Category Archives: cosmetics in tv shows

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S03E01 (Strike Up the Band)

The new season opens with new adventures and new career goals for Midge (Rachel Brosnahan): she’s performing at a military gig to entertain the troops. Before the performance, we see her backstage with Susie (Alex Borstein), adding the final touches to her red, white and blue outfit.

On her dressing table there’s a can of the Australian hairspray Gossamer.

On another dressing table there’s the round cardboard box of Coty Airspun loose powder.

The Politician S01E08 (Vienna)

Hadassah Gold (Bette Midler) is the chief of staff and assistant of Dede Standish (Judith Light), the New York State senate majority leader. They are about to meet the junior senator-elect from Texas but there’s a problem: Dede has just put on a lipstick which is not her favourite.

As Hadassah confirms by reading the shade sticker at the bottom of the tube, Dede puts on Pretty Please by MAC, a pale pink pearl shade that makes her look like a corpse.

But the emergency is immediately solved: Hadassah takes the right lipstick – Politely Pink (dirty pink) – out of her bag.

She even puts it on her boss, who’s very nervous about the upcoming meeting.

Big Little Lies S02E06 (The Bad Mother)

Celeste (Nicole Kidman) is getting ready to go to court to fight her custody battle. She’s the only character in the show who’s consistently shown while putting make-up on. I think this is not coincidental: since S01 she’s shown as a trophy wife, a beautiful woman whose only task – according to her abusive husband – is staying beautiful and decorative. By showing her often applying make-up it’s like make-up is the gate through which she can reach her own self, but at the same time it’s a tool she uses to hide her real self, the battered and abused woman who stayed in a violent relationship for her children’s sake.

Among the products in her bathroom there are

Wet n Wild eye make-up remover

Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet foundation

Charlotte Tilbury Magic foundationCharlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic blusher

The lipstick she uses is by NARS.

Easy S03E04 (Yes)

Annie (Kate Micucci) is keeping her dating project (saying yes to everyone who asks her out for 30 days) going but getting to know her colleague Lucas better has changed things. She knows he’s the one, but she decides to go on one last date with someone else. While she’s getting ready in her bathroom, among the toiletries, we can see

Batiste dry shampoo

mrsmeyers_radishhandsoap_bornunicornMrs. Meyer’s radish hand soap

glossierwowder_bornunicornGlossier Wowder setting powder

Stranger Things S03E01 (Suzie, Do You Copy?)

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Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) is a conflicted woman: she cares a lot about her family, even if her marriage is unhappy, but she can barely resist the bad boy charm of Billy Hargrove. He’s invited her at a motel, so in this scene she’s getting ready to join him there.

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elizabetharden_lipspa_bornunicorn

The red lipstick she’s applying is Elizabeth Arden Lip Spa.

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aquanet_hairspray

The hairspray reflected on the mirror is Rayette Aquanet.

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When she removes her wedding rings, we can see a Christian Dior compact, probably containing eyeshadows.