All posts by Born Unicorn

Pedantic archivist of beauty products in films and tv shows

Marriage Story (2019)

marriagestory_bornunicorn (1)When Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) first meets her soon-to-be lawyer Nora (Laura Dern), we can see a Diptyque candle on the metal table by the white leather sofa. Too far from us, though, so it’s still hard to tell what candle it is.

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diptyquebaiescandle_bornunicornThe mystery is solved thanks to a close-up: it’s the best-selling Baies, a sublime fragrance of rose leaves and blackcurrant berries!

Brigitte Bardot’s Dressing Table (1973)

This picture, taken in 1973, shows Bardot sitting at her dressing table. Most of the bottles on it are decorative, but there are some real flacons too.

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guerlainvintagecolognenaturalspray_bornunicornOn the right there are two Guerlain bottles. The white container decorated with a blue floral pattern is the refillable atomiser of Shalimar, while the fluted one is the spray version of Shalimar eau de cologne. Behind them, the fan-like cap of the classic flacon chauve souris is visible, but it seems attached to a different bottle.

La stanza del vescovo (1977)

There are several bottles on the vanity in Charlotte’s bedroom, among which two Hermès perfumes.

One is on the left of the wooden table watch: it’s Equipage, the first masculine perfume released by the French fashion house. Created by Guy Robert, it was launched in 1970.

The other is on the right side of the dresser: it’s Calèche, another creation by Robert, launched in 1961.

If you’ve seen the film, or read the Piero Chiara novel of the same title, you’ll know there’s a problem with both of these perfumes: the story is set in the Lago Maggiore area in 1946, so the Hermès perfumes (launched decades later) are historically inaccurate. I understand why the prop masters chose them, though: they were popular when the film was made and their bottles are beautiful.

borotalco_vintagetinOn the vanity there’s also a tin can of Borotalco Roberts talcum powder.