Category Archives: perfumes in movies

perfumes in movies, skincare in movies

Maria (2024)

Leave a comment

I was looking forward to watching the latest Pablo Larraín film documenting the last days in the life of Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) because I *knew* (hoped) some interesting beauty products were in it and I was not disappointed.

The first product I spotted in the scene where Maria is sitting at her vanity is a white jar by Guerlain containing skincare. The exact product is unclear (it could be the Crème Stabilisante, shown in the 1975 advert above, the Collagena or the Crème Magistrale), but the choice is historically accurate, because this packaging was marketed in the mid/late 1970s.

Next, there’s a Dior amphora bottle, originally designed by Fernand Guéry-Colas. This bottle housed different Dior fragrances (Miss Dior, Diorissimo and Diorama), so once again it’s unclear which fragrance sits on la Divina’s vanity.

I was surprised to see a massive flacon chauve souris containing the Guerlain classic Shalimar, a fragrance created in 1925 by Jacques Guerlain. According to online reports, Maria Callas used to wear Chanel No. 5 and Revillon Detchema, but there’s nothing that can beat the impressive presence of this bottle on a film set, so I totally approve of this choice.

Another surprising presence is a box of Madame Rochas, a white floral fragrance created by Guy Robert and launched in 1960. It may not be accurate, if we assume that Callas never wore it, but it surely looks good on her vanity.

Later in the film, Maria sits at another vanity. There’s another flacon chauve souris on it but there’s also a Guerlain zigzag box, first introduced in 1967. Reading the front label is impossible, so its content is unknown.

perfumes in movies

The Apprentice (2024)

Leave a comment

Taking a look at the Trumps’ bathroom circa mid 1980s (as imagined in the film) is a bizarre experience because fragrances from very different decades make their appearance. Some of them even come from the future!

The first item that caught my attention is the glossy black bottle sitting on the third shelf from the bottom. It contains Lanvin Arpège perfumed talc. This is historically accurate because the white floral fragrance by Paul Vacher and Andre Fraysse was launched in 1927.

The first dissonant note comes with the bottle sitting just below Arpège talc. It’s L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, a floral fruity fragrance launched in 2007! As one of my Instagram followers noticed [1], the bottle looks “very 80s” and that’s the only reason why it must have been selected by the film’s prop masters.

When Ivana (Maria Bakalova) sprays some perfume, we’re back on track, although I think this specific fragrance is not what she used to wear back then. It’s a lovely atomiser of Nina Ricci L’air du temps, decorated with yellow flowers and flying doves. At least it makes sense from a temporal point of view – it was created by Francis Fabron and launched in 1948.

The camera moves and another fragrance from the future can be seen on a glass shelf behind Donald (Sebastian Stan). It’s Omnia by Bvlgari, a warm spicy fragrance by Alberto Morillas launched in 2003.

The last fragrance from the future is Burberry Brit, sitting on the top shelf behind Donald. This is another floral fruity creation by Natalie Gracia-Cetto launched in 2003. The bottle design is not even reminiscent of the 1980s, so I really wonder what happened in the art/production design department to opt for such a baffling choice.

[1] This ID happened with the help of many people on Instagram who answered a story I posted after watching the film. Thanks to Jessica, Jack, Cédric, Harry, reveur_etc, and Vick for helping out.

perfumes in movies

Coup de chance (2023)

2 Comments

Fanny (Lou de Laâge) and her mother Camille (Valérie Lemercier) are shopping together and visit the Serge Lutens perfume shop.

Impossible to know exactly what perfume bottles are displayed in the screencap above. It’s impossible to tell if the bottles have the round or the longer tubular stopper, too.

On a small table on the right there are some flacons de table, splash bottles made of glass.

The location is the stunning Palais Royal, the Serge Lutens flagship store in Galerie de Valois in Paris. I am in love with the spiral staircase with the metal railing decorated with arrows.

perfumes in movies

Maxxxine (2024)

Leave a comment

In one of the last scenes of the film, Maxxxine (Mia Goth) is sitting in front of her dressing table, ready to start filming a new movie. Among the skincare products and toiletries on the table, the bottle on the far left has caught my attention.

It’s a gorgeous bottle of Cartier Pasha de Cartier, a fresh spicy eau de toilette created by Jacques Cavallier and launched in 1992. As LePetitCivet has recently pointed out, this is a historically inaccurate choice because this fragrance was launched well after 1985, year in which Maxxxine is set [1].

On the far right side of the table there’s a jar of Pond’s cold cream.

Even in this case, the choice is not totally accurate: in the advert above you can see what the Pond’s jar looked like in 1985. In the film the jar has the new packaging, not the original.

[1] Prop masters never seem to get Pasha de Cartier right: you may remember I noticed the same mistake in the TV show Glow.

cosmetics in movies, perfumes in movies

Rising Sun (1993)

Leave a comment

Cheryl Lynn (Tatjana Patitz) is sitting in front of a very busy vanity.

The heart-shaped bottle in front of her is Escada Margaretha Ley, a white floral fragrance created by Michel Almairac and launched in 1990.

On the right side of the table there’s a nail polish bottle with white cap by Clarins.

More Clarins products can be seen, in boxed form, behind the standing mirror. Too bad I couldn’t find any pictures of this rose-printed packaging. I remember it was used for lipsticks and probably for compact foundations, too.

Talking about foundations, the bottle without cap we can see in front of the standing mirror is MAC face and body foundation.

Thanks to LePetitCivet for submitting this post.

haircare in movies, perfumes in movies

Back to Black (2024)

Leave a comment

In the aftermath of the death of Amy’s grandmother Cynthia, the singer (Marisa Abela) sits at her vanity. This is an interesting scene because we get to see some of the beauty products and perfumes used by Cynthia, one of the main inspirations behind Amy’s music tastes and unique look.

The bottle with a triangular shape (a design by Robert Granai) is Guerlain Champs-Elysées, a floral fragrance originally created by Jacques Guerlain in 1904 and reintroduced in 1996.

The spray can Amy is holding is L’Oreal Elnett hairspray.

There’s also a bottle of Estée Lauder Youth Dew, a warm spicy fragrance created by Josephine Catapano and launched in 1953.

Thanks to Alessandra for submitting this post.

bodycare in movies, perfumes in movies, skincare in movies

Coup de chance (2023)

Leave a comment

Fanny (Lou de Laâge) and her husband Jean (Melvil Poupaud) are getting ready to attend a party. There are several interesting skincare products and perfumes on her vanity.

On the far right side of the table there are two products by Officine Universelle Buly – the Double Pommade Concrète hand cream and a bottle of Huile Antique.

On the same side there’s Guerlain Habit Rouge, an amber woody fragrance by Jean-Paul Guerlain launched in 1965.

Before they leave, Jean gives his wife a present – a Cartier necklace. The camera moves to the left side of the table and the movement reveals more items.

The white bottle with gold stopper is Eau Triple by Officine Universelle Burly. As with the Huile Antique, it’s impossible to identify the fragrance because the same bottle is used to house several scents.

There are two skincare products by Guerlain, both from the Abeille Royale line. One is Double R – Renew and Repair – advanced serum, the other is the advanced youth watery oil.

The blue bottle with copper stopper is Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream.

Last but not least, we can see a bottle of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or, a multi-purpose dry oil that can be used on face, body and hair.

perfumes in movies

Un homme hereux (2023)

Leave a comment

There are several versions of the same fragrance on a shelf in Jean and Edith’s bathroom: it’s Habanita by Molinard, launched in 1921 with the intention of “scenting” cigarettes. As explained by Barbara Herman, it originally “came in scented sachets you could put into a pack of cigarettes or as a liquid you could apply to your cigarettes with a glass rod to ‘perfume the smoke with a delicious, lasting aroma.” Three years later “Molinard turned their scent into a perfume to be worn rather than smoked”.

The black bottle with gold stopper is the eau de toilette version.

The white bottle contains Habanita L’Esprit, launched in 2013.

The black bottle contains the eau de parfum, launched in 2012.

Thanks to Alessandra for submitting this post.