cosmetics in tv shows

American Horror Story S04E13 (Curtain Call)

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americanhorrorstory_s04e13_bornunicorn (9)In the season finale Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange) has finally become a Hollywood household name, but her make-up habits haven’t changed: she keeps using the same products she used back in Jupiter, Florida. In this scene she’s filming a commercial for Campfire Gold instant coffee, but she doesn’t like her script. On her dressing table we can see some items spotted in other episodes.

There’s a Bésame cake mascara.

There’s also a lipstick by the same brand. The shades used on this character are Cherry Red and Red Hot Red.

There’s a red pot of cream rouge, a product which can be used on lips and cheeks.

besamevioletpowder_bornunicornThe white pot with the red lid is the Brightening Violet powder, a translucent powder which brightens any skin tone.

The season finale aired yesterday but I know I’ll miss it. Sure, it had some serious WTH moments; I didn’t agree with some choices (poor Maggie), but I thoroughly enjoyed the last episodes. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to learning more about the 5th season.

cosmetics in tv shows

American Horror Story S04E13 (Curtain Call)

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Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock) is now the owner of Elsa Mars’ freak show and, as such, gets ready for his “performing” debut… The spoiled boy definitely has a talent but it will turn against him. This scene is very interesting because it echoes a similar scene from the 5th episode (Pink Cupcakes). In both scenes, the owners of the freak show are putting their make-up on: they are using almost the same products, and some shots (the one where they apply some lipstick) are the same, as a mirror image.

There’s a Bésame cake mascara, which Dandy uses on the inner waterline.

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Then there’s a Signature powder compact.

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And then the omnipresent gold bullet-shaped lipstick. Dandy uses a nude shade, Champagne, creamy beige with a slight sheen.

perfumes in movies

Nénette et Boni (1996)

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lancomepoeme_bornunicornBottles of Christian Dior Dolce Vita and Lancôme Poême in the department store where the baker (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) goes shopping. The choice to put them on the shelves is historically accurate: the fragrance by Dior (created by Pierre Bourdon and Maurice Roger) was launched in 1994, while the Lancôme one (created by Jacques Cavallier) was launched in 1995.

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Right below the Dior display there’s another interesting perfume, launched in 1996: it’s Butterfly by Hanae Mori, an amber fragrance created by Bernard Ellena.

Thanks to Alessandra for the Hanae Mori id.

cosmetics in tv shows, vintage beauty products

Agent Carter S01E03 (Time And Tide)

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agentcarters01e03_bornunicornThere are two interesting make-up items on Peggy Carter’s dressing table.

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chenyu_cloudsilkad_bornunicornThe large gold box is Chen Yu Cloud Silk cake make-up refill, a compact foundation. I’ve always known this brand for its super–glamourous advertisement campaigns and for its nail polishes, but I had no idea it made regular make-up, too. Furthermore, I had no idea it’s still in the business.

dorothyperkinsvintage_bornunicornOn the Cloud Silk compact there’s a smaller box whose lid reads “Dorothy Perkins”, a name which is still present on the market as a clothing brand. Back in the 1940s it produced make-up items, too. I don’t know exactly what the round box in the screencap above contained, but I guess it was rouge or face powder.

perfume quotes in tv shows

Mad Men S01E10 (Long Weekend)

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madmen_s01e10_shalimar_bornunicorn (4)Carol McCardy (Kate Norby) and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) are getting dressed for a night out. Carol comments on Joan’s perfume: we learn that she wears a classic – Guerlain Shalimar, perfect for a seductress like Joan.

Created in 1925 by Jacques Guerlain, it’s undeniably one of the most famous perfumes of all times. According to Fragrantica, it opens on citrus notes (lemon, mandarin orange and bergamot), has floral middle notes (jasmine, may rose, iris) and balsamic base notes (sandalwood, opopanax, civet, musk, leather, incense and Tonka bean).  It’s a perfume I could never wear (my skin doesn’t love it at all) but I can see why it’s so popular and beloved. Its Indian inspiration (Shalimar was the name of Mumtaz Mahal‘s favourite garden) and the fan-shaped bottle designed by Raymond Guerlain in collaboration with Baccarat have certainly contributed in creating an icon.

GUERLAINSHALIMARADSShalimar advertising campaigns have always focused on the oriental inspiration of the perfume, as shown in the pictures above. From left to right: 1929 illustration by Lyse Darcy; 1959 illustration by Jean-Baptiste Charnotet; an illustration (possibly from the 1930s) with a veiled woman; a 1975 ad inspired to the Jazz Age.

 

perfume quotes in tv shows, perfumes in tv shows

American Horror Story S04E06 (Bullseye)

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Venetian Romance is a fictional fragrance which has an important role in this episode. It’s Penny’s signature scent, the one she wears when she meets her lover Paul (Mat Fraser).

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Paul goes to a drugstore to buy it for Penny. Thanks to the screencap above we can see its bottle is actually the one of a historical and extremely popular fragrance, Evening in Paris by Bourjois. The cobalt blue bottle with the curved label began appearing in the late 1940s/early 1950s, so the choice to use it is historically accurate. A cobalt blue talcum powder bottle of the same scent can be seen on the drugstore shelf, too.

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In the episode we also learn that Paul is Elsa Mars’s lover. She smells Venetian Romance on him and understands he’s having an affair with another woman.

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As a revenge, she badly wounds Paul: she straps him to a bullseye wheel and stabs him on purpose. Penny arrives to the circus and finds Paul fighting for his life. Elsa immediately realizes she’s the one Paul is having an affair with. “Speaking of cheap perfume” conveys her contempt for Penny , but also her envy for the star-crossed lovers.

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