Category Archives: cosmetics in tv shows

The Shards S01E02 (Don’t You Want Me)

The opening of this scene deserves a moment of silence. This is the intricately ornate vanity of Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner), who’s getting ready for a night out. The “frieze” decorating the bottom of the mirror perfectly echoes the maximalist style of the early part of the decade. Honestly it’s left me speechless, because there’s a lot about the 1980s (visually speaking) that I have tried to forget over the years, but let’s move on from here.

A can of Aquanet super-hold hairspray can be seen on the table. It’s the first product she uses.

There’s a lot happening on her table, but I have managed to identify two bottles. The one with the milky white stopper is Dior Miss Dior eau de cologne; the other, with the milky white dove stopper, is Nina Ricci L’air du temps, previously seen in the pilot, although housed in a different bottle. Both choices are historically accurate: the original Miss Dior (a creation by created by Paul Vacher and Jean Carles) was launched in 1947, and the Nina Ricci fragrance (a Francis Fabron creation) was launched in 1948.

Among the nail polish bottles, there are a couple with a distinctive hexagonal cap: they are Super Nails nail polishes by Natural Wonder.

It makes sense for Debbie to own Remington 600 Super hand-held hair dryer, which came with attachments for different stylings.

When the girl opens a drawer of her table (she’s looking for something), more products can be seen.

There are several Lip Smacker lip balms, among which Blue Raspberry, Piña Colada and Kiwi. These are not vintage products, but these lip balms were first introduced in 1973 by Bonne Bell. They’re definitely a realistic choice.

Last, a Chanel compact. It’s impossible to know what it contained (pressed face powder or eye-shadows), but it’s another realistic choice. The advert above is from 1980: it promoted the make-up collection Les Provocatifs, which I haven’t been able to find more information about. In any case, in the early 1980s both pressed face powder and eye-shadow palettes were part of Chanel cosmetics collections.

The Shards S01E02 (Don’t You Want Me)

Generational rivalries and half-hidden secrets run deep in the Schaffers’ household. Debbie (Hayes Warner) and her mother Liz (Evan Rachel Wood) mirror each other: they look alike and live in a world where money and appearances matter more than anything else. “You are me,” says Liz [1] to Debbie, when the girl confronts and criticises her questionable life choices.

Whether one likes it or not, the blue and gold bottle on Liz’s vanity is Versace Dylan Blue, a floral fruity fragrance created by Calice Becker and Natalie Gracia-Cetto, and released in 2017. The prop masters of the TV show must have had a great time by planting such a blatant historical inaccuracy in a 1981 context.

Debbie storms into her mother’s bedroom because she wants her Lancôme compact back. The content of the compact is never mentioned, but we can assume it is an eyeshadow palette, because that’s what Liz is applying on her face when Debbie enters her bedroom.

I haven’t found the exact compact seen in this scene, but there’s evidence of Lancôme using red packaging (not the classic glossy black one) in the late 1970s/early 1980s. The advert above features Carol Alt: the American model became testimonial in 1979, when she was 18. She was the face of Lancôme for three years, more or less until 1981; her successor would be Isabella Rossellini. The compact she’s holding doesn’t look like the one seen in the TV show, but let’s just say it’s a realistic detail.

[1] Liz, a former model now trapped into an unhappy marriage, gives Elvira vibes, doesn’t she?

Euphoria S03E04 (Kitty Likes to Dance)

The dressing room at the Silver Slipper stripper club is packed with cosmetics and beauty products.

On the central part of the mirrored counter I can see TRESemmé hair mousse.

The make-up case right in front of Magick (Rosalía) contains several Sparklestik™ eye crayons by Half Magic.

Moving to the right side of the counter, we can see an open yellow box: it’s an eyeshadow by Half Magic.

Right behind it there’s a spray can of Batiste original dry shampoo in Classic Fresh.

Euphoria S03E04 (Kitty Likes to Dance)

When Maddie decides to help Cassie with her OnlyFans career, she takes her to a salon, where a team of beauty professionals will give her a make-over. The nail artist in the screencap above is completing a manicure with Glitterbels No Wipe topcoat.

The lip colour the make-up artist applies on her lips is Half Magic Crystal Butter lip balm in Shell-ebrity (baby pink).

Euphoria S03E02 (America My Dream)

Although no MAC cosmetics were used for Maddy’s make-up in this episode, a MAC product was used as a prop in the scene where the girl is getting ready to meet her frenemy Cassie. It’s a lip liner, probably in the shade Spice.

According to Alexa Demie’s make-up artist, Mara Rouse, two lip liners were used for this look, both by Half Magic —Sculptitude in Ur My Taupe (taupe) and in Seize The Slay (rich brown).

Off Campus S01E03 (The Orgasm)

There are some Glossier products on Hannah’s vanity.

On the right side of the table there are a bottle of Stretch fluid foundation and a tube of Lash Slick mascara.

On the same side of the table there’s a bottle of Glossier You eau de parfum, too.

Half-hidden behind the make-up bag there’s also a bottle of OPI top coat.

Thanks to Alessandra for submitting this post.

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette E07 (Obsession)

While John (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn (Sarah Pidgeon) are driving to an event, we can see she’s holding an aqua green compact.

It’s a compact by Clinique, a brand which selected this specific shade for their cosmetic packaging in 1968.