history of cinema. He’s a psychotic narcissist who spends a great deal of time and money to take care of his physical appearance. No wonder that the selection of perfumes and hair, skin and body products in his bathroom is very refined and luxurious.

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americanpsycho2_bornunicornOn the middle shelf of his cabinet we can see the fragrances Caron Eaux de Caron Pure and Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme. The other products are L’Occitane Spray Coiffant (now discontinued), Phytoplage sun protection oil (old packaging) and  Phyto Men Eau Vigoureuse body splash (now discontinued). The white jar – by L’Occitane – presumably contains a face cream or a mask.

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On the bottom shelf there are three Phyto Men products and another fragrance – Pour un Homme by Caron.

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On the top shelf there are two deodorants – Oscar de la Renta Pour Lui and Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme. A bottle of Pour Lui eau de toilette can be seen on the far left side by of the screencap above.

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americanpsycho4_bornunicornWe are also given access to Patrick’s shower, so we can see he uses Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme all-over shower gel and L’Occitane Eau de Contadour body and hair shower gel.

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More L’Occitane products are in the shower: there’s a bottle of milk shower cream (old packaging) and two shampoos – Shampooing Eclat and Shampooing Nourissant (now discontinued).