Category Archives: perfume quotes in tv shows

perfume quotes in tv shows, perfumes in tv shows

The Shards S01E07 (Homecoming Pt. 2)

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The two Homecoming episodes have an uncharacteristic protagonist: a perfume. Giorgio Beverly Hills appears in another scene (set in Liz Schaffer’s bedroom) and is mentioned in two conversations. In this case, Robert (Homer Gere) gives it to Susan (Kaia Gerber) as a gift.

He gives her the extraordinary spray cologne version, which I cannot date with precision, but the packaging is historically accurate, at least judging by the front logo.

Susan is overjoyed: she probably sees this fragrance like everybody else did in the early/mid 1980s — a synonym for luxury and exclusivity. A box of it was spotted in her own house, but clearly she’s never had a bottle for herself.

When she sprays the perfume on her wrist, we can notice a minor mistake: the stopper is faceted, which means that this specific bottle is not the 1981 one.

This is the original bottle: you can see the stopper is smooth.

This is the bottle currently on the market: you can see that the stopper is faceted. The prop masters mixed things up here: they selected the original box and paired it to a contemporary bottle. Weird choice.

Robert has been flirting with Susan since he first met her, so it’s not surprising that he rubs her wrist on the side of his neck: he wants to smell like her. This is not just a tactic of seduction, though, because there might be something else at play.

A possible explanation is revealed during the Homecoming ceremony, when Susan wins the title of queen, but gives it to Rhonda (Ivy Wolk). The girl smells Giorgio Beverly Hills on Susan’s wrist and finally things become clear: she sensed the same fragrance during her captivity. That’s why she accuses Susan of being her kidnapper. The truth might be darker and point towards other characters.

perfume quotes in tv shows

The Shards S01E06 (Homecoming Pt.1)

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Liz (Evan Rachel Wood) has a rare moment of closeness with her husband Terry (Wes Bentley), who appreciates how she handled the meeting with the headmaster of Debbie’s school. The woman drops a question that sounds awkward to our ears, but it made sense in the early 1980s: is Terry wearing a fragrance created for and marketed to women? The question digs deeper, though, because it inevitably refers to the man’s sexual orientation.

Giorgio Beverly Hills was launched exactly in 1981: it’s a fragrance that conjured an exclusive and luxurious imagery. It was not intentionally unisex (Terry tries to find a way out by saying it is), but he admits he’s wearing it. Strange that Liz doesn’t realise it without asking, considering that a box of the same fragrance was spotted on her own dressing table.

Created by Francis Camail, Giorgio Beverly Hills was (in its original formulation) a white floral fragrance with top notes of orange blossom, apricot, peach and bergamot; middle notes of tuberose, gardenia, ylang-ylang, jasmine, orchid and rose; base notes of chamomile, vanilla, oakmoss, musk, amber, sandalwood, cedar and patchouli. In case you were wondering, it was really super intense, and very unique.

Debbie (Hayes Warner) once again serves as the younger version of her mother, but she’s way less respectful and self-aware than Liz. There’s contempt and sarcasm in her question to Steven (Jordan Roth).

His answer is loud, clear, and unapologetic: he’s wearing Giorgio.

Debbie’s comment on the fragrance and on Steven is ignorant and derogatory, which is not surprising: strict categorisation of people and things makes her feel in control, while facts tell a different story. Despite her efforts and her father’s money, she’s a sad and lost girl, who thinks she deserves everything by birth right, but gets proven wrong again and again.

It’s interesting that her reply seems to refer to two very contemporary topics: the “old lady perfume” discussion, and the broader topic of fragrance and gender.

perfume quotes in tv shows, perfumes in tv shows

The Shards S01E04 (Robert’s Party)

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The opening scene of the episode features Ryan (Daniel Dale) taking the audience through his morning beauty routine. It’s impossible not to notice a parallel with the most famous beauty routine scene in cinema, although comparing the two would be unkind, given the differences between Ryan (a high-school student living in Los Angeles) and Patrick Bateman (a murderous businessman living in New York). In any case, Bret Easton Ellis’ obsession with mentioning brands and listing actions in chronological order emerges again and is given a visual form.

Yves Saint Laurent Kouros is the only product that is mentioned. This aromatic fougère, created by Pierre Bourdon and launched in 1981, is first introduced in the third episode.

Ryan’s comment about Kouros is always the same (“It’s for men”): the fact that it’s a fragrance created and marketed for men, seems to give him validation.

Ryan’s bathroom cabinet speaks about his economic status, too: his family used to be wealthy, but it’s not anymore, due to wrong financial investments. It seems Kouros is the most expensive beauty item he owns.

On the left side of the mirrored cabinet we can see a drugstore after shave: it’s Louis Philippe Patrichs Pour Homme, a woody fragrance launched in 1976.

Another after shave (boxed) is on the opposite side of the cabinet: it’s English Leather Spiced, launched in 1949.

Ryan is a resourceful boy, though, so we learn about his side “hustle”: he works as a porn actor for the production company Erotica Pictures, located in San Fernando Valley, the epicentre of the burgeoning adult entertainment industry. In that working environment he gets to meet the mother of a schoolmate, none other than Liz Schaffer! We don’t know exactly what brought Liz to Erotica Pictures, but she’s set to become a new sensation with the pseudonym Cami Soul.

The Schaffers’ are a dysfunctional family, but they have something in common: an interest in fragrances. Liz commenting on the perfume Ryan is wearing parallels Debbie’s similar comment in the third episode.

Unlike Debbie, Liz knows her fragrances, though: she immediately identifies what Ryan is wearing.

perfume quotes in tv shows

The Shards S01E03 (Help Me! Rhonda!)

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Debbie (Hayes Warner) has a conversation with Ryan (Daniel Dale) while attending a school event Susan has organised to raise awareness after the kidnapping of the fellow student Rhonda. She asks him what he’s wearing and his reply is not surprising.

Yves Saint Laurent Kouros [1] is an aromatic fougère fragrance created by Pierre Bourdon and launched in 1981, the same year in which the TV show is set. It quickly became very popular (my father wore it, too!), so it’s obvious that someone who takes so much care of his appearance like Ryan uses it. 

This specific line (“It’s for men”) adds more depth to a simple exchange. We don’t know much about Ryan yet, but at the beginning of the TV show a relationship with Bret is hinted at [2]. This apparently unnecessary remark emphasizes the fact that the boy wants his public persona to be undoubtedly heterosexual.

Debbie’s snappy comment makes us understand that she’s probably seen through the surface, and senses there’s more to Ryan than appearances suggest.

[1] This is the second time a fragrance is mentioned in the TV show, and it happens to be another fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent.

[2] If you have read the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, you’ll remember how important the relationship between the two boys is. None of that can be found in the TV show.

perfume quotes in tv shows

The Shards S01E02 (Don’t You Want Me)

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Leave it to Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney, but I am actually referring to the real BEE) to know his beauty products/fragrances and to list them obsessively in his novels, along with the brand of pretty much anything else related to fashion and lifestyle.

In the screencap above, the protagonist of the TV show is about to have lunch with Terry Schaffer, an influential movie producer who is interested in the first novel the boy is writing, but who also happens to be the father of Debbie, Bret’s current girlfriend.

The fragrance he mentions is Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, one of the most popular and influential fragrances from the 1970s. Created by Jacques Polge and Michel Hy, this floral aldehyde eau de toilette was launched in 1971. The beautiful cobalt blue, silver and black aluminium bottle, designed by Pierre Dinnand, added an unusual touch of refinement to a fragrance that was named after YSL’s first boutique in Saint-Germain-des Prés in Paris.

What is the relevance of this fragrance in the narration? Terry is wearing a fragrance created for and marketed to women; Bret knows there’s a reason behind this choice (Terry is married, has a daughter, but he’s “very gay”), and that leads to a deeper reflection about (his own) sexual orientation.

perfume quotes in tv shows

Palm Royale S02E02 (Maxine Serves a Swerve)

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Getting to know the fragrance worn by a fictional character is fascinating because it adds more depth to them. This is the case of Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig), who longs to be part of Palm Springs’ high society by entering its most exclusive country club, the Palm Royale.

In this episode, she finds herself in the mysterious apartment of the “disgraced socialites”, and once she hears someone approaching, she hides into a nook in a wall.

When the country club manager (James Urbaniak) enters the apartment, he immediately detects a very precise fragrance, which he mentions: Tuvaché Jungle Gardenia.

Originally launched in 1933, it’s impressive how it was still loved in 1969, the year in which the TV show is set. In the ad above (dating back to 1966), Jungle Gardenia was marketed as the “favorite fragrance of the world’s most beautiful woman”. A stereotypical slogan, of course, but at the time it still worked.

Thanks to Betty for submitting this post.

perfume quotes in tv shows

The Perfect Couple E05 (Never Gonna Give You Up)

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Abby (Dakota Fanning) decides to pack Merritt’s clothes up. While doing so, she sniffs one of the girl’s garments and recognises the fragrance she used to wear – Byredo Blanche – which she appreciates.

Blanche is often considered a staple among those fragrances that evoke the distinctive smell of fresh laundry. Launched in 2009, it’s a fresh aldehydic eau de parfum with notes of rose, peony, violet, African orange flower, musk, sandalwood and pink pepper.

Sad that there’s no trace of Blanche on the vanity in Merritt’s bedroom.

perfume quotes in tv shows

Feud S02E01 (Pilot)

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Happy Rockefeller (Rebecca Creskoff) is having an affair with Bill Paley. His wife Babe (Naomi Watts) finds out and reveals all the details to her friend Truman Capote. She hates everything about the mistress, including her “shitty” perfume, which happens to be Hermès Calèche.

Referring to a perfume that’s still on the market as “shitty” may not be wise from a PR-point of view, but the writers of the show seem not to care. Calèche, a floral aldehyde fragrance by Guy Robert, was launched in 1961.

Babe explains what’s wrong with it (“too much sandalwood for a woman with that face”) and while doing so, she mentions one of the fragrance’s base notes, along with oakmoss, vetiver, cedar, amber and Tonka bean.

perfume quotes in tv shows, perfumes in tv shows

Fishbowl Wives E01

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A fictitious perfume – Gold Rose by Molinier – is central in the plot of the first episode.

We don’t know exactly what it smells like but it’s housed in a bottle reminiscent of Chanel Chance – same round shape and squared stopper.

The protagonist, former hair stylist Sakura, finds out her husband has been cheating on her with the fascinating Masako (Kyoko Hasegawa) when the woman reveals she’s wearing the same perfume – Molinier Gold Rose.

Poor Sakura (Ryôko Shinohara) in her posh bathroom, still unaware of what life has in store for her.

perfume quotes in tv shows

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S04E06 (Maisel vs. Lennon: The Cut Contest)

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When Miriam decides to meet L. Roy Dunham (Hari Nef), a journalist who has been writing scathing articles about her shows, the first comment she gets is about her perfume.

The journalist thinks she’s wearing Lanvin Arpège. Even if we haven’t seen so far what perfumes sit on Miriam’s dressing table, I think Arpège is a nice guess. Created by Paul Vacher and Andrè Fraysse and launched in 1927, this iconic white floral fragrance would suit the protagonist’s bubbly yet classic style.