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.
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.
There are some Maxwell’s Apothecary products in the protagonist’s bathroom cabinet: a jar of the muscle rub Super Sport Heat, a tube of mint and menthol cleansing masque and a bottle of Skin Saver facial cleanser.
There are many beauty products and make-up items on Molly Bloom’s bathroom counter. Among them (from left to right):
Elizabeth Arden refining toner lotion (now discontinued)
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse multi-purpose dry oil
A Mason Pearson hair brush
Some Chanel nail polishes
Chanel fresh body cream
Lancôme Tonique Douceur hydrating lotion
The Almond & Shea hand care duo by Pecksniffs, which includes a moisturising hand & body lotion and a nourishing hand wash in pump bottles.
One of the opening scenes is set in the protagonist’s bathroom. He’s standing alone in front of the mirror, but he’s looking at the other side of the counter, where many beauty products are. A close-up on this side shows us that it used to be Helen’s, his dead wife.
In the central part of the counter I’ve spotted a bottle of Kiehl’s Creme de Corps, Marvis toothpaste in Cinnamon Mint and some Jo Malone perfumes.
There are other products around the washbasin, among which a small bottle of L’Occitane Verveine shower gel (old packaging) and a NARS lipstick.
The opening credit sequence is set in a bathroom, where one girl is putting make-up on her twin. Later in the film, we will see these are Hedy (one of the protagonists, whose real name is actually Ellen Besch) and her twin sister. Many bottles are on the tiled counter.
On the right there are English Leather and Old Spice colognes.
The tall bottle with round black stopper is Jean Natè after-bath splash.
There’s a Revlon Jean Naté after-bath splash bottle in Julian Kay’s bathroom.
Ginny (Blanche Baker) is a bride-to-be who’s being totally focused on the preparations of her wedding day. She’s unsympathetic with her sister Samantha and is very rude to her. Under this behaviour there’s a lot of unhappiness, in my opinion [1]: she doesn’t really love her fiancé (he’s the only one who’d been in love with her for six months straight) but feels this is the only chance she has to get married.
Some interesting beauty items can be seen on her busy dresser.
The white bottle with blue cap next to the lamp is the suntan lotion QT Quick Tanning by Coppertone.
On the golden tray on the right there’s a bottle of Avon Timeless, a floral chypre perfume released in 1974.
The hot pink bottle is Tickle roll-on deodorant.
[1] Sixteen Candles has never been among my favourite 1980s films, but after recently re-watching it, I’ve realised it’s a deeply disturbing and problematic movie. Here 16 reasons that prove it.
