Nénette et Boni (1996)

22 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

Bottles 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.

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

How to Get Away with Murder S01E01 (Pilot)

21 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

Gina Sadowski (Andrea Syglowski) wears Tarte LipSurgence natural matte lip tint in Lucky.

cosmetics in tv shows, vintage beauty products

Agent Carter S01E03 (Time And Tide)

21 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

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

The 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.

On 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.

haircare in movies

White Bird in a Blizzard (2014)

20 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

Head & Shoulders conditioning formula shampoo in the Connor’s bathroom.

cosmetics in movies, nail polish in movies, perfumes in movies

From Prada to Nada (2011)

19 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

L’Oreal True Match liquid foundation, Escada Rockin’ Rio perfume and China Glaze fuchsia nail polish on Mary Dominguez’s dressing table.

Screencap source.

perfume quotes in tv shows

Mad Men S01E10 (Long Weekend)

16 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn 1 Comment

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.

Shalimar 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)

15 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (3)

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (5)

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (6)

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).

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (7)

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.

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (15)

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (16)

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (17)

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.

americanhorrorstory_s04e06_bornunicorn (18)

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.

deodorants in movies, vintage beauty products

Insignificance (1985)

13 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

There’s a Tussy cream deodorant jar on the bathroom shelf of the Actress (Theresa Russell). This character is clearly inspired to Marilyn Monroe.

perfumes in movies

Muriel’s Wedding (1994)

12 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

Deidre Chambers (Gennie Nevinson) has a flamboyant style which I love. The outfit she sports in a scene set at a restaurant is my favourite: it includes a black sequined cardigan, black trousers and an embroidered white blouse. She’s a beauty consultant, so it’s nice she’s got a lipstick, a blush compact, a brush and a perfume on her blouse. The perfume bottle is clearly the same as Yves Saint Laurent Opium, a classic 1980s scent which Deidre could totally wear.

your top shelf

Margherita’s Bathroom Shelf

11 Jan 2015 Born Unicorn Leave a comment

You know I can’t resist a good bathroom selfie, i.e. a picture where beauty and make-up products appear. For this reason, this afternoon, while browsing Instagram, I found myself staring at the pic above, taken by Margherita in her bathroom. She’s a feminist who believes in the power of make-up, one of my favourite writers, co-founder of a gorgeous website and constant source of inspiration, so I decided I couldn’t miss the chance to feature her on my blog.

From left to right: a bottle of BeneFit High Beam highlighter, Sephora mattifying pressed powder, Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer, Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense lipstick in Cassis Satiné.