There’s a bottle of Artisan Woods For Him eau de cologne in Martin Harris’ bathroom cabinet.
Thanks to Alessandra for submitting this post.
Cruel Summer S01E09 (A Secret of My Own)
Category Archives: perfumes in tv shows
Cruel Summer S01E02 (A Smashing Good Time)
In the opening scene of the episode, set in 1993, Kate (Olivia Holt) is sitting at her dressing table: she’s getting ready to hit the gym and is putting on some lipgloss. In front of her there’s a classic drugstore beauty product and an unexpected perfume.
The classic is a jar of Pond’s dry skin cream.
The unexpected bottle is Karl Lagerfeld Sun Moon Stars, an amber floral fragrance by Sofia Grojsman launched in 1994. There’s a chronological problem here, because the perfume was launched one year after the events narrated in this section of the episode.
It’s an all-around unusual choice: Kate, the most popular girl in town, wearing a perfume that isn’t exactly mainstream (=recognizable) could be interpreted in different ways. For example, even if she’s popular, she’s not like all the other girls: she’s rich, so she can afford a niche-y French perfume.
The episode moves to 1994: Kate is sitting at her dressing table again and the blue bottle is still there, along with a pink-cap bottle.
This is a fragrance which deeply contrasts the presence of the Lagerfeld perfume because it’s an American drugstore classic – Dana Love’s Baby Soft, created by Ron Winnegrad and launched in 1974. These contrasting choices could indicate an eclectic taste or the desire to experiment with different products.
Cruel Summer S01E01 (Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner)
It would be interesting to know how a flacon montre of Guerlain Shalimar eau de cologne ended up on the dressing table of Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia), a nerdy girl who dreams of becoming popular.
The TV show is set in 1993/1995, years in which the classic Guerlain fragrance was not exactly on the wishlist of American teenage girls. Did the prop masters choose it for purely aesthetic reasons? I wouldn’t blame them, but it still feels weird. The flacon montre shown here is the original version with ground glass stopper, dating back to 1936. It’s a vintage piece which Jeanette maybe bought at a flea market: if this were the reason behind it, it would totally make sense. Too bad the bottle is not given a backstory in the show.
Thanks to Alessandra for submitting this post.
Firefly Lane S01E03 (Dancing Queens)
Some interesting toiletries from the 1970s can be seen in the scene where Tully helps Lane shave her legs.
Second from the left, a bottle of Revlon Jean Naté after-bath splash.
Next, there’s a bottle of Body on Tap beer-enriched (?) shampoo.
Last, Tickle unscented roll-on deodorant.
Thanks to Alessandra for the screencap and ids.
Lupin S02E03 (Chapitre 8)
Juliette (Léa Bonneau) is sitting at her dressing table and is putting lipstick on.
The lipstick she’s using is Chanel Rouge Coco Shine.
When her father Hubert (Hervé Pierre) joins her to start a conversation, we can see there are some objects on the table.
First, a bottle of Guerlain Shalimar, the 1925 classic by Jacques Guerlain.
There are also a MAC jar (it could be Paint Pot cream eyeshadow or Fluidline gel eyeliner) and a Dior lip colour, possibly Dior Addict Lip Tattoo or Lip Maximizer.
Thank you to Alessandra for the screencaps and the Shalimar id.
Followers S01e03 (Search) and S01E09 (Follower)
From a first, quick glimpse at Limi’s dressing table in E03, the only perfume that stands out is J’Adore, the 1999 Calice Becker creation for Dior, but there’s more.
Thankfully in E09 we get it! On the left side of Limi’s table there’s a Lalique Clairfontaine bottle with the beautiful lily-of-the-valley stopper.
The white box contains a bottle of Christian Louboutin nail polish.
J’Adore makes another appearance, along with Chanel No. 5.
The lovely apple-shaped bottle of Lolita Lempicka can be seen on Limi’s table, too. This is not a surprising choice, because this fruity gourmand fragrance, created by Annick Menardo and launched in 1997, suits the photographer’s personality.
The purple balloon bottle next to Lolita Lempicka is Lanvin Éclat d’Arpège, created by Karine Dubreuil and launched in 2002.
Last, there’s a box of Guerlain Météorites powder pearls.
Thanks to missanneiv for first telling me about this show.
Servant S02E04 (2:00)
In the Turners’ attic there’s a round tray with some bottles, snow globes and other items covered in dust. The bottle that attracts (and surprises) me the most is the blue one made of glass, a Guerlain product.
It’s a soothing toner from the Odélys line, launched in the early 1990s for the needs of sensitive and weakened skin. Now discontinued, it had an elegant teal packaging.
I’ve spotted many Guerlain products through the years but never one from this line, which is surprising. I perfectly remember when it first came out; needless to say, I was in love with its packaging, which at the time looked impossibly cool (and still does).
The pale pink jar contains Dew of Roses skin softener by Avon.
The tall bottle next to the Wedgwood-style jar is Caron Bain de Champagne (now Royal Bain de Caron), an Ernest Daltroff fragrance first launched in 1923.
Thanks to Alessandra for the screencap and to Kelly in the comments for the Avon and Caron ids.
Pose S03E07 (Series Finale)
After performing at a ball, Pray Tell (Billy Porter) sits at his dressing table and removes his make-up.
The frosted glass bottle with gold stopper is a fragrance by Officina Profumo S. Maria Novella. Too bad we can’t say what scent it is.
There’s also a Hydrabase lipstick by Chanel.
Pose S03E06 (Something Old, Something New)
There’s a factice bottle of Calvin Klein Obsession on a chest of drawers in Angel’s bedroom. This is a historically accurate choice: the best-selling perfume by Calvin Klein, created by Jean Guichard and launched in 1985, was still incredibly popular in the 1990s.
Pose S03E05 (Something Borrowed, Something Blue)
After much toiling and suffering, the big break arrives for Elektra (Dominique Jackson), who finally gets to live the dream of a lifetime – living in luxury. The perfumes on her elegant dressing table reinforce the idea.
Maybe a bit predictable, but a glossy black refillable atomiser of Chanel No. 5 never fails to impress.
The second fragrance, in the small black bottle, is much less mainstream. It’s the original version of Shiseido Zen eau de cologne, created by Josephine Catapano and first launched in 1964. The bottle, beautifully decorated by gold flowers, has an elegant shape, characteristic of Shiseido bottles from the 1960s/1990s.
