Rayon (Jared Leto) applies her make-up using the mirror of a black compact. It’s the Dual Finish highlighter by Lancôme, a product which wasn’t on the market in 1985/1988, years in which the film is set.
On her dresser there’s a can of L’Oreal Elnett hairspray.
There are two products on Maxine’s dressing table which have roses on their packaging.
First, a Velta rose talc in a tin.
Second, a box of Mennen baby oil from 1957: the rose is in the graphics, with a baby head in it. Creepy, I know.
While Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) is walking through the beauty department at B. Altman, we get a glimpse of two factice bottles. The tallest one is Rochas Madame Rochas; the one with the squared black stopper is an eau by Lanvin (it could be either Arpege or My Sin).
One of the most interesting pieces displayed at the Deutsche Kinemathek Museum für Film und Fernsehen is a leather make-up train case owned by Marlene Dietrich. The museum has a beautiful selection of personal objects of the German diva (clothes included), but this case has always attracted my attention. I’ve visited the museum several times, but there’s always been one enigma: a lipstick from Marlene’s case I couldn’t identify (you can see it in the picture above, behind the hair brush, on the right). Until last summer, when I finally was able to read the writing on the bottom of the case.
It’s a lipstick by House of Gourielli in the shade Rose Topaz. The metal case is lovely – it’s decorated by two hands clasped – but the story behind the brand is even better. It was named after Prince Artchil Gourielli-Tchkonia, second husband to Helena Rubinstein, for whom she created a beauty line which included men’s skincare and haircare (sold from the Grey Room of Rubinstein’s beauty salon), women’s skincare, make-up and perfumes.
Two different Floris perfumes can be seen on the counter in the cosmetics department – one has a red label, the other has a purple one. Both of them are limited editions.
The first – Amaryllis – was launched in 2010 as part of the brand’s Private Collection; the second – Royal Arms Diamond Edition – was launched in 2012 but has got a longer history. It was originally created in 1926 to celebrate the birth of George V’s grand-daughter’s birth, who was to become Queen Elizabeth II. In 2012 Floris re-issued the historical fragrance to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
There are two lipsticks on Ilana Mather’s dressing table: the one with the golden case is Pure Color by Estee Lauder; the one with the black and gold case is by Chanel.
The gold jar contains another Estee Lauder product – the face cream Re-Nutriv.
Thanks to Bunny Hoover for the cream id.
One of the most ground-breaking eye shadow colours – the jade green Mermaid Eyes by Max Factor – gets a mention in this scene, set at the make-up counter where Midge works. Too bad this namecheck is historically inaccurate: the story is set in the late 1950s, while the Max Factor product was released in 1962.
Even before starting to work at B. Altman as sales assistant, Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) puts herself in the spotlight by recommending a lipstick to a customer. She actually mentions two shades, both by Revlon – Raven Red and Cherries in the Snow.
The first, launched in 1945, has been discontinued, while the second, launched in 1953, is still among the most popular colours of the brand.
When Susie Meyerson (Alex Borstein) pays Midge a visit at B. Altman, we are given a perfect product placement moment: a factice bottle of Guerlain Chamade gets its own shot.
There’s a problem, though: the beautiful Pochet et du Courval leaf-shaped bottle shouldn’t be sitting at a department store in 1958, because the Paul Guerlain creation was released only in 1969, 11 years later.
While Mary (Erin Darke) and Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) are walking through the beauty department, some perfume bottles can be seen on the counter on the left: they’re Madame Rochas by Rochas (created by Guy Robert in 1960) and a flacon abeilles dorées by Guerlain.
