There’s a box of Avon Angel Fish soaps on a shelf of Pat White’s bedside table.
All posts by Born Unicorn
I Capture the Castle (2003)
Cassandra and Rose Mortmain go to a luxury department store in London to get two fur coats their aunt Millicent left them as inheritance. Before getting to the right floor, Rose wanders in the perfume and fashion accessory department. Some Guerlain perfumes are displayed in a glass case: they are Shalimar and Véga.
The selection is historically accurate: the film is set in the 1930s, a decade during which both perfumes had been released. Shalimar was launched in 1925 and Véga in 1926.
David Bowie’s Dressing Room (1976)
David Bowie putting his make-up in Paris in 1976. The picture was taken by Andrew Kent.
American Horror Story S05E11 (Battle Royale)
The showdown between the Countess (Lady GaGa) and Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett) opens with a conversation on what they smell like. From the Countess’ remark we learn that Ramona wears Guerlain Shalimar and that her blood smells like walnuts. On the other hand, the Countess’ blood smells like black licorice.
Ramona’s perfume of choice doesn’t come as a surprise: created by Jacques Guerlain in 1925, this alluring perfume is among the most famous oriental fragrances. Its top notes include vanilla, leather, bergamot, lemon; the middle notes are jasmine, rose, vanilla, orris, patchouli, vetiver, incense, civet; the base notes are vanilla, tonka bean and musk.
If you want to learn more about this iconic perfume, read this amazing post by Monsieur Guerlain.
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Two Van Cleef & Arpels perfumes can be seen in the scene introducing the protagonist, Jupiter Jones. The blue bottle is Midnight in Paris, a balsamic fragrance created by Domitille Bertier and Olivier Polge; the one with the faceted stopper is Oriens, a perfume combining vetiver, raspberry and praline, created by Bernard Ellena. Both perfumes were launched in 2010.
Truth (2015)
The Ladies Man (1961)
Two bottles of vintage Revlon nail polish can be seen in the opening credits.
Homeland S05E12 (A False Glimmer)
I Capture the Castle (2003)
When Cassandra (Romola Garai) and Rose Mortmain (Rose Byrne) visit a luxury department store in London, the smell that impresses them the most is a bluebell perfume spritzed by a sales assistant. Rose establishes a connection between that smell and heaven, emphasized by the unusually posh place they’re at.
Later in the film, Cassandra and Stephen Colley (Henry Cavill) have the same conversation; it’s Cassandra who utters the “I can smell heaven” previously said by her sister. In this case, they’re not referring to the perfume, but to real bluebells.
Rose writes a letter to Cassandra, describing the preparations for her upcoming wedding to Simon Cotton. She speaks of her visit to the same luxury store she went to with her sister some time before: the place, she explains, has the same exact smell, “heaven and bluebells”.
Cassandra is over the moon when Rose gives her the bluebell perfume as a birthday present. This is a fictional perfume, but the label and the box remind me of Penhaligon’s Bluebell, an intoxicating perfume created by Michael Pickthall and launched in 1985.
Lady D and Kate Moss were/are among the fans of this floral green fragrance, a triumph of hyacinth, made peculiar by earthy tones of cloves and cinnamon.
Britney Spears’ Dressing Room (2015)
Britney recently posted a picture of her dressing room in Las Vegas, where she’s back with her Piece of Me show. Let’s see what’s on her dressing table, starting from the left.
There’s a NARS pro palette on the black nylon make-up bag. I wonder what is inside: blushes or eye-shadows?
There are also a can of Klorane dry shampoo with nettle and one of Bumble and bumble Bb Does It All styling spray.
The tiny plastic bottle with pink cap is Bioderma Sensibio H2O make-up removing micelle solution.
There’s a tube of MAC Dazzleglass lipgloss, not sure about the exact shade.
There are also two bottles of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation.
Behind the foundation bottles there’s a NARS illuminator. Judging from the colour, it could be Orgasm, Super Orgasm or Hot Sand.
Not beauty-related, but there’s also a tin box of Altoids Curiously Strong mints in Spearmint.
Thanks to Emily in the comments for the Klorane id.
World Wide Aura 