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.
Lauren (Sydney Lemmon) is fixing Carolyn’s hair before attending a party. Carolyn (Sarah Pidgeon) is holding a MAC lipstick in an indistinct dark pink/brownish shade.
This lipstick was used as a prop, because the head make-up artist of the mini-series, Milagros Cerdeira, explained that another product — FACE Stockholm Cranberry Veil, described as “sheer cinnamon-red” — had been used on the actress throughout the series.
When Jackie (Naomi Watts) gets hospitalised, we can see her holding an Elizabeth Arden compact and a lipstick.
The lipstick in a neutral pink shade is by Revlon.
When Devon (Meghann Fahy) realises that surrendering to Kiki’s influence is the best she can do to help her own sister Simone (Kiki’s personal assistant), she’s up for a wild ride. The over-controlling billionaire decides what clothes and accessories Devon will wear while staying at the Cliff House, and packs a dressing table with fragrances, cosmetics and skincare, too. Nothing is actually in tune with Devon’s style and personality, but that is not the point: once one enters Kiki’s orbit, they have to passively accept her choices and decisions.
From left to right, here’s what I can see on the table.
The blush pink bottle is Givenchy Irresistible, a musky rose fragrance by Fanny Bal, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo, launched in 2020.
Next, there’s a Caron fragrance in the trademark ring round bottle. The front label cannot be read, though, so we don’t know what fragrance it contains.
It’s unclear whether Givenchy is Kiki’s brand of choice for fragrances, but she surely loves it for her guests. Half hidden among several bottles there’s L’Interdit eau de parfum [1], a white floral creation by Dominique Ropion, Anne Flipo and Fanny Bal, launched in 2018.
There’s also the Rouge version of the aforementioned eau de parfum. This was launched in 2021.
On the right side of the table there are several skincare products. Among them, the eye and expression cream Genaissance de la Mer™ (in the jar) and a bottle of La Mer The Essential Tonic.
Even though the screencap above is blurry, it clearly shows the presence of three Givenchy jars containing loose powder.
The small one on the left is Blush Prisme Libre in Mousseline Lilas.
Just below there’s a jar of Prisme Libre loose powder in Mousseline Acidulée.
On the far right side of the table there’s another jar of Prisme Libre loose powder in Organza Ambré.
[1] The original L’Interdit is a floral aldehyde fragrance by Francis Fabron launched in 1957. It was created in 1956 for Audrey Hepburn, who initially opposed Hubert de Givenchy’s decision to market it; when she finally lifted her ban, the designer named it after her forbidding. As a matter of fact, the French word “interdit” means “forbidden” in English.
The claim in the 1957 advert perfectly sums up its origin.
Kiki (Julianne Moore) is anxiously waiting for her husband to be back from a business trip. She’s wearing a gorgeous night set and a lip balm in an antique rose shade.
It’s a balm by Olio e Osso. This is a favourite product by the American actress: it can be seen in May December by Todd Haynes and was featured in a make-up guide she filmed for Vogue US in 2023.
There’s a mischievous monkey helper in the Gemstones’ household: they target a specific item in Judy’s make-up stash just to cause trouble.
They get to the point of tossing it away from the marble counter.
The item in question is Gucci Poudre de Beauté Mat Naturel face powder.
Thanks to Hannah Moriah for submitting this post.
Anna (Barbora Bobuľová) appears in the opening credits: she’s applying her trademark red lipstick.
The pencil she’s using is Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist Mat lip colour in Tango.
On the busy vanity in Merritt’s bedroom we can see Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder foundation and Fresh Sugar advanced therapy lip balm.
This episode is set in 1992: Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville) is sitting at her vanity and she’s writing a letter to her former lover Peter Townsend. Among the several objects on the table we can see a Guerlain flacon montre, but the aerial shot makes it impossible to identify it.
One season and almost one decade later (this episode is set in 2001), we can see Margaret sitting at the same vanity but now we can finally tell more about the flacon montre.
The teal disk tells us it contains Mitsouko eau de cologne.
In the same scene, Margaret is putting on some lipstick. The product in question is Elizabeth Arden Lip Spa.
Talia (Juliana Canfield) wears a lipstick in a beautiful red shade.
From the studded gold tube we can see it’s a vintage product.
It’s a Max Factor lipstick from the 1940s.
The brand has been endorsed by a huge number of cinema stars over the years. In the specific case of this lipstick, advertised as “the most wonderful lipstick in the world”, in 1947 it was endorsed by Lana Turner as Ginny Marshland from the film Cass Timberlane (1947) by George Sidney.
Talia gives the lipstick to Anna (Emma Roberts). Later in the episode, the protagonist wears it to attend a vernissage at her husband’s art gallery.
Although the lipstick actually worn by Talia and Anna is most definitely not the Max Factor one, I appreciate the fact that the vintage blue red shade was replicated.
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