Head & Shoulders conditioning formula shampoo in the Connor’s bathroom.
All posts by Born Unicorn
From Prada to Nada (2011)
L’Oreal True Match liquid foundation, Escada Rockin’ Rio perfume and China Glaze fuchsia nail polish on Mary Dominguez’s dressing table.
Mad Men S01E10 (Long Weekend)
Carol McCardy (Kate Norby) and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) are getting dressed for a night out. Carol comments on Joan’s perfume: we learn that she wears a classic – Guerlain Shalimar, perfect for a seductress like Joan.
Created in 1925 by Jacques Guerlain, it’s undeniably one of the most famous perfumes of all times. According to Fragrantica, it opens on citrus notes (lemon, mandarin orange and bergamot), has floral middle notes (jasmine, may rose, iris) and balsamic base notes (sandalwood, opopanax, civet, musk, leather, incense and Tonka bean). It’s a perfume I could never wear (my skin doesn’t love it at all) but I can see why it’s so popular and beloved. Its Indian inspiration (Shalimar was the name of Mumtaz Mahal‘s favourite garden) and the fan-shaped bottle designed by Raymond Guerlain in collaboration with Baccarat have certainly contributed in creating an icon.
Shalimar advertising campaigns have always focused on the oriental inspiration of the perfume, as shown in the pictures above. From left to right: 1929 illustration by Lyse Darcy; 1959 illustration by Jean-Baptiste Charnotet; an illustration (possibly from the 1930s) with a veiled woman; a 1975 ad inspired to the Jazz Age.
American Horror Story S04E06 (Bullseye)
Venetian Romance is a fictional fragrance which has an important role in this episode. It’s Penny’s signature scent, the one she wears when she meets her lover Paul (Mat Fraser).
Paul goes to a drugstore to buy it for Penny. Thanks to the screencap above we can see its bottle is actually the one of a historical and extremely popular fragrance, Evening in Paris by Bourjois. The cobalt blue bottle with the curved label began appearing in the late 1940s/early 1950s, so the choice to use it is historically accurate. A cobalt blue talcum powder bottle of the same scent can be seen on the drugstore shelf, too.
In the episode we also learn that Paul is Elsa Mars’s lover. She smells Venetian Romance on him and understands he’s having an affair with another woman.
As a revenge, she badly wounds Paul: she straps him to a bullseye wheel and stabs him on purpose. Penny arrives to the circus and finds Paul fighting for his life. Elsa immediately realizes she’s the one Paul is having an affair with. “Speaking of cheap perfume” conveys her contempt for Penny , but also her envy for the star-crossed lovers.
Insignificance (1985)
There’s a Tussy cream deodorant jar on the bathroom shelf of the Actress (Theresa Russell). This character is clearly inspired to Marilyn Monroe.
Muriel’s Wedding (1994)
Deidre Chambers (Gennie Nevinson) has a flamboyant style which I love. The outfit she sports in a scene set at a restaurant is my favourite: it includes a black sequined cardigan, black trousers and an embroidered white blouse. She’s a beauty consultant, so it’s nice she’s got a lipstick, a blush compact, a brush and a perfume on her blouse. The perfume bottle is clearly the same as Yves Saint Laurent Opium, a classic 1980s scent which Deidre could totally wear.
Margherita’s Bathroom Shelf
You know I can’t resist a good bathroom selfie, i.e. a picture where beauty and make-up products appear. For this reason, this afternoon, while browsing Instagram, I found myself staring at the pic above, taken by Margherita in her bathroom. She’s a feminist who believes in the power of make-up, one of my favourite writers, co-founder of a gorgeous website and constant source of inspiration, so I decided I couldn’t miss the chance to feature her on my blog.
From left to right: a bottle of BeneFit High Beam highlighter, Sephora mattifying pressed powder, Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer, Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense lipstick in Cassis Satiné.
Thanks to Margherita for sharing this picture. I can’t wait to see more bathroom shelf shots from her ♥
Bonus read: a love letter Margherita wrote to this lipstick shade (only in Italian, sorry).
Angela Lansbury’s Dressing Table (2007)
L’Oreal Visible Lift liquid foundation, MAC Gentle Off eye and lip make-up remover, Sebastian Originals Shaper hair-spray and Condition 3-in-1 moisturizing mousse can be seen on the dressing table of Angela Lansbury.
The mosaic-looking blush is Physicians Formula powder palette multi-coloured blush.
The white pot behind the lash curler is William Tuttle cover foundation.
This portrait was taken by Rivka S. Katvan behind the scenes of Deuce, the Terrence McNally play which ran on Broadway in 2007.
Thanks to my readers Sara for the hair-spray id and Jessica for the blush, Tuttle and mousse ids.
American Horror Story S04E11 (Magical Thinking)
A gold bullet-shaped lipstick on Elsa Mars’s dressing table means one thing only: Bésame Cosmetics!
Several products from the American brand have been featured in Freakshow so far: a lipstick and a cream rouge pot on the Tattler twins’ dressing table; a mascara, a powder compact and a lipstick on Elsa’s dressing table; mascara and lipstick again at a drugstore. The lip colours have been extensively used in the show, as well. Now that only two episodes are left, I hope we will be given more eye candy from the vintage-inspired company.
Palo Alto (2013)
Annick Goutal Un Matin d’Orage perfume, Lancôme La Laque Fever lipgloss, Maybelline Great Lash mascara and a Sinful Colors nail polish in Emily’s bedroom.
Thanks to my reader Mich for the mascara id.
World Wide Aura 