The tall glass bottle with yellow pump atomiser on Jane’s vanity is a Bésame Cosmetics perfume, possibly 1960, a chypre floral inspired to that decade.
Category Archives: perfumes in tv shows
Killing Eve S01E08 (God, I’m Tired)
Perfumes have a very important function in this tv show. The protagonist, the assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) often uses a perfume named after her, La Villanelle, as a taunting trick with her victims. But the fictional scent is not the only one she uses. As a matter of fact, other interesting (and real) scents can be seen on a vanity in her bedroom.
The screencap above is from the scene in which Eve Polastri trashes Villanelle’s apartment. Two perfume bottles and one box stand out among the beauty products cluttering the table. Both are by Kilian, a line of expensive and exclusive fragrances founded by Kilian Hennessy. He descends from the family who founded one of the most famous cognac houses in the world, part of the luxury brand conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton • Moët-Hennessy) since 1987. Not a surprising choice: Villanelle loves luxury.
Reading the metal labels on the bottles is impossible, so let’s make some guesses. Three perfumes by Kilian have the clear bottle with gold label and stopper – Forbidden Games, Good Girl Gone Bad and Playing with the Devil. The three names are very evocative and all apply well to the protagonist.
When it comes to the black bottle with silver label and stopper, the possibilities are four – Intoxicated, Light My Fire, Smoke for the Soul and Vodka on the Rocks. Is wishing she wore Vodka on the Rocks too cheesy or stereotypical? Oksana Astonkova (Villanelle’s real name) is Russian, after all.
The two Kilian fragrances have an unexpected companion – Moschino Cheap & Chic, a floral perfume launched in 1995. Its playful black, red and white bottle is reminiscent of Olive Oyl, Popeye’s girlfriend.
I think there’s a continuity issue with this bottle: when Villanelle sits down, the bottle is standing (see the screencap above), but in the following shot it’s down (see the screencap below). Has it fallen down in the meantime? I have a feeling it hasn’t.
The white box with black diamond shape is by Kilian.
Thanks to Amy Green for the id.
Mr Selfridge S04E01
Kitty’s perfume counter is packed with Jean Patou fragrances. We can see several bottles of Joy and three smaller bottles.
One of the most famous white floral perfumes, Joy was created by Henri Almeras and launched in 1930. 
Colony, launched in 1938, is another creation by Almeras. The bottle originally had a peculiar pineapple shape.
The miniature on the left is another Patou perfume, but it’s impossible to tell which. This bottle, with rounded shoulders and stopper, was used for several fragrances. The fourth season of the show is set in 1928, so we can make some assumptions: it could be Amour Amour, Que sais je? or Adieu Sagesse (all launched in 1925) or even Chaldee (launched in 1927). The point is that these assumptions are not really correct: Joy is widely shown in this scene, which is historically inaccurate (the perfume was launched in 1930, two years after the events told in the season), so the miniature above could actually contain any Patou perfume, even one launched after 1928.
Later in the episode, a poster for Joy can be seen. Le parfum roi had a simple bottle decorated with gold leaf and gold thread around the bottle.
American Crime Story S02E09 (Alone)
When Marilyn Miglin (Judith Light) receives a visit from the FBI in Miami, she’s getting ready to go on air with her shopping program.
On the left there are some products (hydrating bath and shower gel and cooling body lotion) and boxes from the Destiny line.
At the centre and on the right there are some boxes and products from the 112 line; among them, a bottle of hydrating bath and shower gel.
Other 112 products can be seen while she’s arranging items on a counter: there’s the eau de parfum, the body lotion and the rollerball eau de parfum.
American Crime Story S02E09 (Alone)
After being among the protagonists of the third episode, Marilyn Miglin (Judith Light) is featured in the season finale, too. As a businesswoman incredibly devoted to her job, she never misses her obligations, even when she gets the news that Andrew Cunanan has killed Gianni Versace.
In the scene where she’s working on tv, lots of products of her brand can be seen. Most of them are from the Destiny line.
From left to right we see the renewal body lotion, the hydrating bath and shower gel and the cooling body lotion (third bottle from the left in the picture above).
There are some fragrances, too: the pink Pyjama Lily, the column-like bottle of Pheromone Musk, a bottle of Magic (more about it later) and Passionate.
Almost all the products on the right part of the picture are, again, from the Destiny line: bath and body oil, eau de parfum, crystalline dusting powder, body butter and another bottle of eau de parfum.
Finally, the faceted bottle at the top right part of the picture is Destiny Callalily.
Magic is something special. Marilyn explains it’s the fragrance someone like her father (who died when she was young) would give to someone like her mother (who took care of her family by herself) as a love token. The scene is very touching and beautifully emphasizes how positive feelings can still be true, despite the senseless tragedy of this world.
American Crime Story S02E08 (Creator/Destroyer)
There’s a bottle of Polo by Ralph Lauren eau de toilette on Andrew Cunanan’s dresser. The aromatic fragrance, launched in 1978, was created by Carlos Benaim.
Red Oaks S03E04 (Memories)
The perfume that has been mentioned and seen in the show several times – Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche – appears at a fashion photoshoot in New York, where David Meyers is working as assistant.
Red Oaks S02E09 (The Wedding)
There’s a bottle of Cacharel Anais Anais perfume in the bathroom where Karen (Gage Golightly) is crying, not sure whether to marry Barry or not. It’s unclear if the girl is wearing this perfume, but it would be perfect for her. I personally see this white floral, created in 1978 by Roger Pellegrino, Robert Gonnon, Paul Leger and Raymond Chaillan, as one of the most romantic fragrances ever.
Endeavour S05E05 (Quartet)
Vespertine is the name of the latest perfume created by Sebastian Fenix. It’s a fictional perfume, but there’s more to it. The yellow flower on the label is reminiscent of the datura flower in bloom. Not coincidentally, datura is a vespertine flower, meaning that it blooms in the evening. Furthermore, it’s a poisonous flowering plant, a nod to the shady perfumer who created the aforementioned fragrance.
Bloodline S02E07 (Part 20)
Diana (Jacinda Barrett) and John are getting ready to go out. She wears Beyoncé Heat Wild Orchid perfume, created by Honorine Blanc in 2014.
