When John Berlin visits John Taylor’s mother’s house looking for clues, we can see a blue container on a marble counter. The image is quite tricky: here the product is placed upside down. In any case, it’s Avon Moonwind perfumed talc. The aromatic green fragrance of the same name was launched in 1971 and soon became one of the most popular scents of the American brand.
The packaging, royal blue with white accents, is decorated with Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, and one of her hounds.
The moment in which a movie character opens a bathroom cabinet is always thrilling. I personally get the chills because I know I’m about to see something interesting in it. Sarah Roberts’ cabinet, for example, is a very simple but intriguing one.
On the bottom shelf there are a spray bottle of Evian Water and a bottle of Johnson’s Baby Powder.
I’m a bit on the fence when it comes to the glass bottle on the bottom shelf. It’s definitely a flacon de voyage by Guerlain (see the plastic ring around the stopper), but the bottle looks larger than usual.
On the top shelf there’s Gillette Right Guard deodorant.
There are two perfume bottles in Valentina’s bathroom.
The one in the background is the eau de toilette version of Femme by Marcel Rochas, housed in a beautiful white spray bottle with black lace details.
The other is a huge flacon montre by Guerlain, containing Shalimar eau de cologne.
Clara (Angela Molina) is finally leaving her abusive husband Sancho, so she’s quickly packing some toiletries. In her bathroom there are many beauty products.
On the glass shelf there are two Shiseido Benefiance products – a toner and a cleansing milk.
There’s also L’Oreal Elnett Satin hairspray, which has an important function in this scene.
In classic Almodóvar style, Chanel products make their appearance. In this case, there are a compact and a bottle of bi-phase make-up remover (or toner). There’s also a black box with gold band I haven’t been able to identify. It may be related to No. 5, but I have no idea what it can be.
Under the glass shelf there’s a cardboard bottle of Ausonia talc.
Next to the Chanel make-up remover there’s Guerlain Champs Elysées in a beautiful gold bottle designed by Robert Granai. The perfume, created by Jacques and Jean-Paul Guerlain, was launched in 1996.
But Champs Elysées is not the only Guerlain item in Clara’s bathroom. On the top glass shelf there’s a round gold box containing Météorites face powder pearls.
Helena (Francesca Neri) is soaking in the tub after having sex with her husband David.
Behind her we can see a Chanel bottle, probably containing a bath gel. Next to it, there’s Guerlain Habit Rouge, one of the most famous creations by Jean-Paul Guerlain, launched in 1965.
David (Javier Bardem) is bathing in the same tub. Behind him we can see Chanel Coco bath gel and Coco eau de toilette.
If you, like me, are a fan of Isabelle Huppert, you’ll be delighted to see this backstage picture, taken on April 15th, 2019 at the Linda Gross Theater in New York. For roughly two months the French actress performed as the Mother in the namesake play by Florian Zeller, under the direction of Trip Cullman.
From left to right there are:
Dove spray deodorant
Avène Hydrance Optimale light hydrating cream
By Terry Terrybly Densiliss foundation
Two Chanel lipsticks
Estee Lauder Double Wear liquid foundation
NARS blush and loose face powder
As a die-hard fan of Diptyque, I must admit I jumped on my chair when I saw an eau de toilette bottle on Isabelle’s table. I’m not 100% sure of my id because the front label is partially hidden, but my guess is that she uses Do Son, a tuberose fragrance created in Fabrice Pellegrin and launched in 2005.
Next to the Diptyque bottle there’s a Serge Lutens fragrance. In this case, it’s impossible to tell what it is.
There are also two items that not beauty-related but are very nice: a small jar of Tiger Balm (one of my staples) and a tin box containing Gommose Leone, delicious Italian liquorice gummy candy.
Thanks to Scentimentalist for the foundation id.
The most important ball of the year is about to start and Elektra (Dominique Jackson) retouches Blanca’s make-up by using Maybelline Great Lash mascara.
When Elektra Abundance (Dominique Jackson) visits the nail salon where Blanca (MJ Rodriguez) works, it’s clear she’s not interested in getting a manicure. She asks for a top coat on her already done nails, and she soon points out her likes and dislikes.
She likes Revlon and Max Factor nail polishes. In the adverts above (both from 1987), you can see the design these brands had for their nail varnish bottles.
She totally dislikes Yardley, the British brand founded in 1770 which was incredibly successful in the 1960s and 1970s, but lost its appeal in the 1980s.
She’s not done with Blanca: her former daughter should take better care of herself and her “ashy complexion” by using Pond’s cold cream.
In the screencap above we can see a jar of Barbicide disinfectant on Blanca’s working station.
In the meantime, Blanca is applying the top coat Elektra has asked for. It’s by Seche Vite, even if this product didn’t exist in 1987 (the brand was founded in 1991).
When Blanca puts away the top coat, we can see a display of OPI nail polishes. This is historically incorrect, since the American brand, founded in 1981, expanded its portfolio to nail lacquers in 1989, not in 1987.
When Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain) first meets Ricky (Dyllon Burnside), he asks him if he took a bath in Kouros cologne.
This is a lovely namedrop, because it refers to the Yves Saint Laurent perfume that really defined a decade. Created by Pierre Bourdon and launched in 1981, it was unforgettable in its original formulation, heavy on civet, honey, leather and musk.
There are two quintessentially 1990s fragrances in the Golden Bay Club locker room where David (David Caruso) and Matt (Chazz Palminteri) change after a squash match.
The bottle without stopper is Ralph Lauren Safari for Men, launched in 1992.
The other is Estee Lauder Aramis, created in 1966 by Bernard Chant.
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