Beatrice Morandini Valdirana is a patological liar who lives in a psychiatric facility in Tuscany. She wears Vivienne Westwood Boudoir, a perfume she says is not available in Italy – one of her many lies.
Category Archives: perfumes in movies
Der Untergang (2004)
There’s a bottle of Lohse Uralt Lavendel cologne by the sink in Traudl Junge’s room. It’s not clear what bottle version was used here, since the camera pans to the actress and doesn’t linger on the sink. Historically speaking, it should be the one on the right (see the Gothic font), but there’s no way to know.
Thanks to AW for the id.
Eaux Profondes (1981)
There are two versions of Guerlain Chant d’Arômes on the glass shelf in Melanie’s bathroom. The white floral perfume, created by Jean-Paul Guerlain in 1962, is here presented in the amphora-like bottle designed by Pochet et du Courval exclusively for it, but there’s the refillable spray canister, too.
On the Set of “Call Me by Your Name”
I haven’t watched Call Me by Your Name by Luca Guadagnino yet, but I’ve kept the best picture from the set for last. The author is – again – Giulio Ghirardi, who gave us the perfect shot of a dressing table, covered with some fabric from the Middle East.
Among the several perfume bottles, I’ve spotted Christian Dior Eau Sauvage, a 1966 creation by Edmond Roudnitska.
Next to it, there’s Acqua di Parma Colonia, the first fragrance of the Italian brand, created in 1916.
The blue tin unmistakably contains Nivea Creme, a product created in Germany but incredibly popular in Italy.
Another quintessentially Italian product is Roberts Acqua distillata alle rose, a toner first created in 1867.
Last but not least, there’s a bottle of Vanderbilt by Gloria Vanderbilt, a huge commercial success created by Sophia Grojsman in 1982. It’s impossible not to have a memory of it, if you were born in the 1970s/1980s: this white floral fragrance was everywhere!
Death on the Nile (1978)
Linnet Ridgeway’s bedroom/boudoir is lavishly furnished in white and decorated with colorful glass, mirrors and marble. Several French perfumes are sitting on her vanity, a natural extension of her flawless style.
The first bottle that has caught my attention is the Lanvin boule on the left. It’s unclear what perfume it contained, because the French maison used the same bottle for two different perfumes, Arpege (created by Andre Fraysse in 1927) and My Sin (called Mon Péché in French, created by the mysterious Madame Zed in 1924). The film is set in the 1930s, so it’s plausible for both to sit on that vanity.
The same thing can be said for the black bottle on the right, containing Lanvin talcum powder. It could be Arpege or My Sin.
The Guerlain chauve souris bottle unmistakably contained Shalimar, created by Jacques Guerlain in 1925.
Guerlain Liu black flacon tabatiere with gold accents is in tune with the Art Deco vibe in Linnet’s bedroom. The perfume was created by Jacques Guerlain in 1929.
Thanks to Karen Hatch for the id.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) keeps a bottle of Old Spice on a shelf by the fridge.
Thanks to AW for the id.
Death on the Nile (1978)
I wonder if Monsieur Poirot (Peter Ustinov) noticed the massive Guerlain flacon montre sitting on a shelf in Linnet Ridgeway’s bathroom, while inspecting the heiress’ cabin on the Karnak steamer. Too bad the front sticker was scratched out: we will never know what cologne she used.
Using a flacon montre here is not 100% accurate: if we assume the novel is set before 1937 (year in which it was published), the choice is not accurate because this bottle was introduced on the same year. In any case, this is another example of “partial inconsistency:” this bottle was not available at the time in which the story was set, but it was at the time in which the film was shot.
Boogie Nights (1997)
There are three bottles of Oscar de la Renta Esprit de Parfum on Amber’s dressing table. This is likely to be a historically accurate choice: Oscar, the first Oscar de la Renta fragrance, was created by Jean-Louis Sieuzac and launched in 1977.
The Esprit de Parfum was launched in the 1980s, so it’s possible it was on the market in 1984, year in which the last scenes of the film are set.
Greed (2009)
In 2009 Roman Polanski directed the (fake) commercial for a (fake) perfume: Greed by Francesco Vezzoli. Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman are the stars of the short movie as two women literally fighting for Greed.
The centre of the art installation held at the Gagosian Gallery in Rome was the “perfume that doesn’t exist”, whose bottle has a peculiar story. Vezzoli took inspiration from Belle Haleine: Eau de Voilette, the fake perfume created by Marcel Duchamp in 1921 using a Rigaud perfume bottle. Duchamp appeared on the perfume bottle label as Rrose Sélavy, photographed by Man Ray and Vezzoli did the same, photographed by Francesco Scavullo.
The advertising campaign featured portraits of famous female artists made of inkjet, wool, cotton, metallic embroidery and custom jewelry on brocade. Among them, Eva Hesse, Lee Miller, Frida Kahlo, Niki de Saint Phalle, Tamara de Lempicka and Georgia O’Keeffe.
Chéri (2009)
There are several Guerlain flacons aux abeilles dorées in Lea de Lonval’s bathroom.
Thanks to my friend Rocco for the id.
World Wide Aura 
