All posts by Born Unicorn

Pedantic archivist of beauty products in films and tv shows
cosmetics in movies, haircare in movies, nail polish in movies

What Women Want (2000)

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whatwomenwant_bornunicorn (12)One of the most important moments of the film is the introduction of the “pink box”, a box containing beauty and personal care products that women usually use. Darcy McGuire (Helen Hunt) is a newly-appointed manager at the Chicago advertising company where the film is set: she presents her staff with pink boxes to stir their curiosity and encourage their creativity.

vidalsassoonfoam_bornunicornThe box contains Vidal Sassoon hair mousse.

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Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is a chauvinist avertising executive who doesn’t like Darcy and her attitude. He is very skeptical when it comes to the pink box, but he ends up with trying every product in it; among them, Maybelline Great Lash mascara.

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whatwomenwant_bornunicorn (3)lancomevernistripletenue_bornunicornThere’s also a bottle of Lancôme Triple Tenue red nail polish in the box.

perfume quotes in tv shows

Hannibal S01E10 (Buffet Froid)

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hannibal_s01e10_bornunicorn (4)Will Graham’s (induced) hallucinations and seizures are caused by encephalitis: this results from a brain scan he’s undergoing, but Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) already knows it. He explains Dr. Sutcliffe (John Benjamin Hickey) he “could smell it”.

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hannibal_s01e10_bornunicorn (6)Dr. Sutcliffe is a former colleague of Hannibal’s and remembers he was able to call out a nurse’s perfume, but he couldn’t imagine now he can diagnose an autoimmune disease by the smell only.

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hannibal_s01e10_bornunicorn (10)He’s curious and asks Hannibal what the “specific scent” of encephalitis is like. Hannibal’s description is terrifying, yet intriguing: this disease “has heat” and a “fevered sweetness”. I personally connect such a description with fruity fragrances, especially those with peach as a dominant note. What perfumes do you think could match this description?

skincare in movies, vintage beauty products

Red Dragon (2002)

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elizabetharden_ardenacleansingcream_bornunicornThere’s a jar of Elizabeth Arden Ardena cleansing cream in Francis Dolarhyde’s bathroom shelf. This product is a vestige of a long-gone past, originally used by the man’s grandmother.

The Ardena cleansing cream was part of the Venetian Ardena line, created by Elizabeth Arden in collaboration with the chemist A. Fabian Swanson in 1912, after a trip to Paris. The first successful products of the line were Venetian Cream Amoretta, a “fluffy light-whipped cream-like skin cream”, and Arden Skin Tonic. The line included a wide range of items, among which cleansing tissues, Crème Mystique (to conceal redness, blemishes and the shine on the nose), Crème de France (a protective after-sun cream) and cosmetics.

 

perfumes in tv shows

Miami Vice S01E02 (Heart of Darkness)

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In the opening sequence of this episode we learn what the Miami undercover agents Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs smell like. They’re getting ready to go to work (at night, of course, on Sonny’s black 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4) and both of them wear a fragrance. Sonny opts for a bold power scent – Jean Patou Pour Homme, a fougère fragrance launched in 1980 that includes notes of lavender, clary sage and basil (top), patchouli, geranium, vetiver and fir (middle) and leather, civet, vanilla and tonka bean (base).

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Rico opts a more traditional choice – Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene, a woody fragrance created by Andre Fromentin and launched in 1975. It includes notes of galbanum, neroli, petitgrain, bergamot and lemon (top), mimosa, iris, violet, sage, rose, geranium and narcissus (middle), tonka bean, almond, oakmoss, vetiver and cedar (base).

The song in the opening is Devo’s Going Under, from the album New Traditionalists (1981).

Source.

cosmetics in movies, perfumes in movies, skincare in movies

Jeune & jolie (2013)

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jeuneetjolie_bornunicornThere are many products on Isabelle’s bathroom shelf: all of them are French.

sanoflore-essence-merveilleuse_bornunicornThe blue bottle on the left is Sanoflore Essence Merveilleuse, a regenerating anti-age night concentrate.

larocheposay_unifiancefoundation_bornunicornThere’s La Roche-Posay Unifiance shine-free foundation.

nuxe_huileprodigieuseseche_bornunicornOne of the most popular French beauty products is Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. Isabelle uses the sèche version, suitable on face, body and hair.
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There’s a bottle of Nominoë body oil.

chloeperfume_bornunicornThe perfume of choice is Chloé, a floral fragrance created by Amandine Marie and Michel Almairac and launched in 2008. Behind the perfume bottle there’s another Nuxe product in a small tube, but I haven’t been able to identify it. Judging from its content, it could be a travel-size tube or a sample of a product from the Rêve de Miel line.
nominoe_facecleanser_bornunicornLast but not least, another Nominoë product – a gentle foam face cleanser.

Thanks to Mari for the Sanoflore id.

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

Audrey Hepburn’s Dressing Room (1954)

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rochasfemme_vintage_bornunicornThere’s a box of Marcel Rochas Femme on Audrey Hepburn’s dressing table. This comes as a surprise: I can’t really see her wearing such a femme fatale perfume! It’s one of the masterpieces by Edmond Roudnitska, who created it in 1943: it’s a woody/warm spicy scent, with fruity accents of plum, peach and apricot. Its beautiful bottle was inspired by female curves, maybe those of Mae West, whom the French designer made a famous black lace corset for. It’s not a coincidence that black chantilly lace print decorates the oval box of the perfume. The box on Hepburn’s dressing table looks white, not lacy, though, so I guess what version of the perfume she had.

In this picture, taken by Mark Shaw, the actress was preparing for Ondine at the Forty-Sixth Street Theatre in New York. This picture was originally  published in Mademoiselle (June 1954 issue).

Picture source.