Photographer Manuel Litran took this lovely picture of Liza Minnelli circa 1970 in New York, while the artist was putting her eyeliner on. On the dressing table there was a Max Factor product, the iconic Pan Stik, the original cream foundation in a stick.
In November 2018, the Hollywood auction house Julien’s Auctions will present an important event: many personal belongings of the American actress Sharon Tate will be auctioned. One of the most promising stars of the 1960s, Tate had a taste for refined and trendy clothes and a unique make-up style. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her brutal death by the hand of the infamous Charles Manson’s Family.
The auction will include some of the make-up items she used, among which Revlon black and white eye pencils, a Maybelline eyebrow pencil. The Aida de Leon gold tube was probably a mascara. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find any information about this brand: it would have been interesting to know more about it. I think it was a brand of professional make-up for theatre and cinema.
The other gold tube contains Helena Rubinstein Long-Lash mascara.
I love seeing Sharon applying her make-up. With a thin brush she drew a line in her eye sockets, so as to give depth and achieve a dramatic effect.
Zachary Quinto took this picture in his dressing room at the Booth Theater in New York, where he was performing as Harold in the hit play The Boys in the Band, written in 1968 by Mart Crowley and now directed by Joe Mantello.
The first item on the left is a jar of American Crew Fiber, a high-hold hair styling product.
There are two products by Dr. Hauschka – the facial toner and the soothing cleansing milk, both in pump bottles.
The pink bottle is Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense (deluxe edition).
There’s also a tube of Dermalogica Barrier Repair moisturiser.
Last, there’s a Cover FX compact, which could contain a bronzer, a pressed mineral foundation or a total cover cream foundation.
In this picture Jayne Mansfield is in front of her vanity: the fragrance sitting on it is Intoxication by D’Orsay, a chypre floral scent launched in 1938. The beautiful fluted bottle was manufactured by Verreries Brosse.
Paris Jackson posted this picture on her Instagram account: among books and crystals there’s a bottle of Eau de Soleil Blanc, one of the most recent releases by Tom Ford, launched in 2018 as a lighter take on Soleil Blanc, created by Nathalie Gracia-Cetto in 2016.
The passion of Courtney Love for cosmetics and perfumes has been documented since the beginning of her career [1]. In 1992 Alan Levenson took this picture in the bathroom of a Los Angeles apartment [2] she had rented with Kurt Cobain. Let’s start with the products on the washbasin.
The shaving cream is by Edge, while the soap bar with green plastic dish is by Clinique. On the left side of the washbasin there’s a pale green tube (a concealer?) and in the toothbrush holder there’s a cleansing facial brush: if memory serves me right, they are both by Clinique (old packaging).
Now the dresser: the pump bottle is Rave ultra-hold hairspray,
The black bottle with gold spray nozzle is Robert Piguet Fracas, her favourite perfume. As she explained in 2017: “My perfume history is checkered, but I found Fracas in 1985 via an agent I shared with Uma [Thurman]. It was so white-floral and heady […] I always come back to Fracas. I love it the most and it’s my go-to. It makes me so happy. My daughter also wears it. No one can ignore you when you’re wearing it, yet it’s not annoying. It smells to me like a baby’s head, a field of dreamy white meadow flowers, and a touch of sex.” Intriguing description, right?
The jar and glass bottle with white caps are Clarins products. Again, I remember Clarins skincare items had the brand name etched on their caps. I have no idea what these contained, but I guess they were a face cream and serum.
Last, the black tube with gold accents is the Lancôme mascara Définicils.
[1] Her Top Shelf is the best ever published on Into the Gloss.
[2] The flat was in the Spaulding Apartments building.
In 2016-2017 the multi-Tony and Grammy winner Patti LuPone added an extraordinary role to her already stellar career: she performed as Helena Rubinstein in the musical War Paint, based on the 2004 book by Lindy Woodhead which chronicled the long-time rivalry between beauty enterpreneurs Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden.
This photoshoot by Lauren Klain Carton was published on Vulture to illustrate an interview she had with Jason McHenry: it features backstage pictures, which mean dressing room pictures, which mean cosmetics!
The first products I’ve identified are Take the Day Off, a make-up remover by Clinique, and T. N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel astringent.
And now the make-up. The products up front are by Make Up For Ever – the super matte loose powder in the round plastic pot and the high-definition pressed powder in the black compact.
The white-cap bottle on the left is MAC 2-in-1 tinted serum from the Lightful C collection.
On the right side of the table there are Make Up For Ever Brow Gel tinted brow groomer, BeneFit Roller Lash mascara, Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow eyeshadow crayon, Aqua Lip lip liner and Rouge Artist Intense lipstick. There’s also a MAC Pro Longwear Fluidline eye liner.
The picture above also includes a bottle of MAC Studio face and body foundation.
This shot is great: LuPone in full Rubinstein attire, ready to step on stage. The product I’ve spotted here is Schwarzkopf Professional Osis+ hairspray.
Kim Kardashian posted this picture in her Instagram Stories on June 10th, 2018: she was sitting in front of a dressing table, cosmetics displayed in front of her. From left to right I’ve spotted:
A Dior Addict Ultra lip gloss in a tan nude shade
A bottle of Ben Nye luxury powder in Banana
MAC Studio Fix powder foundation and powder puff
Two Beauty Blender make-up sponges
An Anastasia Beverly Hills lip palette (in the black mesh make-up bag on the right)
Two nude crème lipsticks by KKW Beauty
Tatcha camellia goldspun lip balm and luminous dewy skin mist
MAC Prep+ Prime Fix+ water mist
The Canadian actor Jack Merivale took this picture in 1960. He was performing as Armand in the play Duel of Angels by Christopher Fry, along with Vivien Leigh. They were at the Huntington Hartford Hotel in Pasadena during the American tour of the play. They had been partners since 1958: Merivale stayed by Vivien Leigh’s side until her death, in 1967, and supported her during the difficult last years of her life.
The picture above is very interesting. In 1960 Leigh and her second husband Lawrence Olivier divorced, but the actress still kept his pictures on her dressing table. Beauty-wise, there are three perfume bottles worth talking about.
On the left, right next to the Olivier picture in the silver photoframe, there’s a Guerlain flacon goutte. First introduced in 1923, it was used for over 30 different fragrances, so there’s no way to tell exactly which one was sitting on Leigh’s table.
Beside the flower vase there’s a Dior amphore, designed by Fernand Guéry-Colas in 1947 for Miss Dior. Later, it was used for other Dior scents, like Diorissimo, Diorling, Diorama and Diorella. Again, there’s no way to know which perfume was on Vivien’s table.
Last but not least, the perfume we can identify without any doubt: Joy by Jean Patou, the actress’ signature scent [1], first given to her as a gift by Olivier.
[1] Elena Prokofieva wrote an interesting article about the perfumes Leigh used.
One of the most exciting things I’ve ever seen is Kylie Minogue’s dressing room displayed in Room 106 at the Victoria & Albert Museum. A glass room contains the exact replica of the vanity, mirrors, chairs and wardrobe that the Australian singer had for her 2007 Showgirl: The Homecoming tour.
Let’s see the products sitting on her table, starting from those in a white plastic container (from left to right).
There’s a tube of L’Oreal Professionel A-Head glue structurising fibre gel (old packaging), Tigi Bedhead Masterpiece massive shine hairspray, Johson’s baby powder, Fantasia liquid mousse pro-vitamin wrapping lotion and L’Oreal Elnett Satin hairspray.
The candle on the metal tray is by Jo Malone.
On the busy table there are, among the others, a MAC nail polish, a Chanel Le Vernis nail polish and two Rouge Allure lipsticks by the same brand.
There’s also a pot of Clinique Brush-On cream liner.
Lots and lots of MAC products, too: brushes, pigments, Mineralize Skinfinish Natural face powder, Lustreglass lipgloss and Face and Body foundation.
Next to the plastic container there’s a bottle of Kylie Minogue Darling perfume. Last but not least, there’s a Pucci make-up drawstring pouch.
I love the thank-you note handwritten by Kylie which introduces the display ♥
World Wide Aura 